http://www.aclawrence.com/news Media and press releases from www.aclawrence.com www.aclawrence.com info@aclawrence.com (Larry Friedman) http://www.aclawrence.com/news/631 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/631 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: May 16, 2013 Article: Graduates getting a taste of real life as city rental market is squeezed tight Author: Orlando Rodriguez An annual New York City ritual usually happens around this time, recent college graduates pour into town, degrees in hand, clutching their suitcases and money for their first big city apartment.At the same time, those who arrived last year or the year before, face their own dilemma to look for a new place or stay put, as their leases expire en masse.For rental brokers, this is a time to clean up, or make up for a slow winter. But this year things are different.Rent rates have remained flat and existing tenants facing some of the lowest vacancy rates in years, are choosing to renew their leases rather than risk a very tight rental market.In the past, owners who had a turnover of 10% a year, now have close to zero, said Marc Lewis, chairman of AC Lawrence.This is unheard of in Manhattan. Normally this is the time of year that leases come up. Usually there is a glut of inventory. With this in mind, tenants at the end of their leases should take a close look at the market and their options before committing to making a move, he said.Manhattans vacancy rate for the month of April was a paltry 1.58 percent, below the average over the past five years, according to Miller Samuel Inc. and Douglas Elliman. The Upper East Side has the lowest vacancy rate at 1.04 percent.Rental prices are up 6.5 percent over last year, but were virtually unchanged from March, according to Douglas Elliman.Because of low vacancy leading to limited options for tenants, landlords have decided to continue to be stingy with doling out concessions.Douglas Elliman reported that only 4.7 percent of all leases signed through the brokerage in April had any kind of concession, while Citi Habitats reported that number to be slightly higher at 9 percent.As far as prices are concerned, three bedroom apartments are the units that have seen the biggest price jump since last month, from $4,949 a month for leases signed in March, to $5136 a month on average for those signed in April, according to Citi Habitats.Two bedroom apartments in elevator buildings were also up more than the rest, jumping 3.3 percent, or $100 dollars more from March to April, according to AC Lawrence.Although, they still have lower overall prices, Harlem and Washington Heights were the areas that saw the highest percentage jumps from March to April. The average price for a rental uptown rose by 13.2 percent, the highest in Manhattan, according to Miller Samuel Inc.In Harlem, the average rental price has gone up more than 18 percent since 2012, while the number of new rentals has dipped by 41.7 percent since last year.That is leading to limited low-cost options for those looking to move, putting landlords in the drivers seat.Brokers are reporting that the landlords market is leading to some of the largest rent increases for existing tenants they have seen in a while.In the past, it was very common for an owner to give a home discount to an existing tenant, said Lewis. They thought it was better to not have a vacancy as the loss of rent and painting and cleaning cost was not worth the increase.Now, with rents up as much as 30% in the past five years, owners are in many cases asking for full rents on renewals. Tenants dont really have many options so they are paying 10-30% more to stay put. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/630 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/630 Publication: AC Lawrence Date: May 03, 2013 Article: BELLMARC MOVES WEST SIDE OFFICE TO NEW LOCATION Author: Charlotte Kullen BELLMARC MOVES WEST SIDE OFFICE TO NEW LOCATION- Rapidly-Growing Real Estate Brokerage Goes Broadway -NEW YORK CITY May 3, 2013 Bellmarc announced it is moving its West Side office into a new location this week. Bellmarc Group partners chose the 2200 Broadway, at 78th Street, location for its busy sidewalk and street-life activity, the presence of every major West Side and subway and bus line, and the growing client demand for homes on Manhattans West Side.Bellmarcs West Side office manager, Veronica Raehse, who has been with the Manhattan brokerage for 26 years, will continue to lead the brokerages West Side team.Our new West Side address at 2200 Broadway is ideal for both our clients dashing from the subway to meet with their Bellmarc sales agents in the office to discuss listings, offers and board packages, and for our team, which is thrilled that