Brown Harris Stevens

"Real Value, Real Estate Results"

Work with a broker who provides years of experience and knowledge of the market and—more importantly—the personal touch!

Selling or buying your home will probably be the biggest transaction of your life. It’s a deeply emotional and very personal process. Which is why you need a realtor who brings a personal touch to all her deals. Whether you’re buying for the first time or trading up, having an advocate who listens, and understands your specific needs, will make your offer stand out in a crowded market.

Maryann is a dedicated, dependable and hardworking agent who will give your real estate business the individualized attention and commitment you deserve.

A native New Yorker, she brings her ‘hometown’ savvy and expertise to all of her clients’ deals. She’s been an Upper West Side resident for more than 25 years; prior to that, she called the Upper East Side home and also studied in New York.

She has years of experience marketing and selling residential real estate in Manhattan—and knows how to guide her clients through the complex and challenging NYC real estate market. Her objective is always to make her clients’ selling or buying experience as smooth and easy as possible.

Maryann makes sure her clients understand the current market trends, and that they’re setting realistic expectations for their sale or purchase. Her hands-on knowledge and experience with Manhattan’s real estate market, trends and neighborhoods promises accurate pricing for sellers' properties. She creates a unique and effective marketing strategy for each individual property and seller—and guarantees her clients the highest market price on every sale.

Her ability to quickly zero in on newly listed properties also gives her buyers a clear advantage over competing purchasers. By listening to her clients’ needs, she always brings a fresh and surprising take to the market search. She rises to every challenge with creative and unexpected solutions—finding one-of-a-kind opportunities that yield 100% satisfaction.

Maryann comes to real estate after a seasoned and successful career as a TV executive with HBO Studio Productions, VideoWorks, and Limelight, among others. Her management, sales and marketing experience—including creative collaborations with independent and ad agency producers, often on tight deadlines—provided the ideal foundation for the exceptional skills and professional savvy she now brings to navigating the competitive New York City real estate market.

Dual Licensed NYC & Hudson Valley Region

Client testimonials:

"Maryann has the qualities of an extremely successful and effective broker. I can’t say enough about her professionalism and knowledge within the industry. She has high integrity and is very conscientious and tenacious, always keeping the clients’ best interests in mind. My real estate purchase was a small transaction relative to the size of properties and transactions Maryann normally handles but she treated me with the same professionalism and courtesies one would expect for a very large transaction." - Andrew O.

"Besides being tactful as well as a straight shooter, Maryann is the most creative and resourceful realtor I have ever met. My apartment posed a conundrum to every realtor I spoke to. While it was a spacious, high-ceiling, ornate, pre-World War I apartment in a desirable location, it suffered from extended benign neglect while my elderly mother lived there. Now no longer having use for the apartment, I [knew I] could sell it after an expensive renovation or sell as is. While I might realize a higher price with renovation…there [was] no guarantee that the renovation would turn out well. Worse, there [were] also no guarantees buyers would see the value of the renovation and pay for it. But if I were to sell as is, I would devalue my neighbors’ property value. The co-op board might not even approve the sale.

To extricate myself from this dilemma, Maryann came up with an ingenious pricing strategy that overcame all the obstacles. At her suggestion, I priced the apartment at full market value but provided a rebate to the buyers for renovation. Doing so would allow the buyers to renovate precisely the way they wanted while maintaining the value of other apartments in the building.

Maryann found a qualified couple to purchase my apartment. But to get the deal done, we needed a lender willing to lend with such unusual terms. Maryann showed her resourcefulness by persuading Wells Fargo to go along. Unfortunately, COVID-19 came and hit NYC hard. The transaction came to a screeching halt. Throughout the tough period of waiting, Maryann never flagged in spirit and commitment to get the deal done. She worked closely and well with my attorney to persuade the buyers to accept a remote closing. The sale was closed. Without Maryann, I’d be still looking for buyers or getting the renovation completed." – R. Chen, 2020

"I just wanted to share that we are so thankful again for all your help and that our apartment is perfect because it looks like in January we will be changing my sewing studio into a nursery! If you hadn’t helped us through all the insanity I don’t know where we would be putting her! But now we have a lovely home." – M. Fahl

"My husband and I sold our Upper East Side co-op apartment this summer, where we had lived for over 40 years and raised our family. After talking to several real estate agents, we knew we had found the perfect agent when I met with Maryann. Her knowledge and understanding of the current market and her marketing strategies were invaluable. We received two bids after our first open house, one of which was from the family who now lives in the apt.

Maryann worked hard to make the final negotiation and closing seamless. She is also a delight to work with. Maryann is, quite simply, the best!" - Julie and Ken E.

