Mary Ellen Gallagher

Mary Ellen Gallagher is a personable, caring, top producing realtor with a straightforward manner. Driven by her smart, analytical approach and passion for the local community, Mary Ellen delivers resounding success for buyers and sellers. Extensive experience living throughout the tri-state area and as an expat in Switzerland has given Mary Ellen a deep understanding of, and appreciation for, the true meaning of home.

She credits her educational and professional background in finance for forming the core of her business-like approach to real estate. In the business since 2007 and backed by the strength of the KMS Team at COMPASS, Mary Ellen is the realtor of choice for clients seeking skilled, trustworthy guidance in their next search or sale.

Dedicated and diligent, she is passionate about helping every client make their real estate dreams a reality. Buyers commend Mary Ellen's attentiveness, patience and encyclopedic understanding of the local real estate market. For sellers, she delivers a seamless path to success with her keen eye for staging and marketing. By consistently exceeding her clients' expectations, Mary Ellen has built a substantial repeat and referral business.

Her unwavering commitment to real estate, family and community is demonstrated by extensive, hands-on involvement in local nonprofit organizations. In her free time, Mary Ellen enjoys an active lifestyle taking in all that Fairfield County has to offer, including golfing, racket sports, skiing, hiking and boating on Long Island Sound.

~ Q & A with Mary Ellen ~

Why did you choose real estate as a career?

“Real estate is a good fit for me in several ways. I have a strong analytical
and finance background, am a hard worker, a good listener and am very
detail oriented. I’m a very social person and love the Fairfield County
lifestyle. All of these traits seem to blend well together for a successful
career in real estate. It’s a people business!”

What is your most memorable real estate transaction?

“Representing buyers who were purchasing a weekend home on the water in Westport. The entire transaction had multiple levels of inspections & issues (experts needed for pool, dock, tidal & coastal wetlands, reconstructed sea walls, raising a house for FEMA compliance, contractors, town officials, etc). KMS coordinated all of these professionals as our clients were not local. It was a steep learning curve but I loved the challenge despite it being very complicated and tedious. In the end, our clients were successful and thrilled to have purchased this beautiful property! ”

What do clients love most
about working with you and
the KMS Team?

“I have been told countless times that I’m a very good listener and far from pushy. I sense what my clients like/dislike as we delve into the inventory and work through a transaction. I’m very efficient with everyone’s time & because I make the effort to learn what is important to my clients, I do not waste their time. We, at KMS, are also very experienced and skilled at real estate transactions. We all have an in-depth knowledge of the inventory and marketplace. I can confidently say that any one of my partners can step in for me to provide excellent service, guidance and market knowledge. And I can do the same for them.”
 
Mary Ellen Gallagher pointing out home features
Reviewing magazine presentation of home for sale
Working with the finest real estate agents in the business is part of Mary Ellen Gallagher's success.

What is your favorite outing in the main communities
served by the KMS Team?

“Westport—the annual Blues, Views & BBQ at the Levitt Pavillion, the outdoor art festival in July as well as time spent at Compo Beach including walking dogs on the beach during the colder months; beach BBQs with friends & family during the summer; book club discussions at summer sunsets and time spent on our boat at Compo Marina.
Weston—hiking in Devil’s Den
Fairfield—enjoying concerts at Fairfield Theater Company, take out from The Pantry and motoring into Southport Harbor at sunset by boat.
Norwalk—the Oyster Festival and biking on the Norwalk River Trails.
Wilton—grabbing a bite at The Village Market.
”

And advice for your
selling client?

If you could give one short piece of advice to your buying client?

“Use an experienced agent (preferably one who has lived in that community), with in depth market knowledge and proven contacts for services, inspectors, mortgage brokers, etc. ”
“Listen to your agent! We understand what’s trending in the market and how buyers will be approaching your home/the transaction. We understand the inventory that has sold and how this affects pricing. We’ve become experts in this area. ”

How have you seen the market change
in your time as a broker?

“The growth of the internet has really changed the market. There is so much information at everyone’s finger tips. It’s not 100% accurate, but everyone is quite knowledgeable. Social media has also put a lot of pressure on agents to sell themselves & to promote their inventory. Do we sell the lifestyle? Or the actual house? Or a blend of both? These are aspects that we work through all the time. There is still a strong need to find an expert in your neighborhood to help guide you through the buy/sell process. We are that expert!”

What do you wish you
knew when you sold your
first home?

What do you wish you
knew when you bought your
first home?

