About Us

Gary H. Ditto | Diana T. Ditto | Denise Shanahan | Sam Hoxie

Gary H. Ditto

Click here for Gary's Resume

301-215-7834
gary@thedittogroup.com

A native Washingtonian, Gary Ditto has been a realtor in Maryland and DC for over 30 years. Prior to beginning his real estate career, Gary spent two years traveling the world and explored India, Nepal , Africa, Europe, and the Middle East; the trip was life altering and continues to influence his thoughts and global viewpoints today. Upon his return to the United States he completed a master’s degree in Clinical Social Work, after which Gary elected to give real estate a try and has never looked back. He credits his social work training and world travels as the keys to his success and accomplishments. Gary brings to his work, an ethic of professional integrity and competence that is respected and valued by his peers, customers and community leaders. He has assembled a team of administrative professionals and buyer agents to provide an extensive service package to his clients which allows Gary to focus on negotiating strategies for buyers and sellers.

Early in his career he founded a community newsletter which primarily focuses on the history of Kensington and surrounding neighborhoods. After 26 years of publication, Gary Ditto’s Newsletter is a local institution that has been recognized by the Montgomery County Government, the Kensington Historical Society and other civic organizations. He is very proud of the contribution the newsletter makes to enrich the greater community. Gary was named Montgomery County Association of Realtors “Agent of the Year” in 1998. This award is based solely on the contributions he made to his profession and to the community. Most recently, he was awarded a certificate of recognition by the Mayor of Kensington and the Kensington public school community for 16 years of volunteer work on behalf of the Kensington 8K Race. He has been interviewed and quoted by the Washington Post and has appeared on Channel 9 WUSA news. Gary has been asked to testify as an expert witness on matters pertaining to real estate and property valuation. He has mentored numerous agents and presented at realtor symposiums on the subject of developing a competent real estate business model.

Gary has developed a strong marketing strategy which he is able to fine tune for every house in order to meet the needs of each individual client. As a veteran agent with brand name recognition, Gary has vast knowledge of pricing, property valuation, finance and negotiation. He is consistently ranked as one of the top agents in Long & Foster and consistently sells over 35 million dollars per year and has a career sales volume approaching 1 billion. The essence of his work is to offer his experience and knowledge to help buyers and sellers make well-informed and astute real estate decisions. His superior training allows him to develop creative solutions to the issues that buyers and sellers present to him. Being able to be of help and having the expertise and organization to execute a plan of action is something that he finds deeply rewarding. When he is asked to work on the sale or purchase of a home he feels he is being invited into the life of his client and his objective is to honor that trust and to stay focused on helping them achieve the best possible outcome.

Gary enjoys the engagement his work offers and in his off hours takes pleasure in spending time with his family, hiking with Diana, attending concerts at the Kennedy Center and other venues, participating in his book club and working in his yard.

Diana T. Ditto

301-215-6904
diana@thedittogroup.com

Diana Ditto has been a licensed real estate agent in Maryland for over 20 years and married to Gary Ditto for over 25! While running the home front during this time she has also helped Gary plan business and marketing strategies to best serve buyers and sellers. Her background in sales and marketing has helped to propel Gary’s market share in the region. With a keen eye for design and detail Diana has helped many sellers to “stage” and prepare their homes for sale. She is frequently asked by clients to review architectural designs and renovation plans for their homes and she loves helping people comprehend how they want to live in their home. Diana enjoys learning and attending continuing education classes, as well as participating in more distinctive and specialized training for real estate professionals. Diana wrote an article entitled “Refinancing a Mortgage: A Step by Step Guide, “ which was published in American Home Authority magazine. A former sales manager for Health Tex, Diana was in charge of staffing and administration of stores in the New England region prior to moving to Maryland. Now that the children are almost out of the house, she is actively working with buyers and sellers.

Diana has been a leader in community volunteerism. She has been very active in the PTA’s of several Montgomery County Public Schools and is a past-president of the North Chevy Chase Elementary School PTA. For three years, she ran an after-school mentoring and homework club which paired high school students with elementary school students in a very rewarding and enriching program. She was also the president of The Noyes Children’s Library Foundation for many years. This foundation was a non-profit in a public-private partnership with Montgomery County in the 1990’s to augment funding to keep the historic library open during a difficult recession. Diana testified and presented to the Montgomery County Council in support of the library on several occasions. She was instrumental in helping to get the county to restore full-funding for the library at the end of the recession. She has received awards from the Montgomery County Public Schools for her years of service, and a commendation from former County Executive Doug Duncan for her dedication to the library.

Diana enjoys the greater DC area for all that it has to offer – the beauty of the city and the surrounding areas as well as the easy access to enjoy either the beach or the mountains. Diana grew up in Vermont so being close to the mountains for outdoor activities and hiking is very important to her. She also enjoys gardening, knitting and any type of needlework, and reading (she is a member of 2 book clubs)! She and Gary love all types of music and frequent Strathmore Hall Arts Center and the Kennedy Center. She and Gary live in Kensington, MD and have 3 wonderful sons, Jeff and Tim both attend the University of West Virginia -Go Mountaineers, and Ben is a junior at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School.

Denise Shanahan

301-215-6917
denise@thedittogroup.com

Denise Shanahan began working in the real estate field in 1993 as Gary Ditto’s Administrative Assistant. A professional dedicated to customer service, she credits her longevity of working for Gary to a shared commitment of doing an excellent job representing buyers and sellers. A licensed agent in Maryland, Denise always works on behalf of the client’s best interest. After 16 years, she still remembers all of the sales and the client’s names when they call in – each sale has its own nuance and story and she enjoys seeing them through to completion. Denise excels in paying attention to detail and is vital to running the administrative division of the office. Her one issue with Gary is that he still has not read the resume she spent hours preparing for her job interview in 1993!

Denise is recognized as a leader in the field of real estate administration and has implemented and created organizational systems for tracking listings and sales contracts to get properties to the settlement table in a professional and timely manner. She has been asked to present at agent seminars and conferences outlining and teaching her best practices. Denise created Gary’s website in the 1990’s and it was one of the first in the industry in our area. It was recognized as one of the best realtor websites and was profiled in Real Estate Rainmaker Online Marketing published by John Wiley & Sons in 2001. Denise initiates and designs the “Sold Reports” that buyers and sellers appreciate as well as statistical sales reports for Bethesda Magazine every other month. Denise finds it very rewarding to close a home sale transaction for a buyer or seller. She enjoys being in contact with all the different people who become involved in a real estate transaction – buyers, sellers, contractors, lenders, appraisers, settlement attorneys and other agents. There is a lot that goes on from being “active for sale” to get to “sold’, and she likes helping to make it work successfully. Denise gets pleasure from staying up to speed on all the latest technology and continuing education in the real estate field which keeps her on top of the curve in the industry. She has attended several National Association of Realtor conventions which she finds eye opening and invigorating. She has also completed the e-Pro course offered by the National Association of Realtors.

In her spare time, Denise enjoys sports, improving her computer skills and keeping her hands busy with needlework. She is an avid tennis player and golfer, and also enjoys swimming, biking and recreational sailing. In addition, she makes a yearly trek out west for downhill and cross-country skiing. A native of Pittsburgh, PA ., she loves to participate in her family’s annual paddle tennis match over the Christmas holiday. She loves learning new things about the computer, especially anything related to photography or website design. Denise likes living in the DC area because there are so many wonderful elements to living here – three airports, great museums, biking/hiking trails and the proximity to so many professional sporting events.