George Halvatzis, a Great Man & Great Astoria Realtor Died

After Fighting Two Types of Cancer, George Passed on December 15, 2026

December 24, 2025 / Astoria Neighborhood in Queens / Queens Business / Queens Buzz.

I had the pleasure of knowing George Halvatzis for the past 15+ years, as both a client and friend. I enjoyed visiting him in his office on Ditmars Blvd in Astoria starting circa 2009 or 2010. When I first started visiting George, the office seemed to be something of a community center. People from the neighborhood, from various walks of life, would drop in for both short and sometimes long chats with George about just about everything under the sun. George was conversant on just about any topic. The communal conversations that went on in George's office, oftentimes reminded me of the entertaining back and forth that went on in Jerry's apartment, on Seinfeld.

One of the things that attracted people to George was his ready sense of humor. Conversing with George was a mix of talking to a trusted friend, and watching a comedic performance. George occasionally would conjecture aloud about translating his daily experiences in the real estate world into a Seinfeld-like comedy show. He was involved in numerous interesting situations, involving all kinds of people, and having many exchanges with them, while selling various types of properties in Astoria and Queens. And George could always find joy and humor in almost all of them.

But George wasn't just entertaining, he was also one of the sharpest realtors in Astoria, in Queens and in NYC. He paid unflinching attention to the dynamics and demographics of the ever-changing Astoria neighborhood. And he analyzed things logically and systematically to ferret out insights that others seemed to miss. George also seemed imbued with an Astoria realty social / psychological gestalt, and an authentic sense of caring, all of which contributed to his success.

If my memory serves me correctly, George had graduated from Queens College with a Bachelors in Psychology, which I had always thought well prepared him for both real estate sales, but also his comedic repartee, because the study of psychology enables and facilitates deeper insights into human interactions. When we discussed this possible connection, George modestly deferred judgment, encouraging me to ponder it further. I am still pondering.

George's family has been in the Astoria real estate business since at least the 1970's and possibly the 1960's when George's mother, Anita, first went into the business. She was successful, eventually purchasing Amorelli Realty. Anita was followed by her three sons, including George, all of whom became realtors. George, however, carved out his own niche, by founding his own firm, Halvatzis Realty, which evolved into a very successful boutique realty firm in the northwest corner of Queens.

George leaves behind his wife Marion, his son George, Jr. and new daughter-in-law Caroline. He is also survived by his mother Anita, and brothers Paul and Jim - all of whom work at Amorelli Realty, with whom George competed on a very friendly basis all of his life. And he leaves behind the team of realtors at Halvatzis Realty on Ditmars Blvd, most of whom had worked with George for a decade(s), and with whom he had close professional / personal relationships. All of us are going to miss George dearly.

Here's a link to the official authorized Obituary, which includes some additional details.

https://www.nhpfh.com/post/george-halvatzis