REALITY TV, REAL RESULTS?

Thursday is typically “Selling New York” day on the CORE Blog, but you may have noticed that we’ve been quiet about the show in recent weeks. That’s because reruns have been airing on HGTV (including tonight’s re-airing of Parul Brahmbhatt’s “Steampunk apartment” launch) while new episodes are being filmed — new episodes that will be featuring CORE agents, of course. During this brief “SNY” pause, the topic of the real estate industry embracing reality television remains a hot topic. The current issue of The Real Deal magazine examines the connection, and wonders whether small screen exposure leads to big property sales. The jury is still out on that verdict, but shows like “Selling New York” do help drive interest and shape opinions. The Real Deal’s Katherine Clarke details one interesting example involving CORE’s Tom Postilio:

At the Urban Glass House condo in Soho, for example, sales had virtually stalled because of a much-publicized odor problem from a sanitation facility next door. An agent with two listings in the building, Core’s Tom Postilio, decided to spread the word about newly unveiled city plans for a new building to house the odorous garbage trucks.

“I spearheaded an effort, through ‘Selling New York,’ to show how fabulous the building is, factoring in the city’s plans,” said Postilio, who arranged an on-camera meeting with other brokers to strategize about how to reinvent the building’s image.

(more…)