more passersby will see our exclusives in window displays and stop in to chat about the market, while they are working with sun flooding in from the main levels double exposure through the entire office, said Raehse. With so many changes going on at Bellmarc and tremendous growth underway, the newly-renovated office and fresh dcor feel part of our upward and onward movement to helping build the citys real estate future.On the heels of the 2200 Broadway office opening, Bellmarc next will be expanding into the Upper West Side, with a new Broadway location designed to serve the residential needs north of the West Side offices current reach. Bellmarcs West Side agents will be able to choose between the two offices and top-producing agents will have their own dedicated office space.The Upper West Side office will be the eighth office for The Bellmarc Group, which is composed of Bellmarc and AC Lawrence. Between the two brokerages, the company totals about 550 agents and is growing rapidly through its recruiting and agent referral programs. This is an exciting time to be in New York City real estate. While so many clients today first make contact through our website or see us in advertising and through their friends, we firmly believe having a street-level presence in the major neighborhoods we serve is a huge part of our branding, and a personal way to serve our clients, said Neil Binder, President, The Bellmarc Group.About The Bellmarc GroupThe Bellmarc Group is a limited liability company based in New York City, founded in 2012. In its first year, The Bellmarc Group added Bellmarc and AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC to its member companies. About Bellmarc BrokerageFounded in 1979, Bellmarc is one of the oldest residential sales brokerages in New York City. Bellmarc is widely recognized as the leader in agent sales training, spearheaded by company co-founder Neil Binder, who wrote The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Coops and Condos in New York City, which serves as the initial primer for the Bellmarc training courses. It joined The Bellmarc Group in 2012. For additional information: www.bellmarc.com http://www.aclawrence.com/news/628 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/628 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Apr 17, 2013 Article: Too many looking for too few apartments Author: Orlando Lee Rodriguez Levels of inventory for all categories of rentals and sales have fallen throughout the city to lows not seen in quite a while, according to multiple first quarter reports released by the citys residential brokerages and real estate associations.A sign that the last of the stock accumulated during the housing crisis may be disappearing, active inventory has dropped as much as 36 percent in Manhattan since 2011, according to data released by Warburg Realty.Douglas Elliman reported similar findings over the quarter, saying their Manhattan inventory has fallen for seven consecutive months to its current level of 1.46 percent.Right now the inventory is the lowest Ive seen it since the peak in 2007, said Robb Pair, president of both Harlem Lofts and the Manhattan Association of REALTORS. We had an open house yesterday and over 60 separate clients came through.Pair said that inventory is down, at least in Harlem, because customers are end users looking to settle in for the long term and not investors looking to make a fast buck.That has led to record sale prices for townhouses uptown, with one brownstone selling for close to $3 million, according to the Harlem Quarterly Townhouse Report.Harlem has a much smaller stock of brownstones than the borough of Brooklyn, yet that market is finding itself in a similar situation when it comes to inventory.Douglas Elliman reported inventory has hit its lowest level in five years. While The Corcoran Group said that there is impressive demand for lingering low levels of supply.Like Harlem, inventory levels are having a positive effect on Brooklyn sale prices, with the average home price up 14 percent over 2012, according to the Real Estate Board of New York.Meanwhile, average prices for Brooklyn condos have risen 20 percent and co-op prices have gone up by nine percent in the past year, according to REBNY.Manhattan, however, was a mixed bag.Median sale prices in Manhattan rose, with REBNY reporting a seven percent hike compared with the first quarter of 2012 and Douglas Elliman reporting a 5.9 percent increase.But rents were down, according to AC Lawrence and Citi Habitats, as much as 4.2 percent in the three bedroom category.SoHo and Tribeca continue to command the highest rental prices, averaging between $2,415 for a studio to $7,217 for a three bedroom with a doorman just for the month of