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Real Estate: Selling properties is in her family’s blood

Erica McKenzie

Erica McKenzie’s family made it easy for her to pick a career and a place to call home.

The North Fork native is a third-generation realtor at her father’s company, Andrew Stype Realty in Mattituck, which was established in 1964 by her grandfather Val Stype.

The family business came naturally to Ms. McKenzie, whose first sale materialized during the first open house she ever held.

“I thought, ‘Hey, this is easy!’ ” she recalled in a recent interview. “I’m Andy’s daughter — real estate is in my blood.”

The mother of three children decided to move to Southold from New York City after working as a buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue. When she’s not chipping away at her goal of increasing sales, Ms. McKenzie enjoys watching her children’s sports games and playing golf with her family.

We spoke with Ms. McKenzie recently about her experience in the real estate business and life on the North Fork.

Q: What’s the most challenging aspect of being a realtor?

A: Being a chameleon. You have to adjust to every client and customer. Some want to be your best friend while others want to have all correspondence over email.

Q: Is there one universal piece of advice you give every client?

A: Don’t look at too many houses in one day! It can get confusing when you sit down to review what you saw.

Q:  What are some things you do to learn about the North Fork?

A: I love the North Fork! I like to act like a tourist once or so a year and visit the vineyards.

Q: Do you have a favorite North Fork restaurant?

A: I very much like Noah’s in Greenport.

Q: What’s your favorite scenic spot on the North Fork?

A: Around the bend traveling west in Aquebogue right by Bayview farm stand. You can see the church steeple just over the trees and it’s a gorgeous sight throughout all four seasons.

Q: Who’s another local realtor that you really respect?

A: Jocelyn Haas at Corcoran is a lovely person to work with.

Q: What piece of advice do you give other realtors?

A: Everything is balanced: If you have a bad day, a good one is right around the corner!

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Photo: Erica McKenzie, vice president of Andrew Stype Real Estate in Mattituck. In the background is the view from the latest house she sold. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)