Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty (DGSIR) has announced that real estate advisor Catherine Wallack has joined its team of sales professionals in Northport. Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Chief Executive Officer Deirdre O’Connell made the announcement.
“Catherine Wallack is an outstanding professional with a proven record of success in Northport and its surrounding communities,” said O’Connell. “Her background in property management and fine arts complements her ability to help her clients and customers realize their vision in both personal residences and investment properties.”
A native of Northport, Wallack was recruited to Daniel Gale Sotheby’s by Melissa Stark, sales manager for the Northport and Huntington offices. Wallack explains, “Melissa and I first met while working on a school project at our daughters’ school. I was drawn to her upbeat personality, work ethic, and initiative. When Melissa invited me to join Daniel Gale Sotheby’s, I saw her positivity and enthusiasm reflected in her sales team and determined that I wanted to be part of that community of agents.”
Wallack’s active board membership for the Board of Conservation of the Environment for the Village of Asharoken reflects her commitment to and love of her community. She also volunteers for the Daughters of the American Revolution.
“Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s world class marketing and digital tools, combined with its global reach and family feel, are exactly what I’m looking for to further my career development,” said Wallack.
Honoree Katherine Heaviside, president, Epoch 5 Public Relations (second from right) with (l-r) Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty President and Chairman of the Board Patricia J. Petersen, CEO Deirdre O’Connell and Board member Stanley C. Gale, grandson of founder Daniel Gale.
Day of Golf, Tennis and Pickleball Supports Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens Not-for-Profits
The Daniel Gale Foundation, the charitable arm of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, one of the nation’s top ranked luxury real estate organizations, recently held its 1st Annual Outing in support of its mission to benefit charitable causes across Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island.The sold out event, which honored Epoch 5 Public Relations President Katherine Heaviside, offered golf, tennis, and pickleball to a crowd of enthusiastic supporters at the Huntington Country Club.
The genesis of this first annual outing was the advisory board of the Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Young Professionals Network (YPN). YPN is a group of approximately 40 real estate advisors who meet regularly to share growth opportunities through networking and mentoring. This most recent event is one of several fundraisers YPN has organized in support of the Foundation.
Co-chairing this event were YPN advisory board members Kathleen McCarthy, a real estate advisor who works predominantly in Queens and western Nassau, and Melissa Stark, who manages sales in the Huntington office.
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty CEO Deirdre O’Connell kicked off the evening festivities, thanking the event committee and all in attendance for their support of the Foundation.President and Chairman of the Board Patricia J. Petersen,Stanley C. Gale, grandson of company founder Daniel Gale, and Katherine Heaviside joined O’Connell at the podium.
“I am thrilled to stand before such a wonderful group of supporters,” she said. “Together we represent a community of caring that can make a real difference in the lives of our neighbors who are struggling.I am also exceedingly proud of our young professional group, who put together such an enjoyable and successful event.”
Heaviside was honored in recognition of Epoch 5 Public Relations’ 40 years as Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s public relations firm and . A Huntington resident, Heaviside is a regular on the Long Island Press Power List of “Top 50 Influentials” and has been voted “Best Publicist on Long Island” for 14 years in a row.She has unmatched long-standing contacts and relationships with the media, corporate leaders, and community and government leaders.
In 2022, as part of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s celebration of its centennial year, the Daniel Gale Foundation was launched to consolidate and organize the ongoing charitable giving and outreach efforts of the organization’s management, staff and real estate advisors to make a greater impact. In the year since its formation, the Foundationdonated the equivalent of 100,000 meals to Island Harvest and City Harvest food banks during Hunger Action Month®, supported Pink Aid in its fight against breast cancer, and raised thousands of dollars with its Young Professionals Networking and Bowlathon events, among others.
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Chief Executive Officer Deirdre O’Connell and members of her executive team kicked off the fundraiser, presenting Island Harvest and City Harvest with an initial donation of $10,000 from the Daniel Gale Foundation.
29 Sales Offices from Brooklyn and Queens Across Long Island to Contribute Food and Funds throughout September, Hunger Action Month®
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty (DGSIR), a luxury real estate organization serving Long Island, Brooklyn, and Queens has launched a month-long fundraiser to collect food and funds for Island Harvest Food Bank and City Harvest, two of the region’s largest hunger relief organizations. This companywide effort is part of Daniel GaleSotheby’s International Realty’s 100 Anniversary celebration, and the goal is to raise funds to provide 100,000 meals during the month of September, which is Hunger Action Month®.
