Most agents know when to talk with their sales manager about a deal. A negotiation isn’t going well, there’s a problem with a client, an offer has become complicated or something has happened that you haven’t dealt with before. You want another opinion and your sales manager is a logical person to ask.

I think there is another conversation that can be ju…

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A new buyer tells you they want to spend about $1.5 million on a New York City apartment. They have a neighborhood in mind, know approximately how much space they want and are ready to start looking.

Before I start sending listings, there are two things I want: a completed financial statement and a mortgage pre-approval.

Together they begin to tell me whe…

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Think about all the people whose names are already in your phone. There are friends, neighbors, past clients, renters, attorneys, other agents, people you’ve worked with and people you’ve known for years. Some you speak with regularly and others you probably haven’t spoken with in a long time. What they all have in common is that they live someplace. Th…

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What Is Certainty Worth When Your Seller Has Multiple Offers?

When a seller has several offers, comparing prices is the easy part. The more difficult work is evaluating everything that has to happen between accepting an offer and actually closing the deal.

Suppose you’re selling a Manhattan co-op listed at $1,495,000. Buyer A offers $1,500,000 with 20% do…

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There comes a point in some client relationships when you’ve done everything you should do. You’ve looked at the comparable sales, explained the differences between the apartments, discussed the competition and given the client your recommendation. They understand what you’re telling them.

And they still disagree with you.

This is a real estate problem, b…

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When you’re sitting down with a prospective seller, the most important moment does not come when you show them your recommended asking price. By the time you do that, you should already know enough about the seller that your recommendation makes sense within a much broader context. It’s understanding the context that matters most.

Begin by giving the sel…

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Your first meeting with a new buyer is the place you establish your professional credibility and begin building a relationship. So, use all the tools you have. Meet in your conference room and center the discussion on their financial position.

Explain why you’d like to look at their financial statement together. Let your client know that understanding th…

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A buyer tells you they’re looking for an apartment up to $1 million.

Before you accept that number, there is something you need to think about.

Where did it come from?

It may be based on the buyer’s available cash. It may have come from a conversation with a lender. It may reflect what the buyer is comfortable spending. Or it may simply be the number they …

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A few years ago, I was working with buyers who found an apartment they genuinely loved. It checked every box on their list, yet when it came time to submit an offer, they hesitated.

They weren’t thinking about market value. They weren’t questioning the condition of the apartment. They were asking whether they were making the right decision.

For most clien…

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You’re on the phone with a potential buyer who has been looking online and has found a few apartments they want to see. They’re anxious and want you to set up showings right away. They have concerns, assumptions, expectations, and a little anxiety and they are ready to have you set up showings right away.

Do you say yes and set up showings or do you tell…

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Last week we talked about choosing the business that fits you. In the free Streets365 article, we explored why some agents seem naturally drawn to buyer representation. This week I’d like to go deeper and talk about what it actually takes to build a buyer-focused business in New York City.

One of the biggest misconceptions in our industry is that buyer a…

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One of the most common questions I hear from agents is whether they should focus on buyers or sellers.

It’s a reasonable question. Most agents are looking for direction, and they’re trying to figure out where to invest their time, money, and energy. They want to know if one side of the business grows faster, produces more income, or creates more opportun…

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This is where newer agents usually lose control of the transaction.

Not because they are unintelligent.

Not because they are lazy.

But because nobody teaches them how appraisal negotiations actually work in real deals.

The emotional pressure gets heavy very quickly.

The buyer feels cheated.

The seller thinks the appraiser is incompetent.

The mortgage broker st…

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Most deals don’t collapse because of negotiation.

They collapse because risk was underestimated early.

And nowhere is that more dangerous than financing.

The Illusion of the “Qualified Buyer”

A buyer may have:

• strong income

• strong assets

• a pre-approval letter

• confidence

And still fail in underwriting. Why?

Because underwriting evaluates stability, consistency, an…

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One of the biggest misconceptions in real estate is that pricing is primarily analytical.

In reality, pricing is strategic.

Especially in NYC.

There are moments when the market gives you clear guidance:

* recent sales

* active buyer demand

* predictable inventory

* stable financing conditions

And then there are markets like this one.

Why Comps Break Down

Comps be…

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