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Stakes are pretty high now.
Our lease is up in six weeks, so I'm hoping to not only
find a place before then but to move in before then.
LUIS: Isabel, I think you did a good job.
I like this.
CHRISTINE: Me too.
And now we need your parents to love it.
ISABEL: Christine's parents are paying for this apartment,
so they need to approve this buy.
When can we get them here?
Probably sometime next week.
Not gonna work.
This is not gonna be on the market for seven days.
There's no way that they're gonna want
to invest in a place that they haven't seen.
ANN: Your house is beautiful.
I love the exterior. It's gorgeous.
DROR: Right now, we have it as a two-family.
I'm gonna be giving Dror the advice that converting it
to a single-family home is really the way to go.
I think as many of these properties as you can see,
it's gonna be good information, and information is power.
It's important for us to know what our competition is.
I have to tell you, Ann, I'm worried.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
ISABEL: I know that the last deal fell through,
so we're slightly discouraged,
but I don't want you to think that way.
I'm really excited to bring you guys out again.
I'm with my friend and client Christine
and her boyfriend, Luis.
I'm trying to find them a two-bedroom condo
with outdoor space in the West Village.
We're actually going right here to this beautiful building.
Just to warn you, it needs a lot of work.
It also happens to be a walk-up.
CHRISTINE: Isabel has been great.
I mean, we're friends since college,
and it's been so much fun working with her,
but it's hard to have a deal fall through,
especially because you're kind of comparing
the next properties to that one.
Hi, Isabel. How are you?
Hey, Bob. How are you?
Nice to see you.
Good to see you.
Hi. How are you?
Christine.
Luis Lanz.
Welcome to 131 Bank Street.
ISABEL: So, I do want to point out
some of the amazing features
that really make this really charming --
the beautiful, exposed brick,
the done closets.
She had these windows custom-made
to match the exterior of the building.
Those arches are beautiful.
Ooh, I like the water views.
That's beautiful.
I know for you guys, you love entertaining,
so we can open this up
and actually make a really grand living space.
It's gonna start getting to be a lot of work, though.
I definitely agree, it's a lot of work,
but keep in mind, these are real West Village.
People are charm and real bones
that you can't buy in a new development.
CHRISTINE: You know, the stakes are pretty high now.
Our lease is up in six weeks, so I'm hoping to not only find
a place before then but to move in before then.
And then peek your head into the second bedroom.
The owner put this wall up.
It can easily come down. It's not load-bearing.
We keep going down the hall.
You'll notice, here's the bath.
I like the claw-footed tub.
So, now we'll come into the kitchen,
and you'll see there is tons of possibility in here.
Definitely need to update the appliances,
but you can do a lot with this exposed wood ceiling here.
All right, best for last. Let's go check out the roof.
All right.
This property's definitely interesting,
and it's got a lot of potential.
Hudson River.
ISABEL: Look at this view.
But it's just a lot of work, a lot of things to think about.
I'd really like to have a place
that's pretty much ready to move into.
I mean, this space is amazing.
LUIS: Yeah, total freedom up here.
It's definitely what I was looking for,
but I'm not sure that we're really
wanting to do that much construction, you know?
And, of course, we can't make any moves without your parents.
What do you think they'd think?
I think they would love the character.
They would love the neighborhood,
but probably something that has two bathrooms
and maybe a doorman would be a better fit.
Christine's parents are paying for this apartment.
It's an investment for them,
so they need to approve this buy.
Moving forward, we might have to open up the search
just a little to find that real dream home.
I'm willing to look.
ANN: Today, I'm on my way to meet
with a potential customer here on the Upper West Side.
He's a townhouse owner, but he's called me in
to give him some advice regarding his renovations.
And the good news is, he does not have a broker.
Hi. It's Ann. Hi, Dror?
Oh, Ann! How you doing? It's so nice meeting you.
Thank you for calling me.
Oh, no, my pleasure.
Your house is beautiful. I love the exterior.
It's gorgeous. What a pretty, pretty house.
