Star of Brooklyn: Trisha Ocona

Trisha Ocona

Member, NYS Department of State Real Estate Board

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Trisha Ocona has been involved in educating the community regarding real estate for years. In addition to being a board member on Community Board 17 for several years, she was also the president of the East 58th Street United Block Association for five years.

“Over 30,000 people are facing foreclosure in New York City. 10,000 of those are in Brooklyn,” she said.

Throughout her career, Ocona’s goal has been to limit that number by giving advice to current or prospective homeowners on how to avoid various scams.

“I know there are people that don’t know and need education and need help going forward. I do work with young people in the community,” she said. In addition to helping young real estate agents and struggling homeowners, Ocona also helps fight battles of the elderly and sick whose homes are being foreclosed due to various scams.

MOTIVATION: Ocona was influenced by words that stuck with her to this day. “My father said every brick in a house is worth a brick of gold. A home is the largest asset people will ever own. That’s the American dream,” she said. “Not only is it difficult to get into home ownership, it’s difficult to keep a home. Lots of people get scammed because of lack of knowledge.”

She took a real estate class with her mother years ago that also influenced her. “Knowledge is key when you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars,” Ocona stressed. “You have to know what’s going on.”

GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT: Ocona is one of five brokers to be appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to the NYS Department of State’s Real Estate Board. “It’s an honor to have that position,” she said. “I don’t look at it as something pretty for my resume, but to make a positive influence to communities that are overlooked.”

OBSTACLES: Though Ocona is making a significant difference in educating buyers, in many instances for free, her biggest challenge has come from a lack of change. “Every Thursday, 20 homes are foreclosed in Brooklyn alone,” she said. “The news isn’t talking about it. That’s my biggest struggle. How do I bark loud enough so people know the big issue?” Ocona also believes that local businesses suffer because families can’t afford to shop if they can’t pay for their homes

PROFESSIONAL LIFE: In addition to being owner of realestateOCONA, LLC in New York City, Ocona is also a real estate instructor at Medgar Evers College.

PERSONAL LIFE: Ocona attended Nazareth High School and currently lives in East Flatbush. She recently was named one of The Home Reporter’s Rising Stars.

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