Lillian Montalto
Broker/Owner
Lillian Montalto Signature Properties International
Lillian Montalto does not have to speak to her record; she lets the numbers do the talking. She’s been recognized by the National Association of Realtors as the No. 3 agent nationwide by total sales volume; has ranked as the No. 1 agent in the New England region from 1993-2015; and RE/MAX designated her an international Top Producer. Montalto is widely regarded as one of the top luxury real estate specialists in the country. Her list of awards and accolades is too long to list, but it’s clear that, thus far, Montalto’s real estate career has been nothing short of a true success story.
Montalto brings her clients over 30 years of industry experience. She’s seen it all. But still, this is the broker-owner’s favorite part about real estate: there’s always something more to learn. It’s why she’s earned seven professional designations, including a Certified Commercial Investment Member designation, which is the equivalent to a master’s degree in real estate. And it’s why she comes to every transaction as a listener first. “I have a great ability to listen to my clients’ wants and needs,” she says. But listening is only part of the equation. She adds: “Whether it be placing my buyers in a property that meets all their expectations without wasting anybody’s time, or working with a seller and telling them what they need to hear and not what they want to hear in order to achieve the greatest financial outcome, my client’s best interest is always my top priority.”
Montalto takes great pride in the contributions she’s made to the industry. She’s one of the founding members of the annual AREC conference in Sydney, Australia, which has grown from an attendance of 218 at their inaugural meeting to nearly 4,000 this past May. She’s also never been afraid to innovate, telling us, “When I started in the residential market in 1990, I believe I was a pioneer with personal promotion. At that time, no one had photographs of anything – properties, land, etc. – and I was criticized for my approach.” Today, of course, the tactics Montalto used have proven to be undeniably the No. 1 necessity of all property, land and new construction listings.
Outside of real estate, Montalto is passionate about several things, including art; with her husband, Bob Bohlen, she owns and maintains several collections. They’ve even published three books about their extraordinary wood art collection. Montalto is also passionate about breast cancer awareness. A breast cancer survivor herself, she is committed to donating time and money to help find a cure for it and many other diseases. And lastly, she’s devoted to the Bellesini Academy in Lawrence, where she sits on the board. There she strives to provide a wonderful education to many children in the Latino community.
