Who We Are
Better Together
One part friend, two parts expert guide, Upstate Curious real estate agents look at your needs from beginning to end, focused first on building trust and understanding, then crafting a tailored approach to fit your property, goals, and desired lifestyle.
We work collectively, so you have the power of a full team behind you, not a lone agent.
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Megan Brenn-White
FOUNDER & CEO | LICENSED ASSOC. REAL ESTATE BROKER
Megan bought her first apartment on a perfect brownstone block in Park Slope, Brooklyn when she was 22 for $79,000,
and that experience showed her just how financially transformative real estate could be.
After receiving her undergraduate degree from Harvard and her master’s from the London School of Economics,
she launched her career in the first dotcom boom, quickly moving to leadership positions for travel and community websites. She went on to establish a thriving international marketing business based in NYC,
serving higher education clients in over 20 countries.
The Hudson Valley and Catskills became the place that she and her husband escaped to for a break from the constant jet lag and to breathe that incredible, sweet air.
Instead of just buying a weekend home, they fully committed and decided to move full-time instead.
A few years later, they own 10 properties in the area and Megan has founded and built the Upstate Curious Team at Compass
into one of the most top-performing and successful real estate agent teams in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Megan has been recognized as one of the top 1.5% of agents nationally by The Wall Street Journal’s Real Trends ranking.
She leads a team covering 9 counties that have worked with over 500 clients, and sold over $250 million of real estate since its founding in mid-2019, making it the #1 team in the Hudson Valley and Catskills region.
Megan is deeply invested in the local community and passionate about helping others connect with each other and their local area, which led her to launch the Upstate Curious App
– a lively online community for the Hudson Valley and Catskills region and community app with over 6,000 members.
After purchasing a former dairy farm in Accord in 2022,
Megan gained a deeper understanding of the challenges farmers face and the risks posed to society when their needs are ignored. This led Upstate Curious to launch the New York Farmland Access Fund in partnership with the American Farmland Trust.
The fund aims to bridge the affordability gap for BIPOC and new-generation farmers and advance equitable farmland tenure and the adoption of regenerative farming practices in the Hudson Valley. Upstate Curious has pledged $1 million to support this effort.
Megan has been featured in major publications such as The New York Times, New York Magazine, and The New York Post, and is a frequent speaker in panels and conferences.
About Upstate Curious
Founded in 2019 by Megan Brenn-White, the Upstate Curious Team is a close-knit collective of real estate agents driven by design and the incredible beauty and heritage of the Hudson Valley and Catskills region.
We work with 200+ buyers and sellers each year across 14 counties north of NYC. Drawing on Megan’s 20+ years in digital marketing, we combine the art and science of real estate to make the home selling or buying process smart, fun, and focused on our client’s needs.
Fiercely local, we're passionate about connecting local businesses and long-time upstaters with area newcomers. In fact, our Upstate Curious Community App has over 8,000 members!
We take great pride in our work — and our impact on our communities — and can’t wait to help you find your place to belong!
#1
Team in the Hudson Valley + Catskills
$775M+
Volume closed
14
Counties covered
1200+
Clients served
6
Years in business
342
Listings sold
Our Mission
Social
Giving the curious a place to belong
We're committed to inspiring meaningful relationships among locals, NYC transplants, and other area newcomers through our personal network of friends, homeowners, craftspeople, and small businesses, and via our Community App. We give curious folks a place to turn for updates, advice, and connection to ultimately impact the people and natural spaces that make the Hudson Valley and Catskills unique.
Economic
Consciously driving prosperity
We're committed to educating homebuyers and sellers and creating opportunities for everyone to build wealth and security through real estate. We work to help thoughtfully preserve and grow the vitality and diversity of our communities, and we partner with local initiatives and nonprofits to do so. We provide fulfilling jobs for our team where they can thrive, learn, and actively give back to their community and their clients.
Real Estate
Modernizing an old-school craft
We're committed to pioneering the art and science of real estate in a human, digital-first way: home buying or selling at the pace of our modern, tech-native lives. We equip clients with the power of a kind, collaborative, no-bullshit team that pools expertise and local knowledge to far outmatch your typical solo agent strapped for resources, information, and reach. We are better together.
Everything in one Place
PLACE provides value to our clients by connecting them with industry leaders who waive unnecessary fees and charges, employ state-of-the-art search technology, guarantee transaction transparency, and provide a consistent experience to buyers and sellers in any price point in any geographic location in North America.
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