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The firm's first Chief Executive Officer, Bess Freedman oversees the Brown Harris Stevens 55 offices and more than 2,300 agents across New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Florida. Under her leadership, Brown Harris Stevens has grown into one of the largest and most successful privately held real estate companies in the United States with annual sales over $9 billion. She is deeply committed to creating a culture-first firm for the future while staying true to the unique and unparalleled history of the Brown Harris Stevens brand.

Bess originally joined Brown Harris Stevens in 2013 to oversee business development. She enjoys being a trusted resource and finding creative solutions to every situation — particularly new ways to pitch and market listings, to coach agents through difficult negotiations, and to provide the best technology and tools to elevate the entire real estate process. Her insights are frequently sought out by media including CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

Formerly Co-President of Brown Harris Stevens, and a Senior Managing Director of the Corcoran Group's East Side headquarters, Bess brings to her real estate career top professionalism, interpersonal skills and negotiating savvy that are well respected by her industry peers and agents alike.

A former agent herself, Bess achieved repeated membership in Corcoran’s Multi-Million-Dollar Club thanks to her exemplary customer service, knowledge of the market, and top results. Before entering real estate, Bess practiced law as an Assistant State's Attorney in Montgomery County, Maryland, and also worked at Legal Aid as an attorney. Bess is a member of the Florida, Washington, D.C. and Maryland Bar, and worked in New York pro hac vice. She speaks Spanish and has lived in various cities including Washington, D.C., Miami, and Seville, Spain. Originally from upstate New York, Bess earned her undergraduate degree from Ithaca College and her law degree from The University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law, in Washington, D.C.

Bess is the proud mother of two — a son who attends school on the Upper West Side and a daughter who attends college in Boston. In her spare time, Bess enjoys weekends in Rhinebeck, N.Y., trips to visit family in Spain, and regular meetings with her Mahjong group. She is an active member of the Real Estate Board of New York and sits on the Board of Governors. She is an advocate for social change through her work with several organizations. In 2021, she was the recipient of REBNY's Kenneth R. Gerrety Humanitarian Award for outstanding service to the community. She is on the Board of The Bridge, an organization whose programs focus on the needs of homeless and housing-insecure single adults who are diagnosed with behavioral health disabilities, and an advocate for Sanctuary for Families, which helps women who are domestic violence victims find jobs, housing, and education. Bess also supports the mentorship program at YJP (Young Jewish Professionals), and she is an active member of the Leadership Now Project — a corporate initiative to protect democracy — and the Kalief Browder Foundation.