So, we bought it about seven years ago.
It was a nine-unit.
We converted it to a two-family.
DROR: We bought it for two reasons --
"A," for me to live in it.
Two, for investment.
I am a true believer in bricks.
I did my first million when I was 26 in bricks,
and I hope I can do the rest, continue onward.
We moved from New York to L.A.,
and I want to sell it.
Okay, great.
So, I always like to listen to experts,
and you are obviously one of the experts
and to see if I'm doing the right thing.
And, obviously, I need an agent.
All right, great. Well, thank you.
That's nice that you want to hear my opinion.
I can be very good in renovation,
but the renovation I do is for my own taste.
I need a person that have broader look,
and it's extremely important
for me to get the point of view of Ann
to sell my building at the right price.
So, now, you've got the entrance where I came in
and then an elevator. This is great. Did you add this?
Yes. We did it seven years ago.
That's a smart move. That's good, that's good.
Okay, so, I love the space,
and to look out into the garden is fabulous.
DROR: So, right now, we have it as a two-family,
and what I see in the market is,
maybe I should convert it to a one-family,
and, obviously, I need your advice.
I mean, let's take a look at the whole property,
but in general, the one-family market
actually seems to be stronger.
The market right now in New York City is so tight
for any big apartment or any big house.
Oh, my gosh, I love the beams here.
It's beautiful.
So, the single-family market is on fire,
and you add in an elevator,
and you add in this terrific location,
and he's gonna get a lot of money for the space.
This is what I'm thinking.
I have a townhouse that it's in contract,
so, you know, it's gonna be closing momentarily,
but it's really close to here.
And it has an elevator 'cause that's really specific.
You need to kind of compare a building with an elevator,
and that's hard to find.
And I think it's a really good comp.
They actually made it into a single-family home.
I want you to see what they did,
and, you know, and we'll get a sense
'cause I think if you're able to see the house,
it'll give you a better sense of kind of --
help you make the decision about what to do with your home.
I'm probably gonna be
giving Dror the advice that converting it
to a single-family home is really the way to go.
And by doing that, I'm going out a little bit on a limb here
because if it turns out that
the market really isn't there for a single-family home,
it's gonna make me look really bad.
Bad advice is not gonna get me future business.
I think they're really good comparables, or comps,
because this one's got the elevator.
And a developer bought it also as a multiple-family home,
but they were able to make it into a one-family.
ANN: I'm here visiting my townhouse exclusive,
which is already in contract,
but I'm bringing Dror to help him make his decision
about whether he should take his two-family townhouse
and make it into a one-family home.
So, we're gonna start on the lower level.
DROR: So, it's actually quite similar with the whole flow.
The developer here did
a really nice custom Italian kitchen,
you know, top-of-the-line appliances.
I mean, so much storage space.
You've got that double-height ceiling.
Oh, they opened the roof, as well.
And this, you know, I really -- I have not seen in many houses,
and it's interesting that you both have the same.
And then look at the yard.
Some of these townhouses will end up having
a really big building behind it, and then it blocks the light,
and it's not so pretty, but...
No, they don't have that. They have the garden.
They have the trees. They have the birds.
So it's kind of similar to what I got.
ANN: These two properties are really kind of the perfect
comp as we call them -- comparables.
So hopefully this will give him the information that he needs
in order to make the educated decision
about whether to do a two-family or a one-family.
ANN: This floor is the parlor floor.
You know, and it feels wide.
It's only an 18-foot-wide house, but it feels wide.
I think the whole thing is the flow of the light
from the outside, the light from the garden.
Definitely, the parlor floor is
the "wow" that we have to create.
Right, and if you have a two-family house,
you can't have that because you need that access, right?
So right.
You go in. You say, "Wow."
And that's the advantage of a one-family.
You can see the difference that I lose
because I got a lobby that they don't have.
And then they did, I think,
a really great job with this bathroom,
and this is the bigger bathroom with a window.
So, we definitely can think about doing that, as well.
