When you step onto the storefront of Upstate Down on Rhinebeck's East Market Street, it feels more like stepping into your most stylish friend's house, not a real estate agency.

A front window papered in apartment listings is replaced by an airy entrance, white open shelves with purchases ranging from vintage wooden bowls and plush pillows to kitchen accessories. Further back, the business of buying and selling is noticeable, but only insignificantly – individual photos of houses that are for sale or rent adorn gallery walls in gold frames, an arrangement that reads more like decoration than sales pitches.

It's a fitting juxtaposition for two entrepreneurs who want to change the way real estate is operated in the region.

"The reality is that we want to be a brand and a company that – whether someone wants a pillow because it brings joy to their living room, buying a new house, selling their existing home, [or needs] as a consultant for a rental or to maximize the existing value of your home – we want to be there for all of these people, "said co-owner Delyse Berry.

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In developing a multi-pillar brand that serves local buyers and sellers throughout its lifecycle, she and her partner and husband Jon Berry came up with a unique formula. But it wasn't always that easy.

Married at 21 (Delyse) and 24 (Jon) and soon afterwards found their way into the trenches of parenthood, the couple began their life together in Brooklyn. Jon spent long, unforgiving hours at a financial firm that asked a lot but paid little while Delyse set about raising her brood of three young children. They were receiving government support at the time, their zeroed bank account was a constant reminder of what was at stake as they started their family and pursued their dreams.

"We were totally broke, madly in love and somehow – let's find out about life," laughed Delyse. The duo left Brooklyn and headed north to the Hudson Valley in search of opportunity, a lower cost of living, and a slower pace of life.

For her part, Delyse, originally from New Jersey, always had an eye on the real estate market. As the daughter of an interior designer, she felt the pull of the workforce as her children got older. While working on her real estate license, she asked her mother's local clients if they would allow her to manage her apartment rentals on Airbnb, which was new at the time, creating an unconventional entry into a burgeoning real estate market that ultimately paid off in in more ways than one.

"The owners put a lot of trust in me in the management of their houses, and the guests who live there also got to know me," explains Delyse. "It became so much easier for me to break into the multimillion dollar market in the region because I built those relationships."

A decades-long successful career as an agent followed, but Delyse found that the industry did not focus on the importance of human relationships and multiple touchpoints throughout a customer's lifecycle.

"I was unimpressed with the traditional way real estate works up here," she said. "The traditional model is, you know, a realtor puts a house on a multiple listing service and it's fed to big realtor sites. I just felt like the models haven't changed, but the properties have changed so much. What is the future of real estate that cannot be replaced by an algorithm? It means thinking outside the box and inventing yourself in a new way that actually creates added value for customers. "

Delyse envisioned a multi-dimensional real estate company that focused not only on getting clients to the right homes, but also helping them rent out their properties, make them available for sale, manage the renovation process and make them accessible To shape life.

"The Hudson Valley was a thriving market long before the COVID outbreak – the more people realize the authenticity of the lifestyle and how incredible it is, the more it builds up, and I'm so excited," she explained. "I really wanted to develop a brand of services that brought together real estate and design elements from the perspective of people who really believe in the area."

Jon had spent the last 10 years establishing himself in the financial world, working his way up to a senior position at Morgan Stanley, but wondering if that was his real passion. Jon grew up in Delaware and lost his mother to cancer at the age of 14, which gives him a unique perspective on the brevity of life. "As I approached my mother's age, I thought – if this were the last 10 years of my life, would I really want to spend this time behind a desk doing a lot of things that just aren't good for me? "

The answer was a resounding "no" and after a soul search for the anniversary in early 2018, he left his established career to build the brand with Deylse, which the two soon called Upstate Down.

"When he decided to leave [his job], it gave me the confidence to say, let's make some of those dreams come true, "said Delyse of the central role Jon's presence played in the business. "His endless support gave me the freedom to create something incredible."

The couple expanded their team, taking their first full-time position in 2019, and building a list of properties across the area, from homes for sale in Amenia and La Grange to rental properties in Clinton Corners and their hometown of Rhinebeck. Learning to translate their passion for one another – and for their family – into a business relationship was also a challenge, but one that the couple, like everything else, tackled head on.

"We really had to learn to figure out how to keep everything on track and make this a great opportunity to build a stronger foundation in our relationship rather than a negative one," explained Delyse. "I think we were both very much committed to finding out."

This positive attitude proved crucial over the past year. Suddenly, the successful business the two had built was jeopardized by stay-at-home contracts – and then, just as quickly, properties were overly "sold" by buyers looking for long-term rentals faster than they could. Delyse and Jon found the pandemic the perfect time to improve their business yet again – this time with a storefront in Rhinebeck's lively village that opened its doors in early June.

Delyse and Jon Berry have translated their passion for each other and their family into their work relationship. "I hope we teach our kids that the goal is to do what you love in conjunction with what you love," Jon said.

Sharon Schuster courtesy of Upstate Down

"To be completely honest we thought we were mainly working from home doing design projects and brokerage, but within a few weeks we saw the property for rent and I thought we had to look at it," said Deylse.

The two were aware of using the storefront to meet multiple needs for their community, meet the locals "where they were", and connect with residents whether or not they had a home for sale .

"I love that it's a store the first time I walk in because it really lets us highlight the lifestyle part of the brand by creating a small perspective on properties and interiors that anyone can access by purchasing," said Delyse.

Often viewed as one of those cinematic cities in the Hudson Valley, Rhinebeck has proven to be the perfect spot for the first iteration of the Upstate Down brand – though it certainly won't be the last. The duo say they are "100 percent positive" that there will be another storefront in Upstate Down later this year, though they still decide where.

"Since we came from Brooklyn as a mixed race and raised three children, we have been very sensitive to being in a community where you know you are welcome," said Delyse. "It was just an added gift to be here, to know that we felt nothing but total love and integration from our community."

The two are already indoctrinating their children into the family business. When the family decided to rent out their primary residence during the height of the pandemic while they lived in a 700-square-foot cottage on the property, they gave each child $ 5 a day from the rental income the couple earned. Jon described the opportunity as a good chance for the kids to learn mobility while Delyse introduced the kids' rental income to help the trio promote ownership of their space.

Ultimately, however, it is not so important to Delyse and Jon that their children follow in their real estate footsteps, but that they have the same passion for what started the couple's entire journey: love.

"I hope we teach our kids that the goal is to do what you love in conjunction with what you love," Jon said. "As if we take care of the family first and build our life around our family, but at the same time are never too afraid to look for it."

"We followed our hearts", is how Delyse sums up her path to marital and entrepreneurial success so far. "I hope you can do the same.

For more Hudson Valley real estate news

source https://seapointrealtors.com/2021/07/24/upstate-down-boutique-real-estate-company-merges-home-sales-and-design/

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