Welcome to the Interior Perspective, where luxury real estate meets timeless design. I'm Nicole Fisher, a Hudson-based interior designer working with the region's most exclusive properties. Each week, we sit down with top brokers to explore the stories, insights, and inspirations behind the most remarkable homes on the market. This is your front row seat to the art of elevated living. Let's get started. Welcome. My guest today is Anthony D'Argenzio a broker and founder of this old Hudson team at Houlihan Lawrence. Anthony is one of the most sought after brokers and names really in the Hudson Valley, taking on unique properties throughout the region. Additionally, he is a designer, stylist, photographer. I mean, the Oh, wow. What an introduction. Thank you, Nicole. Well, I guess I'll back up before I became really a real estate agent. I've always kind of been a creative. Photography really came first starting as an adolescent, but I've always loved just aesthetics and working with my hands and estate sales and curation. Growing up, my mother and I would just, we would like, Saturdays would literally be like garage day, garage sale days. And she would be like, Ooh, this is like, literally when I'm six years old, literally teaching me what like LaMoche was. But so from like collecting phase kind of, you know, after college, I have a business degree, went to Arizona State University and moved to New York City and just felt like I needed I've always wanted to live in New York City. And I had a cousin at the time working as an editor for Veranda Magazine, so I had a little glimpse of what it was like to live in New York City in this magazine world, which I was at the very tail end of yeah and really started my career as a creative director and stylist in Manhattan and built my portfolio and brand starting out really as an assistant working my way through the ladder of you know magazines when there were magazines paying for a stylist and then slowly working more with home decor brands and luxury brands within like really the home and lifestyle segment. So, you know, brands like Anthropologie and Ralph Lauren and Louvre Clicquot, American Express, and producing content, producing photo shoots, acting as an art director, and then really building my brand through partnerships. And then that kind of, you know, that's really where Zio and Sons started. Zio and Sons is kind of my, more of my design firm and lifestyle brand that, um, is really about me as a designer and, and, and things I create. But over the years developed that into more of a, uh, like a licensing house for product collaborations. Uh, so over the years, you know, started doing more renovations and design work for my own, myself, and then also for some clients as well. And then really was able to carve out a niche for myself in that home segment and was able to develop different lines of tiles and home decor products like lighting, wallpaper, outdoor furniture, candles, all under that brand. And then I did just over the years feel a little limited to, you know, taking it somewhere else and moving up, I bought my house in Hudson and 2015, really as like wanting a project, but like living in downtown Manhattan, I was limited to a not having a car. And, you know, being, you know, new to the real estate game as far as investments. So kind of was just came up to the Hudson Valley and thought it would be a good opportunity to invest and really kind of expand my brand through like an actual location in the sense of like Airbnb and creating a backdrop that like my clients could use as a set or, you know, content. And that's really how kind of this old Hudson started. Um, this old Hudson kind of really began. I know that's one of your next questions, but maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. As a really as a showpiece or showcase of the Hudson Valley lifestyle and kind of started to create another arm of what I was already doing through a sense of place. Right. Yeah, I love it. You've had quite the journey. I didn't realize there was so much in the creative side really before you transitioned to real estate. And it feels like you have such a kind of powerhouse team here now that it feels like you've always been in it. You know what I mean? It's so cool to hear about, you know, your trajectory. How did you start Yeah. So, you know, my family has been in real estate my whole life, more in California, born and raised in Sonoma County, California, which kind of is very weirdly similar to the Hudson Valley. I don't know if you're familiar I felt like home, but, you know, growing up there more on the commercial real estate side. So growing up, you know, being part of like renovations and tenants and learning about what it takes to, you know, be in different capacities of real estate. So I feel like it's always been in my blood. And then, You know, so I had that itch to like start investing on my own and then started kind of building my own portfolio of real estate through, you know, fixer uppers and, you know, creating value through design and then creating, uh, really an Airbnb to be able to create some extra income for myself. And then also like as a brand extension. So I say that I was like my first, like as an investor into real estate and then come 2017, 18, I just felt an, uh, an itch to, you know, have this desire to really be more kind of like honest at first, more like a referral broker where, you know, kind of connecting the, I had some, you know, after buying my house upstate and doing what I was doing, I had a lot of people asking questions and it started out of like curiosity of like, how do I do this? Who do I talk to for this? How did you get into this? So, and then it just, my, my, um, you know, light bulb went off in my brain of, Oh, I should capitalize on this as far as being a referral broker. So I got my real estate license. And then, um, it really wasn't until like 2018, 2019, where I was like, all right, I want to like, really sign up with a firm and, and be a licensed individual. And then, you know, I signed on with Houlihan Lawrence. Actually, Annabelle was my, at the