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 Diana Polack of the Upstate Curious team, a sign that has become increasingly recognizable in the Hudson Valley. Thank you for being here on such short notice. I'm very happy to be able to fill in. Absolutely. So your bio tells me you had a business for over 30 years before real estate. Tell me about your business and why the transition. Sure, so, well, I'll start by saying that when I was 21, I actually got my real estate license for the first time. And so that was sort of a fun thing in New York City when we used the Sunday New York Times to place ads that, without even pictures, was like the Help Wanted column. It was like two beds, three baths. It was a very different market. And simultaneously, I was working at a construction management firm. I was their marketing director, I had gone to art school and studied architecture and art, and I was always in a creative sort of world. And working at the construction management firm, I was like, wow, I love being in all these spaces. I'm going to get my real estate license. Fast forward, I got married and had children and realized that was not a lifestyle that would work with young kids. husband who worked full time and being away weekends, nights, all that type of stuff. So I pivoted and dug into my art roots and I founded a company called Artware for Good. And so basically for about 28 years, I was helping schools and nonprofits raise money for the arts. I was doing legacy tile walls, donor recognition walls. I was doing corporate team building with a social good component. I traveled the world with my walls, helping nonprofits all around Rwanda and Haiti and all these amazing places. And like everything else, after 20 some odd years, you start thinking, okay, like what next? And then the pandemic hit. And so my tagline for Artware for Good was, gather, create, do good. And in the pandemic, we could not gather anymore. So then therefore we couldn't create. So then therefore we couldn't do good. So we basically looked at like taking a break. And my kids who I'm very tight with, and my son is a realtor at Compass said, mom, you've always talked about real estate and wanting to get back into it. So it seemed like he's like, you're not making money and you have a lot of time on your hands. So. why not get licensed? All right, I love that. A little pivot of how I came back. And I have to say like this chapter of my work life is amazing because I run women's groups. I've always been very community minded. As you can tell from my work, I care about the community on a larger scale. So this just seems, and I love people. So I feel like this brings all my skills. together. That's so awesome. So how did you transition upstate? I saw you were in Montclair, which I was one of our first biggest jobs was in Montclair. I love it. I love it too. So yeah, we raised our kids there. And then I grew up in New York City. And we, I grew up with a weekend house. So I was always a city girl and a country girl. And Montclair was a beautiful place to raise kids. I mean, it's sort of a special kind of, it's not like a real suburb, you know, it's, it's a hub. But once the kids were in college, my husband and I really just wanted a quieter, simpler lifestyle. plus paying taxes and all that in Montclair, you know, we were done. So it's like, it's our turn now. Like, what's our next move? And it's always about like, oh, okay, life's going by. What else can we do? How do we reinvent that type of thing? We had a lot of friends up here, not a lot, but a few in Garrison and Cold Spring. And it took us about a year to sort of figure out where to land. We wanted water, we wanted quiet. and So are you weekenders or are you full-time? Full-time. Nice. Full-time. And both my kids still live in Mont, or came back to Montclair and are living there. And what's really nice is it's only an hour away. So living in Gettysburg, so that's the south end of the It is special. I mean, it's like we are the lowest, part of the Hudson Valley and on the Upstate Curious team, I happen to be the furthest South. So I can also Yeah, so how did your Upstate Curious team and So Bree and I met, she also had a similar, she'll tell you someday about her, you know, pandemic pivot and we both ended up on a team with Compass that was based out of Westchester. and we came on to help grow the Hudson Valley. And for reasons that aren't worth sort of going through, but we met on that team. And the day we met each other was this like amazing sort of, you don't find this often where it's like, my God, I feel like I've known Bree for my entire life. And we really got each other and it was really strong. And so we decided to, really team up because we really finish each other's sentences. Well, we think similarly, but differently. We both have had careers. We're both creatives. And I think that is one of our secret sauces is that we just haven't sold real estate in our life, but we have each run companies with employees and we understand time is money. Money is time. Like there's a business behind real estate that doesn't get talked about a lot or not considered a lot. And it's something that we were really passionate about, as well as just also really into community and the arts and all that. So we have all the synergy. And so we left Compass actually to go to Upstate Curious, which was an already established team that started right before the pandemic. And we loved what they were doing with also community outreach. like really this grassroots Instagram heavy, very visual group of people, very dedicated to real estate. And so then fast forward, Compass somewhat acquired, or as I say, Upstate Curie has joined Compass. So now what we love more than anything is that we have the best of both worlds as we have this