Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com November 28, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 3 FACES OF BUSINESS Gillette's real estate business started with push for equality By Stan Simpson L ynne Gillette remembers the long-ago encounter with a real estate agent like it was yesterday. It was around 1970. Gillette and her family, including two children, were looking to buy a house in the Greater Hartford area. The agent said he found an ideal neighborhood, one with "no colored people or Jews" living there. "It still takes my breath away," Gillette, now 75, says. "To think that anybody would have the audacity to make that assumption about people. … But, after all, we were white privi- leged people buying a home, so therefore [the agent thought] I would want to know that." What the agent didn't know was that Gil- lette — born in 1941 in Syracuse, N.Y. — was an ardent civil rights and women's rights activist. She volunteered with the YWCA, whose goal was to eliminate discrimination. The encounter with the agent served as an epiphany. "I felt if I could do anything personally [to pro- mote equality], real estate seemed to be an answer," Gillette said. "My answer." In the 1960s, she put herself through school, working as a secretary at Syra- cuse University by day, while attend- ing classes there at night. She graduat- ed in 1965 with a degree in business. Several years later, she moved to Connecticut. Gillette earned her sales and brokers' license shortly after responding to an adver- tisement to train real estate agents. The ini- tial experience was a troubling reminder of her interaction with the bigoted agent. "I witnessed some agents talking on the phone with people who were interested in buy- ing a home,'' Gillette recalled. "They took their name and number, and after they hung up the phone they tore up the card … because (the caller) had an accent, or they knew from talking to them that they were black. I was appalled.'' In 1976, she opened Gillette Real Estate in Windsor. For the last 40 years, her mission has stayed the same. "I didn't come into this business to make money,'' Gil- lette said. "My goal was really about empowering people. I made up my mind that whoever called me wanting to look for a home, I would do my best to get them a home. I didn't care if they were green. I love doing what I'm doing. And I think that's an important part of being happy.'' When asked how many homes she has sold over the past four decades, Gillette laughed; she said it's like asking a pizza maker how many pies he's cooked over the years. The answer: A lot. "I never focused on the numbers. I focused on the indi- viduals,'' she said. The future of the Connecticut real estate market, Gillette said, is unpredictable. Increasing taxes, decreasing jobs and inclement weather have spurred residents to move out of state. The construction of upscale apartments in the state is on the rise, though, with interest from empty nesters who no longer want to pay property taxes; and young professionals who want to stay unencumbered and are will- ing to share rent with a roommate. The foreclosure market remains a target for fix-and-flip investors. Racial bias, Gillette said, still exists in the industry, though not as profound as 40 years ago. These days, she said, agents mention phrases such as "the school system," as a way to steer clients to more homogenous neighborhoods. Her journey in real estate has been beset Continued Stan Simpson Lynne Gillette said she got into the real estate business to empower people by allowing them to become homeowners. P H O T O | S T E V E L A S C H E V E R ▶ ▶ I felt if I could do anything personally [to promote equality], real estate seemed to be an answer. My answer. Cybersecurity is hard. Defend Forward is easy. One monthly subscription puts the technology, training and expertise in place to defend your company's information, reputation, and future. Protect. Detect. Respond. www.kelsercorp.com/DefendForward www.kelsercorp.com 111 Roberts St, Suite D East Hartford, CT 06108 860 610 2200

• Cover