Photo collage of CORE's Vickey Barron, matchmaker Samantha Daniels and 256 West 10th Street via The Real Deal.

What makes a person really tick? Just ask their real estate broker. People share everything with their brokers — their hopes, dreams, likes, dislikes, wants, desires and, of course, their financials. In fact, you could argue there’s no one more qualified to pair a single person up with the perfect mate than that person’s house hunter. With that in mind, and with Valentine’s Day approaching, CORE Managing Director Vickey Barron is setting out to prove that home truly is where the heart is. The Real Deal reports that Barron has teamed up with professional matchmaker Samantha Daniels for an event called “Love and Real Estate.” The invitation-only event, held at Barron’s listing at 256 West 10th Street, will include a group of her single clients as well as some of Daniels’. It’s not as crazy as it sounds.

(more…)

A sampling of last week’s press coverage of CORE and CORE properties.

“Added Life, Costs on West 29th Street”
Wall Street Journal
The WSJ included Parul Brahmbhatt’s quirky listing at 120 West 29th Street (right) in its look at how the boutique Ace Hotel has transformed the neighborhood now being referred to as NoMad. We took a closer look at the topic last week.

“Manhattan Sales and Rental Projects Hitting the Market in 2012″
Curbed
The 54-unit Walker Tower, an ultra-luxury Art Deco condo conversion being brought to the market in the spring, is highlighted in Curbed’s map of new developments to watch in 2012.

“Development updates”
The Real Deal
The Real Deal reported that just two apartments remain available at 83 Franklin, the new Tribeca luxury rental building that starred on an episode of “Selling New York” last month. Apartments in the building have rented for up to $22,500 a month.

“On the Market in New York City”
New York Times (12/4)
This past weekend’s On the Market slideshow included a visit to a two-bedroom CORE listing at 247 West 46th Street (above), a stunning glass tower named the Platinum. Here’s what the Times said about the apartments “pros:” Floor-to-ceiling windows offer stunning southern and western views of the city and the Hudson. Designer finishes and high-end appliances are virtually brand-new.

“2012 residential market predictions: As clear as eggnog”
The Real Deal (12/1)
The real estate magazine asked a number of top real estate minds to review the state of the market and make some predictions for where the market is headed in the new year. What’s holding back the current market? According to CORE Senior Vice President Doug Bowen, a lack of new product and a tricky mortgage landscape.

“Core takes over for BHS at 1280 Fifth”
The Real Deal (11/28)
The Real Deal’s website broke the news of CORE taking over the sales and marketing of 1280 Fifth Avenue, a new 116-unit tower designed by Robert A.M. Stern that faces Central Park. Word quickly spread to other sites, like Citybiz and Harlem Condo Life.

Over the years CORE has established itself as the market leader in new development sales, and that shows no signs of slowing as the New York City real estate world heads into what promises to be an exciting 2012. This month has already seen continued strong sales at 305W16 and the dramatic unveiling of Walker Tower, and now CORE is thrilled to announce that it will handle all sales and marketing efforts at the Robert A.M. Stern-designed 1280 Fifth Avenue effective immediately. The Real Deal just broke the news that the 116-unit Central Park condominium tower, developed by Brickman, has been taken over by CORE, and Tom Postilio, Natalie Rakowski and Parul Brahmbhatt — under the direction of CORE CEO Shaun Osher — will be steering the sales effort.

A brand new “modern traditionalist” collection of residences sitting atop the future Museum for African Art, the 21-story 1280 Fifth Avenue completes Fifth Avenue’s famed Museum Mile, serving as the northern border of a stretch that includes cultural landmarks like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum. Add those artistic surroundings to timeless architecture and staggering Central Park views that only a Fifth Avenue address can provide, and it’s no secret why 1280 Fifth Avenue will be a desired place to call home. “We’re incredibly excited to lead this development,” said Shaun Osher. “1280 Fifth Avenue offers unparalleled architecture, layout and design – set in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in New York City.”

The building has studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes as well as penthouses ranging up to 2,118 square feet, and the units are ready for occupancy. Amenities include a rooftop swimming pool, children’s play room, residents’ lounge, catering kitchen and private dining room, and prices range from $595,000 to approximately $3.25 million. For more on the building, click here.

“Halal and hipsters on West 29th Street”
The Real Deal (11/1)
West 29th Street is in the midst of transforming from gritty to glam in the wake of the success of the Ace Hotel, and The Real Deal spoke to CORE Senior Vice President Lawrence Rich (right) about the changes in the neighborhood, and what’s to come.

“3 residential brokerages shift into drive”
Crain’s (11/8)
Crain’s on CORE’s growth, including the recent relocation of CORE’s main corporate office to a 5,000-square-foot space in the Flatiron District at 104 Fifth Avenue. Said CORE CEO Shaun Osher: “There was an opportunity to move to this new space, that truly reflects our brand, in the most exciting office market in New York City.” Check out photos from CORE’s housewarming party on Facebook.

