Gina Molinet never planned to become a real estate broker. But after a career in education and a spontaneous move from the Hamptons to the Catskills, she discovered a new way to do what she’d always loved—help people find their path forward.

Now, at 89, Molinet is retiring and closing a chapter that spans four decades of local real estate service through her firm, RM Farm Realty in Livingston Manor.

Before ever selling a parcel of land, Molinet was running a federally funded childcare training program in Philadelphia. “There was a shortage of childcare workers—just like there is now,” she said. The U.S. government had granted funding to the Philadelphia school district, and Molinet was chosen to lead the effort. With a million-dollar budget and a team of teachers, she helped train staff at 36 local childcare centers, even helping one trainee earn a college degree.

She later became director of a private day school in Bridgehampton, Long Island. But even 40 years ago, her salary didn’t stretch far in the Hamptons. “They gave me an apartment in the nursery school, and my daughter went to East Hampton High,” she said. “But I couldn’t afford a house.”

A chance trip to the Catskills changed everything. While dining with a friend, Molinet overheard someone mention a nearby farm that had gone unsold for years. The widow was willing to hold the mortgage, and Molinet had money saved through her teacher’s credit union. “We looked at it the next day,” she said. “And I bought it.”

She opened a bed and breakfast in the farmhouse and left the private school job behind.

With her master’s degree in education and years of administrative experience, Molinet thought she’d easily find a teaching job in Sullivan County. But she couldn’t get hired. “I didn’t know anybody,” she recalled.

A new friend encouraged her to get a real estate license. She did—and it stuck.

In 2003, she opened RM Farm Realty in a building she purchased herself. “I’ve been in this office ever since,” she said. “But I’ve been in real estate for over 40 years.”

She said her teaching background carried over into her real estate work. “Helping people find the right place, at a cost they can manage—it’s like teaching,” she said. “I miss the kids, but I still got to help people fulfill their dreams.”

This year, Molinet’s broker’s license came up for renewal. But the coursework and continuing education requirements gave her pause. “I’m 89,” she said. “I didn’t want to do it for just two more years.”

Her longtime agent, Kassie Carlson, will be taking the reins. Carlson has worked with Molinet for at least five years and will carry the legacy forward under a new name: RM Farm Realty 2. She also plans to relocate the business from its current office.

In addition to her real estate work, Carlson hosts Rare Pear Radio on WJFF.

Though Molinet is stepping back from business, she remains deeply connected to the area. She still lives on the same farm she bought decades ago.

Across four decades in real estate, Molinet has worked with first-time buyers, second-home seekers, and everyone in between. “You meet all sorts of people,” she said. “People with very little money, people with a lot—it doesn’t matter. You help them find something they can afford. That’s what matters.”

Her favorite part of the job? “Making people happy,” she said. “Helping them find something they didn’t think they could have.”