Chris Perry Column: There's A New Champ In Town

It’s that time of year again, and we need to crown a champion.

In case you forgot, five local real estate brokers (Ed Gillum, Sam Parsons, Brent Tartamella, John Trudel, Carl Lindvall) graciously opted to participate in the 2nd Annual Real Estate Challenge back in April by answering three question related to the end-of-the-year real estate numbers with the added incentive of a local charity of the champion’s choice receiving a donation.

Those predictions were made public in a previous column, and despite the fact that we have not heard officially from the International Court of Justice in The Hague regarding last year’s formal protest, I think it is fair to say that this year was a slam dunk.

In fact, I didn’t even have to go to the judge’s cards.

The numbers don’t lie.

Using the year-end figures prepared by Rob Ranney and Kate Sayle Ranney of Nantucket Comparable Sales Service - a real estate service often used by members of N.A.R.E.B. (Nantucket Association of Real Estate Brokers), we have a winner.

Fighting out of the red corner as a cruiserweight on a good day and representing The Maury People Sotheby’s International, the 2025 real estate champion is John Trudel.

"As I said last year, I was robbed," offered Trudel.

“Ed, Sam, Brent, and especially Carl… they all knew the contest was over this year before it even started. I am still waiting for The Hague to audit last year’s numbers, but this year, I was on a mission. I called it my ‘Redemption Tour.' But seriously, I am just happy because Our House is the real winner," said one of Nantucket’s more charismatic brokers.

With the victory goes the spoils, so in addition to wearing the crown and securing bragging rights for the year, John selected Our House to receive the $500 donation made possible by a $100 gift from each contestant. To make it even sweeter, Trudel matched the $500, making this year’s donation $1,000.00

“I owed them something for last year, and I can’t think of a better local organization to help support than a program specifically designated to help Nantucket’s youth," Trudel said.

Our House opened its doors on Whereowhereo Lane on October 3rd, 2022, thanks in large part to the generous efforts of Teckie Shackelford and the previous owners of the property, Jacques Zimicki and Joan Stockman. Together, they worked with Pauline Proach to help expand her vision of a healthy environment where Nantucket’s youth could develop lifelong recreational, social, and educational skills.

“I had no idea John had selected Our House to receive this generous donation," said Proch, the executive director of Our House and an active member of the Nantucket community.

“In fact, when we put the original real estate transaction together, John and Gary Winn of The Maury People donated their portions of the commission to help make the deal work."

As far as the specific 2025 real estate numbers go, the tale of the tape breaks down as follows:

• Total Dollar Volume: $1.825 billion
• Median price of a single-family home: $3.495 million
• Average sales price of a single-family home: $4.915 million

Ed Gillum, representing J. Pepper Frasier Real Estate, came in a distant second but was quick to point out: “All of us came up a tad shy in our predictions for the total dollar volume for 2025. But, I guess that’s a good thing because it shows the Nantucket market is strong.”

Gillum, whose median price estimate was off by only $30K, continued, “Looking ahead to 2026, I think the spec market will play an important role with a number of projects ready to come online. Frankly, we need more inventory, and I’d love to see banks and lending institutions think more outside of the box and consider such things as assumable mortgages and transferable mortgages."

Sam Parsons, representing Great Point Properties and the country of Zimbabwe, offered, “These end-of-the-year stats once again prove that Nantucket real estate plays by its own rules - confusing, impressive, unpredictable, and yet a great investment. The Nantucket lifestyle does all the talking, quietly.”

Carl Lindvall, from William Raveis, who finished towards the bottom of the pack, enthusiastically announced he would be back next year.

“Third time is a charm. I am just warming up," said Lindvall, who got a good chuckle out of the fact that his good friend and rival, John Trudel, won this year.

“This is proof that even in Nantucket real estate, blind luck occasionally beats experience," Lindvall said.

Last year’s winner, Brent Tartamella from Fisher Real Estate, held the title for only one year.

“I was the dark horse last year, and I know John still has not recovered. I felt very confident about 2025," Tartamella said. "However, I hedged some of my initial estimates and rounded down when I should have rounded up. I should have stuck with my gut feeling. With a local real estate market like this, everyone’s a winner, and I am happy for John and Our House.”

As for the winner, Trudel was the closest of the group in predicting total dollar volume, average sales price - missing by only $35K - and bunched in pretty tightly with everyone on the median price of a single-family home.

Between showings, I was able to catch John at a good time, and he commented on the state of the Nantucket real estate market and the importance of selecting a licensed professional before returning a volley in Lindvall’s direction.

“Purchasing real estate is usually one of the most expensive investments a person makes in their life, so it is extremely important that you engage an experienced real estate professional that is up to date on market values, conditions and trends," professed Trudel.

The 2025 winner continued, “For next year, I am extremely bullish. I am always the optimist when it comes to purchasing Nantucket real estate. I have continually stated that Nantucket is not only a destination, but it is also a brand. It is used all over the world, and people are intrigued by it. That alone provides confidence for buyers."

Finishing with a smile, Trudel added, “However, as far as specific numbers and predictions go, I want to reserve my comments for the appropriate time this spring when the contest kicks off again. I do not want to give Carl any early trends or info that he might pirate. Needless to say, I don’t want Carl riding my coattails."

To say that the 2025 real estate market was a banner year would be an understatement. Every segment of the market saw growth, with total transactions topping 475. Moreover, some of the stubborn, local issues that caused buyers to hesitate, such as the short-term rental debate, were put to rest, resulting in a positive boomerang in the final quarter of 2025. As we all bask in the afterglow of a robust 2025 real estate season, I would be remiss if I did not thank Brent, Sam, Ed, Carl, and John, who all participated with a good-natured, kind spirit of camaraderie all too often lost in the competitive real estate market on Nantucket.

Will Rogers once said, real estate is the best investment in the world because it is the only thing they are not making anymore….”

That might be true, but I like what Sam Parsons had to say: “Congrats to John - you nailed it. May 2026 keep the island charming, unpredictable in the best ways, and thriving without losing its soul…”