HGTV’s “Selling New York” follows CORE agents as they navigate the country’s most competitive – and compelling – real estate market. Here’s our exclusive, behind-the-scenes look of this week’s episode, “The Pressure’s On,” which first aired on June 7th. For more SNY recaps, click here.

In this week’s episode of Selling New York, veteran brokers Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon are presented with a unique challenge, as they are faced with selling the home of one of television and film’s most legendary actresses, Joan Collins.  As the fourth (yes, fourth) brokers to hold the listing within one year, viewers were certainly in for a treat as Tom and Mickey work to close a deal on the icon’s East Side apartment.

As the listing accumulates more time on the market, Tom and Mickey feel the pressure of not only selling the home, but revamping the decor of the 2,200-square-foot, 3-bedroom apartment, located in The Dorchster at 57th Street and Park Avenue.  While determined to keep the signature style of the Hollywood starlet intact, the two develop creative tactics to attract potential buyers to the home.

Enlisting the help of John Lyle, Mickey relies on the expertise of the high-profile designer to provide an elegant and sophisticated redesign of the home for an upcoming open house.  When asked by Mickey what words come to mind when he thinks of Joan Collins, John responds, “Glamour. Drama. Sexy.” To complete the bold decor concept, Mr. Lyle also calls in a favor from Connie Lee, Director at Doris Leslie Blau, a New York City gallery featuring exquisite antique rugs.  With almost $500,000 worth of textiles donated by the company, the team works to make the apartment showroom-ready.  Next, Tom connects with friend and noted musician Hilary Kole to provide on-site entertainment at the open house event.  The two meet at Steinway Hall, where a representative offers to loan a gorgeous Steinway & Sons piano for Hilary to play during her solo performance.

As Tom and Mickey regroup at Joan’s newly decorated home, they are greeted by the actress herself as she invites the duo in, offering each of them a glass of champagne.  As the three make their way into the apartment, Joan is thrilled with the pieces added to the home and anxious to see the fruits of Tom and Mickey’s hard work come to pass.  As the team finalizes the A-list invite list for the open house, both Tom and Mickey prepare to welcome some of the area’s top brokers and guests to the unveiling of the property.

The day of the open house arrives, as brokers and members of the media file into the apartment for a tour of the newly-appointed home. Wowed by the sophistication and drama of the bold new interior, guests are found mingling, conversing over the home’s features and enjoying the sounds of Hilary Kole.  Overall, the open house proves to be a success,  a truly fitting ode to Mrs. Collins.

Read below to find out what happened when the cameras stopped rolling and what didn’t make it into today’s episode of Selling New York! (more…)

The wait is over! This Friday, June 7th fans will be able to enjoy the season 7 premiere of the popular HGTV series “Selling New York“. Set to air in a new time slot at 11:00 AM EST, this week’s episode will feature CORE agents Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon as they sell the home of a celebrated actress. Have you ever wanted your questions about the show answered? Here’s your chance! During Friday’s premiere, join our live Twitter session with Tom and Mickey as they tweet in real time with “Selling New York” viewers right as the episode airs.  Follow Tom at @TomPostilio and Mickey at @mickeyconlon to join the conversation, and of course us at @CORE_RealEstate.  Stay tuned!

HGTV’s “Selling New York” follows CORE agents as they navigate the country’s most competitive—and compelling—real estate market. Here’s our behind-the-scenes look at Episode #613, which first aired on February 28, 2013. For more SNY recaps, click here.

In this week’s episode, CORE’s Tony Sargent has only a few weeks to sell his client’s apartment and find a new space for her growing family.

The couple and their 3-year old daughter have just welcomed twin boys into the family. Sarah and her husband quickly realize their 2-bedroom Bowery condo is too small. Prices on 3-bedroom lofts are rising fast, but they must sell their current home to be able to buy.

Sarah and Tony begin scouting for their dream TriBeCa home while her husband is working overseas and  prepare to list their Bowery loft. If he can organize everything properly, he could have two sales on his hands in a matter of weeks. Keep on reading for some exclusive behind-the-scenes information on what didn’t make it into last night’s episode of “Selling New York” and what happened after the cameras stopped rolling!

