Reflecting on 30 years in the real estate business

Thirty years ago, if you had asked me what I was going to do with my life, I would not have said real estate.

At the time, I had dropped out of a clinical psychology Ph.D. program after two years. I applied to Merrill Lynch to be a stockbroker and aced the knowledge test, only to fail the sales test. I tried selling siding for a brief period and failed rather spectacularly at that, too.

Then a friend’s husband, who managed a real estate office, suggested I give the business a try. I figured I had nothing to lose.

What appealed to me from the beginning wasn't the sales aspect. It was the knowledge. I liked learning how houses worked—mechanical systems, structural components, construction details, and all the things that make one property different from another. What I quickly learned is that knowledge is only part of the equation. The hardest part when you're starting out is convincing someone to trust you with what is often their most valuable possession.

Like many new agents, I spent my early years working with buyers. Sellers tend to want experience, and understandably so. I still remember showing an investor a two-family building in Albany and then racing back to the office, hoping I could find someone to help me write the offer before the buyer got there. Back then, every transaction felt like a final exam.

One of my early sales was a three-unit property at 128 Lark Street in 2001. It sold for $2,500. I honestly don't remember what the commission was, but I can assure you it wasn't much.

I also remember looking around the office at the established agents with a mixture of admiration and envy. While I was spending my days cold-calling strangers and asking if they wanted to sell their homes, these agents somehow had people calling them. The idea that clients would seek you out instead of the other way around was hard to imagine.

Over time, something remarkable happened. One client became two. Two became ten. Referrals started to replace cold calls. Relationships replaced prospecting. And slowly, the business grew. When Julie joined me full time in 2012 and we opened McSharry and Associates Realty together, the business really started to take off.

As of May 31, 2026, I've been fortunate enough to be part of 1,028 closed sales totaling more than $263 million in real estate. Those transactions have ranged in price from that $2,500 investment property to homes selling for well over $1 million. The numbers are interesting, but they aren't what I think about most. I think about the people.

I've worked with buyers who purchased the very first house they saw and others who spent years searching for exactly the right place. I've accidentally set off more alarm systems than I'd care to admit. I've had more conversations with police officers than most real estate agents probably should—once because of an alarm and once because I somehow managed to enter the wrong house. Over the years I've also encountered homeowners in various states of surprise when showing property. Real estate has a way of creating memorable stories.

What stands out most, however, are the relationships. Many clients have become friends, and many friends have become clients. I've had the privilege of helping people through some of life's biggest transitions—first homes, growing families, downsizing, relocations, investments, and everything in between.

Looking back, I feel incredibly lucky. Lucky that I stumbled into this business when I wasn't entirely sure where I was headed. Lucky to have earned the trust of so many clients over the years. And lucky that so many of those relationships continue long after the closing table.

To everyone who has been part of this journey—clients, friends,  referral partners, and family—thank you.

—Patrick