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 95th 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!
1. A New York icon. Part of the intrigue with SNY is that viewers get a glimpse into one of the most captivating cities in the world through the personalities, properties and various venues. In this episode we see Tom & Mickey bring the seller’s representative to a New York establishment- Nick & Toni’s Cafe. The owners are long-time friends of Tom and Mickey’s and they have been going to the original East Hampton outpost for years. They love bringing clients and friends to the UWS location which opened in the mid-90s. If you get the chance to visit, Tom & Mickey recommend starting with the amazing zucchini chips and ending with the giant homemade tartufo. (Tom has been known to eat an entire tartufo by himself, but his trainer no longer allows that!)
2. Unmatchable glamour. Tom knew that the original asking price on the listing was too high from his market expertise and from potential buyer feedback. But proving this to his client was not easy, especially because finding comps to walk his seller’s representative through was extremely difficult. Finding an apartment that had the same level of class and glamour was near impossible. Luckily Tom was able to make his case with a select group of listings that contained similar key features that would appeal to buyers.
3. Design details. This home had no shortage of beautiful décor; however there were some things that needed to be hidden from buyers. As a clothing designer, the seller often had pieces from his collection at home so when showings were scheduled, Tom had to make sure that the residence didn’t look like backstage at NYFW with garment bags all over.
4. All tied up. The always sharply dressed Tom Postilio learned a valuable lesson during this episode- always wear a tie when filming. Tom was wearing a shirt with an open collar and no tie and it was extremely tricky for the sound guys to secure his microphone inconspicuously. After many adjustments they were able to make it work but you will never again catch Tom tie-less on camera.
5. A rare bird. It’s not surprising to walk into a Manhattan home and see a unique painting or sculpture, etc. But a stuffed albino peacock? If you went into this UWS residence you would see one of those too. And this creature did not get lost in the mix, every person who stepped through the door commented on it. Tom said the editors probably had to sort through countless references to the stunning bird but he managed to get the last word when he closed out the episode saying he was “as proud as a peacock.”