Deborah Hauser

Deborah Hauser, chief operating officer at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, oversees sales, marketing, technology and business development. She also serves on the brokerage’s board of directors.

At the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York, Hauser and her team had to come together and adapt quickly. Managers instituted protocols for showing houses safely and offered virtual tours and open houses. Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty was the first company in its market to host virtual open houses on a large scale.

“We did not lay off any staff during the months that we were almost completely shut down during the height of the virus,” Hauser says. “Because we have built and retained such a strong culture over the decades, our people jumped in and worked harder and longer, understanding that adversity and the disruption of business presented a unique opportunity to make a difference with our agents and our customers.”