REALTOR® Bertram Schwartz is 97 years young and still selling real estate, as part of the SAS Realty team in Wantagh, where he has worked for the past twenty-one years.
Born and raised in Canada, Bert packed his bags in 1954 and headed south to New York in hopes of more opportunity in a new country and thriving city. His background in sales led him to an ad in the New York Times for sales help in real estate. He was accepted to the position at Havendale Realty in Queens Village, and within two weeks made his first sale. The momentum as a successful sales person continued for many years until Bert’s qualifications allowed him to apply and receive a Broker’s License.
One fateful evening Bert received a phone call at the office, the caller was a woman anxious to find someone to help sell her home. Bert gave his word that he would be at the house within an hour to appraise the situation. Once he arrived, Rose, the prospective seller (an extremely attractive woman in Bert’s eyes), explained that she had to sell the house immediately in order to avoid a foreclosure, as her husband had recently left her and the house. Bert toured the home, finished speaking with Rose and went back to the office. He subsequently got the listing, showed the home to a potential buyer, made the sale and married the girl! Bert and Rose have been happily married for 50 years, sharing a life with their blended family, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
From his days in Queens Village, Bert continued selling real estate on Long Island with several companies, until he joined SAS Realty in 1997. “You will never meet a nicer, kinder gentleman, than my friend and colleague Bertram Schwartz”. said Tony Smith, Broker/Owner of SAS Realty.
To this day, Bert is licensed as an Associate Broker, and is still a “Working REALTOR®,” showing rentals in Bay Shore at four apartment buildings that are associated with SAS Realty. In Bert’s words, “Great friendships, with wonderful associates is what brought the most enjoyment to my more than 60 years in this business, including the special relationship I have with my broker, Tony Smith.”
In 2015, the Long Island Board of REALTORS® Inc. honored Bert with the distinguished Emeritus Award. This award is given to individuals who have held membership in the National Association as a REALTOR®, REALTOR-Associate®, or a combination of both, for a cumulative period of 40 years in one or more Associations of REALTORS®.
We thank and applaud Mr. Schwartz for his hard-work and dedication to the real estate industry during his over 60 year career.
Media contact: Christina DeFalco-Romano