Local real estate agency in business for 60 years
By Stefan Yablonski
T here’s a saying in real estate — location, location, location.
But for William Galloway, owner of Century 21 Galloway Realty, people, people, people would be more appropriate.
The agency is celebrating 60 years as a family-owned business.
“We made this the No. 1 office in New York state,” Galloway said. “We grew and grew and grew. We have great agents. Connie Ryan, she just got Realtor of the Year recently. They work so hard. They are like family. We kind of grew together. They are the reason we’re doing so well — why we’ve been around for 60 years.
“From my top agents to my bottom agents, they are all producing very good.”
In 1965, his father, Tom Galloway, worked in insurance and then he went with Bob Shay and Bob died. “Then my father opened his own business — out of his house,” Galloway said. “He began independently selling real estate and insurance with his wife, Bridget.”
Eventually, he opened his own agency known as Galloway Real Estate. The one-man office was located on East Seventh Street in Oswego.
As the business grew, he moved into a couple different locations. He was city assessor at the same time, too. He bought into the Realty World franchise and expanded his office to 12 agents.
“As he was doing that, I got into the business in 1980. Right out of high school at 18 — as soon as I could get my license I got it,” he said. “I was selling, but I was also working at Nine Mile for Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation (now Exelon) for 10 years. I was doing both.”
His father purchased a Century 21 Real Estate franchise from retiring broker Harold Wallace.
“So we bought it and I got out of Nine Mile and ran the business,” Bill Galloway said. “My father also served as president of the Oswego County Board of Realtors.”
His father did a lot of developments, he added.
“My father did the last two sub-divisions in the city. He did Kingsford Woods on top of Munn Street and down Elizabeth and the Woodridge Terrace on the east side over by 481. He developed a lot,” he said.
In 1994, Galloway and his wife, Elaine, purchased Century 21 Galloway Realty from his father.
In 2001, Galloway retired from Niagara Mohawk after 19 years to join Century 21 Galloway Realty as the full-time business manager.
“We’ve got 25 agents. We sell things as fast as they go up. We had an amazing year. We’re busy. The whole country has got the same problem, there’s nothing for sale,” he said. “Now my son, Ryan, is in the business. My other son is in Rochester; he works for the University of Rochester.”
Galloway said he’d be pleased to see the family business continue.
“Being in business for 60 years is a huge accomplishment,” he added. “That is something we are very proud of and I hope we continue to keep doing what we’re doing for many years to come.”
