By David Wagenheim, Lic. R.E. Salesperson in our Eastside Office
In the acting world there is the old adage, ‘there are no small parts, only small actors’. I feel the same concept can be applied with real estate listings. There are no bad listings, only challenged listings in need of a solution.
A recent article in the New York Times reminded me that sometimes listings can present some challenges that we as agents need to try and overcome. Below are some imaginative ways that agents and home stagers have come up with to compensate or mask what could be perceived as a negative by some buyers.
Low ceilings present the challenge that they can make a space appear smaller than it is. Some recommendations were: white paint, tall window dressings, and low profile furniture. For instance, a lighter shade of paint on the ceilings than the walls would draw the eye upward to make the ceiling appear higher. Additionally, it was recommended that using the same shade of flat paint from the ceiling on the crown molding, instead of semi-gloss, would give an “uninterrupted perspective” which in turn would give the illusion of a higher ceiling. In the same vain, floor to ceiling window treatments also give you the impression of height. And last, minimal low to the floor furniture will also add to the illusion.
Windows facing a brick wall or minimal light were other concerns. Pops of bright color, strategic bright lights, and even decorative window film were some of the suggestions given. One agent added bright colorful drapes with sheer white curtains as well throws, pillows, and rugs to make the space feel cheery and happy. Another placed a light fixture with a florescent daylight bulb behind a curtain to give the illusion of natural sunlight shining through. And yet another advised on using decorative window film, or a more-costly custom etched-glass window, as way to allow light to come in while masking the view.
A ground-floor unit facing the street, can present issues with privacy as well as unsightly bars on the windows. Some creative solutions given were installing lovely window boxes. Having colorful live flowers can help to distract from an otherwise unpleasant view. And bottom-up curtains are great way to allow natural light in while giving you privacy inside.
An awkward layout is something that can affect how one uses a space. One agent spoke about a duplex listing that had an amazing bathroom with everything that one could dream of. The problem was, according to the agent, it was just off of an open kitchen in a less than adequately sized master bedroom. Her solution was to create a floor plan where she could ‘sell’ the bedroom as an amazing walk-in closet off of a ‘spa-like’ bathroom. She then turned the downstairs finished basement, with an adjoining room and a half bath, into a grand master bedroom with a separate office or hobby room. And rather than do a traditional open house where a multitude of people can wander unsupervised, she decided it would be best to do by appointment only showings so that she could sell her vision of the space to each person.
So as you can see, and at the risk of using another old adage, ‘necessity is the mother of all inventions’.
Connect with David over email or visit his agent website. __________________________________
Thoughts and opinions presented in this post are those of David Wagenheim and do not reflect the official opinions of Halstead Property, LLC.
Diane M. Ramirez Named to Inman Most Influential in US Real Estate
Congratulations to our CEO and Chairman Diane M. Ramirez on being named one of the Most Influential in US Real Estate in 2016.
Inman’s list of influencers recognizes industry professionals who have shaped, changed, and influenced the industry in some way. Made up of connectors, power brokers, high earners, CEOs, hackers, troublemakers and startup founders, all are unique, with a mix of credentials, viewpoints and backgrounds, they speak a variety of languages and bring a widespread list of skills to the table. This is the third straight year Diane has made this list.
A 35-year real estate veteran, Diane was selected based on her experience in growing and leading Halstead Property to become one of New York City real estate’s most well-known brands leading the way in the creation of innovative marketing and technology products and services. She is also an active member of the Real Estate Board of New York, serving on its board of governors, executive advisory board and board of directors of the residential division. She also sits on the Board of Directors for Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Realtor.com currently.
Once again, a well-deserved congratulations to our CEO Diane Ramirez!