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HGTV’s “Selling New York” follows CORE agents as they navigate the country’s most competitive—and compelling—real estate market. Here’s our behind-the-scenes look at Episode #612, which first aired on February 21, 2013. For more SNY recaps, click here.

In this episode, CORE’s Michael Graves is looking to outdo himself by breaking his own high sales record in the same building, 240 Park Avenue South. But CORE’s CEO Shaun Osher is skeptical Michael will be able to outdo the price of the penthouse apartment, which sold at the height of the real estate market. Keep on reading for some exclusive behind-the-scenes information on what didn’t make it into last night’s episode of “Selling New York” and what happened after the cameras stopped rolling!

• 240 Park Ave South and its warm community of residents hold a special place in Michael’s heart.  As fate would have, it his first real estate transaction was Penthouse 15A in the building – a direct deal that broke all price-per-square-footage records in the building which set him on a course of success that he could never have imagined.
• Since that time, Michael has become friends with many residents and has worked hard to increase their property value by swiftly selling more units at record breaking prices, such as 9A seen in tonight’s episode.
• Michael wishes we had more time to show the inner workings of these deals and the wonderful people who were involved along the way. What can he say is that Susan Kennedy is one of the most professional and pleasurable brokers in the industry. It was a total joy to work with her and her clients and they had a lot of laughs and fun along the way. Michael is certain that 240 Park Avenue South will continue to prove itself as one of the best buildings downtown and he is looking forward to his next deal there soon.

HGTV’s “Selling New York” follows CORE agents as they navigate the country’s most competitive—and compelling—real estate market. Here’s our behind-the-scenes look at Episode #610, which first aired on February 7, 2013. For more SNY recaps, click here.

In this week’s episode of “Selling New York,” CORE’s Tom Postilio faces losing the exclusive on an Upper West Side listing. The striking home at 55 West 95^th Street has gotten plenty of foot traffic but Tom is continually facing the same concern among potential buyers- the high price tag and high monthly maintenance charges.

In order to show the seller that the price of the apartment is not matching up with comparable properties on the market, Tom brings the seller’s representative around to view similar listings. Then they all return to the CORE office to call the seller and suggest that he reduce the price and offer a buyer incentive to off-set the monthly charges. This is not an easy conversation and the pressure is on to find a buyer before two months is up.

With the adjusted price tag and the unique incentive offer, Tom was able to attract more potential buyers to the listing. Keep on reading for some exclusive behind-the-scenes information on what didn’t make it into last night’s episode of “Selling New York” and what happened after the cameras stopped rolling!

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HGTV’s “Selling New York” follows CORE agents as they navigate the country’s most competitive—and compelling—real estate market. Here’s our behind-the-scenes look at Episode #608, which first aired on January 17, 2013. For more SNY recaps, click here.

In SNY episode #608 entitled “Slide Show,” Elizabeth Kee and Lindsee Silverstein team up to list a penthouse in the “A Building” at 425 East 13^th Street. The seller is a young, world class poker player who has taken his bachelor pad up a notch with a sculptural slide that combines two penthouse apartments. This listing is a true game changer with a sprawling floor plan, multiple private outdoor spaces and a game/media room. Combined with a double height atrium and floor-to-ceiling windows which offer open city views, this penthouse with a slide is a truly a unique dream home.

After 15 other potential agents were interviewed, Elizabeth and Lindsee were selected to list this unique property because of their candor about the face-lift needed to achieve the seller’s ambitious asking price. Also, their creative ways offered to market the apartment without removal of the slide (as most other agents suggested) sealed the deal. With the slide remaining, these resourceful agents were able to lose the frat house feel and upgrade the property to emulate a sleek home – perfect for entertaining.

Part of the customized marketing plan included an influencer’s event, which targeted young, influential industry gurus, who this listing would appeal to.  The catered event with a noted local mixologist, renowned spin artist, and prominent sommelier added to the event’s huge success.

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HGTV’s “Selling New York” follows CORE agents as they navigate the country’s most competitive—and compelling—real estate market. Here’s our behind-the-scenes look at Episode #606, which first aired on January 3, 2013. For more SNY recaps, click here.

