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, “Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone,” which first aired on July 25th. For more SNY recaps, click here:
In this week’s episode of Selling New York, Limor Nesher steps out of her comfort zone and challenges her clients and potential buyers to do the same when she’s faced with the task of selling a three-story, mixed-use building in East Harlem. Located at 251 East 110th Street, it doesn’t take long before Limor realizes that the property requires a specific buyer: an artistic, Downtown personality with sophisticated, Uptown taste.
The listing, a 4,910-square foot, 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom townhouse is currently used as the both owners’ art gallery/showroom and home when Limor first visits the unique property. An artist herself, Limor immediately connects with the space and is driven by the challenge of selling the home.
In a creative attempt to market both the property and the neighborhood, Limor enlists the help of Jacqueline Orange of ArtCrawl Harlem in hopes that she will help brokers and potential buyers grow to love the hip, burgeoning neighborhood as much as she does.
“When I was first introduced to Jacqueline and ArtCrawl Harlem, it immediately seemed like the perfect way to introduce the area to potential buyers and myself,” said Limor. “Locals are always the best reference; they know everything beyond the surface and are generally honest and sincere about their hometown.”
It was on this tour that Limor not only learned more about her listing and its neighborhood, but also herself. “The energy in the neighborhood was palpable. You can feel the change where the new atmosphere collides with the rich history of the neighborhood.”
Ultimately, Limor successfully sold the property for $1.74 million and gained a tremendous amount personally. 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!
1) Take risks: What viewers didn’t see is that Limor got the listing by simply calling the owner after seeing a “For Sale By Owner” advertisement online. “The description ‘art gallery in mixed-use space’ drew my attention as an artist,” said Limor. “I knew it wouldn’t be an easy job – there were no comps for a mixed-use townhouse nearby, the taxes were much higher than average because of the commercial space and the area was a tough sell, but I saw the potential.”
2) Be authentic: “I met some artists that are so true to themselves that they’d rather eat less in pursuit of their work – they live for their art,” said Limor. “That’s an old-fashioned attitude that I appreciate.”
3) Get creative: With no comps – or comparable sales – Limor was forced to get creative. “The good thing about that was because it meant that other people didn’t have them either,” joked Limor. “All I could do was emphasize the growing potential of the house and area. I actually sent neighborhood growth analysis information to buyers to show them the growth of the area and where it’s headed.”
4) New beginnings: “I’m happy to say that the new owners love their new neighborhood and home,” said Limor. “They’re high-end, artistic-minded Downtowners that saw the potential of the area and grabbed the opportunity to combine a few business ventures they had. The top floor remained residential.”
5) What you didn’t see: The master bathroom had a vintage Kate Spade sink that was very important to the seller because it had been passed down the family for years – but he never mentioned taking it along as part of the deal! After long negotiations, the seller agreed to replace it for another one of the same value.
Some of Limor’s neighborhood favorites? Savoy Bakery, Rise and Grind coffee shop, Patsy’s Pizza, Ricardo Steak House, ABV Wine Bar, Marcus Garvey Park and Yoga Bliss.
Stay tuned for more episodes of Selling New York. Be sure to check out more epilogues right here on the CORE Blog!