Harlem Strivers Row Townhouse Trades Above $3M For First Time By Agent Tecumta Tiwoni
Harlem Strivers Row Townhouse Trades Above $3M For First Time By Agent Tecumta Tiwoni
Halstead Property agent Tecumta Tiwoni just closed on a fabulous 20-foot wide corner townhouse on the prestigious Strivers Row on February 16th, 2018, for $4 million dollars. This marks the first time that a Strivers Row townhouse has traded above $3 million dollars. (more…)
National Cheat Sheet: US home sales fell to a 2017 low in July, WeWork scores $4.4B investment from SoftBank … & more
National Cheat Sheet: US home sales fell to a 2017 low in July, WeWork scores $4.4B investment from SoftBank … & more
From left: Home sales and WeWork’s Adam Neumann From TRD New York: Co-working company WeWork gets a $4.4B investment from SoftBank Japanese conglomerate SoftBank’s investment in WeWork is larger than previously reported. While various news reports earlier this year put SoftBank’s investment at $300 million and at $3 billion, reports now state that the co-working startup will be the beneficiary of…
By: Madeleine Dale, Lic. Associate Broker in our Westside Office
As the winter wanes and the longing for green intensifies, get a preview of Spring at the NYC Street Tree website. This map, created by the NYC Parks Department, plots the location of each and every one of the 684,343 trees living on the streets of all five boroughs. Along with tree locations, the interactive map contains a wealth of information, from a breakdown of totals by neighborhood to the shape of leaves. The curious will discover that the Upper West Side has the shadiest blocks with 5,845 trees, closely followed by the Upper East Side with 4,241(almost double the numbers in other areas). Pick any street, and click on any tree, to reveal the name, species classification, size and care instructions. Promoting stewardship, the map invites volunteers to adopt and care for local favorites, or at least report damage and neglect. For those who can't tell a Maple from a Linden, each of the 211 species has a profile with a photo of the leaf, trunk measurements, and a detailed description.
The London Plane tree with a smooth grayish bark that peels away in patches, is probably the most familiar face. Numbering 88,000 it accounts for almost 13% of NYC's street arbor. Known to reach 100 feet, city trees squeezed between curbs and sidewalks average 40-50 feet but still manage to hold their own sandwiched between tall buildings. A December NYTimes NYC Nature column, noted that this survivor is a 17th century hybrid between the American sycamore and the Oriental plane tree that originated in the garden an English botanist.
The 65,772 Manhattan street trees provide visual relief from brick and mortar, but more than decorative accessories, they make a valuable contribution to the quality of urban life. The street forest reduces wind, adds wildlife habitats, absorbs 625,000 tons of carbon emissions and recycles 1 billion gallons of storm water runoff. The NYC Street Tree website calculates the value of ecological benefits for pollutant removal, energy conservation, CO2 reduction and storm water interception at $111,000,000. For many city residents, trees have a spiritual component as the most accessible connection to the natural world. A pause in appreciation never hurts and might reward with a small dose of hope or inspiration. After all, Isaac Newton, George Washington, Adam and Eve and Buddha all had transformative moments under a tree.
To connect with Madeleine you can contact her over email, or visit her agent website.
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Thoughts and opinions presented in this post are those of Madeleine Dale and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Halstead Property, LLC.
This state-of-the-art kitchen was imagined and created by Rachel Hall a professional interior designer. The layout of the kitchen is smart and sophisticated with floor-to-ceiling cabinets creating ample storage space for sundries and dinnerware. The white cabinets were custom created and hide unsightly kitchen appliances like the hood above the six-burner Viking griddle. They also conceal the split refrigerator and freezer units and huge built-in pantry.
The kitchen is open to the family and dining area making it great for entertaining. The extra-large island in the center is the focal point of the kitchen and a great space for prepping, cooking, and informal dining. Within the island are the dishwasher and Viking microwave. All the countertops in the kitchen are honed black absolute granite matching the beautiful custom Harlequin tile backsplash. The appliances are by Subzero and GE Monogram. The faucets are by Kallista with elegant finishes that match the stainless steel appliances. Wide plank hickory floors are classic and match the style of the gourmet kitchen. Recessed lighting provides a modern style of light for space and three hanging light fixtures are tasteful and unassuming
For more information about this home, please click here.
To view all our Kitchens of the week, head over to our Halstead Pinterest Page.
RISMedia Features Halstead Helping Hands Successful Contribution to The New York Cares Coat Drive
This week RISMedia published a feature story on Halstead Property’s incredible contribution to the New York Cares 2016 Coat Drive. Halstead agents collected nearly 3,500 coats this winter throughout our Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens offices making our firm the largest R.E. corporate donor and the second largest corporate donor! Halstead’s efforts in the coat drive were spearheaded by the firm’s philanthropic arm, Halstead Helping Hands.
