Carol Szynaka, an associate real estate broker at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty on the North Fork, is remembered as a strong salesperson, a great manager, a devoted mother and a mentor to many.
Diagnosed with brain cancer just three months ago, she passed away on Dec. 30, 2024, at Good Shepherd Hospice in Port Jefferson. She was 62.
Szynaka, who lived in Southold, worked in real estate for more than 17 years and was considered by her brokerage to be the North Fork’s foremost bayfront specialist. She also managed three North Fork offices and Shelter Island for Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty.
“Carol Szynaka was a trailblazer in the real estate industry, known for her professionalism, integrity, and unmatched dedication,” says Deirdre O’Connell, the brokerage’s CEO. “She guided countless clients as well as her colleagues with expertise and care, leaving a legacy of excellence and respect. Above all, Carol was a devoted mother to her beloved children, Olivia and Sean, and her impact on her family, the community, our company and me will never be forgotten.”
Throughout her real estate career, she secured more than $380 million in sales, including $80 million in bayfront property transactions. “Known for her expertise in handling high-ticket properties, estates, and luxury homes, Carol has consistently ranked as one of the top agents on Long Island,” according to Daniel Gale Sotheby’s.
As a manager, she provided invaluable leadership and mentorship.
One of those agents, Mariah J. Mills, says Szynaka had “an immeasurable impact” on her life.
“If you knew Carol, you knew how much she loved her work,” Mills said in a post on her Instagram page. “Real estate wasn’t just a career; it was her calling, it was her passion. Her dedication to her clients, her sharp intuition, and her relentless drive were unmatched. Carol was always five steps ahead — thinking strategically, problem-solving, always staying on top of every trend and just making things happen. She was unstoppable, a true force of nature. But more than that, she was kind and very generous.”
Szynaka took Mills under her wings more than 13 years ago. She encouraged her to get a real estate license and taught her, “not just about the business, but how to lead with integrity and confidence,” Mill says. “Carol wasn’t just my business partner; she was my mentor, my confidant, and my very good friend. She had this incredible way of making me feel like I could take on anything I put my mind to. I can just hear her saying now ‘Go Get’em!’ Carol believed in me before I believed in myself, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. For that, I am forever grateful.”
William (Bill) Walters, a salesperson with Daniel Gale’s Greenport office, said Szynaka was like a second mother to me a mentor professionally.
“She was someone who really filled a void for me at a time when I was first breaking into the industry and she saw potential in me luckily,” he explains. “She was willing to put me on a couple of listings with her, which gave me the experience I needed to gain confidence, which is so important in this business. Her knowledge of real estate and her experience in putting deals together was priceless for me, as I was able to take her guidance and parlay that into a 10-year career that has been more successful than I could have imagined when I first started out. I will be forever grateful for the time that I knew Carol and only wish that I could still pick up the phone to talk through things with her in times when I’m looking for a second head to bounce thoughts off of.”
They put “a fairly big deal together” over the summer of 2024 and “sadly it closed right at the time that she was being diagnosed,” he says.
Several people in real estate describe her as someone who enjoyed sharing her expertise, which, as Walters put it, “stemmed from her ability to just connect with people on a personal level.”
Szynaka grew up in Richmond Hill, Queens. Before she got into real estate, she owned a sweater manufacturing business in New York City, according to her sister Maggie Russo. She moved to the North Fork when her daughter was just one.
Her sister says she loved working with clients and loved the challenge of real estate.
In 2022, she and a co-agent William C. McIntosh set a record with the $8 million sale of “The Esplanade,” a five-acre estate on Little Peconic Bay, which was the most expensive home ever sold on the North Fork at the time. The Nantucket-style, 7,000-square-foot home is surrounded by preserved land and water, enjoying 400 feet of sandy beach.
She also facilitated the sale of the renowned Palmer Vineyards.
This year, along with Mills, she represented the most expensive residential listing on the market, the home at 10995 Bayview Avenue in Southold, which closed at $7.25 million on Sept. 30, 2024.
She tells Behind The Hedges, “There are some people who come into your life and although you may not realize its impact in the moment, they change the trajectory of your life. Carol was one of those people for me . . . and words can’t express how grateful I am for her role and the inspiration she brought into my life. I walked into her office as an unsure 22-year-old looking for a temporary office job while I figured out what the heck to do with my English degree . . . and somehow Carol convinced me that she saw a leader with potential and encouraged me to get my real estate license. She is the sole reason I am where I am today. It was her guidance, shared knowledge, and support that made me into a real estate agent . . . but it was her belief in me, encouragement, and inspiration that gave me the confidence to achieve the level of success and happiness I am at today.”
Kelly believes Szynaka’s legacy will be the way she was able to inspire and mold individuals into their true potential.
“Carol helped myself and so many agents achieve a level of confidence they didn’t even know they had, and inspired and encouraged them to evolve into someone greater than they ever imagined. And I know my story is just one in a million, as Carol had this same positive, uplifting, and life-changing impact on so many other agents within our family at DGSIR. Carol not only left such an impact on my life, but also in my heart. Her determined work ethic, top-notch knowledge, and hard-earned success will forever impress me… but it’s her contagious laugh, warm smile, confidence, incredible sense of fashion, approachability, and kind heart that will always be engraved in my heart. Carol was more than a manager and colleague to me, and to many others- she was a friend, a role model, and a fellow mother to lean on. Carol was many amazing things, to many amazing people… and I feel blessed to have been just one of them.”
Szynaka is survived by her children, Olivia and Sean Szynaka of Southold; sisters, Mary Ellen Spillane of Williston Park and Maggie Russo of Westport, Connecticut; brother-in-law, Richard; nephew, Jack; and niece, Annie.
A memorial visitation was held on Jan. 2 at DeFriest-Grattan Funeral Home in Mattituck, and a funeral Mass was said on Jan. 3 at St. Patrick’s Church in Southold.
Memorial donations are suggested to the American Cancer Society
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