“We cannot thank you enough for your kindness. You continue to go above and beyond, making the rental process seamless. Your consistent care and thoughtfulness mean so very much to us and we are very grateful.” – Kara & Eric

“Dear Maryann, Eric and I would like to thank you for all that you have done to make this process seamless. As you know, the root of our decision to move was as a result of my father falling ill and then passing. Therefore, this has been a very emotional time for us both. However, throughout this journey you have been supportive, accessible and caring—which not only made a difficult time feel doable, but is so much appreciated by us.” - Kara & Eric

"Dear Maryann, how do I thank you for all your help this last year? You guided me with wisdom, patience, and good humor through the sale of my coop; my home. It was at times a scary process. Your advice on pricing, staging and professional referrals was flawless. Maryann - you are proof that hard work, optimism, intelligence and honesty will always win the day. Thank you for holding my hand through it all. I couldn't be happier with the results. You are the best!"- J. Kosky

When we decided to sell our NYC coop, we started looking for a realtor who was familiar with our neighborhood to handle the sales. We interviewed several. Maryann Johnson is not only friendly, and neighborhood knowledgeable, but Maryann Johnson came prepared for the meeting. She delivered a professional presentation with info on recent area properties for sale and sold; details on how our apartment would be marketed, via Halstead’s site, other websites and on social media (including her own); advice on prepping the space for photos and showing and really convinced us that she wanted our business. We gave it to her and she did not disappoint. We experienced little disruption or frustration with the process, she handled the many issues and details that came up without bothering us – and short of cleaning out the closets did a great job. We recommend Maryann Johnson, especially if you are living on the Upper West Side (and can manage to get her to clean out the closets)! - Susan B. & Gary B.

"From the first time we met Maryann - we accepted her offer to appraise our apartment two years before we would hire her as a broker - we were impressed by her charming personality and her knowledge of the market for real estate in our neighborhood. When we eventually decided to sell our apartment, she was the first person we considered. The journey from listing to closing can be stressful and exhausting which is why it is essential to have positive, professional, intelligent and likable people on your side. Maryann is all of these things. From coordinating the staging of the apartment for photographs, hosting the open house, or communicating with prospective purchasers, lawyers or the co-op board, Maryann is responsive and effective. Of course, we would recommend Maryann to anyone looking for a savvy and talented real estate broker in the Manhattan area." - Jacob R. F. K.

“Finding an apartment on the Upper West Side is a daunting prospect. Without Maryann Johnson it certainly would have been impossible for me to find the right place at the right price. She is patient, kind, and extremely knowledgeable. Above all, she combines a sunny temperament with sober judgment. She certainly knows the ins and outs of the market and her skill at navigating the tribulations of securing a mortgage, negotiating with the co-op board, and preparing for the closing is simply remarkable. More than a broker, Maryann has become a friend and a wise adviser. She went far beyond the necessary requirements, providing information and suggestions for all sorts of contingencies from cabinets to contractors. In short, Maryann Johnson is a gem.” - Anson R.

"Maryann provided invaluable assistance in packaging an attractive offer in a competitive environment, in contract negotiation, and in the board application and approval process for me and my dog. She handled difficult personalities with good humor, worked very well with my team, and kept on top of the entire transaction.” - Judith W.

“Dear Maryann, my husband and I can’t thank you enough for handling the sale of our home. From beginning to end you were a trustworthy and reliable advisor and advocate who went above and beyond for us. We feel so lucky to have had you as our realtor. It could have been a harrowing experience for us navigating a sale from 3,000 miles away, but we rested easy knowing you were taking care of every last detail. Wishing you all success in the future! Many sincere thanks.” - Annie T. and Michael B.

“Now that we’ve closed and have happily moved into our new apartment in the West Village, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Maryann Johnson for doing such a wonderful job in finding and assisting us in the purchase of the apartment for my daughter, Erica. As a property consultant myself, I am all too aware of what it takes to search out good properties and then deal with client’s individual needs. Maryann could not have been more professional, accommodating and wonderful to deal with, not to mention responsive and timely. If it hadn’t been for her, we would never have found such a wonderful property in so little time! Or have gotten board approval so easily. We are forever indebted to her and to you for being agents par excellence. We will highly recommend you to anyone looking for property in New York!” - Adrian and Erica L.

"It is very rare that we bother with endorsement letters. However, after spending these many months working with Maryann Johnson, we had to take the time to express our thanks. Thank you for having the patience and experience to help us not only buy a new home, but also sell our existing one. Your professional attitude, integrity, intelligence and personal concern have made ours a successful and seamless experience. We had many specific qualities in an apartment that we were looking for. That along with the tight real estate market made this a challenge; one you rose to by finding us the perfect new home. It was a pleasure to work with you and we would highly recommend you and your company to anyone who desires to buy or sell a home. Thank you." - Lai & Steve

"Maryann was an attentive agent during the long, mid-pandemic search for a buyer for my apartment. Whenever impatience got the best of me, Maryann soothed my jagged nerves and set about advancing the sale. Endless delays by the banks drove me to distraction, but Maryann kept her cool and we finally reached a closing after many months. I am grateful that I had Maryann as my agent. She never lost hope, nor her determination, and she kept me under control. Thank you, Maryann!” – D. Westcott, 2021

"Maryann is an outstanding Realtor. She is very knowledgeable and personable. She is an expert Hudson Valley Realtor and is intimately involved in the region. She is able to make recommendations for everything from attorneys, inspectors, and contractors in addition to various service people. She is also very responsive and generous with her time. She was available on short notice when the property we really wanted came on the market. Maryann presented our offer right away and was instrumental in sealing the deal. She came to our closing with a bottle of champagne and we are now neighbors! We look forward to knowing our new friend for many years to come!" - Tommy and Fariba T.

“Maryann has been a tremendous help during the process of selling these homes. I was worried about the difficulty of selling the homes due to their state. After our initial conversations, her knowledge of the market put me at ease. The information she provided related to what needed to be done to prepare the properties, her recommendations for contracting for work, as well as her continued efforts to help remove obstacles that came up during the sale have been invaluable. As a remote seller, I relied on her to help move the process forward, and she was always excellent about providing clear communications and support.” -- Elias P.

1934 Broadway
New York, NY 10023