Colts Neck Realty Celebrates 60 Years
12 JUNE 2020 | TheJournalNJ.com
BY LORI DRAZ
Colts Neck is the perfect picture of sophisticated country
living. From its bucolic horse farms, rich history, glorious
estates, busy farms and orchards, charming stores, and
winding, tree-lined roads, Colts Neck is active, elegant, grounded
Burry, the owner/manager of Colts Neck Realty. (Burry is also
well-recognized as a Monmouth County Freeholder and former
Colts Neck mayor).
This year marks the 60th anniversary of this boutique real
With the skillful storytelling talents of a great historian, Burry
“It was created by Walter Zimmerer, the builder well known
for creating the very image of Colts Neck. He built most of the
homes, with their signature iron basement beam, in the Clover
Hill section.”
Lillian’s father-in-law, John Burry, moved into a Zimmerer
home in Colts Neck. The elder Burry was a natural conversationalist,
so good that he was selling houses without trying over dinner.
a license and really got the agency started.
At the time, Lillian and her husband, Don, were living in Ma-
That’s when she began saving historic sites, starting with the Burrowes
Mansion. She was recently honored by the Matawan Historic Society
for that work.
After she completed her term, she and Don decided to move to
Colts Neck. They bought a four-acre property and built a home where
the couple, who celebrates their 62nd wedding anniversary this year,
still resides. Zimmerer eventually retired, and Michael Conroy took
over the business. Lillian assisted in the operations there, a groundbreaking
career for a woman at the time.
After 10 years, Lillian became a broker. At the same time, Michael
decided to sell the business so Lillian bought it, and shortly thereafter
her daughter, Lenore, joined the team, making this a real family
business. Lenore Manicioto had a son, Vito, and a daughter, Stephanie.
Lenore had the gift and raised her young family through Colts Neck
Realty. Now Stephanie, vice president of her company, holds a sales
associate license as well. Vito is an attorney in Chicago and has been
named one of the Top 40 under 40 litigators in the state of Illinois.
Don became the vice president of the company, after leaving behind
his career in
the chemical business.
He is enjoying
his retirement,
now in its 19th
year. But the tireless
Lillian continues
to work in the
family business.
“Colts Neck
Realty operates out
of a building, also
From left: Stephanie Manicioto, Lillian Burry and Don Burry
at the Freeholders’ annual reorganization meeting
known as the Kelsey House, that was part of the original Colts Neck Village
and dates back to 1740,” she said. “The building sits perpendicular
-
ry Barth, who sold his homegrown honey from the shop.”
-
ministrator, Michele Battista. But every good history story has a ghost,
“Mary has been very quiet lately, but she was a good spirit, and I
hope she is happy,” Lillian said.
Colts Neck Realty’s highly knowledgeable and responsive staff
includes Nancy Boylan, Connie Wilson, Deirdre Hancock, Michael Dzergoski,
Ralph Evans and Victoria Ali. The staff has won several “Circle of
Excellence Sales Award” awards. Colts Neck Realty is a member of the
Monmouth Ocean Regional Realtors.
In politics, Lillian and the four other members of the Board of Freeholders
are responsible for the 53 municipalities in Monmouth County.
In real estate, she has served on the executive board of Monmouth
County Association of Realtors and as president of the Women’s Council
of Realtors, a national organization that fosters education within the profession.
Lillian has been named the Monmouth County Sales Associate of
the Year and is part of the N.J.A.R. President Club, N.J.A.R. Distinguished
Sales Club and N.J.A.R. Million Dollar Sales Club, to name a few.
“Colts Neck Realty is part of the Colts Neck family too,” she said.
“I am so very pleased to have served different generations of the same
families as they buy and sell area homes. The real estate world may be
transforming in the face of technology, but there is no replacing old-fashioned
knowledge and personal attention. As we say at Colts Neck Realty,
‘No one knows the area better!’”
/TheJournalNJ.com