New leadership at Guernsey Real Estate, Compass

MILLBROOK — There have been many changes during the past year: how people live, how they travel, how they invest and how they buy property. The real estate industry has done very well in some areas, including New York’s Dutchess County, which has seen an incredible rise in sales as a result of city dwellers leaving Manhattan during the coronavirus pandemic and moving to the Hudson Valley. The prospect of a slower pace of life, of a less crowded living environment and of safer streets has apparently been very appealing during the stress brought on by the COVID health crisis.

Millbrook has a special reputation for its horse and dairy farms, rolling green spaces and nature trails and basically being as different from city life as one can imagine. Which is why those fleeing NYC have been seeking out Realtors with long established reputations, known for good service and for being trustworthy. The name Guernsey is among those that stands out, as it has been around since 1908, when Zip Guernsey’s grandfather and father established H.W. Guernsey Real Estate. Years later, when Zip took over, he rebuilt it from the ground up and made it the vibrant business that it remains today.

The pandemic has brought in new customers, many from big cities looking to live in rural areas where they feel safe. Guernsey, sensing what he describes as his “boutique” firm, said he began to feel he could benefit from more technology, new marketing ideas and expertise selling properties online. That’s when he partnered with Compass Real Estate in March of 2020.

Further change came that December, when Guernsey had lunch with Realtor Byron Anderson. It was then that Guernsey knew he had his man to lead his family’s real estate firm into the future. 

Guernsey had actually known Anderson for years, as well as his mother, Candy Anderson, who was a longtime Realtor with his agency since about 1986. Guernsey said he even remembers young Byron doing his homework in the Millbrook real estate office, and working there for a short time after graduating from college.

Byron then spent four years in Wyoming and Colorado, pursuing a career in ski racing until 2011 when he moved back to New York State, deciding that his future was in real estate. 

He worked for Stribling Associates, then moved to Urban Compass in 2014. The call from Guernsey to take over Guernsey came in December 2020, and he started Jan. 1. Wishing to retire, Guernsey was looking for a successor.

“Byron was a logical choice and a perfect fit,” said Guernsey. “I knew him as a young boy. He worked for us for awhile after college. He knew the area and many people. From what I’ve been hearing from people, I hear he’s doing great,” Guernsey said, adding he still has his license, and is working out odds and ends with Compass. 

Byron is married; his wife is a chef who gave up her career with the birth of their second child. He loves what he is doing, and agrees the position is a perfect fit. He sees a great future in the Millbrook agency.

“Compass is a hybrid real estate and  tech firm,” he said. “They invest in their agents. Their motto is to help everyone to find their place in the world.” 

To make this possible, they have created an entire tool suite, allowing agents to have more time operating in the field to use their expertise to deal with clients.

“Compass is largely a tech-driven firm,” Byron said, “it has platforms and tools for marketing, PR and data that no other firm has.” 

He said he’s thrilled to bring this expertise to Millbrook, and feels strongly that the future is bright, adding he’s always open to new ideas and change.

To contact HW Guernsey Real Estate, call 845-677-5311.

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