time, she was working for Houlihan. And she, you know, we were on the board together of Historic Hudson, the Oliver Bronson house. And she was like, yeah, sure, I'll make an introduction. And then she brought me on to Houlihan, and then obviously, later switched, but um, signed on with Houlihan, I thought it was an interesting brand and in regard to like, it had a sense of legacy and history. And, uh, I loved the properties that they were putting out, uh, as a company. So it just felt like a nice brand alignment for kind And, um, you know, started from just being an agent solo to slowly growing into a team. And I was lucky enough that I had my, this old Hudson brand already kind of developed. and an audience and a community of people that loved upstate, loved renovation, loved home, because they were already following Zio and they started tapping into this world of this old Hudson. So day one, I already really had a following in the sense of, clientele and people that wanted to learn more about real estate or invest. And they were a lot of the audience happened to be New York City because I live there. And then people that just started falling, falling in love with the area in, um, Yeah. Do you think your follower, it was a natural transition for your followers then to kind of see this world and then maybe deeper dive into the real estate aspect of I think so like a lot of the original early days content for this old Hudson was Um, a lot about the area and also the Airbnbs and like, you know, homes and like, just like recommendations really. So it was a little bit more like editorial focused. I wish I had the time to develop more of that type of content. And I still do a lot of that, but obviously now it's more real estate focused in the sense of, of. showcasing the current offerings, but it, it's still very much is on brand for like what I love and my style. And, you know, I, I kind of go above and beyond when it comes to telling the, making sure that narrative is done correctly. And, and I think people have always hopefully found a sense of authenticity behind that because it really, really comes down to a true passion and love for everything I do in life. I love this area. I love my practice and my clients and really just creating um and and I think success really follows when you kind of fall like lean into what you what your calling is and it's all very happened very naturally for me and obviously a lot of hard work behind the scenes and um growth but I do feel very fortunate and lucky to have been placed where I was in the right Yeah. I think it goes without saying that if you really focus on that, like one thing that you're really good at, you'll be you'll be the best at it. Yeah. The idea of understanding your brand, I think you're one of the few, especially in the area that when I see a picture, I know who exactly who's listing that is. And I think having that capability is so unique and amazing. And people look for that, right? So how much of that, I know it's all planned, but how much of that is you versus your team? Yeah, so I still run all the creative. That's, you know, while we have grown, you know, organically, I think it's like, really important to like focus on like what you're good at and understand what you're not good at. Like there are aspects I'm, you know, I probably shouldn't be doing some of these things. Obviously as a small business owner, you have your hands in a lot of different of buckets, but where I, you know, that's my background, like visual storytelling, you know, aesthetics, composition, like that's at least for how my my brain works. I'm hyper visual. So I'm very protective of of how things look. And the look and feel and making sure it's consistent across the board matters a lot to me. Obviously, you can't control every house and how it looks. And sometimes you have to take on listings from a business perspective that maybe not 100% on brand, but it's a great sale and a good opportunity. So there's going to be homes and properties that require more judging. I'll call it, but very much still involved with all the all the creative and the storytelling and the staging and the styling and the art direction that goes into like from the graphic design aspect and from the or like being behind the lens. You know, we produce all of our content in house. As of now, you know, we've we've gone through different iterations of working with photographers and you know sometimes we're at capacity where we have to bring in other resources, but I feel like that's where the disconnect really starts to happen with feeling like angles and visually where if you're working with a bunch of different vendors and teams, you kind of lose control of like that end result. So having a consistent look and feel between all the different touch points is really important for me. And being part of that process from the first site visit to you know, the end is, is key. And like, we've, you know, being in media, in some capacities in my other life, you know, I've developed really great relationships with editors and press and media outlets over the years. So when our listings come on their radar, we already have a working relationship. They trust our process. They know we're going to be a delight to work with and get them what they need in a timely manner. So I feel fortunate enough that when people do list with us, a bonus is a lot of our listings get picked up by different record, you know, different media outlets that have, you know, New York times and, you know, different home decor and publications, which is just an added bonus. We don't guarantee that, but I think those types of outlets really want to know that a, they trust the resource and the quality of the content and Right. I mean, that's what makes you valuable, right? Your reach, your reach on, uh, with press, with, um, social media, you've built a, you've, you've built a brand, you know, a brand that's kind of not only visually in terms of, you know, a home looking a certain way, but there's so much about you and like you as a person and you personally. So like, how do you think that, how