In this week’s episode of “Selling New York,” CORE’s Mickey Conlon plays real estate matchmaker for a couple from Australia looking for their dream New York pied-a-terre.  The bar is set high when they express they want a quintessential New York home for $600,000- $800,000.  Views, premium finishes, iconic location? Mickey had his work cut out for him to find a listing with all of those boxes checked off (not to mention his buyer only has a few days in the states to view properties).

Advising that the budget set forth would be extremely limiting, Mickey takes a risk and shows his client, Sue Heath, an apartment priced at more than double their original budget to educate her on what price point would meet their expectations. 400 Fifth Avenue embodies New York City luxury living with premium finishes, breathtaking views and a sleek and modern feel. The buyers want to bring the price closer to their limit so they put in a low offer. Mickey advises against this because he is apprehensive the sponsor won’t take the offer seriously and they will lose their credibility as potential buyers.

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HGTV’s “Selling New York” follows CORE agents as they navigate the country’s most competitive—and compelling—real estate market. Here’s our behind-the-scenes look at Episode #604, which first aired on December 20, 2012. For more SNY recaps, click here.

In SNY episode #604 entitled “For some clients, the answer to their real estate woes is written in the stars,” Vickey Barron’s repeat client, Robert Lighton, is ready to sell his apartment at 256 West 10^th Street and relocate to Nyack, NY. Vickey is excited to help Robert sell the apartment since she originally helped him purchase it; however, Robert throws Vickey a curve ball when he mentions a precise time to list the apartment as suggested by his astrologist.

Vickey agrees to list the apartment within Robert’s requested timeframe and takes a tour of the reconfigured space. Originally a 3-bedroom apartment, Robert completely renovated the space and converted it into a large 1-bedroom with 9-foot tall solid wood doors, teak wood floors, a redesigned master bathroom and various antique accents.

After touring the apartment and agreeing to list the apartment at $2.825M, Vickey suggests throwing an event for her single clients to mingle and view the space. Robert agrees to the idea as he wants any and every potential buyer to see the property.

Vickey hosts a matchmaking bash in the apartment and is happy to report back to Robert that she received two new offers, one of which was all cash and Robert agrees that it’s a winner. Keep on reading for some exclusive behind-the-scenes information on what didn’t make it into last night’s episode of Selling New York and what happened after the cameras stopped rolling! (more…)

HGTV’s “Selling New York” follows CORE agents as they navigate the country’s most competitive—and compelling—real estate market. Here’s our behind-the-scenes look at Episode #609, which first aired on December 13, 2012. For more SNY recaps, click here.

In this week’s episode of “Selling New York,” CORE broker Adrian Noriega is tasked with selling a colorfully designed and meticulously clean apartment in the Flatiron District. Although the apartment is picture perfect, Adrian’s seller, Phoebe, requests that no open houses be held. Faced with the challenge of getting potential buyers in the door through different marketing strategies, Adrian is up for the task of trying to get his client’s property sold at a premium price.

After agreeing to no open houses, Adrian gets to work on showing the apartment and makes sure that all guests take off their shoes, put on surgical booties to keep the apartment looking pristine, and even takes guests’ coffee at the door to avoid any messes. Although some buyers weren’t interested in the apartment’s views or the color-saturated living room with mod furniture, others absolutely loved the design aesthetic.

Weeks later, Adrian takes a ride to Phoebe’s home in New Jersey for an update on his progress with showings and happily presents an all-cash offer for $3.1M. Phoebe is pleased about the offer; however, Adrian suggests that he can get an even higher offer if Phoebe agrees to an open house. With some hesitation, she agrees to one open house and trusts Adrian’s expertise.

The open house goes well – with booties and all – and Adrian happily presents a higher offer to Phoebe. After all is said and done, the apartment sells for $3.375M, well over its original asking of $3.295M. Keep on reading for some exclusive behind-the-scenes information on what didn’t make it into last night’s episode of “Selling New York” and what happened after the cameras stopped rolling! (more…)