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58 THE NEW YORK DESIGN GUIDE 2020/2021

YOUR DREAM HOUSE

CHAPTER TWO

Want to turn that home or apartment you’ve always fantasized about into a reality? Our experts offer plenty of advice for anyone who desires to have a piece of the real estate pie

59C O T TA G E S G A R D E N S . C O MFROM “VILLAGE VISION,” NOVEMBER 2019. PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIC STRIFFLER.

FEATURING:

Alisberg Parker ArchitectsAudio Command SystemsBrian OʼKeefe Architect, PCHobbs, Inc.Legacy Construction NortheastPeter DeWitt ArchitectsR. Morgan Rolontz ArchitectureShope Reno WhartonYankee Barn HomesYankee Custom Builders

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YOUR DREAM HOUSE

60 THE NEW YORK DESIGN GUIDE 2020/2021

READY TO BUY? HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE GETTING A GOOD DEAL?

OUR PANEL OF

EXPERTSEmily Beare

CoreSusan Burris

HalsteadJonathan Conlon

CorcoranMickey Conlon

Douglas Elliman Real Estate Meryl Jacobs

HalsteadMaggie Kent

CoreJean Nayar

Core and “Deeds & Don’ts” contributor, NYC&G and

HC&G Tom Postilio

Douglas Elliman Real EstateDavid Christopher

Salvatore Red Jacket Residential,

Compass

“BUYERS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR HIGH CEILINGS OR AN AMAZING VIEW ARE GOING TO PAY FOR IT. YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO WILL THINK IT IS FABULOUS.” —David Christopher Salvatore

“LOOK AT THE PROPERTY’S PAST SALE HISTORY. THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR NEGOTIATION, UNLESS THE LISTING IS EXTREMELY UNIQUE.” —Maggie Kent

“If you’ve done your homework and walk into a home and it feels right, don’t underestimate your gut feeling.”

—Meryl Jacobs

“IN CO-OPS OR CONDOS, RESEARCH COMPARABLE SALES, BUT MAKE SURE YOU’RE COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES, AS UNITS IN THE SAME BUILDING ARE OFTEN FAR FROM EQUAL. ALSO, BE MINDFUL OF WHICH FLOOR THE UNIT IS ON AND WHAT THE VIEWS ARE LIKE—THESE FACTOR INTO THE PRICE.”

—Jean Nayar

“Remember that photographs, videos, and virtual reality cannot replicate the experience of walking through a space and getting to know the surrounding neighborhood. When a property is priced correctly, a savvy buyer is typically the first one to step up to the plate with an informed offer.” —Tom Postilio

“If you are aiming to get a steal, not every market is going to be your market.” —Jonathan Conlon

61C O T TA G E S G A R D E N S . C O M

“Kitchens that offer functionality and smart design

decisions. Buyers are no longer captivated by designer-label appliances if the kitchen is not functional, too.” —David Christopher Salvatore

2 “Pet-friendly condos.” —Maggie Kent

3 “Privacy. Clients love having an elevator that goes straight

to their apartment and a personal entrance.”

—Jean Nayar

4 “A separate storage space that can hold large pieces of

luggage and seasonal decorations.” —Jonathan Conlon

5 “Buildings with private dining rooms, where you can host a small

dinner without creating a mess in your own apart-ment.” —Susan Burris

TOP 5WHAT

CLIENTS WANT

A BROKER’S LIFE: STORIES FROM

THE OTHER SIDE“I recently showed an apartment and took the clients outside to see the outdoor space—but left the keys and my phone inside! I had to scale the side of the building and make my way down to the penthouse level, where I reentered through an open door.” —David Christopher Salvatore

“AT A RECENT SHOWING WITH FIRST-TIME BUYERS, I COULD ONLY PRAY THAT THEY DID NOT NOTICE ALL THE DRUG PARAPHERNALIA SPREAD OUT ON A GLASS TABLE IN THE LIVING ROOM.”