real grassroots sort of company with the technology of Compass combined. with the national reach and the hyper-local focus put Yeah, I love what you said about kind of treating it as a business and coming with Brie with this, you know, corporate kind of background and how you're thinking about these things differently and how you approach this, you know, field or career in such a different way. I love, do you feel like you have that level of support and, ability to maybe delegate and use some of these tools with your Yes. And actually, recently, Bri and I have brought three agents on our team. So the Upstate Curious team is all, we're all independents working at Upstate Curious. Bri and I, were the only two that when we joined upstate curious, we were already joined as a team. So we sort of are unique in that respect. And to piggyback on what you just asked. Yes. So we realized that we need help and we want to grow. So we also want to nurture and we want to mentor and We meet these amazing people and think, wow, we really want to work with them. So now we have three people on our team. And so, yes, we What do you think defines luxury home buyers in your home market? And how is that specific to maybe Hudson Valley is an anomaly in that respect, like the price point of what's called luxury is very different than if you're going to the Hamptons or in the city or somewhere else. So for me, that's kind of interesting. So we definitely work with a lot of second, third and fourth home buyers type thing. So to me, that's what maybe indicates luxury in an interesting way. You know, it's not, People are, since COVID, have been gravitating to the Hudson Valley much more rampantly. And one of the things are people are leaving the Hamptons because they want to have privacy. So up here is possibly space and privacy is almost luxury. Compound living, like being able to spread out, being able to be hidden, not having to worry about, you know, what's everyone else doing and where's everyone else going for dinner. To me, luxury is, that Yep. I love that you said that because that's exactly what I find to be the most valuable part about being in the Hudson Valley. You're able to get not only these beautiful places, but they're on 10, 20, 100 acres and you have the ability to fully remove yourself, but still have access to Wi-Fi and still have access to incredible farm-to-table restaurants and still have access to shops. It's such a unique spot. And to your point, it's not necessarily the dollar value that makes them luxury. It's the ability to have almost everything that you would want, removing yourself from a place like Absolutely. It's that freedom. It's the freedom of breathing. And I think You know, that's something that in COVID, a lot of us realized that we need space, we need time, we need to breathe. And we were given permission, right, to kind of grab onto all of those things. And so something you said is, even if it's not all there, part of the luxury is finding that parcel and that land where you Yeah, absolutely. Do you find what people are looking for I started working in COVID actually. So I can't really speak to that. I could just say that I think it's all heightened since COVID. people looking. I don't think everyone was sort of more in a grind before COVID. We all did our, we just worked and maybe traveled and got quick fixes and that kind of stuff, but just the permission again to, okay, I work all week or whatever Yeah. Do you find that people have been a little bit more intimidated to make a decision over the last few years? Have you felt a slowdown at all? Have you felt-? Only in the last couple of weeks. Really? Yeah. Wow, that's so Yeah, it's like, well, weeks is maybe a little short, but it's the last couple of months. But even our January and February this year was unbelievable how robust everything was. And I think it was about April. Well, maybe it was March. I mean, it was like after the election and then, you know, that changed things. And then the impending, you know, the political scene, the pending tariff issues, the economy. The other thing that's changed things also is, people now have to start going back to work in the city. And so what we're having right now happen is, which is something different but somewhat similar, is that people who bought homes thinking they can work remotely and could be two or three hours out of the city, maybe downsizing the city or gave up the city, now we're having to do the reverse and go back. So people are getting rid of their homes up here or changing it to something closer, you know, we're scaling down because now they have to have an apartment in the city or just give it up altogether. Because during COVID everyone thought, oh, we have no, we can't do anything. We'll go up to the country every weekend, but they can get on planes again and they can travel and their kids can go to camp again. So lifestyles changing. So we are seeing that sort of upending the market a little bit because you know, people bought at a high price and now wanna sell at that high price, but that doesn't mean that was the right high price or they bid up very high when they bought during COVID. And so that doesn't mean you can get that premium back in a purchase price now that's only two years later. So there's Yeah, how do you mentor people to understand that level of reality without like, I tell people all the time, I am, you know, 75% therapist. So I mean, there was times where Bree and I were like, should they be getting a I know you think it's going like, this is supposed to solve this marriage, isn't So, oh my gosh, that's such an interesting question. Gently. Yeah. Empathetically. It's being a really good listener and listening to what's really being said, and then addressing their questions with answers