“With so many in need of a warm coat this winter, it is amazing that we can unite in this effort to make such a real and tangibly positive impact. I’m incredibly proud of our agents for all their hard work and dedication in consistently devoting their time to helping make our community a better place,” said Sara Rotter, Executive Director of Sales for Halstead’s Village and SoHo offices. Rotter co-leads Halstead Helping Hands with John Wollberg, Executive Vice President, Managing Director of Halstead and Trish Martin, Managing Director of Sales for Halstead’s Brooklyn offices.
The firm gathered coats by using a multi-tiered strategy, which included placing donation boxes in the majority of Halstead’s storefront offices, managed buildings, and residential buildings that they serve throughout the city, as well as creating a targeted email campaign to Halstead’s agents and their customers, and distributing building postcards to encourage residents to donate. Halstead partnered with Scanio Movers to coordinate pickups of the coats to ensure a timely delivery to New York Cares and their recipients.
To have a strong focus on community initiatives and nonprofit causes for its 1,300 agents throughout New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, Halstead Helping Hands identifies local initiatives or charities that are in need of help and opens the opportunity up throughout the firm.
The coat drive was just one of several initiatives sponsored by Halstead Helping Hands this past year. Agents in Halstead’s Hamptons offices collected for Toys for Tots; and those in Connecticut collected gifts on behalf of Inspirica, one of the state’s largest providers of services to the homeless, and Toys for Tots in order to help struggling families enjoy the holiday season.
When you visit us at Halstead’s Harlem office located on West 117th and Frederick Douglass, you will likely hear a few bars being performed from Broadway’s hottest shows including “Wicked,” “The Color Purple,” or “Phantom of the Opera.” Many performances and musical tidbits come from the members of The Krantz + Krantz Team. Our synergy doesn’t just come from achieving our business goals, we also share a passion for the arts, theatre, and especially Broadway. Our team includes a former Broadway performer, Whitney Osentoski (“Tarzan”, “Mama Mia”), who is affectionately known by his many Broadway clients as “The “Broadway Broker.”
Our team members can’t wait to see the many shows coming this season. Cameron has his sights on “Anastasia” while Whitney is looking forward to “Hello Dolly” starring Bette Midler. Mika can’t wait to see Glenn Close star in the revival of “Sunset Boulevard.” In business, we pride ourselves on delivering value to our buyers and sellers. We would like to show you how to do the same when purchasing tickets to your next Broadway adventure. Here are our 4 ways to save:
1. TKTS Discount Booths
Ran by the Theatre Development Fund, A Not-For-Profit Service Organization for the Performing Arts, these ticket booths offer a wide variety of Broadway and Off Broadway musicals, plays, and dance productions on sale every day at 20% to 50% off regular prices. They also have a app where you can browse the available tickets for the day. The best part about TKTS is that you are supporting an organization that is dedicated to sustaining and sharing the arts and developing the audiences of the future.
2. Broadway Direct Lottery
If you have been dying to see “Hamilton”, but not in a rush to pay “Hamilton” ticket prices, look no further than the Broadway Direct Lottery for your chance at $10 front-row tickets to the show. Your chances are even better now that they have increased the amount of lottery seating from 21 to 46 per performance. You will also find access to the lotteries for musicals such as “Cats”, “Aladdin”, “The Lion King”, and “Wicked” here.
3. Today Tix
Today Tix is a great website and app for last minute discount tickets without the hassle of waiting in long lines. Not limited to just Broadway, Today Tix advertises that you can save up to 50% with their exclusive deals. Everything from Broadway musicals and plays to opera and comedy is just a few taps away. A couple of members of our team recently tried out the lottery for Cirque De Soleil’s “Paramour” via Today Tix and although they didn’t win the tickets, they took full advantage of the consolation prize, great seats to the show for a reduced rate of $45 per ticket.
4. Gilt City
While we love Gilt for everything lifestyle related, Gilt City is always full of surprises. Recently they featured discounted VIP and Regular admission tickets to the coming Broadway show “Anastasia”. Currently they have a curated selection of Off-Broadway entertainment. The best part about Gilt is that you never know what the next sale will have in store!
Now that we have shared some of our favorite ways to catch the hottest shows in town, we hope you save a seat for us at the next matinee, share with us your favorite city tips, and don’t forget to #KeepKrantzing.
To Connect with The Krantz and Krantz Team, visit their team page.
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Thoughts and opinions presented in this post are those of the members of the Krantz and Krantz Team and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Halstead Property, LLC.
