R
eal estate industry veteran Gil Neary, known for his love of architecture and people, passed away in a one-car accident in Maine on Saturday. He was 67 years old. Neary was survived by his partner of 40 years, Scott Riedel, his brother Matthew Neary, and sister-in-law Ann Neary.
Neary was a prominent figure in the downtown real estate scene and was the founder of Bank Neary, a gay-owned residential brokerage. His longtime friend and business partner Matthew Bank will take over the company and continue Neary's legacy.
Neary was known for his ability to form long-lasting relationships with his clients, some of which spanned over two decades. He was particularly fond of resales and was not afraid to bring his work home to Chelsea Gardens at 255 West 23rd Street, where he lived for nearly 40 years.
Neary's passion for architecture and interior design led him to pursue a career in real estate. He graduated with a psychology degree from Baruch College and joined Bellmarc Rentals in 1979. His love for architecture and design led him to found residential brokerage Coleman Neary with Hayden Coleman and Dan Gerstein after a brief stint at Metropolitan Living was cut short by the 1987 market crash.
Neary's firm became known for catering to the Downtown gay community, sponsoring floats in New York's Gay Pride Parade and advertising in gay publications like HX Magazine. The firm's motto was "a castle for every queen," and they specialized in co-op and condo sales in Chelsea and Greenwich Village.
In addition to his work in real estate, Neary was also involved in various other ventures, including property acquisitions in South Florida and Fire Island Pines, where he was on the board of the Fire Island Pines Property Owners Association.
Last year, Bank Neary did $43 million in sales and $4 million in annual rents. The company has evolved over the years as partners came and went, but Neary's legacy will continue to live on through Bank Neary.
A memorial service is being planned for October to honor Neary's life and legacy.