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Chief Executive Officer Deirdre O’Connell and members of her executive team kicked off the fundraiser, presenting Island Harvest and City Harvest with an initial donation of $10,000 from the Daniel Gale Foundation.
“With sales offices across Long Island and more than 1,000 real estate professionals, managers and support staff enthusiastically committed to our goal, we are eager to make this significant contribution to alleviate hunger in our communities,” said O’Connell. “Every office will be contributing and accepting donations of nonperishable goods and monetary donations online, as well as rolling up their sleeves as the boots on the ground.”
Randi Shubin Dresner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Island Harvest, explained the continuing need for food banks such as Island Harvest and City Harvest and the ways in which the Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty community can help.
“While Long Island is home to some of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the nation, one in ten Long Island families experience food insecurity at some point during the year. This includes school children who may have trouble concentrating in class because they went to bed hungry and woke up to a minimal, or no breakfast; seniors who helped to build our communities and now must choose between medicine and a meal; and our veterans who served our country but now face hard times. It’s our responsibility to make sure that no one on Long Island goes without food.”
“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City was facing a profound hunger crisis—particularly in the marginalized communities that City Harvest has long served, with nearly 1.2 million New Yorkers, including one in five children experiencing food insecurity,” said Jilly Stephens, City Harvest Chief Executive Officer. “Those numbers surged during the pandemic and remain at historic highs with nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers, including more than 462,000 children, in need of assistance.”
In addition to contributing food and funds, Island Harvest and City Harvest will welcome volunteers from Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty to help them get food into the hands of those in need. Activities include volunteering at distribution centers, helping to sort donations or working at Island Harvest’s Brentwood farm.
“Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty has a 100 year tradition of serving our communities, and we couldn’t be more excited that to put our hands and hearts to work to help Island Harvest and City Harvest meet their goals to end hunger,” added O’Connell. “We will working individually and as a team to make a difference across Long Island from Brooklyn to our easternmost offices on the North Fork. Our team is ready and willing to work shoulder to shoulder with these two incredible food banks.”
Founder Daniel Gale, above, and his assistant Miss Jean Wallice — the future Mrs. Kent Gale — in front of the Daniel Gale Huntington office, circa 1940. Photo from Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty
Not many companies make it to 100 years in business, but Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty did just that this year.
Below, Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s President and CEO Patricia Petersen poses in front of the Cold Spring office around 1990. Photo from Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Daniel Gale founded the company on Feb. 9, 1922, and chose Main Street in Huntington for his real estate and insurance agency. When he picked the spot, the founder was encouraged by the fact that the town was a stop on one of the Long Island Rail Road lines. A century later, the company remains family owned. Through the decades the founder’s son Kent, until his passing in 2014, grandson Stan, and Kent Gale’s protégé current chairperson and president Patricia Petersen have continued to head up the company along with CEO Deirdre O’Connell.
History
In a recent phone interview, Petersen and O’Connell discussed the company’s history. Over the hundred years, Daniel Gale has grown from a business with one office to 30 locations not only on Suffolk County’s North Shore but across the Island. In 2014, the brokerage company opened offices in Queens and this year Brooklyn.
Petersen said she believes one of the company’s assets is that it has been family owned. She learned the benefits of this early on when she started in real estate in 1975 in the Cold Spring Harbor location, which was the company’s second office. Petersen said as a mother, she was hoping to work part-time but quickly found out it was difficult to become a successful real estate agent with limited hours. She said Jean Gale, the wife of the founder’s son Kent, would help get her children off the nursery school bus, give them lunch and then get them to day care.
“Somehow we cobbled it together and made it work,” Petersen said. “It’s kind of how we run the company. Whatever the agents need, Deidre and I figure out a way to provide it.”
Petersen went from agent to office sales manager, company general manager and relocation director through the years. She credits Kent Gale with recognizing she had potential. In the early ’90s, she began buying the company with Kent’s son Stan Gale and became president and CEO.