I wouldn't undo what you have
'cause you have two perfectly good bathrooms.
His and hers.
Exactly.
Dror has a beautiful home,
and he's put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into it.
He wants to know
how he's gonna get the best price for this house,
so I'm here to tell him how to do that.
After walking through this house again,
which, obviously, you've spent a lot of time here,
but then thinking about your needs and your house,
I think you got to sell it as a one-family.
I think you're gonna sell it faster.
I think you're gonna sell it for more money.
I think it's really the way to go. What do you think?
I think you're 100% right.
I should convert it to a one-family home.
So, let me go call my contractor immediately.
Okay, good. Great minds think alike.
Absolutely.
[ Laughs ]
While Dror is working
with the contractors and the architects,
I want to go ahead and just keep an eye
on what's selling, what's going to into contract,
what new product is coming on because that's gonna be
the best way to figure out the right price.
LUIS: All right, well, here we are in the Flatiron.
I mean, what do you think?
CHRISTINE: I mean, it's only 10 blocks north of Union Square,
but it feels totally different to me.
It's so commercial.
There's something about this sort of quaintness
of the West Village that I really like.
I agreed to look at something in Flatiron
'cause Isabel insisted
that it had everything I'm looking for,
and I guess I might have to
open up the search a bit to find the perfect place.
Nice day to walk around.
Well, this is more than a few blocks
from the West Village.
Okay, a few extra blocks, but give it a chance.
I think you're gonna love it. It just came on the market,
so we're really getting a sneak peek.
Time is ticking -- we've already had a deal fall through,
and I'm now taking her somewhere that's really out of her box.
I'm a little bit nervous about it,
but I really think it's the right choice for her.
This is our upside-down duplex, which means
the living space and the outdoor space is upstairs
and our bedrooms are down.
One of the things I loved about this apartment when I saw it
was that there's a separate entrance and exit
from the second bedroom.
That would be great for when my parents visit.
Here's the amazing master.
I like that we could fit a king-size bed over here.
And you won't share a closet anymore.
There's a walk-in right here and another one for him.
That's a huge bonus for me.
I know.
Very nice.
You guys want to check out the bathroom?
It's a beautiful prewar conversion.
Limestone floor to ceiling,
deep-soaking tub, rain shower.
I like the finishes. They did a really nice job.
What's the total square footage here?
So, we have over 1,200 interior,
over 250 exterior.
Even has a powder room right here.
And my favorite feature is this incredible open kitchen.
Oh, nice appliances in here.
All right, guys, look at this.
Does it get better?
LUIS: Isabel, I think you did a good job.
I like this.
Me too.
CHRISTINE: I think this apartment is great.
It's exactly what we were looking for
even though it's not in the neighborhood
we had originally hoped to find something.
I'm happy to hear you guys love it,
but now we need your parents to love it.
When can we get them here?
probably sometime next week they'd be able to come in.
Oh, no, this is not gonna be on the market for seven days.
I promise you, this will be sold and closed by then.
There's no way that they're gonna want
to invest in a place that they haven't seen.
So, since we can't bring them here,
I think maybe we need to bring the place to them.
Maybe we could get a videographer in here,
film the unit, film this outdoor space,
the building, and even the area.
I know they're not that familiar with it yet.
Sounds like a good idea.
It could work.
So, when can you help me out, and when can we get this done?
Tomorrow?
Yeah.
ISABEL: The stakes are high.
We already lost the first apartment,
and we can't lose another.
This apartment is gonna go fast,
so I really need them to fall in love
like Christine and Luis did.
I think as many of these properties as you can see,
it's gonna be good information, and information is power.
ANN: Taking my client Dror today
to see a townhouse that's just hit the market,
and it's on the same block as his is.
It's a single-family home for just about $5 million,
and we've been talking about in the $8s for his.
So, we're going over there to be able to just see
what the differences are,
and maybe we need to adjust the price on Dror's.
Welcome to 163 West 81st Street.
It's a beauty. It's gorgeous.
ANN: You know, it's interesting because the kitchen
is probably about the same square footage as what you have.