March, according to AC Lawrence.Citi Habitats reported similarly, finding SoHo and Tribeca rents averaging between $2,500 to $7,484 in the same period.Washington Heights and Inwood continue to have the cheapest Manhattan rents. Studios there begin at $1,647 a month, according to AC Lawrence, and $1,173 according to Citi Habitats.Upper Manhattan may, at the very least, be fielding more inquiries on the rental front in the coming months. Brokers say that in light of the job market slowing, customers are beginning to look for cheaper deals.We have noticed that the average [client] is looking to pay less rent and is more interested in areas where they can save, said Marc Lewis, chairman of AC Lawrence Real Estate, in a statement.With a relatively tight vacancy rate of around one percent, many tenants are forced to renew and pay a much higher rent than they can afford.But with demand outstripping supply before the busy summer season and prices on the rise, brokers may face challenges in finding enough stock that is within the borrowing reach or the rental capacity of their clients.With the lending sector still cautious, there is some unease on what these combined factors may bring, but overall the outlook remained positive.We are concerned about the impact of the lack of inventory, said Steven Spinola, president of REBNY in a statement.However, we are confident that the market will continue to improve as we progress into the second quarter of 2013. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/629 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/629 Publication: The New York Times Date: Apr 16, 2013 Article: RECENT LEASE Author: ROSALIE R. RADOMSKY $41/SQUARE FOOT$32,800 approximate annual rent118 East 28th Street (between Park Avenue South and Lexington Avenue)ManhattanA company specializing in nonpermanent glitter tattoos for children has signed a five-year lease for an 800-square-foot office on the fifth floor of this 10-story Gramercy Park building. The tattoo kits are sold online as well as to salons and stores.Tenant: East Coast Skin Care/GlittertoosTenant broker: Lillian Donnelly, A. C. Lawrence Real EstateLandlord: Windsor Management CorporationLandlord representative: Matthew Kiamie, Windsor Management Corporation http://www.aclawrence.com/news/627 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/627 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Apr 10, 2013 Article: New Listings Author: ManhattanUpper West Side203 W 89th St.$273,000Junior one bedroom in a pre-war co-op. High ceilings, hardwood floors throughout. Renovated kitchen with Big Chill Refrigerator and Bertazonni range. Close to Central Park and Riverside park on tree-lined street. Multiple transportation options. Buildings features a common laundry room, bike room and live-in super. Pets allowed with board approval. Sublets and guarantors allowed. listings agents: Shantal Cooper, David Bucci, AC Lawrence. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/624 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/624 Publication: The New York Times Date: Mar 18, 2013 Article: Residential Sales Around the Region Author: East Midtown $455,000 303 East 57th Street, The Excelsior107 weeks 1,100-sq-ft, postwar co-op; 24-hr, doormen, concierge, dining area, renovated kitchen, terrace, 3 exposures; maintenance $3,357, 14% tax deductible; listed at $480,000, Brokers: AC Lawrence; Halstead Property http://www.aclawrence.com/news/621 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/621 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Mar 13, 2013 Article: Leases Author: Charles River Development has leased 3,300 square feet on the ninth floor of 1040 Avenue of the Americas for a five-year term, according toe Brian G. Bey of AC Lawrence, who represented the tenant. Ryan Kass of the Newmark Grubb Knight Frank represented the landlord. Rent was $52 pfs. Charles River development Specializes in compliance and trade order systems. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/622 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/622 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Mar 13, 2013 Article: Leases Author: AC Lawrence announced that Lily Lin brokered a leased at 590 Fifth Avenue. Diamond company Andiamond signed a 10-year lease for 5,063 s/f of office space. Lily Lin represented the tenant. The landlord, Thor Fifth Ave LLC and 588-590 Fifth Ave LLC, was represented by Eric Cagner, Newmark Knight Frank. The landlord will build out the space. The tenant will install its own security door. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/623 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/623 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Mar 13, 2013 Article: Done Deals Author: Kew gardens140-35 bruden Cres. 301$205,000 Two bedroom in post-war elevatora building built in 1955. Building has alarm system; garage; garden; laundry room; common storage room. Unit has open layout with large living room and granite/ stainless steel kitchen with courtyard views. CC: $824. Asking Price $218,000; 39 weeks on the market. Brokers: Mariana Bekerman, AC Lawrence; Jodi Nath, Argo Residential. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/618 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/618 Publication: New York Observer Date: Mar 06, 2013 Article: Andiamond Relocates to 590 Fifth Avenue Author: Michael Ewing Andiamond LLC will be relocating their headquarters office in New York.The fine diamond company has signed a deal for 5,063 square feet at Thor Equities 590 Fifth Avenue.Their current lease will be expiring and [Andiamond LLC] needed a bigger space for their company as its [growing fast], said Lily Lin, vice president of commercial realty services at AC Lawrence Real Estate. They tried to find an office space that [is] close to their original office, for security purposes, and close to the Diamond District. They did want a Fifth Avenue address, if possible.The diamond company will be leaving their office at 587 Fifth Avenue in favor of the new office.Its all about location, especially for high-end fine diamond businesses, said Mrs. Lin. The security is [also] very important. Their original office is right across the street [and] it made it easy for them to move to this space.Plus 590 [Fifth Avenue] has a good lobby, she added. Its a much better quality building than they were in before.Andiamond LLCs space at 590 Fifth Avenue is brand new high-end pre-built that spans the entire eleventh floor. The space will feature three windowed offices in the front overlooking Fifth Avenue and a few windowed offices in the rear. The office will also have an interior conference room, a pantry, and an otherwise open floor plan.Mrs. Lin represented Andiamond in the transaction. Newmark Grubb Knight Franks Eric Cagner represented the landlord, officially listed as Thor Fifth Avenue and 580-590 Fifth Avenue LLC.The lease was set for 10 years and six months. The asking rent was $57 per square foot for the first five years of the lease, $59 per square foot for the second half, and included six months of free rent. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/619 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/619 Publication: The New York Times Date: Mar 05, 2013 Article: Recent Lease Author: $52/SQUARE FOOT$171,600 approximate annual rentRuby Washington/The New York Times1040 Avenue of the Americas1040 Avenue of the Americas (at West 39th Street)ManhattanA technology company has signed a five-year lease for 3,300 square feet on the ninth floor of this 22-story 1925 Midtown building.Tenant: Charles River DevelopmentTenant broker: Brian G. Bey, A. C. Lawrence & CompanyLandlord: 1040 Avenue of the Americas L.L.C.Landlord broker: Ryan Kass, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank http://www.aclawrence.com/news/620 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/620 Publication: The New York Times Date: Mar 05, 2013 Article: RECENT LEASE Author: $57/Square Foot$288,591 approximate annual rent590 Fifth Avenue (between 47th and 48th Streets)ManhattanA family-run diamond jewelry company has signed a 10-and-a-half-year lease, with six months rent-free, for 5,063 square feet on the 11th floor of this 18-story 1987 building, and plans to add a security door.Tenant: Andiamond L.L.C.Tenant broker: Lily Lin, A. C. Lawrence Real EstateLandlord: Thor Fifth Ave L.L.C. and 588-590 Fifth Ave. L.L.C.Broker: Eric Cagner, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank http://www.aclawrence.com/news/616 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/616 Publication: The New York Times Date: Feb 08, 2013 Article: Dear Owner: Please Sell Author: MICHELLE HIGGINS A shortage of New York City apartments for sale is forcing real estate agents to take extreme, if not desperate, measures in order to conjure up listings. One tactic is sending letters to all the two-bedrooms, say, in choice buildings to try to persuade their owners to sell. Another is buttering up the doorman for information on who might be inclined to move a couple with a baby on the way, perhaps, or newly empty nesters. Some brokers are trolling through expired listings in the hopes of reviving a dead deal. Others are digging through rental agreements to see when leases in coveted buildings might be coming due. And at least one broker has found that her years of volunteering at nursing homes have helped her find leads (more on that later). Working the phone, the Rolodex and even the memory, brokers