—Jonathan Conlon

“AT ONE OPEN HOUSE, A COUPLE OVERSTAYED THEIR WELCOME BY SNUGGLING ON THE SOFA FOR TWO HOURS. LUCKILY, THEY ENDED UP BUYING THE PROPERTY!”

—Susan Burris

“After reconfirming an appointment to show an apartment, I walked in to find its owner still in bed sleeping.”

—Maggie Kent

“We had a listing with a large terrace and brought a client outside to take in the views. All of a sudden, we heard very audible evidence of some afternoon delight emanating from an open window in the apartment above. The client, perfectly deadpan, commented that it was nice to know the building was so active!” —Tom Postilio

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YOUR DREAM HOUSE

62 THE NEW YORK DESIGN GUIDE 2020/2021

HOW CAN YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF RENTING OUT YOUR

APARTMENT, CONDO, OR CO-OP?

“If the bathroom is looking dated, get a new vanity and countertop.” —Emily Beare

“REPLACE DATED LIGHT FIXTURES WITH CLASSIC, MODERN SCONCES AND PAINT KITCHEN AND BATHROOM CABINETS WHITE TO FRESHEN THEM UP.” —Jean Nayar

“Small gestures, like cleaning switch plates and replacing light bulbs, can make a big improvement.”

—Jonathan Conlon“Find space, like in a hall closet, that can be filled by an in-unit washer and dryer. You’ll be able to charge more for rent.” —David Christopher Salvatore

“A ‘WOW FACTOR,’ LIKE A SONOS SYSTEM OR IPAD-CONTROLLED LIGHTING, HELPS MOVE A PROPERTY IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET.”

—Susan Burris

“RE-GROUT DINGY TILE, RE-GLAZE OLD BATH FIXTURES, AND CLEAN THE WINDOWS.”

—Mickey Conlon

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“It’s lovely to start with a wish list, but stay flexible. If you check nine out of 10 boxes, it’s not a good idea to get stuck on the one box that doesn’t get checked.” —David Christopher Salvatore

“Virtual staging can completely change the look of a residence, so don’t be surprised when you finally see it in person.” —Maggie Kent

“LEARNING TO COMPROMISE ON MUST-HAVES VERSUS DESIRES WILL ALWAYS GIVE A READY, WILLING, AND ABLE BUYER THE UPPER HAND.” —Mickey Conlon

KEEP IN MIND . . . “If you lose out on the perfect home, remember that there’s always another one out there for you.”

—Jonathan Conlon

“Even in a soft market, a lowball offer is unlikely to be received well by many sellers.”

—Jean Nayar

BUSYBODY BOARD MEMBER

THE TOUGH SELL: After the president of an Upper East Side

co-op board hired Michelle Sedlitz of Citi Habitats to sell her apartment in the

building, she insisted on joining Sedlitz at every showing so that she could cover the

furnishings and interview prospective buyers.HOW IT SOLD:

The apartment went into contract just two weeks after Sedlitz politely persuaded the

owner to make herself scarce.

YOUR DREAM HOUSE

64 THE NEW YORK DESIGN GUIDE 2020/2021 65C O T TA G E S G A R D E N S . C O M

—reported by Heather Senison

TALES OF THE SALE HOW QUICK THINKING CAN SAVE A DEAL

TRICKS OF THE TRADE BROKERS OFTEN END UP TAKING UNEXPECTED ROUTES TO GET THEIR LISTINGS SOLD. CONSIDER THESE SUCCESS STORIES:

ARTFUL DODGERTHE TOUGH SELL:

Two adjacent East Village townhouses owned by the Uranian Phalanstery were in

desperate need of repair. HOW THEY SOLD:

Compass agent Martin Eiden marketed the air rights and played up the fact that the buildings are tax-exempt, thanks to the artist collective’s status as the first

recognized agnostic church in New York City. A developer ended up buying both

and tripling the square footage.

TRAPEZE ACTTHE TOUGH SELL:

The owner of one Hamilton Heights property had an “art installation” in the bedroom, where trapezes and other contraptions hung from the ceiling.