“To have been a little bit less conservative on what we could have initially afforded.”
“Actually, I was not part of that process. As a returning ex-pat, our relocation company did all the work! But this has given me first hand insight into what a family experiences when they are transferred into a brand new community, even a new country!”
 
Mar Ellen Gallagher opens doors for all looking for real estate in Fairfield County CT

Client Testimonials

Testimonials

Mary Ellen was a wonderful partner in helping us find our home. She was patient, conveyed extensive market knowledge and expertise, and has excellent relationships across the ecosystem from other brokers to inspectors to contractors.

- Kristin Steen

I can't imagine a realtor being more of a partner or helping us more than Mary Ellen Gallagher. She helped us sell our house in Westport and buy a house in Weston in 2013, and when we needed to sell our Weston house in 2022, we didn't hesitate to work with Mary Ellen again. She makes a stressful process easier by being so customer focused, knowledgeable, experienced, calm and responsive, especially in the negotiation process. It's hard to think of how we would have navigated these transactions without her support and advocacy. Her customer service is above and beyond - she even came to our house to feed our cats when we were out of town during the open houses. Whether you are buying or selling, Mary Ellen gives realistic, sound advice based on her deep knowledge of the market and real estate law and guidelines. Throughout these three transactions, Mary Ellen became more than a realtor - she became a friend. I cannot recommend Mary Ellen highly enough if you are buying or selling a house in Fairfield County.

- Amy Richards

Mary Ellen was a professional in every way possible. She made what is usually a challenging project for most go smoothly from start to finish. When hiccups did arise (no fault of hers) She handled and solved these with ease and professionalism. Mary Ellen takes the workload off the seller and buyer and handles everything with ease. Highly recommend Mary-Ellen if you are selling or buying your home.

- Tom McCann

Selling a home is extremely challenging, but choosing Mary Ellen Gallagher at Compass made everything easier. Her knowledge and professionalism were outstanding, along with her immediate response communication and never feeling like we had asked a dumb question which was very reassuring. We truly believe our very quick and successful house sale was largely based on following Mary Ellen’s excellent advice and we could not have been happier having her as our delightful realtor

- Emma Birch

We cannot say enough positive things about our experience working with Mary Ellen. As first-time home buyers, we were so appreciative of Mary Ellen’s wealth of knowledge and expertise. She helped us to navigate a very difficult and competitive market in Westport with the utmost professionalism and dedication. She was always extremely communicative and patient, and we appreciated and relied upon her honest and straight forward feedback. She guided us through every step of the process, and always went above and beyond to support us. She also helped to make house hunting with a toddler feel like a breeze! Our three-year-old son always looked forward to seeing Mary Ellen, and she always went out of her way to engage with him and make him laugh.

Mary Ellen is extremely knowledgeable and connected within the local community. She shared countless invaluable resources and recommendations with us. After our offer was accepted, she helped us to put together an all-star team. Everyone she recommended was absolutely top notch- all seasoned professionals known as some of the best in the area, including our attorney, mortgage provider, home inspector, septic inspector, and even a locksmith to change the locks post move-in. She coordinated and guided us through every step of the closing process, seemingly effortlessly. This included completing multiple inspections in a very tight timeframe that didn’t seem feasible, but she leveraged her contacts and helped us get it done in just a few days. Every time someone asked us who we were working with, when we said Mary Ellen, it was always clear that they knew of her, and she was well respected in the area as one of the best.

We could not have imagined working with anyone else to buy our first home, and feel incredibly lucky to not only know Mary Ellen as a realtor, but as a friend as well. She will be the first call we make if we ever find ourselves in the real estate market again!

- Rebecca Ross

Mary Ellen at KMS Compass in Westport was phenomenal with navigating a historically challenging (buyer) real estate market. We were remote buyers from out of state, and Mary Ellen provided exceptional detail and context of Westport and the surrounding areas, while conducting numerous virtual home tours for us to view homes while not immediately being in the area. We found a lovely home in Westport and Mary Ellen was exceedingly attentive, patient and gracious throughout the process from start to finish. - Peter Caruso

We worked with Mary Ellen to purchase a home in New Canaan while living in Seattle. Remotely navigating such a complex process could have been a nightmare—but Mary Ellen made it impressively smooth. Her responsiveness and expert knowledge put us at ease from the start. We were making a long-distance move to an unfamiliar town, so we needed a real estate agent who really knew the area and could help us make sense of the current market. Mary Ellen never hesitated to give her honest opinion, steering us away from properties that weren’t a good investment. When we ultimately found our dream home, she visited it straight away and gave us a thorough virtual tour to give us confidence in our decision. At every step of the way, we knew Mary Ellen was in our corner looking out for our best interests. Her technical knowledge during the home inspection helped us ask the right questions, and when she advised us to hire an independent septic inspector, the results ended up saving us a massive headache that would have revealed itself years down the road. I knew she had a phenomenal reputation, but after working with her personally, I can attest that Mary Ellen is a world-class realtor. I’ll be working with her for as long as she’s in the business.