say, is all part of the game now that listings have hit a record low. Just 5,160 apartments and town houses were on the market in Manhattan at the end of last year, according to the appraisal firm Miller Samuel. Thats the lowest number since comprehensive tracking began about 12 years ago. If you are a shoe salesman, you need shoes to sell, said Linette Semino, an associate broker at Warburg Realty. Otherwise youre not a shoe salesman. To stock her shelves, she has been scouring expired listings, contacting landlords to see if they will sell, and soliciting owners by letter on her buyers behalf. With listings so scarce, you have to think outside of the box, she said. Sure, most of these off-market exploits dont result in deals. But in some cases, they have produced the keys to a new home. Following are six strategies for creating inventory in a tight market. .Learn to Play ChessTova Weiner, an agent with A. C. Lawrence & Company, has been volunteering at nursing homes and retiree centers since grade school, never with any idea that it would end up benefiting her real estate career. One day an elderly woman asked what I do for a living, Ms. Weiner recalled. I told her Im a real estate agent. In less than 60 seconds I had the whole room gather around asking advice regarding their properties. I walked out of that nursing home that day with my hands full of listings. Ms. Weiner, who primarily handles commercial listings but also does some residential, says she continues to receive calls and referrals from the elders, as she respectfully refers to the people she has met in nursing homes over the years. They know everyone and everything thats in their neighborhood, she said. They know who is getting married, expecting a baby, getting divorced, moving, dying, selling and buying, and they know the story behind the vacant building down the street. Cant find what youre looking for? Ms. Weiner said, Just go to the park chess tables and ask. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/615 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/615 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Feb 01, 2013 Article: Who really owns NYCs real estate firms? Author: Katherine Clarke ...The Bellmarc GroupBeing a firms sole owner isnt for everyone. Neil Binder and Marc Broxmeyer cofounded Bellmarc Realty in 1979, and when Broxmeyer retired in 2010, Binder found that he did not like being at the helm by himself.I hated it, he said. You dont know if what youre doing is right, people agree with you all the time even when youre wrong and you dont have anyone bouncing dynamic ideas off of you, so youre basically deluding yourself.He set out to sell some of Broxmeyers 50 percent stake in the firm, and Bellmarc last year absorbed residential and commercial real estate brokerage AC Lawrence Real Estate.The consolidated company, known as the Bellmarc Group, has three equity partners, Binder said: Binder owns 65 percent, while AC Lawrence cofounders Anthony DeGrotta and Larry Friedman own a combined 35 percent.While Binder is the companys majority owner, an operating agreement put in place last fall gives equal control to all three parties. In other words, Binder, DeGrotta and Friedman all have an equal say in strategic decisions at the Bellmarc Group, including decisions on hiring and opening new offices. If a disagreement occurs, the issue is put to a vote.Binder insisted on the operating agreement, he said, because he didnt want an arrangement where the minority equity holders could be accepting my orders while not necessarily agreeing with me, he said. Thats how businesses fail.The trio regularly has creative differences they sometimes have to resort to a vote but Binder said thats the sign of a good business.... http://www.aclawrence.com/news/617 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/617 Publication: AC Lawrence Date: Feb 01, 2013 Article: Rental Training: The Way to Success Author: http://www.aclawrence.com/news/614 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/614 Publication: Brick Underground Date: Jan 29, 2013 Article: 9 curveball co-op board interview questions (and how to answer them) Author: 5. What are your political beliefs or with which political party are you affiliated? While this question is completely legal, it might be unexpected and throw you off your game.According to Neil Binder of the Bellmarc Group, its best to remain neutral whenever possible, especially if youre asked about a specific issue. I suggest that buyers attempt to take a very neutral position on political matters by saying that its an important issue and youre still considering the facts," he says.I actually guide my clients when I am [instructing them about] getting their reference letters not to get anything that has a political bent to it, says Feldman. