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About Dena Zarra
Dena Zarra is a Licensed Real Estate Broker (GRI,CSA) with 30+ years of experience in Greenwich, Stamford, and Lower Fairfield County. Born and raised in Greenwich, she is one of the primary brokers on the Greenwich Streets Team at Compass, RealTrends-ranked among Connecticut's top-performing teams by sales volume. Since 2017, Dena has closed over $70M in residential transactions, with individual sales reaching $22M across Old Greenwich, Riverside, Greenwich, and Stamford.
Dena specializes in luxury homes from $1.5M to $20M+, new construction, renovation strategy, downsizing transitions, and senior real estate. Her construction and renovation background gives her a rare edge: she evaluates properties structurally, identifying layout inefficiencies, deferred maintenance, and hidden value others miss. Buyers avoid costly mistakes. Sellers maximize return through strategic preparation, pricing, and positioning.
Her clients include move-up buyers, estate sellers, luxury investors, seniors planning their next chapter, and out-of-state buyers relocating to Fairfield County. She guides each client from pre-market strategy through negotiation, contract, and close.
Clients value her honest advice, hands-on approach, and straight talk that builds long-term relationships. As a Compass Plus member (Certified Senior Advisor), Dena combines deep local expertise with industry-leading marketing to give every client a measurable edge in one of Connecticut's most competitive luxury markets.
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Credentials
LICENSE
Real Estate - Connecticut - # REB0792916
Designation
Licensed Realtor
CSA Certified Seniors Advisor
Top Producer
Real Estate Broker
Broker / Associate Broker
REALTOR
Specialties
- Property Management
FAQ
My first piece of advice to any buyer looking to purchase a home in Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Riverside, or Stamford is simple: be prepared before you fall in love with a property. That means having mortgage pre-approval in hand, a realistic budget that accounts for more than the purchase price, and a clear conversation with your agent about what the current market actually looks like, not what you hope it looks like.
The Greenwich and Fairfield County real estate market is competitive at every price point, from starter homes in Stamford to luxury estates in backcountry Greenwich. Buyers who are not fully prepared get outmaneuvered quickly.
What sets my approach apart is my background in construction and renovation. When I walk through a home with a buyer, I am evaluating it structurally, not just aesthetically. I can identify deferred maintenance, layout inefficiencies, and hidden issues that most buyers and even many agents walk right past. That knowledge has saved my clients from costly mistakes more than once. A beautiful kitchen renovation does not tell you whether the foundation is sound.
My advice: be patient in your search, be decisive when the right property appears, and work with a licensed real estate broker who knows this market at a level that goes beyond a database search.
The most important thing I tell sellers in Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Riverside, and Stamford is this: preparation wins. The work you do before your home goes on the market determines the outcome far more than the market itself.
As a licensed real estate broker with over 30 years of experience in Fairfield County, I approach every listing with a strategic plan. That means an honest assessment of the property's condition, a clear recommendation on what improvements will actually return value, professional staging, and pricing that generates competition rather than just traffic. Overpricing is one of the most common and most damaging mistakes sellers make. A well-prepared, accurately priced home in Greenwich creates urgency. That is how you attract multiple offers and close above asking.
I also leverage the full Compass marketing platform, which gives my listings industry-leading digital exposure, professional photography, and access to a network of serious qualified buyers across Connecticut and New York.
My sellers value straight talk. I am not going to tell you what you want to hear if it does not serve your best outcome. That honesty is what builds the long-term relationships that have made repeat clients a cornerstone of my business.
Over my 30-plus years as a licensed real estate broker in Greenwich, Connecticut, I have worked with a wide range of clients across the Fairfield County market. My client base includes:
Luxury buyers and sellers in the $1.5M to $20M-plus range across Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Riverside, Cos Cob, and Stamford. I have closed individual transactions reaching $22M and have deep experience positioning high-end properties for maximum return.
Move-up families who need more space and are navigating one of Connecticut's most competitive luxury markets for the first time at that price point.
Seniors and downsizing clients, which is a specialty I take seriously enough to have earned the Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) designation. These transitions involve more than a transaction. They involve decades of memories, family dynamics, and major financial decisions. I have built my senior real estate practice around patience, honest guidance, and a deep network of trusted professionals who support the full transition.
Out-of-state buyers relocating to Fairfield County, particularly executives and families moving from New York City. I grew up in Greenwich, which means I can give relocation clients the kind of neighborhood-level knowledge that no amount of online research can replicate.
Real estate investors and developers looking at income properties, new construction opportunities, and renovation projects across Lower Fairfield County.
One transaction that stays with me involved a senior homeowner in Old Greenwich who had lived in her home for over 40 years. Selling was emotionally overwhelming for her, and her adult children were involved in the decision, which added another layer of complexity that families navigating estate and downsizing situations will recognize immediately.
Rather than rushing to list, we took a deliberate, structured approach. I walked through the home with her, gave her an honest assessment of what it would take to prepare it for the Greenwich market, and connected her with the trusted professionals from my network who have supported similar transitions: a professional stager, a reliable handyman for cosmetic repairs, and an estate manager who helped her clear the home thoughtfully rather than traumatically.
By the time we listed, the property presented beautifully. We received strong interest immediately, had multiple showings in the first week, and secured a solid offer quickly. She called me after closing just to say she felt like she was in good hands throughout the entire process.
That is the transaction I return to most often. Not because of the price, but because of the outcome for her.
I was born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, which gave me a foundation most real estate agents simply cannot replicate. I did not learn this market from a map or a database. I grew up in it. I understand the character of each neighborhood from the shorefront to the backcountry, the way the school district boundaries affect value, and the local nuances that matter to buyers and sellers at every price point.
My background in construction and renovation gave me a practical edge from day one. I could walk through a property and evaluate it structurally, understand what deferred maintenance actually costs to address, distinguish between cosmetic issues and genuine problems, and advise buyers and sellers accordingly. That is a skillset that takes most agents years to develop, if they develop it at all.
I have been a licensed real estate broker in Connecticut since the late 1990s. I joined the Greenwich Streets Team at Compass because I wanted to combine deep local roots with a modern, industry-leading platform. The Greenwich Streets Team consistently ranks among the top real estate teams in Connecticut by sales volume, and being part of that group has allowed me to serve clients at the highest level.
Yes, and every one of them was pursued deliberately because it makes me a more effective advocate for my clients.
GRI, Graduate REALTOR Institute is advanced professional training that goes well beyond what a real estate license requires. It covers contracts, negotiation strategy, finance, and real estate law in depth.
CSA, Certified Senior Advisor is specialized training in the financial, health, and social issues that affect older adults making major housing decisions. For my senior clients who are downsizing from long-held family homes in Greenwich, Old Greenwich, and Riverside, this designation directly shapes how I approach and manage their transition.
I am also a licensed real estate broker in both Connecticut and New York, which matters for clients crossing state lines in the greater New York metro area.
And then there is the construction background, which does not come with a certificate but which I consider one of the most practical and differentiated skills I bring to any transaction. When you can evaluate a home structurally, you protect buyers from expensive surprises and help sellers price and position honestly and strategically.
Thirty-plus years in this market, licensed in two states, and a track record of over $70M in closed transactions since 2017. That is what you get when you work with me.
Contact Information
Location
200 Greenwich AvenueGreenwich, CT, 06830
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