iPhone to replace the real estate agent?

Every day we see and learn about new and amazing innovations in technology. In fact, many people are now communicating more through Twitter, Facebook and text message than by phone or face to face dialogue! Speaking of Facebook, I’m jumping on the bandwagon so feel free to friend me next time you’re on. Technological advances are often a result of the consumer’s desire for more convenience and greater access to information and people. People want the ability to have information... Read More

Feb 2009 Contract Signed Report

Here is the latest contract signed report from Prudential Douglas Elliman. This report encompasses statistics from all of our NYC offices. Although average and median sales prices have both decreased, a great trend we have noticed is that the number of monthly transactions has been increasing since November, 2008. In fact, February’s transactions are up 45% compared to January’s transactions! These numbers reflect my experiences with the market as our open houses are receiving... Read More

New York Hearts Real Estate

I dare someone to tell me that we are not a city obsessed with real estate! In today’s New York Times, there is an article about how the Queens Museum of Art is now selling scale model pieces of real estate in New York. These models range from the hundreds of dollars (for a small home) to tens of thousands of dollars for entire buildings and developments. However, just like in real life real estate, David Strauss, the museum’s director for external relations explains “There... Read More

Picks of the month

This month has been the best one for me this year and the most encouraging month since last July. Perhaps this is no coincidence as it coincides with the good news that Wall Street has enjoyed 3 consecutive days of gains (today would have been a fourth day in a row, but we ended up at 7,216, just shy of where the market opened). I am seeing more activity at my open houses. For example, BellTel Lofts in Brooklyn got almost a dozen different customers, and half of them came by for... Read More

Did you know?

This YouTube Video is a must see- it challenges the way you see the world, and how you fit into it. I remember first watching this video at Prudential Douglas Elliman’s awards breakfast last month, where Bracha Group was awarded the three highest honors including #1 Team in Gross Commissions, #1 Team Most Exclusives and #1 Team Most Transactions. It reveals some little known facts that show proof that this world is expanding and evolving at an incredible rate and you should... Read More

West Side Story

This past Wednesday, Gary Barnett, President of Extell Development Company, invited me and other select agents who have sold multiple units at his projects for a breakfast at The Rushmore, a project where I have sold extensively. Mr. Barnett not only provided us with a great breakfast but also introduced us to Donna Gargano, SVP of Extell and head of development for his huge new project, Riverside Center. Ms. Gargano then took us through an amazing presentation to show us the... Read More

A crucial first step towards market stabilization

Here’s an article I just read. The article states that in some U.S. markets, the relative cost of owning versus renting is swinging back in favor of homeownership. The relationship between the costs of rental payments versus after-tax mortgage payments is tilting toward ownership in a number of cities. While it is still more expensive to own in New York City than to pay rent, this is not true in say, Dallas, TX, Oakland, CA, and Cincinnati, OH. Americans in these metropolitan... Read More