that they might be able to hear. Yeah. And understanding that sometimes you have to say it quite a few times. And sometimes they just have to go through the process a little bit and then they'll go, Oh, this could be a myriad of things. It's not just about price. You know, it could be about timing. It could be about what has to get done. It could be about inspections. It could timing it's ever, it's so many different things. So I think listening skills are really important and Empathy and kindness. I would think having those skills and knowing how to use them gives you clients that are repeat clients or people who are consistently coming I think, yeah, I think yes. And something I've been thinking about lately is kind of owning our power. I mean, Brie and I have been very successful in a short few years that we're doing this. And that's not accidentally, but it's always hard to say, oh yeah, I'm pretty good at what I do. We have to take some credit for that. It's not just the market, it's we are Absolutely. You have to own that. That confidence is everything. It radiates through who you are and who you attract, really. Totally. The team you're building is attracted to that. The clients you're attracted to that. So I think that's so similar to what we're doing too. We're putting out something to the universe that we want to attract the right people who are going to say, that's the personality I like, that's the level of confidence I like. Not only design-wise and creativity-wise, but also deep down For you, it's so important too. I can see that sort of on the design level for sure, because it's so I mean, you are going to be creating the space there in 24 seven. I need to find them that space, but sometimes that can be altered. And so then the design process takes That'd be fun to like go on showings together almost, you know, and just Absolutely. It's something that doesn't happen very often, but I love it. And I could, I mean, I think that's just a skillset, you know, to be able to walk into space and be like, yes, no, yes, no, this wall moves this, you know, I can see the potential or see And I think Bree and I have that. I mean, I studied architecture and design. You know, I worked at a construction management firm. We both owned homes, like using those skills, understanding, you know, this wall can come down, a window could be opened up. Again, it's just sort of, it's not just opening the door and showing a house. It's really understanding, wow, Right. Exactly. Yeah. So, um, but also just sometimes it's just also being quiet, like reading the room. Like, so my favorite thing to say to buyers is we can talk on the phone all we want. We can send you all the collections. Compass has amazing technology. We can do all of this, but I want to I want to see you in the space. I want to see your body language. I want to see how you and your partner, if there is one, you know, interact. I learn so much by just observing. So sometimes it's Yeah, absolutely. I think that's a real skill to be able to read people and read how they're just moving through a room because we have to do exactly the same thing. So backing up a little bit when you're talking about envisioning the space, what level of influence do you have in the styling or how it looks before you bring clients to a property? Are Well, if we're doing the listing side, I mean, we do both sides. Listing side. It's interesting you say that. So our styling up here, we call it zhuzhing more. Okay, so it's elevated now. I think Instagram and the elevated, agents that are doing it or you know sort of had this sort of influence on other agents so yes free and I definitely stage. If we're doing new construction or we work with some flippers we absolutely work with getting furniture in there, because, as you know, as a designer. spaces look so much smaller when there's nothing in that view to inform the size. You know, it's the opposite. People think that empty spaces look larger than they are, but they don't, they look smaller. It's very hard to envision. So we work with some of our more sophisticated clients to, um, on a, a budget for styling, but we'll also, most of the time when we go into homes that are lived in, we just strip it back, you know, cause we're looking at it for how things look in photography. So we, care more about what the photographs look like than what it looks like when you walk in the door, if I'm being fair, because less is more in a photograph. And some of our houses are lived in, so we can't like, you know, if they have a dog or they have kids, there's many toys and, you know, we try to clean up, but it isn't that pristine sort of sterile look that I see in more suburbs in the city and apartments, you know, where it's all just beautiful. I mean, we're selling a farmhouse where there's 10 pairs of muddy boots on the back porch. But to me, that's like, cool, because that's sort of what's that flavor of that house? So yes, and no, to answer your question. And then it's also on Yeah. And then do you find that if you're focusing heavily on the photography, and then people come to see it, and maybe how much emphasis So a lot of people do. And I think what we do a really But I really like have some gripes with is other agents and people that either do so much photoshopping or just do so much. So it doesn't seem real. We don't, we don't try to be unreal. I mean, we have to look nice, but we don't try to, be untrue to what And I think that is really helpful for a potential buyer to come in. A, like feeling like a space is lived in. To me, I would think those new builds are almost harder. They're harder from a design perspective because there's no sense of, you know, character and all of that needs to be brought in, which takes so much more time and effort and money versus these