Kent Gale, son of founder Daniel Gale. Photo from Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
In turn, one of the talents Petersen recognized was O’Connell. The latter said her career in real estate began with another company in 1991. She opened her own office in Manhasset and her second one in Cutchogue. Daniel Gale then bought her offices, and she became part of the company in 2007. O’Connell helped the brokerage expand to the North Fork. She went on to become a regional manager then general manager of the company, and became CEO four years ago.
Both said they appreciate the history of Daniel Gale. As the centennial celebrations began, Petersen said, it was a reminder of everything the company had been through since its founding. The ups and downs of the current pandemic, she added, can be likened to founder Daniel Gale’s early days.
“Daniel Gale went through the Depression and went through the [second] World War,” she said.“In fact, he started the company right after the first World War, and then he had to go through the second World War. We have had our own challenging times over the years, but certainly that’s not new to us. We’ve always been able to not just survive but thrive in really any kind of market.”
O’Connell said she believes the company thriving goes back to its foundation.
“Certainly, in times of crisis we use that as an opportunity to assess the crisis and to utilize that and to come out of it as a growth opportunity, because after every crisis comes opportunity,” she said. “We’ve always been able to seize those moments.”
As for the pandemic, O’Connell said the company realized the importance of pivoting early on during the shutdowns by going virtual. Within a month, she said, Daniel Gale had an open house with 150 homes virtually showcased.
“Yes, everyone could do it eventually, but we seized the moment to once again help our agents help their customers and clients in providing them the service and marketing of the moment,” O’Connell said.
Petersen and O’Connell also recognize the importance of marketing in the real estate field. An early marketing tactic of founder Daniel Gale in the 1920s, Petersen said, was buying a tract of land along with two investors. One lot had a miniature model house buried in the ground. Petersen said whoever bought the plot would win a house built for them. She added that the person turned out to be a builder, so he was given two more lots instead of having a house built for him and the win spearheaded his own business in the area.
Pat Petersen and Deirdre O’Connell. Photo from Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Sotheby’s International
Another milestone in Daniel Gale’s history was when the company became affiliated with Sotheby’s in the 1970s. The auction house needed an outlet for its clientele. After Sotheby’s International Realty was created, Daniel Gale became affiliated with it on Long Island and went on to become its No. 1 affiliate in the world.
O’Connell called the move a game-changer which allows Daniel Gale agents to bring their properties around the world but still have representation on Long Island.
“Larger firms that are represented, even here on Long Island, their decisions during hard times aren’t made here locally,” she said. “They’re made maybe in New York City or across the country somewhere. We live and we work, we do everything with our people first in mind.”
She gave the example that during the Great Recession of the 2000s, while big corporations laid off people, “Pat Petersen put personal money into the company to make sure that we didn’t have to cut our people.”
Keeping employees in place is something the company was able to do during the pandemic, too.
“We kept everyone on the payroll because we could make that decision,” O’Connell said.
The present and future
Later this year, Daniel Gale plans to open a new office in Huntington located cata-cornered where the original 1922 building was on Main Street. The company also recently launched the Daniel Gale Foundation to enable the company, which has donated tens of thousands in the past, to make a bigger impact.
O’Connell said Daniel Gale offices have always been involved with their communities “through a wide range of community service initiatives and donations.” With the new foundation, offices will choose a few events each year to work on with the whole company.
“The Daniel Gale Foundation will enable us to make an even greater impact with our giving by consolidating our giving efforts across the Island from Brooklyn to Shelter Island and make them even more impactful,” O’Connell said. “The foundation is about more than giving dollars, it is having the Daniel Gale family roll up their sleeves, put on their sneakers or pick up their shovels to work in our communities as a team.”
The two said it’s important to be proud of the past but it’s also essential to keep an eye on the future. Currently, like other realty companies, Daniel Gale is keeping up with the current seller’s market. O’Connell said while inventory is low, sales are high.
“We get 10 houses on the market, or an office has five houses on the market in a weekend, and they’re all gone by Monday,” O’Connell said, adding she believes the market will normalize in the near future.
Petersen added the importance of pricing correctly in any market.
“Part of our job is to be good counselors,” she said.
As they look toward the future, Petersen and O’Connell said the ways of communicating continue to change with social media platforms, but the key is to maintain high quality just like they do in ads and online.