— Taylor Rosenbauer

My husband and I were introduced to Mary Ellen to help us relocate our family from Brooklyn to Westport. We lived in Brooklyn for 10 years and took a huge leap of faith leaving the city and moving to a new town we knew nothing about. Mary Ellen was instrumental in helping us navigate the buying process in a competitive market! With her experience and knowledge, she was able to tell us a lot about a home, its’ value, condition, the school district, neighborhood, and the block. Living an hour and a half away, we leaned on Mary Ellen’s expertise to help us decide whether or not a home was right for us. She helped us avoid many 3hr round trips with two toddlers and for that we are very thankful!! Mary Ellen was extremely responsive, easy to communicate with, she was fun, and always honest. In this business, you want to trust who you’re working with and we truly felt Mary Ellen put our family first. After we signed the contract the buying process went smoothly. It was a testament to her strong communication skills, project management, and experience. We are so happy in our new home and are very thankful for Mary Ellen’s guidance and continued support. We are forever grateful!!

— Aimee Kenline

Mary Ellen was a pleasure to work with! She helped us make an informed decision about the home we purchased and was a great negotiator. Couldn't have done it without her. Highly recommend!

—Lauren Turle

I had the fortune and pleasure of working with Mary Ellen Gallagher at KMS/COMPASS. Having purchased and sold several homes prior to meeting Mary Ellen, I must say this was the most seamless process ever. Mary Ellen took care of everything from beginning to end. She was incredibly professional, always on time, detail oriented, brutally honest when I needed her to be, and had an amazing wealth of knowledge about the local market, trends, home maintenance, future home valuation, contractors, etc. Mary Ellen truly took time to understand my needs and found the perfect home for us. There is no question why she is so well respected in our community as a top real estate agent. I will be referring all my family, friends, and colleagues to her in the future.

— Steven Choi

Change is good. Thank you to Mary Ellen Gallagher and the entire team at KMS Compass for helping us both sell a home AND buy a condo in 2021. Her advice on the sell side was invaluable--how to stage, price, market our home and then close the deal after multiple offers. On the buy side, Mary Ellen's focus and tenacity helped us secure a condo in record time and win the day in a very competitive bidding environment. Mary Ellen has the personality, experience, judgement, commercial instincts, and financial acumen to distinguish herself from the crowd. We knew we were in extremely capable hands with Mary Ellen and the entire KMS Compass team--can't imagine working with anyone else!

— Maryann Muller

We loved working with Mary Ellen Gallagher at KMS Compass. She was the first person we contacted in Westport based on other testimonials we’d read and she absolutely lived up to her reputation in helping us navigate a crazy hot market (early 2022). She introduced us to all the neighborhoods and amenities of the town to help us understand how various locations stacked up against one another. Every time a new listing in our budget came available, she would proactively send us her perspective and highlight pros and cons for us to consider – often things that were not visible in listing photos and only a Westport pro would know (traffic patterns, property history, neighborhood information, etc.). She seemed to intuit what we cared about and what we were ultimately able to compromise on and steered us in the right direction throughout the process. She was super flexible and patient about the fact that we often had our 4 year old along with us, and was able to arrange last-minute showings as new listings came up – we were driving from two hours away and expecting a new baby during this process, so plans were always changing. Perhaps most importantly, Mary Ellen found a way to be candid with us about what she thought was a good/not good idea as we went through the process while still helping us see a range of options. We also felt that her positive relationship with the seller’s agent helped the negotiation and purchase process go very smoothly and all our questions were answered almost immediately throughout the closing period. We are so excited about our new house and have already recommended Mary Ellen to friends looking in the area. — Matthew Johnson

First- I would definitely recommend Mary Ellen Gallagher and the KMS team to represent anyone looking to sell or buy a home. You will receive honest, confident, thoughtful and calming representations. Expectations will be set and exceeded. For a home seller, you will be blown away by how your property will be projected and advertised across all media channels. Further, you will be more than satisfied with the value you will get and the speed of the transaction. I could go on-and-on but trust me, look no further than Mary Ellen for representation - can't imagine anyone better!

