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 10th 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!
1) Vickey plays matchmaker in more ways than one. The SNY cameras captured the success of Vickey’s Love & Real Estate event by showing the mass of people who found their way into the apartment; however, Vickey truly went the extra mile for her single clients. She partnered with celebrity matchmaker Samantha Daniels to pair some of her clients with Vickey’s. On top of that, guests were greeted with custom bracelets made by Brooklyn-based WRecords by Monkey that were color categorized by the neighborhood they lived in. It was the perfect ice breaker and gift for attendees.
2) Party favors, anyone? As an addition to the evening’s festivities, Vickey took the time to publish a mini book on all things “Love and Real Estate,” noting that “When you’re searching for love or real estate, keep these tips in mind.” Here are a view pointers from the book:
If the description online sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The photos may not represent the real thing.
One that is all dolled up, may not look that way in the morning.
3) If those walls could talk. In the episode, Vickey explained to viewers that Robert’s 1-bedroom apartment was actually a 3-bedroom when he originally bought it. Not only is it rare to find an apartment downsize in bedrooms, but it can also be difficult to sell since there aren’t many apartments to compare it to. Vickey is a firm believer in a customized property’s ability to sell at a premium price and notes that buying Robert’s apartment was the same as buying a piece of art.
4) Working with the stars. Although there was a short scene where Vickey and Robert discussed his astrologer’s suggestions for signing the exclusive agreement, Vickey explains that she and Robert used the same astrologer when selling Robert’s last apartment which was a huge success.
5) Real estate is a numbers game. In addition to an astrologer, numerology played a large part in the pricing and selling of Robert’s apartment. 8 is a lucky number in numerology, so Vickey and Robert priced the apartment at $2.825M. When the numbers are added together they form 17, and….1 + 7 equals 8. And you thought numbers only came into play on the negotiation table.