PHOTO: Alexandra Hedaya and Erin Lichy. SUPPLIED
One word is on the lips of every real estate agent in NYC, and they’ve all got an opinion.
“The elections always bring uncertainty into the equation,” says Douglas Elliman star Fredrik Eklund. Fellow Elliman broker Steven Cohen agrees, “The real estate market is averse to volatility and historically slows down as we approach the elections.”
“I think activity will remain low until at least later this year, after the election,” concurs Noble Black, also of Elliman. However, Compass’ Matt Breitenbach counters, “The Hamptons real estate market will be fine despite macroeconomic pressure and presidential elections.
But no matter what’s in the crystal ball for the remainder of 2024, one thing is clear: New York’s power sellers have again made their marks over the past year. Despite high interest rates, inflation, and competition with South Florida, Manhattan continued to see jaw-dropping sales at buildings like the Central Park Tower, where Elliman’s Eklund | Gomes team just closed a condo for $115 million. The 220 Central Park tower, now perhaps the city’s most prestigious building, also led the charge, with two $75 million deals and another for $80 million. Penthouses at 150 Charles, 111 W. 57th St., and 730 Fifth Ave. (aka the Aman) closed in separate sales for a collective $155.5 million. A townhouse mansion at 138-140 West 11th St. sold for $72.5 million, setting the record for the most expensive townhouse in Downtown Manhattan.
Out in Southampton, an eight-acre waterfront mansion at 700 Meadow Lane sold for $112.5 million — the most anyone has spent since 2014, when hedge funder Barry Rosenstein dropped $147 million.
Behind each of those transactions is a team of agents working around the clock to find innovative solutions to bespoke problems for the world’s most demanding clients.
For 2024’s list of the top agents in NYC and the Hamptons — which includes THR’s New York Team of the Year, Compass’ Hudson Advisory Team — The Hollywood Reporter not only crunched total sales numbers but also scoured public records for celebrity listings and sales.
Alexandra Hedaya and Erin Lichy, The Erin + Alex Team
COMPASS
Introducing New York’s newest dynamic duo: In April, Real Housewives of New York City star Erin Lichy announced that she was joining Alexandra Hedaya at Compass. The team already has $51 million in active listings and half a billion in career deals, with a penchant for Billionaire’s Row. Social media is one of their trump cards. “By sharing our authentic selves, we aim to be relatable, offering glimpses into our lives as wives, mothers, entrepreneurs and entertainment figures,” says Hedaya. “By leveraging Erin’s platform on RHONY and substantial social media following, including notable celebrities, we can bring our story to a wide audience.”
Emily Beare
CORE
CORE’s Emily Beare, who’s worked with Rupert Murdoch, Nate Berkus and Diane Kruger, racked up over $246 million in sales in 2023 and is currently listing the home of the late artist Chuck Close in NoHo for $7.375 million. For her, one standout sale was at 150 Central Park South. “I represented the buyer, who happened to live in the building many years ago,” Beare says. “My client was not actively looking but when he saw the apartment come on the market, he knew this magnificent home would inspire his return back to the Hampshire House.”
Cathy Franklin
CORCORAN GROUP
“It’s like asking which of my sons I’m most proud of — it’s simply impossible to choose,” Corcoran Group’s Cathy Franklin says of deciding on her most treasured deal among the $420 million in sales she did over 12 months. Among them were two Upper East Side penthouses (one for $25.2 million and the other for $35 million) and a $35 million apartment, a co-listing at 35 Hudson Yards, that served as the fictional home of Kendall Roy on Succession. When it comes to her most engaged most on social media, Franklin explains that, “video tours of my grand co-op, condo, and townhouse listings in prime neighborhoods — like those adjacent to 5th and Park Avenues — tend to receive a lot of views. The architecture and locations of these homes are just so iconic. In addition to real estate, my other passion is Hillrock, my family’s field-to-glass estate distillery in the Hudson Valley. When I announced that my special Cathy’s Cuvée bourbon won ‘Double Gold’ at the World Spirits Competition, the support on social media meant a lot to me. But most importantly, posts related my support of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation [BCRF] always perform well. Founder Evelyn Lauder’s legacy lives on and the clinical research BCRF has spearheaded in the fight against this disease is so important. It’s an honor to support our cause.”
Erin Boisson Aries
DOUGLAS ELLIMAN
“The unending demand for full-service, branded residences is redefining luxury across the country,” says Douglas Elliman’s Erin Boisson Aries. She and her team sold out the penthouse collection last year at The Ritz-Carlton New York NoMad and also handle bookings at private club Fasano Fifth Avenue’s hotel, which can run members up to $160,000 for month-long stays. In a year, she closed $250 million in deals. “In Manhattan the need for shorter-term, flexible luxury housing of the highest caliber is changing the very idea of a pied-a-terre,” she says.
Catherine Juracich
CORCORAN GROUP
In an era of real estate exploding on social media, “one of the secrets to my success is that I rely more on old-school connections,” says Corcoran Group’s Catherine Juracich. It seems to be working, as she was involved in two of the biggest Hamptons home sales of 2023, including repping both sides of the deal for Peloton co-founder John Foley’s $51 million property. 442 Further Lane, which sold for $51M, was one of the more challenging deals. “We completed this deal entirely off market, and as such we had to navigate the needs of both the seller and the buyer each of whom had their own conflicting views of what the market clearing price of the property should be,” says Juracich of working on the sale. “In the end we were able to land on a price that both were comfortable with, while simultaneously satisfying each of their needs to obtain real value from the transaction.” Juracich is also currently listing James Gandolfini’s former home for $9 million and Starz founder John J. Sie’s Central Park South apartment for $10 million.
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SOURCE: HOLLYWOOD REPORTER