Nancy Kalodner has made her home in Monterey, Massachusetts for almost 50 years now — enough to be considered a local, she jokes, if not quite enough to be a native! Born in rural Shawnee Mission, Kansas, with a B.A. from the University of Kansas and a M.A. from New York University, Nancy first fell in love with the Berkshires the way so many have, as a weekender; and as a single parent of a first-grader, Nancy discovered in Real Estate a way to turn her passion for her adopted home into a profession! In 1978, Nancy created Benchmark Real Estate — and for almost four decades now, Nancy and her team have represented thousands of happy buyers and satisfied sellers, earning her a well-deserved reputation for integrity and as one of the Berkshires’ outstanding entrepreneurs.
Anyone who knows Nancy knows of her dedication to, and extraordinary work on behalf of, the centers of arts and culture in the Berkshires. The daughter of a semi-professional ballet dancer, Jacob’s Pillow was her first love — and she feels privileged to have served that historic institution on the Board of Trustees for over 25 years. Nancy was a founding Board member of both the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center and of IS 183 Art School of the Berkshires, where she also served as Board President. Over the decades, Nancy has been a supporter, adviser, cheerleader and advocate for organizations including Community Access to the Arts, The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, The Great Barrington Fairgrounds, The Mount, Berkshire Theatre Festival, The Berkshire Creative Economy Council, Barrington Stage, and many more.
Nancy became active in Realtor Association work almost from the start of her career, and by 1982 she was named the chair of the county’s Professional Standards Committee. She has taught the Realtor Code of Ethics at the local Board of Realtors’ Orientation for the past 35 years, personally training some 3,500 fledgling brokers and salespeople. Nancy has served as Berkshire County Board President; State Chairman for Professional Standards; and National Realtor Association Chair of the Professional Standards Forum. A widely sought-after speaker on professional ethics for over 14 years, Nancy taught in 26 states for both National and State Associations. Twice honored by her Berkshire County Board as their Realtor of the Year, she was then selected as Massachusetts State Realtor of the Year and State Educator of the Year.
Nancy just purely loves this industry … and finds that serving young families, first-time second-home owners or retirees is one of life’s most engaging and gratifying endeavors. And she looks forward to meeting and assisting … YOU!
Watching dance at Jacob’s Pillow!
The Tyringham Cobble.
What’s a “day off”?