“Osher’s Core acquires residential firm R.P. Miller & Associates”
The Real Deal (11/8)
Residential real estate firm R.P. Miller & Associates, helmed by industry veteran Reba Miller, was acquired by CORE last week. The Real Deal got comments from Miller (who has sold over $1 billion in property during her long career) and CORE CEO Shaun Osher about the deal. Miller will take over the role of managing director of sales at CORE.

“Less Than $1M For a Pre-Civil War House in Fort Greene”
Curbed (11/9)
Doug Bowen’s and Win Brown’s listing for a historic townhouse at 141 Clermont Avenue in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, caught the eye of real estate blog Curbed, which remarked: “It’s currently configured as two one-bedroom apartments (squeezed into 1,324 square feet!) but would be easy enough to renovate into a single-family residence. Side bonus: the lot is 25′x100′ and it’s got a driveway.” This is the same Fort Greene charmer that was featured in CORE’s Three of a Kind last week.

“Steampunk fandom heats up”
CBS News “Sunday Morning” (10/30)
Comedian Mo Rocca got an inside look at “Steampunk” culture on the long-running TV news show, including a tour of the fantastically decorated loft at 120 West 29th Street (right), listed by CORE’s Parul Brahmbhatt.

“Buying up domain names in order to turn a profit”
The Real Deal (11/1)
CORE CEO Shaun Osher commented on the practice of real estate companies buying up Internet domains to direct more web traffic their way.

Dream Homes
New York Post (11/3)
The Post did a little bit of salivating over CORE broker Stuart Sussman’s four-bedroom, 4 1/2-bathroom, 3,579-square-foot penthouse listing in Chelsea’s Yves building, which is asking $10.4 million.

“Chelsea Housing Gets Google Lift”
Wall Street Journal (11/4)
CORE’s 305W16 development was highlighted as one of the new residential buildings contributing to a post-Google housing boom in Chelsea. Read more: The Real Deal, Betabeat

“Psst, Seller: Your Stove Is Showing Its Age”
New York Times (11/6)
In the weekend’s Real Estate section cover story, veteran CORE broker Michael Garr talked about the benefits of sellers renovating their homes when putting them on the market.

The push for transparency in the real estate industry has been a big reason why the listings and real estate data website StreetEasy has become such a force so quickly, racking up over 15 million pageviews per month on its way to becoming New York City’s most-searched real estate website. That same drive for transparency has always been an important part of CORE’s view of the evolving real estate marketplace (and it’s also what made CORE an early industry supporter and friend of StreetEasy), so it was only natural for the two companies to get together and collaborate on a cool new toy. It’s called CORE Control, and it’s the first listing and client management platform built in collaboration with StreetEasy.

As StreetEasy CEO Michael Smith told The Real Deal today in its story about the launch of CORE Control, “It is clear to everyone that the role of the broker is changing; it’s about service now.” CORE Control will help bring that service to new levels. Here’s how.

(more…)

Need further proof that the Manhattan luxury real estate market never takes a day off, not even in the summer? Then check out The Real Deal’s report on 305W16, the 53-unit Chelsea cond-op being marketed by CORE. The building launched sales with a show-stopping rooftop party in June, at the start of what is typically considered a slow season when it comes to buying and selling property. Less than three months later, over 50% of the building’s apartments are in contract, and closings have kicked off, The Real Deal notes. The building has a massive attention-grabbing sculpture on its roof, but CORE’s Shaun Osher tells TRD the project stands out in other ways as well:

While the aforementioned sculpture has certainly contributed to the building’s unique identity, Osher said Core is using the cond-op’s website to market the building in a unique way. Rather than a traditional website, this is a blog updated regularly by the Core marketing team with news on the building and the Chelsea neighborhood.

“It connects to the person who is buying in this building,” Osher said, noting that the budding technology scene nearby, including Google’s new office across the street, is bringing in young, tech-savvy entrepreneurs. “[The website] is a living, breathing conduit of information for people that are constantly on the Internet.”

Speaking of the tech-savvy, they can click here for more details on 305W16’s current availability.

I look forward to going to The Real Deal New Development Forum every year to feel the pulse of the industry and see familiar faces from every facet of the vibrant New York City Development community. This year was no exception. As Director of Marketing for CORE Group Marketing I am put to the task of assembling teams with representatives from a multitude of professions within the development industry. These diverse components are a crucial factor in the overall success of a project and speak directly to the bottom line, achieving the highest price per square foot for the developer client. Representatives from the fields of law, architecture, finance, advertising, web design, building management, A/V products, public relations, media, concierge services and developers were in abundance and it was a pleasure to speak with them to truly appreciate all the effort that produces the Unites States’ most vibrant real estate economy. I look forward to seeing all of you next year with more great projects to work together on. In the meantime, I am curious to know which speaker you enjoyed most and which part of the event was most valuable to you?