It doesn't have the direct access
to the garden like yours does,
but there is a balcony out here
that has steps down to the garden.
With the townhouses, it's all about the placement
because you've got a lot of big buildings here.
Right, I have to tell you,
that's one of the reasons I like mine much more --
just because of so much more light.
So, let's take a look at the rest of the house.
The next floor traditionally is the master-bedroom floor.
No elevator? I'm not walking up.
[ Laughing ] Oh, come on! Come on, you're in good shape.
Suck it up. Let's go.
Now, there's only one bathroom here.
Right, and we have two -- his and hers.
Exactly, so, this is what they have as the sleeping room.
And here is the library,
or it could be their fourth bedroom.
I think it was so important for me to take Dror here
because it's important for us to know what our competition is
and why it is that our house should be priced more.
I have to tell you, Ann, I'm worried.
"A," it's on the same block
and priced significantly lower than mine.
Right, right. Don't worry, don't worry.
Don't worry?
No, don't worry.
Okay.
Here's the thing.
This house is spot-on in terms of its price,
but you have to add on for your house
the fact that you have an elevator.
That is the number-one difference.
It is a $2-million difference in New York City
when you have an elevator,
and that's gonna speak to -- It's a big difference.
Number two is, look at all the outdoor space that you have.
You also have probably -- you know, and, again,
I'd have to measure it, but it's probably
about 1,500 square feet more in your house.
That's a lot.
Yeah.
I think that, you know, pricing it in the high $8s
is actually exactly where it should be, so I'm good.
DROR: I'm not a broker.
Ann is, and she have the experience.
She have the comps.
And I have to trust Ann with that.
And as Ann said, elevator, elevator, elevator.
So, we just got to get the house finished.
And then we'll get it staged. And then we'll get it sold.
[ Laughs ]
Let's do it.
ANN: He's gonna get that place done within the month,
so I've got to go ahead and work with my stager.
So, as soon as the construction's done,
we're in there, and then we're gonna have
a big opening night brokers' party,
and we are just gonna get the word out,
and this house is gonna sell fast.
ISABEL: You guys were stars on the inside.
Now I need you guys to sell this neighborhood
and sell the outside. And action.
We're here at Madison Square Park
with Mowgli.
ISABEL: Today, I'm in the Flatiron District
with my friend and client Christine, her boyfriend, Luis,
and my videographer friend Melissa.
He's gonna love the dog run here.
As a broker, you always have to go above and beyond,
and in this case, this is what you got to do.
Her parents couldn't come here to see this apartment,
and I don't want them to lose another apartment
just because they couldn't make it into town.
So we're taking the apartment to them.
Hopefully, it'll convince them to invest in this apartment
without having to see it in person.
You guys can see that there's amazing architecture around here.
There are great restaurants.
Because if we wait for them to come see it,
it'll probably be gone.
LUIS: We're still very close to the Union Square market.
We got fresh produce.
And this gorgeous pedestrian area here.
Very accessible to east and west subways
'cause you can basically see them from here.
So far, we've captured the apartment,
and it looks fabulous.
CHRISTINE: I think we successfully conveyed
how we would live in the space
and why we really fell in love with it.
While it's not the West Village,
I definitely think it's a place that we could make our home
and that you guys would love to stay when you're in the city.
Flatiron's an area of New York they've never really explored,
and just telling them that I found this amazing apartment
in this new neighborhood that's up and coming
isn't really gonna be sufficient.
So hopefully the video did a good job.
Cut. Guys, that was amazing.
I think we have it. What do you think?
Got it.
Excellent.
So, we have a lot of work to do.
We got to get back. We're gonna edit it all up.
I have a bunch of listing information
and information on the apartment,
the building, and the neighborhood.
I want to get it to them by tonight.
ISABEL: I feel like I have a lot to prove
and a lot riding on this deal.
Not only do I want Christine and Luis to have
the perfect place within six weeks
but, also, Christine's parents might not trust
that I'm the right person for the job.