— Gary Guiser

In January 2021, we decided to sell our home in Westport and relocate south. We wanted to take advantage of the strong sellers’ market in Fairfield county. It was critical that we get things organized to take advantage of the spring selling season. We were very impressed when we met Mary Ellen. Her demeanor was very professional, and we were particularly impressed with her analytical approach. Real estate transactions can be a highly emotional endeavor; we wanted an agent who would guide us on a steady, rational path. Additionally, the digital marketing prowess of the Compass Group was a strong selling point. Upon engaging with Mary Ellen, we developed a strong game plan for the sale. Mary Ellen was able to source staging, painting, and other contractors for us. We leveraged her extensive experience to figure out the best "bang for the buck" for our sale process. We listed our home in late March and had an incredible amount of interest. Mary Ellen managed an intensive 4 day showing blitz, we had 41 showings and received 15 offers. We accepted an offer significantly over our asking price. Mary Ellen priced our home perfectly. Mary Ellen provided us with steady, rational guidance throughout the settlement process. If you are considering selling your home, we highly recommend you have a conversation with Mary Ellen before you decide on an agent.

— Glen L

Mary Ellen was great to work with. She made what should have been an arduous task a fairly easy one. She thoroughly explained the differences between the three towns we were looking at, took the time to get to know us and our style, listened carefully to our needs and timeline. She knew how to keep us above the fray in what has become an extremely competitive market in Fairfield county. I would highly recommend working with Mary Ellen in your next search.

Vera Melkonian

Mary Ellen Gallagher is a star - she helped us find our dream home in Westport, and I'm confident that she will find the right home for you. To say Mary Ellen is a professional is an understatement, and she is truly good at what she does. Mary Ellen is warm, kind, and understanding - but also tough when she advocates for you, and doesn't sugar coat the tough news. Mary Ellen is responsive and wonderful to talk to...I can go on and on, but in short, I cannot recommend her more highly - she's amazing!

Todd Suchotliff

Working with Mary Ellen was amazing. Moving from NYC this was our first home and we needed someone that was going to coach us through this process. Mary Ellen listened and understood what we wanted and helped make it happen. She was an excellent resource, advising on the town, the market and the houses. When challenges arose, and they always will, Mary Ellen went the extra mile to work things out. I don’t think we would have found our home without her.

Dennis O’Connell

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Westport, CT look no further than MaryEllen Gallagher. In working with Mary Ellen my Wife and I found her to be the consummate professional. Honest, intelligent and knows her business. Most important to my Wife and I was she was always available to answer our questions and help us through the process. Buying or selling a home during a pandemic is not easy for either the buyer, seller or agent.Mary Ellen guided us the entire way and made the transaction a seamless one. We strongly recommend MaryEllen Gallagher...

Bob Goldstein

We had the pleasure of working with Mary Ellen Gallagher to purchase our new home. She is professional, honest, respectful, personable, and extremely knowledgable about the market. We appreciate her insight, guidance, and transparency, through the whole process. This was our first time buying a home so we were very nervous and stressed, but Mary Ellen helped us navigate this process so seamlessly, helping to alleviate our stress and anxiety. If there was a contact that we needed (ie lawyer, house inspector etc..), she provided them, and her recommendations were solid. Buying a house is a HUGE decision, you want someone who is knowledgeable about the market, someone who knows the area extremely well, someone who is well connected to contacts you need and those you didn't know you need. You need someone who is on their game and on your side. This is how we feel about Mary Ellen and honestly, we cannot recommend her enough! — Vez Suchotliff

Having just completed a long and arduous journey, also known as selling a home in a depressed housing market in Fairfield County Connecticut, I can say without hesitation that my real estate agent made a tremendous difference in guiding me through the process! Mary Ellen Gallagher of KMS partners in Westport, CT was extremely professional, trustworthy, available, and an absolute pleasure to deal with. Despite getting numerous emails/texts/phone calls from me over the four months we worked together, she was always upbeat and I could always rely on her opinions. Unquestionably and without reservations, I would recommend Mary Ellen to anyone thinking about buying or selling a home in Fairfield County! — Neil Cohen

This was my family’s first home purchase and MaryEllen Gallagher was an amazing agent for us. She respected our budget and was transparent and honest every step of the way. She pre-screened a bunch of houses, over several weekends, with me on Facetime and on her own to help minimize our exposure during COVID and save us time. She’s professional, responsive, knowledgeable and a truly fantastic person to work with. We absolutely love our home in Redding! — Wendy Hare

