A Night of Connection, Collaboration, and Community

On Thursday, April 10th, we hosted our second annual Home & Connections: A Night Out for Realtors—an event co-created with Dan Sullivan of M&T Bank to celebrate and support the real estate professionals who do so much for our community.

The idea for this night started a year ago when I met Dan at a Camillus Chamber event, and we started talking about the housing market and how we could collaborate to better support the people working hard to get others into homes. Dan shared the variety of mortgage tools M&T offers—from HELOCs to first-time homebuyer programs—and I shared how McClurg helps homeowners make their spaces more functional, beautiful, and livable. We quickly realized we could be even more helpful if we teamed up.

And so, Home & Connections was born.

We began meeting with agents over (lots of) coffee and presenting in offices. When we started asking real estate professionals, “What do you need, and how can we help?”—two clear answers came up again and again:
 👉 More housing options for buyers
👉 Local resources to help clients see a property's potential and feel confident in their decisions.

We set out to bring those ideas to life through this event.

To inspire more housing possibilities, we introduced tools like McClurg’s Site Review service and our Realtor Partnership Program, giving agents a way to help buyers envision renovations, updates, and creative changes that turn a house into a dream home.

To support agents with trusted local resources, we invited some amazing partners to showcase their services and connect directly with attendees. From legal insight to photography, staging, cleaning, and design, we were proud to feature vendors like Melvin & Melvin PLLC, CNY Headshots, Decor Fabrics & Design, Mighty MaryBeth Cleaning, and the BNI Syracuse Chapter.

We also offered breakout seminars to dive deeper. Leigh McGonagle of Poplar Point Studio led a hands-on session where attendees created front porch planters while learning how to strategically use color, texture, and seasonal elements to boost curb appeal—because sometimes, all it takes is a great planter to make a memorable first impression!

Top Shelf Media offered valuable insights on how to elevate your marketing with fresh strategies, social media trends, and drone photography. Their seminar helped agents think about how to reach the right audience—and how to stand out in a competitive market.

Our partners at Aging Advocates, long-time friends of McClurg, shared thoughtful guidance on how to support clients navigating aging-in-place or transitioning to independent living. They offered real solutions and compassionate strategies for helping families during what can often be a challenging time. We’re always grateful for their insight and ongoing support.

All of this took place in the heart of our McClurg showroom, with over 30 real estate professionals in attendance! The evening was elevated by a live cooking demo and a delicious spread from Chef Luke at Scratch Farmhouse Catering—another local favorite and friend of McClurg. We highly recommend their catering for your next gathering!

Special Thank you to Gregg Ordonn of CNY Headshots for capturing the event!

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McClurg Remodeling is a design-build contractor that has proudly served Syracuse and CNY homeowners for over 40 years. We take pride in our role within the communities we serve. Whether through casual conversations or large-scale events, we are committed to actively participating in the collective endeavor to strengthen and uplift our community members.