HOW IT SOLD: The Corcoran Group’s Tamara Marotta

embraced the theme and held “countless Champagne parties” for creative types and

others she knew wouldn’t be scared off.

A WOMAN SCORNEDTHE TOUGH SELL:

The seller’s soon-to-be ex-wife stripped their Prospect Heights townhouse of everything—down to its bay window, kitchen cabinets, and light fixtures.

HOW IT SOLD: Corcoran’s Peter Gordenstein “went to an architectural salvage yard and priced the

missing pieces so that buyers would know the cost of replacing them in advance.”

AD DOLLARS KEEP PAYING OFFThe Corcoran Group’s Gary DePersia thought he was done representing a $13 million property after the seller decided to take it off the market. However, when a potential buyer responded to an old print ad that DePersia had placed for the house, the seller agreed to let the broker show it, and they struck a deal. “If it hadn’t been for that print ad, I may not have made the sale,” DePersia comments, “and I certainly wouldn’t have gotten both sides of the transaction.”

WHAT A BLAST!E-mail has become a useful tool for most brokers, including Sarah Minardi of Saunders & Associates, who sends out regular blasts that she has dubbed “Minardi Mentions.” The broker once added a man to the mailing list who had sent an inquiry about weekend rentals, and a year later, he ended up buying a property that he saw advertised in one of her missives. “Moral of the story: No matter how small the request, never discount a potential client,” she says, “because you never know where that initial point of contact will take you.”

THE ART OF THE PITCHDouglas Elliman Real Estate’s Rima Mardoyan Smyth recently worked with the firm’s PR department to pitch one of her listings to the New York Post for exclusive coverage. “After the write-up came out, the listing received 1,700 hits,” says Mardoyan Smyth. “There was a bidding war, and the property sold shortly thereafter.”

INSTA-SALES!Never underestimate the power of Instagram. Compass’s Evan Kulman posted an announcement for an upcoming listing and had a broker query within hours. “The agent previewed the property while his client was on FaceTime, and it resulted in a full-price offer,” says Kulman. Matthew Breitenbach, also of Compass, was hired to market a development project after one of its investors, a professional athlete in the NHL, saw his Instagram feed and DM’d him. And an Instagram post by Douglas Elliman’s Michaela Keszler elicited a life-changing response from her own husband. After Keszler posted a photo of a condo that she had been representing, he expressed interest in the unit, and the couple ended up downsizing from their home of 20 years.

—reported by Lisa Chamoff

FOR THE GREEN THUMBThe Rockwell Group–designed amenity club at Waterline Square’s three Upper West Side towers includes an indoor

gardening room, where condo owners can plant and arrange flowers.

FOR THE OVERWHELMED PARENTPrivate-school consultant Amanda Uhry provides residents of the Upper West

Side’s Chamberlain with advice on tutors and navigating the complicated world of

New York City’s private schools.

FOR THE BEAUTY FANATIC Luxury concierge service LIVunLtd

and skin-care guru Tracie Martyn—a favorite of Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, and Naomi Campbell—have created a

program that offers special treatments to residents of 111 Murray in Tribeca.

FOR THE BUSY FAMILYAt the Upper West Side condo One

West End, a “kids concierge” not only advises residents on the best toys and

books to purchase for the little ones, but also organizes specially tailored parent-

child activities.

FOR THE WELLNESS ENTHUSIASTThe Tower at Gramercy Square has

teamed up with MNDFL, a network of drop-in meditation studios, to open a

residents-only location on-site.

FOR THE FOODIEResident, a Brooklyn-based supper-club

start-up, puts on dinners and wine pairings for residents of 475 Clermont, a luxury apartment building on the border

of Clinton Hill and Fort Greene.

FOR THE SYBARITETribeca Select, a custom program for 30 Warren, connects residents with the best that the neighborhood has

to offer, including sommeliers and in-home catering, music and art classes,

private yoga lessons, florists, and closet organization and pet services.

—reported by Jean Nayar

A-LIST AMENITIES The savviest developers know how to lure buyers with special perks and incentives. At some

of New York City’s newest residential projects, there’s

something for everyone