Mary Ellen Gallagher was our buyers' agent as we navigated purchasing our first home during a very competitive market. She was a fantastic advocate, unfailingly responsive, and provided invaluable insights into the local area and top-notch contractor/vendor recommendations. We cannot recommend her highly enough (and we already have to several friends!) for her efficiency, good humor, and guidance that got us into the home of our dreams. — Jessie Wright

Mary Ellen is very knowledgeable in Fairfield County real estate. We met at an open house and immediately connected. We are beyond fortunate to have worked with her. She’s honest, reliable and well connected in the community. She has a recommendation and contact person for everything you may need in this process and even those things you didn’t know you needed! She knows the market well and helped to navigate both the sale of our prior home and purchase of our new home. During difficult/stressful times we appreciate her dedication with the process and coordination with all the parties involved to create a smooth transaction and a pleasant experience. She coordinated between multiple realtors, lawyers and inspectors with ease and we really felt her support. She is the glue that made it all possible helping make the purchase of our dream home a reality. We highly recommend Mary Ellen! — Jane Khorosh

Mary Ellen is an invaluable agent to work with. We were beyond fortunate to have had worked with her. She helped us navigate the home purchase process and made it so seamless for us. She is extremely professional, always responsive, very dedicated, very knowledgable about the market and the Westport area. Another great thing about Mary Ellen is that she will provide you with all the information and resource you need to make an informed decision. Aside from all this, she is easy to talk to and very personable. We highly, highly recommend Mary Ellen!

Mary Ellen helped us navigate the complex purchase of our first home in a community that was new to us during an incredibly competitive and changing market. She was always available for every question, extremely proactive, and most valuably, provided an endless supply of local recommendations for any service we needed -- attorneys, inspectors, chimney specialists, plumbers -- the list continues! We closed in mid-July and have already recommended her to several friends and colleagues as an outstanding buyers' agent.

Last fall, we started thinking about selling our house. We selected Mary Ellen to represent us at the recommendation of a good friend. Mary Ellen suggested that we have the external photos taken during the fall foliage, which was a brilliant move. We dragged our feet for a few months, and finally decided to get the house ready for sale in February. Mary Ellen referred us to an excellent staging company, Show to Sell Homes, who recommended several changes to make the interior more appealing to today's buyers. We took advantage of the Compass' Concierge Program, where they give you a loan for the costs of staging, which is repaid out of the proceeds when you sell your home. We listed the house days before COVID-19 broke out in Westport. Nonetheless, the gorgeous pictures taken by Compass generated a lot of online interest and we did showings by appointment using PPE. We sold the house at 98% of asking within 4 weeks. We would highly recommend Mary Ellen for her good advice about pricing and positioning, her friendly and professional manner, and the depth, expertise, and technology of Compass. — Leslie Seidman

Mary Ellen is a true professional: smart, friendly, experienced, responsive, hard-working, unflappable, unfailingly honest, diligent, savvy, and willing to go the extra mile - whatever it takes. Here are examples: the photographer was at our house in December to take pics for the website. It was a beautiful day, so she wanted to include pics of the porch with all of the furniture with cushions. She made 20 trips up and down the stairs to put all the cushions on the furniture for the pics and then returned them once the pics were done. thus, above and beyond the call on the small things. On the other extreme, she provide excellent advice (both business and psychological) when our buyer tried to renegotiate our contract due to Covid so that we did not lose any time or money. — Julie Knuff

My family (first time home buyers) chose Mary Ellen to represent us in our search for a home in Westport, CT. Mary Ellen very promptly showed us a number of listings, and then helped us through a complicated short-sale transaction. Throughout the process, Mary Ellen was unfailingly professional, efficient, and honest. When we needed assistance with the inspection and legal matters, she provided resources that were perfect for our desire to be informed and get the deal done. We highly recommend her to others in search of an agent.

As first-time home buyers, my fiancé and I were completely overwhelmed with the process of buying a home – we didn’t even know where to begin! But we knew we could trust Mary Ellen to steer us in the right direction. From the beginning, Mary Ellen was proactive and consistently hard working to ensure that we found the perfect home for us. She listened to what we wanted/needed in a home while also sharing her own expertise and knowledge. She was beyond patient, went above and beyond, and always made her herself available. Her patience, dedication and commitment were unparalleled and unwavering throughout this process. Without Mary Ellen, we would not be in the home that we love today and we recommend her with highest regard to anyone in search of their perfect home. — M. Thares

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