did those hurdles get overcome, you know, putting your face and yourself in You know, for a long, long time, I didn't like put myself in front of the camera. And I don't know, I mean, maybe I wasn't confident at the time. And like, you know, I've evolved over the past past few years. But I would say, when it comes to real estate, like they really are hiring a They want to feel connected to a person. Obviously, there's you know, when I'm working with a client or bringing on a listing, you know, a big part of our team model is that you're getting multiple people. So there is different layers of like how much involvement I'll be. Like, obviously I'm not able to be at every septic inspection and every hand holds you through the whole process. But when I need to be there, I'm gonna be there. And that's really why we've really developed this team and have been able to scale due to, you know, recognizing and delegating. And I think a big part of that is, you know, showcasing myself when I need to be showcased, you know, coming out, you know, outside of your, what's comfortable and just showing more like behind the scenes, I think is important too. You know, just share more content about, you know, whatever it may be. I think people just want to see your face sometimes. So if I'm at the gym or, you know, I do that a little bit more on my ZO brand versus this old Hudson, but they overlap a little bit. And the audience is kind of similar, but a selfie with my daughter, like people, I think want to feel connected to that. And then also, just things like that are happening in the farmer's market or little tidbits. I don't wanna overshare. I think people, that's a quick like unfollow for someone, but I try to show glimpses. There are real people behind me and my team and we work really hard on putting our clients first. And I think once you start to get into a cycle of, you know, sharing too much on the internet, they almost, it's like they get mad, like, like, I'm not allowed to have a personal life. Am I not allowed to go on vacation? I'm a person too. I'm There's like, I almost get like, anxiety sometimes for like putting too much personal content, because it's like, if I want to take an afternoon off for working seven days in a row, I almost feel like a guilt. And like, if a client's home, if like, if they're not getting the attention they need, or like the handholding, they like, why is he by a A hundred percent. I feel exactly the same way. Like sometimes you're just like, I don't know if I want to share because I want to know people to It's really sad because I work so hard from literally morning till that time. And, uh, I am a small business owner and I, you know, I'm able to, pick and choose when I work. But you know, I'm always working, I'm always on my phone. And like, you have to be very resilient to be in this industry, and how quickly you respond and all those different things. So social media is honestly smoke and mirrors. Like we're all doing fun things here and there. But like majority of the time, let's be real, I'm like, on the grind doing photo shoots, working with my team training, or honestly trying to Yeah, I know. It's really, I think that balance is really hard, but to your point, the, the, I think the audiences really do crave some sense of connection with you, um, and maintain that authenticity. And you know, what we do and even more so what you do is so intimate, like it's such an intimate experience. So they're not going to, you know, feel comfortable with you doing your role if they don't know anything about you. And I think that, Um, it's, it's made such a difference to be able to kind of lift that veil on what your life is. And trust me, we love, we love the ab photos. So keep them. I get a few haters for some of those and I'm like, you know what? I Yeah, man, babe. It took a long time for me to get this way. I'm show the world. over the past, like, I would say year, like, I really just focused on health and, you know, sleeping good and regulating your body. And yeah, the better you feel, the more energy you have, and the better you're gonna, you know, just quality of work you do, like, if I don't go to the gym and sleep well. I can't be a capable father or I can't be on for the amount of time I need to be on for my clients. So feeling good is huge in this industry, I think, because if you're not feeling good, you're not going to be confident and you're not going to be able to deliver. And people want to work with people that are confident and exceed Right. Do you put that same expectation on your team? Do you encourage the I definitely I try as much as I can at the end like we have a lot of people that you know. that are already kind of practicing that. Like Brittany, she teaches bar class in Chatham. Like a lot of like, everyone on my team kind of comes from different backgrounds, which I love, which makes us a kind of a diverse group of people or have like side hustles. So I absolutely embrace like everyone wanting to have their own independence, time with their family and, you know, owning their own, owning their own life. And I think work-life balance is a huge part of that. You know, it's not me as a team leader, whatever. manager to tell someone how to live, but I, I hope that the, like my lifestyle in some regard inspires them to push themselves as well. I wouldn't say I'm like a very healthier, like crazy active person, but like, you know, I like to have a cocktail too. And Um, yeah, and I am also single. So like, here we are out here. You got to like, make yourself look as good as possible before I'm, I'm in You know what, but when you put it out there, you will just attract the best because you're putting out your best. And that's how I I think you're the same way. Like, you know, once you get to a certain point, especially I think after you have kids, you're just like time is your And like, if you're not organizing your time and you're not like, feeling great during the little windows of time you have in a day to be productive. I mean, we're like multitaskers. If you're got a kid under six, like you're like, putting out little fires all day long. And when you're on, you're on, but when you're off, you're off. And that balance, I think, is so important. So being able to feel Yeah. You mentioned haters before. How do you deal with that? Or how do you deal with the people who think your listings are too expensive Everybody has an opinion. Yeah. I respect that. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion. At the end of the day, I think you can't please everybody in this world. you know, it is a very specific niche that I'm in, and a very specific market I'm in, and I have a been able to craft very specific service. So a lot of the time that service and craft has, you know, brings a more higher profile type of person or a more discerning seller or buyer that has particular needs and has created a really special product or experience really. So my job is to fulfill the client's needs and get them the top dollar and You know, I've been surprisingly shocked multiple times with some of my properties where, you know, I'm like this in my head. I'm like, no one's going to buy this damn house. This is way overpriced. But here comes the hedge fungi from Los Angeles or from New York City or wherever. And there is a market for every home. And there is a person out there waiting to discover it. So I think before someone says, it's too expensive, or, you know, maybe paid on the design or whatever, like, they're very well as somebody out there that will probably buy it, maybe you're just not that customer for that specific product. Yeah. And I think it's important to when you see these big listing numbers and big, you know, There's just so many facets that go into it. My job is to move inventory. I don't want to sit on overpriced homes. I don't want to put my brand behind a product that I don't feel confident in. So a lot of research goes into pricing a property. And when you are just seeing an Instagram post or seeing a listing online, and you're like, Oh, wow, that just seems really expensive. I think maybe the person isn't educated or know the ins and the outs or nuances of what's happening at that exact moment in time, or maybe what the goals are for the seller. at that time. So there's a lot of ins and outs that I think are behind the curtain that maybe some people don't understand, or maybe they're not realizing how much land is available or, you know, the opportunities that maybe they don't even know about. So real estate is so unique in that way, where sometimes we don't even know, or sometimes we underprice a home and it ends up going crazy. You really never know how something's going to unfold, but it is my duty to make sure that I'm putting out the best service possible. And that service oftentimes does Right. So I think the The key here is knowledge and skill and, you know, working your way toward understanding that. What would you give? What would you tell a broker trying to break into that luxury market? What advice would You know, I think everyone has a different path or a different skill set and narrative so I think really like we talked about earlier like leaning into what you're good at so like If you're in construction and you have a construction background, like how do you get into the premium market? You, who do you surround yourself with? Who do you affiliate yourself with? Um, these are all really important things to like building your business, your core business. And like at the end of the day, the social media is a major, uh, you know, all this different marketing components are really big. powerful tools, but still need to be a business-minded individual that knows how to hustle, that knows how to get a deal done, and knows the inner workings of how to communicate, how to facilitate, how to be present for the people you need to be present for to get a deal closed. So I would say start with, you know, learning from somebody, asking a lot of questions, and, you know, figuring out like a really like a five year business plan for yourself to get to where you want to be because it doesn't happen overnight. And I think it's important to learn from people that are already doing it. And then also don't compromise yourself and act with a sense of integrity. I think a lot of time in this industry, people can get greedy or can, you know, act, act with emotion over thought and care in the sense of in the height of a stressful situation. I think it's always good to just like, take a step back. If you need to sleep on it, the world is not going to end. This is real estate here. Like, there are urgent things that need to be addressed in a timely manner. But I think thoughtfulness goes a long way and not acting in a sense of urgency that rushes things to miss or mistakes can be happened. I No, no, it makes perfect sense. You need to take your time. We're not brain surgeons. I have to tell people all the time, we are not brain surgeons. Nothing we're doing is really that important at the end of the day. Exactly. We're OK. So yes, I think that. it's a really hard lesson and a hard pill for a lot of people to swallow. So it makes total sense. Um, Anthony, this was so nice. I'm so happy. I got to learn so much about you today, which was awesome. Um, where can people Um, well, they could find me on Instagram, uh, at this old Hudson, um, at Zio and sons, Z I O A N D S O N S. Um, they could, find me at thisoldhudson.com if they want to sell their home or buy a home. And most likely we'll run into you in Hudson if you are in the area. And I look forward to connecting with you all. And thank you, Nicole, for having me. This is super fun. And I Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for being here. This is The Interior Perspective. Want to share your story? Hit me up at Nicole Fisher, Nicole R. Fisher. Please be sure to listen and subscribe. And until next time. Thanks for listening to The Interior Perspective. If today's conversation inspired you or you're a broker with a story worth telling, connect with us on Instagram at NicoleFisherInteriorDesign or visit NicoleFisher.com. Until next time, keep creating beauty, living with intention and seeing every space