Emmett Laffey

For Emmett Laffey, real estate wasn’t a career choice; it was his environment. Born into the business, Laffey’s formal education began at the age of five in the offices of his father’s firm. By the time he was eight, he was already sitting at kitchen tables during listing presentations, observing firsthand the power of accountability and the weight of a family name.

“I was literally born into the business,” Laffey reflects. “I saw through my father’s enormous clientele the power of relationships and trustworthiness. I even met my wife at a company holiday party when we were seven. It’s always been a family affair.”

That lifelong immersion allowed Laffey to cultivate a “seat at the table” philosophy that has made him the go-to advisor for New York’s ultra-wealthy. Throughout a career that includes some of the most significant transactions in New York history—including the highest-priced house sale in Long Island’s history at $36.5 million—Laffey has maintained that technology can never replace the human element of a referral. To his high-net-worth clients, from Wall Street hedge fund managers to sports figures and icons like Billy Joel, Laffey is more than a broker; he is a permanent consultant. 

“I pride myself on bringing to our clients a different experience altogether,” he says. “We go out of our way to ensure that when they do business with my firm, they feel they’ve never had that experience with a brokerage before.”

In 2018, Laffey made the strategic decision to align his deep local roots with the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand. For a firm that had already completed over 75,000 transactions, the move provided a “global halo effect” that perfectly complemented his luxury-heavy market. 

“Brand is very important, but when you have a brand with that level of trust and stability, it resonates perfectly with my clientele,” he explains. 

This partnership allowed Laffey to champion the “Forever Agent” concept—a commitment to a relationship that outlasts any single transaction. 

“Wealthy clients are used to being advised and consulted every day on their financial moves. They want that same level of information and consultation in real estate.”

As he joins the RISMedia Newsmakers Hall of Fame, Laffey remains a fixture of the North Shore community, leading with a blend of humility and hard-earned confidence. For him, the true measure of success isn’t the size of the commission check, but the daily referrals that come from decades of integrity. 

“Nothing makes me happier than getting that text saying, ‘Emmett, my friend is buying; they have to deal with you,’” he says. “We’re not cocky, we’re just very confident—we live it every day.”