Compass Realtor Maria Sakellis. Photo courtesy of Maria Sakellis.
May 9, 2025 By Ethan Marshall
Realtor Maria Sakellis of Compass Realty takes great pride in her deep knowledge and connections in the communities of Astoria and Long Island.
Sakellis grew up in Astoria before moving to Manhasset on Long Island. Her mother was a real estate broker in Queens for 40 years. She ended up helping Sakellis hone her skills in the industry.
She also draws upon her deep background in finance as a CPA. She has over 23 years of experience working in the hedge fund industry, which has aided her in trying to reach deals with both buyers and sellers of homes. While working in that field, she spent a lot of time servicing high-network individuals.
Sakellis also does a lot of work in her field with her husband, who is a contractor. Right now, they are working together to develop a luxury condo building in Astoria. They hope to have listings out as early as this summer.
Prior to joining Compass Realty, Sakellis was a client. The agency helped her find a new home in Manhasset, where she moved from Astoria. Now, she takes great pride as a member of the agency’s Liappas Team, which takes immense pride in being able to deliver excellent customer service and unparalleled results to those they work with. Led by Connie Liappas, the members of this team have accumulated multiple decades of experience, innovative marketing campaigns and success in sales.
“I love Compass because they’re basically a technology company at the end of the day,” Sakellis said. “I love the infrastructure. They have the systems, the CRM (Customer Relationship Management). It just helps me make my job so much easier so that I can provide the best service for my clients.”
While much of Sakellis’ work involves homes in Astoria and Manhasset, she noted that the real estate markets are vastly different in the two areas. She noted that there is a huge rental market in Astoria, thanks in large part to its close proximity to Manhattan while also being much more affordable than that borough. She said many two-family homes in the neighborhood are now being converted into condos and high-luxury rentals that could house more people in an effort to have the supply get closer to the demand.
“Even though people can afford to move out to Long Island, that doesn’t mean they necessarily want to,” Sakellis said. “A lot of people just want to have something in Queens that’s close to the city. Maybe that’s because their family lives there or their work is in Manhattan. They don’t really want to sacrifice their commute. They’re willing to pay $700,000-$800,000 for a one-bedroom condo just to be in the city and not the suburbs. The suburbs are not for everyone.”
Sakellis feels that Queens provides a style of living that differs from that of the other boroughs in New York City. While the borough does provide elements of city living, with plenty of notable places within walking distance, in areas that provide a lot of walking space. However, there is often more space for amenities across Queens properties, similar to on Long Island.
Amenities have also become important factors taken into consideration in the construction of residential buildings and the sale of its units. Washers and dryers inside units are becoming much more common features, as well as dedicated work spaces in the building. Sakellis feels many potential buyers and sellers now view amenities like that less as luxuries and more as must-haves, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many people got accustomed to working from home.
Sakellis takes great pride in her knowledge of the Astoria neighborhood, having been born and raised there. She spent much of her life living there before moving to Manhasset about three years ago. All the time in Astoria has helped her become familiar with the market there, aiding in the work she does on the homes and properties that Compass helps to buy and sell.
At the same time, Sakellis is looking to attract those who may be looking to move from city life in Queens to suburban life on Long Island, similar to what she did. She can relate heavily to growing families looking for places to live that provide more space, and wants to help them in the same way that Compass helped her in her move to Manhasset.
For those looking to buy in Queens in 2025, Sakellis stressed that they should be open-minded. With inventory historically low, potential buyers should not be hesitant to walk away from homes that are not turnkey and may need minor repairs or cost slightly more than what they are willing to spend.
“You can always fix things as you live in the house,” Sakellis said. “If you can find an amazing house on a great block, it’s almost better than finding a turnkey house on a terrible street or in a location that’s not ideal for you.”
When it comes to advice for sellers in Queens, Sakellis said buyer-agent compensation is important, helping to make transactions seamless. This helps to make a property more appealing to buyers, as they would not have to worry about paying commissions for agents out of pocket.
Sakellis feels now could be a good time for potential buyers to try and get a deal done in Queens. More inventory is expected to come into the borough, which can bring down asking prices and competition.
In addition to looking forward to continuing to nurture her connections in Queens, Sakellis has also gotten involved in putting together and taking part in community events on Long Island. One such event that she is putting together is an upcoming fundraiser in honor of a close friend and founder of the breast cancer charity Ball4Life, Margaret Elenis, who recently died after battling the disease. There will be a pickleball fundraiser, called “Dink for Pink,” on Friday, June 6, in Port Washington, with all proceeds going to Ball4Life.
For listings or additional information, visit mariasakellis.com.
*This sponsored post first published in the May issue of BORO Magazine.
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