Faith Hope Consolo is a memorable name—just like the woman herself. Her name was given to her by her mother, Jill, who passed away when Faith was just 12.
“I had a very eccentric mother. She was a child psychologist and probably the smartest one,” said Consolo, adding, “[My mother] said she had faith because she almost died having me, and then when she had me, she had hope for both of us.”
Consolo commands her office on Madison Avenue and 57th Street—it’s her personal piece of real estate. “I can be who I am here. This is my space,” the self-titled “Queen of Retail” said. Consolo is the chairman of the Retail Leasing and Sales Division at Prudential Douglas Elliman.
Post-it notes surround her computer monitor like flower petals, a never-ending to-do list for a woman who prides herself on customer service.
A sea of picture frames cover a wood-grained mantle piece below the windows of her corner office that overlook Madison Avenue. “This is every hair color, every dress size—all different,” she says glancing at memories past.
The day’s newspapers, along with numerous magazines, are strewn across her floor and desk. “It is organized chaos. But it doesn’t matter. I know where everything is, and I am happy!” she exclaims with a smile.
Real estate deals or consultations in the retail world can take Consolo anywhere in the world on any given day, but there are two constants in her daily routine—a steady diet of news and her “Marine” breakfast: half a grapefruit, oatmeal, and two cups of coffee.
She keeps a close eye on the stock market, watching CNBC from a television in her office. “The stock market is very much married to the real estate market. They are both a little emotional,” she said. The continual flux of her business and schedule is what keeps her excited and still in the game for nearly 30 years.
Technology has improved during her time in real estate, and she has utilized it; but unlike a younger generation, she does not rely only on it. She has all the i-gadgets, but doesn’t use them much. She has email—which, by 4:00 p.m. this day, had 1,294 messages in the inbox—but still takes the time to write handwritten notes. “I think people like that. I have very nice stationary, I have very nice cards. I think that is a personal touch. I think you have to touch people in a different way,” she said. Her personal touch tagline is a smart play of words on her name: “You need Faith.”
She considers the telephone her biggest advantage. “I pick up the phone and I talk, or I go see someone. I can hear in their voice they want to do business,” she said.