“You have to be true to yourself, and I’m very proud of what we’ve done in the last 100 years,” Petersen said. “Not that I had much to do with the first 50, but I am very proud of what we’ve accomplished and what is still yet to accomplish.”
Eric McCarthy and Deidre O'Connell in front of the new location. Photo courtesy of Daniel Gale Sotheby's
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty has announced that it is in the process of moving its longtime Huntington office from Park Avenue to a prime location on the corner of Main Street and New York Avenue in downtown Huntington Village. The new office will reap the benefits of high visibility and heavy foot traffic in this destination village known for its popular restaurants, shopping, and entertainment venues.
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s Chief Executive Officer Deirdre O’Connell made the announcement with the expectation that the new office will open in early spring 2022.
“To say that we are excited about our new location is an understatement,” said O’Connell. “We are delighted to bring a state of the art real estate office to downtown Huntington Village. Not only is Huntington the hometown of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, our very first office was founded on this busy corner in 1922. Its opening will coincide with the start of our 100th anniversary celebration.”
As the new home base for some 50 real estate advisors, the office, located at 263 Main Street with display windows running alongside New York Ave., has already been festooned with signs bearing Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s familiar whale logo.
“We’re sad to say goodbye to our longtime home on Park Avenue,” said O’Connell, “but this new office will incorporate design elements developed to accommodate the latest technology, the health and safety needs of those who work there or visit, and include leading edge meeting rooms.”
Eric McCarthy, sales manager of the Huntington office, is equally enthused about the move to Main Street. “An essential part of our culture is being part of the local community, and we will be in the thick of it here on Main Street. Huntington is among Long Island’s most desirable communities in which to live, and we look forward to inviting our neighbors, friends and passersby to stop in and say hello.”
From left, real estate agent Danielle Perez and Smithtown sales manager Jacqueline Clancy lent a hand during the Smithtown Historical Society’s annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 3.
The Smithtown office of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty has partnered with the Smithtown Historical Society to assist with and donate to various community and children’s programs.
The team kicked off the program in February with the first of an ongoing monthly donation of a cooler full of food that children can feed to the rescued farm animals in residence at the Smithtown Historical Society Farm. They also adopted a pony and a sheep, providing for their veterinary and other needs.
In March Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty sponsored “Irish Luck on the Farm,” a celebration Irish heritage with a petting zoo, Irish Step Dancing, limericks and general family fun. April found the Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty team sponsoring the ever popular Easter Egg hunt at the farm, providing sunglasses, lemonade, iced tea and colored chalk for the families to enjoy.
“The Smithtown Historical Society is very special to Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty and we committed to supporting their family programs,” said Jacqueline Clancy, sales manager for Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s Smithtown and Stony Brook offices. “We thought our help would be great, for not only the animals and Historical Society, but for the community to come and enjoy outdoor activities close to home.”
From left, WMHS Visual Arts Coordinator Jennifer Trettner, DGSIR CEO Deirdre O’Connell, aritst Corinne Angeand DGSIR Regional Manager Anthony DeGrotta. Photo by Lianna Kosch
Corrine Ange with her winning artwork. Photo by Lianna Kosch
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty of Stony Brook celebrated all of the final contestants featured in the Fall 2019 Ward Melville High School Student Art Contest on Dec. 1.
The public voted on their favorite piece of art during the month of November.
The winning artist was Ward Melville High School senior Corrine Ange. Her watercolor piece impressed many with its vibrant colors and lifelike quality. The prize for Ange was a $500 scholarship presented by Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty’s CEO Deirdre O’Connell, who applauded all of the artists for contributing their talents and thanked all attendees for their support for making community events like this possible.
Pictured from left, Marketing Coordinator Lianna Kosch and Administrative Assistant/Transaction Coordinator Rose Morrow of Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty with some of the artwork on display. Photo by Heidi Sutton
TIME TO CAST YOUR VOTE!
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, located at 1067 Route 25A, Stony Brook invites the community to view its current art exhibit, titled Future Auction House Collection, through Nov. 30.
View the wall-mounted and 3-D artwork of15 Ward Melville High School students and cast your vote for your favorite (one vote per person). The winning artist will be awarded a $500 cash prize. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.For more information, please call 631-689-6980.
View the wall-mounted and 3-D artwork of
