Brown Harris Stevens

With more than 60 years of combined real estate experience, the award winning partnership of Judy Oston and Don Correia have proven themselves to be a consistently successful sales team. Throughout their long careers they have seen it all. Whether it’s a strong or weak market, buyers and sellers alike can feel comfortable knowing that Judy and Don will guide them professionally through the ups and downs of the NYC real estate market.

They are two time winners of the prestigious Real Estate Board of New York’s “Deal of the Year Award,” members of Halstead’s elite Diamond Club (soon to be 4 time honorees), the Platinum Circle, Gold Circle and Producer’s Circle. Judy is a member in good standing of the New York Residential Specialist group.

Throughout their careers, Judy and Don have specialized in selling and representing buyers in the townhouse market while being heavily involved in the co-op and condo market as well. They have sold and rented every type of property available in NYC, from a studio in the East Village to an eight-figure co-op on Park Avenue. Don and Judy are also continually being requested to teach their highly lauded townhouse seminar to the Halstead community as well as the rest of the NYC real estate community. You can see a video of one of those seminars on our team website!

Don is originally from Northern California. He left the bay area in the early 1970s for Las Vegas where he appeared in an Acrobatic Act at the Follies Bergere before moving to Los Angeles to continue his performing career. Since his departure from Las Vegas, Don has been a performer in numerous shows on Broadway, television, movies and many night club acts across the country. He has also received many awards throughout his performing career including a Tony Award nomination for his performance as Don Lockwood in “Singin’ In The Rain” (the role that Gene Kelly made famous), The Astaire Award (given yearly for the best dancer on Broadway) for his performance in “Little Me,” and an Emmy Award for his performance in “A Tribute to Richard Rogers,” where he danced with his then soon-to-be wife, Sandy Duncan. In the mid-1980s Don decided to give up theater to concentrate on Real Estate, both in NY and California where he still holds an active real estate license.

Don knows the ins and outs of every type of NYC living. With his wife, Sandy, they have bought or rented over 20 properties in NYC during their 34 year marriage. They’ve owned everything from a couple of Upper East Side penthouses to a single-family brownstone with private garage on the Upper West Side where they raised their two sons. Because of his theatrical background, Don has represented a number of television, movie and Broadway personalities.

Judy started her real estate career with conversions of brownstones to co-op status in the 1970s and then developed her expertise in selling one to 10-unit buildings. Judy has become one of the foremost names in the unique area of townhouse sales. Her unerring ability to pull a deal together is appreciated by both her buyers and sellers.

Brownstone living has been a part of Judy’s life since moving to Manhattan almost 45 years ago, first as a renter, then as a co-op owner and finally purchasing a 10-unit building on the Upper West Side which she renovated with her husband and where they raised their son and daughter. They configured the bottom two levels into a duplex and more recently made the upper 3 floors into floor-through rentals.

As a former English teacher, Judy has a continuing interest in education, keeping her hand in it by volunteering her time working with teens to improve their academic skills. She has been a member of the Salesperson’s Council at the Real Estate Board of New York and of SPONY (Small Property Owners of New York). She is actively involved as a board member of her Upper West side block association. When her children were younger she was a member of the Trinity School Interfaith Community. Having sold hundreds of properties in the course of her full career, Judy has been a superb source of information and support for her sellers and buyers as well as other agents and brokers.

Judy and Don joined as a team in 2000. Judy and Don were the Upper West Side Directors of Townhouse sales at another real estate firm before joining Halstead Property. Their success is based on thoughtful hard work with a hefty dose of humor, decisive strategies and knowing well the needs of their clients. They have a reputation for diligently going the extra mile to make sure that their buyers and sellers will get the best deal possible.

Judy and Don, you were a great team of experts whose deep knowledge of the brownstone market was a true source of comfort. The sales process went very smoothly, despite S&P's downgrade action on U.S. government bonds roiling the markets as soon as we put the house up for sale. That certainly made my wish-list pricing unattainable. You were right from the start as to how much the house was likely to sell for, and in the end-game negotiations you got us $25,000 more than I asked you to achieve. Very well done, indeed! Beth and I thank you for all your help, including help finding the buyers--and they were great ones who clearly plan to keep the house as the mini-museum it has remained. Thanks too for the champagne--a great touch! You two covered each other as a great team..." - Bob & Beth S.

"After the death of my husband, preparing our home of 36 years for sale was the most gut-wrenching experience of my life. Judy and Don made the process bearable. They always gave me space when I needed it, a gentle nudge when it was needed. They were always kind, courteous, sensitive and respectful. And also--they loved my apartment and reassured me that they would find me a buyer who was looking for just what I had. Nobody wants to go through the "staging" process. But they insisted and I went along with it. Wow! What a difference! Not even my children--who grew up in the apartment--had fully appreciated our wonderful home property!

The open house was as smooth as it could possibly be. Judy and Don are so professional that nothing was left to chance. From our first meeting, all the way through the closing, they were complete professionals. They continue to work with me on another property in Manhattan. I wouldn't call anyone else." - Betty G.

"We have come to consider Don and Judy as our family's personal real estate brokers. They expertly guided us into (and eight years later, out of) our apartment on the Upper West Side, as well as helping our daughter sell her apartment when she re-located to the west coast. They're the top of the game as far as we're concerned -- knowledgeable, insightful and very personally involved. We couldn't recommend them more highly." - Jill E. and Michael T.

"I have known Don Correia for 30 years and have bought and sold three properties on the Upper West Side. He and Judy are a dynamite team who never fail to respond to you immediately. The transactions that we have worked on together have been fairly complex and time consuming and I was thrilled to be able to work with such dedicated and professional people." - Barbara and Emery O.