New York’s Top 15 Real Estate Agents – The Hollywood Reporter

Within the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York Metropolis was hit first — and hardest. With the unfolding tragedy got here a flood of residents instantly on the lookout for properties outdoors town in addition to anxious whispers that town may by no means return to its former glory. The impact on NYC’s real estate market was extreme: Within the second quarter of 2020, Manhattan gross sales fell 54.1 p.c, their steepest decline in 30 years, whereas costs dropped 17.7 p.c, in accordance with information from Douglas Elliman.

However by the previous few months of 2020, there was an upsurge in exercise, and demand has solely grown by means of 2021. “It’s nonetheless the best metropolis on the earth, and everyone needs to be right here,” says Core NYC dealer Emily Beare. Houses priced over $10 million in Manhattan just lately had their finest gross sales week in eight years, and each gross sales quantity and costs proceed to spike. “New York Metropolis has a resiliency that numerous different markets don’t have,” says Pamela D’Arc of Compass. “We’re seeing precisely what we noticed after different tragic occasions which have occurred within the metropolis, which is that folks paused, after which the rebound was extraordinary.” Right here, The Hollywood Reporter highlights town’s prime brokers who’re inking marquee offers and serving to A-list purchasers navigate the brisk, reinvigorated market. (Observe: Shopper names which can be included, until in any other case famous, had been all publicly reported transactions.)

OREN AND TAL ALEXANDER 

Douglas Elliman 

When it got here time for hotelier André  Balazs to promote his $10.3  million SoHo house, he turned to Douglas Elliman’s Oren and Tal Alexander of The Alexander Team. The pair are identified for breaking a number of SoHo value data and maintain listings in trophy buildings from 432 Park Ave. to 111 West 57th St. In 2021, New York Metropolis’s market “has been wild,” says Tal, “and I don’t see it slowing down anytime quickly.” Additionally they are licensed in Florida, the place they’ve dealt with gross sales for Tommy  Hilfiger and restaurateur Jeff  Zalaznick (Carbone). 

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EMILY BEARE 

Core NYC 

Core’s Emily Beare is constantly one in every of New York Metropolis’s prime brokers, with greater than $4  billion in profession gross sales. She additionally has develop into the dealer of alternative for designer Nate  Berkus, whom she represented within the off-market sale of a $13.5 million West Village townhouse in August. Beare beforehand has labored with Diane Kruger and offered a SoHo property as soon as owned by Kanye West. She presently holds a $35  million itemizing at tony condominium constructing 15 Central Park West. “There’s numerous good patrons on the market and never sufficient stock,” says Beare. “Not a day goes by that I don’t get emails from brokers asking, ‘What do you have got for $20 or $30  million within the West Village?’”

SERENA BOARDMAN 

Sotheby’s Worldwide Realty 

In her 20-year profession at Sotheby’s Worldwide Realty, Serena Boardman has offered greater than $4 billion price of property. In 2021, Boardman listed a $21.5 million Central Park West mansion belonging to Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in addition to a $60 million Higher East Facet townhouse owned by billionaire Ron Perelman. Boardman just lately dealt with a $32 million penthouse itemizing for Broadway producer Terry Allen Kramer, in addition to a $17 million mansion listed by former Simon & Schuster head honcho Dick Snyder.

JOHN BURGER 

Brown Harris Stevens 

When Bette Midler unloaded her Higher East Facet penthouse for a cool $45  million and the Nasser household (who made their fortune in textile manufacturing) offered their Fifth Avenue co-op for $35  million this yr, Brown Harris Stevens’ John Burger was behind each offers. Burger additionally has repped Jeff Bezos on quite a few offers. His present listings embrace a $32.25 million Fifth Avenue house that was the longtime dwelling of jeweler Harry Winston and a $60 million Higher East Facet duplex stated to be owned by Princess Firyal of Jordan. As for which areas of Manhattan are scorching, Burger says, “I believe there’s been a little bit of a renaissance for the Higher East Facet and Central Park West markets. Central Park is the crown jewel of New York, and other people have began to embrace it greater than ever. For many individuals it was their solely alternative to be outdoor and socially distanced throughout COVID.”

CARRIE CHIANG 

Corcoran 

Since beginning her profession in 1988, Corcoran’s Carrie Chiang has labored with bold-faced names together with Barbra Streisand, Jim Carrey, Sean Combs and Derek Jeter. She presently represents the $28 million 6  Sutton Sq. townhouse being offered by Yue-Sai Kan, referred to as “the Oprah of China,” and is in contract for the $14.9 million sale of the China Institute constructing. Chiang additionally is not any stranger to eye-popping Billionaire’s Row listings and presently reps a $79  million penthouse at 432 Park Ave, in addition to $63.75 million unfold at Central Park Tower. “I focus totally on the Higher East Facet, and numerous the folks I’m working with may need lived downtown or in New Jersey [before the pandemic], however now they need to be close to their youngsters’ personal faculties,” says Chiang.

