Anybody who has ever lived in a NYC apartment has experienced this (to a lesser degree!). Even those of us who don't have that direct view out our window into someone else's life, get to watch it on TV, Real Housewives of this, other Reality show about that... and now we get to watch NYC real estate brokers flaunt themselves in primetime as well! While I have to admit to being curious, once I found myself watching the details of their dating lives I had to draw the line. It was the curiosity within me though that had my wondering, what is behind those 12' windows of that Soho loft? or are the finishings inside that new Gehry building as smartly designed as the exterior? Luckily, my profession allows me to satisfy these curiosities, to see a wide array of interesting properties, architecture, and design first hand.
That is what I aim to share with everybody reading this. I'm not just referring to how amazing one place was, how one apartment compares to another, or even what attributes can add/detract from a property's value (very good question), but how can the totality of what I see and experience on a daily basis help you as a buyer, seller or renter in this great city of ours? I will ask myself that question and hopefully give you some valuable insight.
Now, I am privileged to work at a firm where one of the founding principles is transparency in the real estate world. Working with Keith Burkhardt at The Burkhardt Group has taught me that the prospect of a NYC real estate transaction does not have to be a daunting, mysterious experience for the client. Sharing the details of the communication, process, possibilities, and providing guidance, rather then "selling something" creates a positive experience. Helping the client understand what we are seeing, concerning a specific apartment or building, or the market in general, allows them to make informed decisions, about what is usually one of the most important decisions in their lives.
So what will you find when you read this? I will be sharing with you how we work, why it's different, and why it's appropriate for the marketplace today. There will definitely be some "real estate geek stuff" like property and market stats for those of you who like that (like me!). You'll get some great stories about deals that are, deals that were, and deals that could have been. And most probably, you'll see some non-real estate related fun and food for thought.
Hopefully you'll join me looking through my "window." Just don't expect to see any reality TV kind of stuff :)