houses that maybe have more going on, but are So I think what's helpful is we can say, well, look at this room. This room has like huge furniture. This is oversized. Like you might not have this much if the piano wasn't there, you know, if the, the kids' play sets weren't there. I mean, you have to sometimes sort of guide people through what it could be like. I do think though, most people these days, at least our buyers are definitely more sophisticated and, and Yeah. No, they're savvy. It's the world of, you know, Instagram Social media. I mean, we are visual people and that's, people see these like houses, like I want to see it. And they don't even know where it is. Like that's the other interesting thing. Like we talk about people are town agnostic because it's like, I want that house. Well, we talk about where it is. Oh, I just, I want that house, you know, kind of thing. Not knowing where they, I mean, there's so many different towns. The Hudson Valley is huge. We spend a lot of our time educating people. agree today is taking people like you can have like four or five hours of driving in a day because houses are so spread far, you know, the towns are far apart, the houses are spread far apart. So we Yes, same. Driving is that other 5%, right? Exactly, yeah. I love that. What advice would you give a broker trying to get visibility in the Hudson Valley or even interested in joining your Go in the other direction. No, it's hard work, it looks beautiful, it looks fun, it looks sexy, but it's a 24-7. It doesn't turn off at all. And it's really hard to not have boundaries or to not carve out time. When most of the world can focus on their buying, or even selling, because they have jobs, it's nights and weekends, right? Like my phone blows up again starting, and my email's like 7 p.m., 8 p.m., and I can go most evenings till 11. And it's sick that like I'm actually having conversations. It's not like just sending out an email or a text and waiting to hear in the morning. It's like getting that answer. Like someone responded to me. I woke up in the middle of the night. It was like, well, one o'clock I woke up and there was a response and that took everything, all my power not to answer that text this morning. So it's constant. You have to love it. You have to be so ready to eat, live, Fair enough. I love that. So what is next for Interesting. Well, we are learning, the five of us now, like how to dance together, I'm feeling like we're in a thoughtful time to not knowing what the fall is gonna bring. We are seeing a bit of a slowdown this summer that we haven't seen. Like we haven't seen this like pre-pandemic buying activity, which we're seeing now where people are going away and people are reserved and waiting to see what's happening with interest rates, what's happening with politics. So I feel like for us, we are learning and watching and figuring out where we might have to pivot some of our marketing, where we're marketing to, who we're marketing to. It was interesting, Bree and I went to California in January because we saw, okay, this is crazy. We saw already a migration coming from California quite a bit because of climate, family changes, Fires, you know all this stuff and so we went and planned a trip for a week visiting different compass teams In la and beverly hills and san diego. We we love sharing. We have a big compass is a very big strong referral Yeah, um culture We were there the day the fires broke out Wow And we were there to talk about, we're being filmed in Beverly Hills by this Compass agent who had been interviewing us about us and why we're there. And we're talking about, well, you know, we see this, people are telling us they want to get out, there's fires, it's hot, there are earthquakes. Maybe they grew up in New York and now it's time to go back and see family. And like literally we're watching something that looks like a cloud come over us that's not a cloud. And it was so ominous and it was, the smoke. And then we were meeting with a very prestigious team in Altadena and Pasadena. And an hour after we met with them, they were all evacuating their homes. So we like got this like visceral core feeling. So interestingly enough that, you know, it It was, it's a shame because it sort of changed for us. You know, it was great to be out there and see it and understand it, but it was like too close and it was too much going on. So, um, and then we went to San Diego where y'all need to ourselves and things were different and we did present and all that, but I'm bringing that up because. That's what we like to do. We'd like to educate people all over. So maybe, maybe what we'll do is put the Bri and Diana show on the road a little bit more. start promoting in other places. Not that there's any disaster I love that. I think that's genius. It's a genius marketing move too. Please, let's chat after. I would love to figure out how we can work together. I love what you guys are doing. I think that's so exciting. It's such an interesting take on a very saturated market and you have to find ways Oh, we should take you to some of our, we should do like a dog and pony But you can do some fun stuff. Yeah, that sounds awesome. I love it. Well, thank you so much for being here. Where can people find Oh, great. So now I have to look that up. So Bree and Diana, you can find us at Bree at upstatecurious.com or Diana at upstatecurious.com. My Instagram handle is And why do I always have to look this up to sell you? Diana.hvreal, R-E-A-L. So like Hudson Valley Real Estate. Perfect. That is my Thank you so much for being here. This is an awesome conversation. It has been a wonderful chat with Diana. So please go follow her and join us next time on the Interior Perspective. See you soon. 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