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PAMELA D’ARC 

Compass 

A 28-year business veteran, Pamela D’Arc moved to Compass in 2019 when the agency acquired Stribling and Associates and hit the bottom operating. Over the course of the pandemic, D’Arc performed offers for the likes of Jennifer Lawrence and the property of the late Alan Rickman and in 2021 has seen a rush of exercise from  Los Angeles-based clientele. “I’ve so many L.A. individuals who have determined to maneuver to New York or transfer again to New York,” says D’Arc. This fall, she additionally helped former MTV Networks CEO and chairman Judy McGrath promote her Higher West Facet brownstone for $7.8  million.

DANNY DAVIS 

Corcoran 

Like lots of New York Metropolis’s prime luxurious brokers, Corcoran’s Danny Davis has fielded a higher-than-usual quantity of off-market offers because the begin of the pandemic (see sidebar at finish of story), together with the sale of WeWork co-founder and CEO Adam Neumann’s West Village townhouse for $13.65 million in August. Davis additionally led the itemizing staff behind the June sale of a $15 million Tribeca penthouse owned by director-producer Shawn Levy (and previously owned by Jon Stewart). Levy and his spouse had bought the property for $13 million simply two months prior, per public data. Davis is nearing $300 million in whole gross sales for 2021 and is presently repping a $12.5 million penthouse on the Clark Constructing in Tribeca. “I’m very optimistic and actually trying ahead to what’s going to occur with the international market,” says Davis. “I do know a handful of individuals all simply ready to fly again to New York and purchase property.”

PAULA DEL NUNZIO 

Brown Harris Stevens 

Over the course of her 25-year profession, Brown Harris Stevens’ Paula Del Nunzio has developed a specialty for ultra-high-end townhouses, working with marquee names together with Jessica Chastain. At present, she holds the itemizing for a $52 million Higher East Facet townhouse owned by the American Irish Historic Society in addition to a $14.5 million townhouse that Gwyneth Paltrow lived in as a baby that’s now in contract. Earlier this yr, she offered billionaire Vincent Viola’s 20,000-square-foot Higher East Facet mansion for a whopping $60 million. “The fascinating factor concerning the luxurious market is that it appears to prevail it doesn’t matter what else is going on as a result of there are a sure quantity of people that will at all times need to be in New York,” says Del Nunzio. “They could have properties in lots of different locations and international locations, however they nonetheless at all times need one thing in New York.”

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FREDRIK EKLUND & JOHN GOMES 

Douglas Elliman

This Douglas Elliman duo not solely has taken their Eklund Gomes gross sales staff bicoastal up to now few years however expanded into Florida and Texas as effectively. “The most important development we see is rich folks shopping for extra residences across the nation,” says Fredrik Eklund (who additionally made THR’s list of Top 30 Hollywood Real Estate Agents this yr). “They now accumulate these flats like artwork. You had your artwork assortment, now you have got your property assortment.” The staff, which has labored with everybody from Keith Richards to Jennifer Lawrence and Gigi Hadid, led gross sales on the Lenny Kravitz-designed 75 Kenmare and presently symbolize a $79 million condominium at 432 Park Ave. The group additionally co-leads gross sales at just lately launched luxurious growth The Olympia in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood. 

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STEPHEN FERRARA & CLAYTON ORRIGO 

Compass 

Working collectively because the Hudson Advisory Team at Compass, Clayton Orrigo and Stephen Ferrara work intently with New York Metropolis energy gamers from media to vogue and past, having offered Nelson Rockefeller’s former Higher East Facet house in late 2020 and representing the likes of Graydon Carter and Marc Jacobs. In 2021, the pair offered a $50 million penthouse at Tribeca’s so-called “Jenga constructing” and expanded their purview past New York Metropolis to help Tom Ford within the $48 million sale of his Tadao Ando-designed New Mexico ranch. “We’ve seen a shift to a number of properties,” says Ferrara. “Extremely-high web price folks have at all times had a number of properties, however I believe the wealth creation that’s occurred [recently] has clearly opened up that chance for lots of people. In New York, that’s created an extremely sturdy pied a terre market as effectively.”

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STEVE GOLD 

Corcoran 

Corcoran dealer and Million Greenback Itemizing New York star Steve Gold offered a slate of penthouses over the previous yr, together with one at 15 Hudson Yards, which was the best recorded sale ($29.5  million) ever on the growth. He additionally was behind the sale of all three penthouses on the Zaha Hadid-designed 520 West twenty eighth St. “These trophy properties are getting swooped up, and individuals are betting on the resiliency of New York and its comeback,” says Gold, whose purchasers up to now yr included mannequin Hilary Rhoda, Griffin Dunne and Highlight producer Michael  Bederman.