[ Telephone ringing ]
JEAN: Hello?
Hi, mom.
Hi, honey.
Hey, Jean, how are you? It's Isabel.
Hi, Isabel.
CHRISTINE: Luis and I are here at Isabel's office in Midtown today
to have a conference call with my mother.
She called me last night to say that
she and my father had watched the video,
and they'd spoken about it.
Now they have some questions
they want to ask the three of us.
I mean, the apartment looks great,
but dad and I have, you know, some concerns, Christine,
and one is the location.
I mean, that neighborhood didn't used to be terrific,
so, you know, is it safe?
The area's very, very safe,
but, also, the building has a 24-hour doorman.
Then I guess the other big issue is the price.
This is a little bit outside of where we were hoping to be.
ISABEL: Originally,
Jean and her husband were looking to spend around $1.5.
This property is asking $1.8.
At this price point, we would have to be feeling
that if we sold that we'd be making money.
The area is really hot -- The building itself
was only converted about five years ago,
and it sold out almost immediately,
but I also think as a financial investment,
this is really a smart decision.
So, mom, what do you think?
Well, I mean, I guess that was
what dad and I were concerned about, you know,
that we were gonna be getting a decent investment
and that you were gonna be happy.
So maybe we should put in an offer.
Yes.
I have a feeling that
there are appointments back to back there,
so we might not even be the first bid.
So, based on that, I know it's asking about $1.8.
Things in the area are going really 2% to 3% below asked.
I would say we put a bid in around 5% to 6% below asked.
Well, I have to rely on you
because I know stuff goes really fast,
and sellers don't deal with people
that they don't think are serious.
So if you think that's something
that they would start negotiating on,
then do it.
Because the first deal fell through,
it is all the more reason I have to make this deal happen.
I'm gonna do anything and everything it takes.
All right, well, I got my fingers crossed
that we don't lose another one.
Us too.
CHRISTINE: This is just the first step in the process,
but we're definitely excited that we got this far.
I would love to have more fun with you guys.
We have had the best few days, but I have work to do.
I'm hoping that Isabel sees this through to the end.
I know that we did have a deal fall through before,
but this one seems much more promising.
ANN: The kitchen's behind us.
WOMAN: All right.
Sandwiches are in front of us.
Thank you. Great to see you.
I'm back at 141 West 81st Street,
and we have just staged it
and completed the renovation really in record time.
With this open house, the next two hours is really important
to see what the response is from the brokerage community.
And I'd like you to meet my client, Allison.
Hi. Nice to meet you. Welcome.
ANN: you can end up using this as a whole kind of master suite.
WOMAN #2: It's so wonderful to have the whole floor.
So, what do you think?
I like the idea of this being a closet.
I know.
[ Laughter ]
ALLISON: It's very impressive, actually. I really like it.
I like the feel of it. I like the light of it.
My fiancé and I are thinking of starting a family soon,
and there's a strong possibility of seeing ourselves living here.
ANN: This would be where, if the buyer was entertaining,
they would have people come in
'cause this is kind of the "wow" room.
BRUCE: Oh, it's beautiful. I love the exposed brick.
He has this kind of distressed wood.
I see there's an elevator.
That is absolutely a must for my client.
BRUCE: Since this does have an elevator
and the actual square footage, condition, location,
I believe the house is priced very, very well
and is likely to go rather quickly in today's market.
So, do you want to take the elevator down?
BRUCE: I thought you'd never ask.
And we'll go get a sandwich, too.
Perfect.
ANN: I think any anxiety that Dror had about the decision
to make it from a two-family to a one-family home
were alleviated today.
I'll be able to give him the feedback
that there was a wonderful turnout,
and I think he's gonna be really excited.
We've looked at many places,
and she said to me today, "I think I've found the one."
Well, I hope this is the one.
I love it. I hope he loves it, too,
when I bring him back next week.
What do you think?
I said you're both on the same page,
everything that I've shown you all along,
and I think this could be it.
Yeah.
Cool. Yay.