Many have heard of Carolyn Capalbo. But, much to the chagrin of REALTOR® Carolyn Capalbo, the lady that springs to mind when hearing the name is not her. In fact, if one were to perform a Google search of the name Carolyn Capalbo®, they are likely to find numerous photos of a bikini-clad woman as well as numerous unscrupulous news articles. Why? Because REALTOR® Carolyn Capalbo shares her name with the mother of Ashley Dupre, who was the “escort” at the center of the Eliot Spitzer scandal.

Unfortunately for REALTOR® Carolyn Capalbo, the scandal has left a lasting impact on her and her career. Although the other Carolyn Capalbo was only the mother of the woman at the center of the scandal, she still managed to grab headlines and to have her name included in numerous articles about the scandal. Since many of these articles and the accompanying photos were posted to the Internet, they have remained online for several months. The result? Any potential client who performs an Internet search of the name “Carolyn Capalbo” are still greeted with unflattering photos and news articles that are certain to leave a negative impression.

Although Carolyn Capalbo the REALTOR cannot be sure of the impact this mix-up may have had on her business, there is no doubt that it has caused a great deal of confusion in her personal and professional life.

“The initial burst of phone calls surprised me,” said Carolyn Capalbo the REALTOR® in an interview with Real Estate Industry Watch. “Reporters were calling me directly looking for information regarding Ashley. Reporters were also contacting my Broker’s office looking for information. My own buyer’s agents asked me if I had another child from a previous relationship. My children were also questioned at school if they had an older sister or half sister.”

Fortunately, Carolyn Capalbo is part of a close family that has been able to weather the scandal nicely. Married for twenty years, Capalbo and her husband are the proud parents of triplets. Once a stay-at-home-mom, Carolyn Capalbo waited to start her career until after her husband retired from the Army. After enjoying significant success during her first year in the business, Capalbo knew real estate was her calling. Although she has a long road ahead of her in terms of cleaning up her name, Carolyn Capalbo the REALTOR® is certain to continue to enjoy the same success in the years to come as well.