Ditmas Park’s Mary Kay Gallagher Tells NYT She’s Not Afraid Of Real Estate Big Guns

The New York Times recently took a look at how boutique real estate firms, longtime Ditmas Park pillar Mary Kay Gallagher, are faring against giant names like Douglas Elliman and Coldwell Banker.

93-year-old Mary Kay, along with her granddaughter and fellow realtor Alexandra Reddish, spoke to the publication about how the foundation they’ve built will keep them going even as two or three main names continue to dominate the overall New York market.

“Everything is personal with me,” Mary Kay tells the Times.

Alexandra adds, “We’re staying afloat on personal service and pure reputation… At the big firms, because the competition between agents is so fierce, the pressure is always on. We don’t have that. You can’t force people to buy a $2 million house.”

The figure is significant because it’s what 114 Westminster Road, a Colonial revival on the corner of Albemarle, sold for in early September. Having been on the market for over a decade and shown by other realtors, it’s clear no force was used to sell the home–but its price set a new record in Flatbush nonetheless.

Mary Kay has been selling homes in Ditmas Park for nearly half a century, and her methods seem to be working–so here’s to many more years providing personal service in the ‘hood.

Photo via 52 Suburbs