RAVI KANTHA & MATTHEW LESSER 

Leslie J. Garfield 

Working collectively because the Lesser Kantha Group at Leslie J. Garfield, Ravi Kantha andMatthew Lesserhave offered a slew of townhouses to high-profile patrons throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. This yr, the duo labored with Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash on the acquisition of a $5 million Brooklyn townhouse and dealt with the itemizing of a $10.5 million Chelsea carriage home owned by Arthur Miller’s daughter. “2020 and 2021 have been a few of our greatest years within the enterprise. As soon as we had been in a position to present once more [after the initial lockdown], the floodgates opened,” says Lesser. “The demand for townhouse dwelling surged dramatically. Consumers need privateness, out of doors house, and multi-floor dwelling.”

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DEBBIE KORB 

Sotheby’s Worldwide Realty 

Whereas most high-profile sellers are keen to maintain their listings below wraps, when Jimmy Fallon and his spouse, producer Nancy Juvonen, put their Gramercy Park triplex in the marketplace earlier this yr, “They had been joyful to have it on the market as a result of it’s so uncommon,” says Sotheby’s Worldwide Realty’s Debbie Korb. “It’s very eccentric in probably the most fantastic method and displays each of their personalities.” Korb additionally presently holds the itemizing for David Duchovny’s $7.5 million Higher West Facet house and beforehand brokered the sale of Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard’s Park Slope townhouse.

ADAM MODLIN 

Modlin Group 

Adam Modlin, founding father of Modlin Group, can simply be counted among the many metropolis’s prime energy brokers, dealing with high-profile and infrequently delicate offers for a few of the metropolis’s most well-known residents. This yr alone, Modlin’s checklist of purchasers contains Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West, Josh Kushner and Karlie Kloss, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Ryan Seacrest, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen, and Emma Stone. Modlin additionally brokered the $51 million sale of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s former Higher East Facet townhouse to Australian financier Michael Daffey and just lately closed a record-breaking sale of a Hamptons property priced at greater than $100 million. He presently is advertising a $50 million penthouse on the Time Warner Heart owned by developer and Miami Dolphins co-owner Stephen Ross.

RYAN SERHANT 

Serhant 

Over the previous yr, Million Greenback Itemizing New York mainstay Ryan Serhant appeared on the present’s tenth season, had a second season of his iHeartRadio podcast picked up and left his longtime dwelling at Nest Seekers Worldwide to begin his personal agency, Serhant, which has a division devoted to concierge providers for high-net-worth purchasers. Serhant additionally dealt with the sale of Bella Hadid’s $6.5 million SoHo penthouse in addition to gross sales for chef David Bouley and hotelier Ian Reisner. Serhant is main gross sales at Brooklyn’s Quay Tower, the place patrons have included Zendaya. “There’s an pleasure in the actual property enterprise proper now,” he says, “that I’ve by no means seen personally in my profession.” 

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Off-Market Gross sales Soar in New York Metropolis 

Whereas high-end Manhattan gross sales have picked up tempo throughout the board, various brokers have observed the identical development: Increasingly of those offers are being dealt with off-market, which means the property is rarely formally listed on the market. “On the actually prime finish, numerous these offers are being completed off-market,” says Douglas Elliman’s Tal Alexander.

In some circumstances, an off-market itemizing is usually a matter of sustaining a high-profile vendor’s privateness. “I’ve had listings of well-known actors, however as a result of they didn’t need their names within the press, I needed to do the promoting by means of word-of-mouth, roughly off-market,” says Sotheby’s Debbie Korb.

Provides Compass’ Stephen Ferrara, “Twenty-eight p.c of our enterprise this yr shall be completed off-market. In earlier years, it may need been 2 to 4 p.c.” And notes Compass’ Clayton Orrigo: “Consumers and sellers are connecting with issues off-market and chasing trophy belongings. An enormous portion of [those deals], no one even is aware of about.”

If town’s gross sales market continues at its present tempo, and sees a further anticipated increase as international patrons start to return in pressure, some luxurious patrons could discover themselves rethinking their quiet gross sales and making an attempt their luck producing a bidding battle on the open market.

Says Corcoran’s Chris Kann: “We’re in a vendor’s market, and we now have such low stock. It appears a vendor would need to seize this nice market, checklist an house and see what sort of pricing they’ll get, conceivably over asking. There are such a lot of patrons on the market and a lot pent-up demand.”

Kann added, “Something approaching now could be going to commerce considerably increased than a yr in the past. The pandemic reductions are over.”

This story first appeared within the Nov. 22 situation of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click here to subscribe.