JENNIFER BARTKO

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Broker/Owner Jennifer Bartko of Petrey Real Estate in Atlantic Beach on Long Island’s South Shore knows the value of community. When dis-cussing the business that she joined 11 years ago, she can’t say enough about the area where she lives and works. In fact, she believes one of her most important roles is to advocate for the unique neighborhoods she serves. “I’m promoting a trendy suburbia with a beach,” she says.

Growing up in the industry, Jennifer has the experience and understand-ing of someone who has been in real estate much longer than she has. Her mother, Vicky, who remains an active partner, associate broker and agent, founded the business more than 30 years ago. “I was always in the office, surrounded by real estate,” she says, explaining that after college she worked for her mother while preparing for law school, but

JENNIFER BARTKO

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soon determined that real estate was a perfect fit for her. “Real estate is so much more than selling homes. It’s a people business. Its about interact-ing with and building up the people and businesses in a community.”

Her knowledge and love of the region she covers helps others discover opportunities for primary or vaca-tion homes they might not otherwise consider. “I spend a lot of time and

do a lot of business with young pro-fessionals and families in Manhattan and Brooklyn,” she says, adding that she understands the mindset of buyers who want to remain con-nected to these areas but don’t want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for a small apartment. She sings the praises of Long Beach and Atlantic Beach, which are not only the perfect landing spots for those potential homeowners who want

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to live close to the amenities of the city, but also those who seek a waterfront retreat and don’t want to travel two hours further east to the Hamptons. “I have a referral base of friends and agents interested in a vibrant, upscale community with miles of beautiful beaches that’s still accessible to the city. You can have brunch in Williamsburg or the West Village and be laying on the beach or on your boat an hour later.” Many prospective buyers are surprised to

learn what they can afford on Long Beach, which has homes on the bay-front and the ocean, yet it’s less than 20 miles from Manhattan and an easy 40 minute train ride to Penn Station or Atlantic Terminal.

An active participant in the area she serves, Jennifer knows many small business owners, restauranteurs, and residents, whose diverse lives and lifestyles make for a truly unique coastal community. On one stretch

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of beach, properties for sale might include $200,000 studio apartments or sprawling multi-million dollar waterfront estates. She describes the area as a cultural “melting pot” sim-ilar to parts of nearby Brooklyn, but with the worlds-away atmosphere of a beachfront suburbia. “I also under-stand the mindset,” she says. “Just because you live on the beach doesn’t mean you’re not a professional or that you surf all day. You want urban amenities. You want to be close to

the train and close to services. You want a safe place to raise a family that you can grow with.” The recent influx of high-end restaurants, bars, and shops appeals to people from as near as Manhattan and as far away as Russia or Japan.

To service a growing number over-seas buyers, Petrey Real Estate re-cently joined an international group of real estate agents and an affiliated network of luxury agents. “If I have

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To learn more about Jennifer Bartko and Petrey Real Estate, visit www.PetreyRealEstate.com,

email jenbartko@gmail.com or call 516.987.9688

someone who’s looking outside of my sphere, I reach out to the net-work,” she says. “Or when I have listings that might appeal to people

outside the U.S. I share them through the group,” she says, explaining that she has built relationships with several overseas agents. “We have this niche, interesting market that appeals to people - especially fami-lies with young children - who want to be close to the city but may not want to live in the city,” she says.

In addition to Jennifer’s focus on Long Beach and Atlantic Beach, her team of more than 40 licensed agents represents buyers and sell-ers in several communities on Long Island’s South Shore, including Lido Beach, Point Lookout, Hewlett, Lawrence, Woodmere, Cedarhurst and East Rockaway. Jennifer makes a point of mentioning how much she enjoys working with her mother. “Our goal, always, is to make sure our agents are happy and our clients are happy,” she says, explaining that when your business partner is some-one you trust, love and rely on, deci-sion making has more meaning than it might with a simple partner. “I’m so fortunate and happy to be doing what I love in a community I love with a person I love.”