Stephen DeFranco

Stephen has successfully worked in several different careers over the past 35 years. The one common denominator in that success has been his ability to communicate and connect with people, both staff and clients in a special and meaningful way.

Starting with a finance degree from Hofstra, he worked at Merrill Lynch in Garden City from 1985-1987 as a brokers assistant, opening nearly 100 new accounts for the brokers he supported. From there he received his law degree from Hofstra in 1993. Throughout both of these experiences he was also working in the family business (the International House of Pancakes in Williston Park), where he went from bus boy to cook, to Manager and eventually the proprietor for over 25 years. This unique combination of experiences allowed Stephen to work with people from incredibly diverse backgrounds, both culturally and economically, and to realize that his true passion was working with people and helping those around him. During his 25 years owning the IHOP he was an integral part of the community just as his father had been the preceding 25 years. That community support included:
•Both the Williston Park and Mineola Chamber of Commerce
•The Williston Park Rotary Club
•County Seat Kiwanis
•Countless local PTA’s
•Multiple boy scout and girl scout troops
•40 straight years of little league sponsorship
•The Williston Park and Mineola Fire Departments
•The 3rd Precinct
•Multiple houses of worship
However the most enjoying part of community service and support became his involvement in charitable causes, those events included:
•6 years of sponsoring the Long Island MS Run (serving free breakfast to all participants and spectators)
•Over 10 years of co-sponsoring an annual charity golf outing with the proprietor of Churrasqueira Bairrada Restaurant
•Over a decade of serving free pancakes on National Pancake Day to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network (the IHOP family raised 21 million dollars in 10 years which went to three national children’s hospital’s including Cohen’s Children hospital)
Stephen has brought his special ability to communicate with people, along with his passion to help and support his community into his real estate career at Douglas Elliman. He looks forward to the opportunity to work with you in finding solutions to your real estate needs.