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/613 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/613 Publication: The New York Times Date: Jan 17, 2013 Article: Residential Sales Around the Region Author: Suunyside$255,00047-39 40th Street, Queens4 bed, 3 baths, 17 weeks on the market48-year-old expanded Cape Cod; office, family room in basement, renovated bath; maintenance $619, 50% tax deductible; listed at $265,000, Brokers; Laffey Fine Homes; AC Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/612 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/612 Publication: The Real Estate Weekly Date: Jan 16, 2013 Article: Home teams say own goal pushing apartment prices up Author: Orlando Rodriguez Rising rents are fueling demand among buyers for large Manhattan apartments, according to first quarter reports. More families, developers say, are opting to stay in the city, rather than migrate to the suburbs. We are seeing huge demand for larger units where families want to stay in NY and locals who live here want to stay, said Laurie Golub, chief operating officer of HFZ Capital. As new schools open, like the Avenue School downtown and some of the NYC public schools that have been approved, where there is demand to stay families are driving prices of larger units up. A year end study compiled by appraisal firm Miller Samuel, also found the pricing trend to be on an upward swing. Douglas Elliman reported their strongest fourth quarter sales in more than 25 years coupled with the lowest inventory in their sales portfolio in more than 10 years.Listing inventory fell to its lowest level since 2001, when we began tracking it, said Jonathan Miller, CEO of Miller Samuel. Tight credit is one of the key reasons for this fall in inventory. Sellers, when they sell, become buyers. The overall takeaway from the fall of 2012 is that record sales and falling inventory could very well result in rising prices of homes in 2013.As is traditional during the month of January, a slew of real estate organizations released their year-end reports and New Year forecasts. Most reported growth in 2012 of Manhattan apartment prices, with the borough experiencing the greatest appreciation gains in the country. This, as sales inventory continued to fall on the island. Rents on average grew overall between 4 to 5 percent during 2012 in New York proper, according to the annual market study of real estate value trends unveiled by Integra Realty Resources. Residential brokerages, which issue their own internal data reports, reported significant rental increases also despite a softening in 4th quarter prices. Over the past year Douglas Elliman reported a 10% increase in Manhattan rent, with Citi Habitats reporting a 5% rise for 2012. Continued demand resulted in a competitive market for apartment-seekers, said Gary Malin, president of Citi Habitats. Average rents are up across all apartment categories when comparing 2012 to 2011. Studio apartments rented for 4%, one and three bedroom homes both increased in price by an average of 5%. Differently than in past years, the effects of Hurricane Sandy increased demand for apartments during the normally slow month of December. AC Lawrence reported a 45% increase in transaction activity during the month of December over 2011. Our team at AC Lawrence felt some pent up demand from people who held off renting until December, said Marc Lewis, chairman of AC Lawrence. In past years, Ive said there are only eleven months in the rental calendar but because of Sandy, this was not the case. We experienced a much busier December than in the past. Most reports, internal and external, reported stability in vacancy rates throughout the year and into the foreseeable future. New York City leads the nation in vacancy rates, followed by San Francisco and Boston. New York has been hovering in the three to 3.1 range over the last two years, said Patrick C. Kerr, of Integra Realty Services. We see a fairly stable vacancy rate, in the 4% range projected over the next several years. That is also considering that there is going to be a lot of product coming online. Prices also rose across the river in New Jersey, but at a slower rate than Manhattan, growing by 3 percent in 2012. If you want to have a lower rent just hop on the PATH train and go over to Hoboken, said Raymond T. Cirz, chairman of Integra Realty Resources. You can reduce your rent by 25%. While the Gold Coast of New Jersey saw rates rise, some saw Brooklyn rents fall, but not all. The citys most populous borough remains immensely popular among a younger U.S. transplant population who are driving rental activity but resisting rental increases. According to Miller Samuel, Brooklyn transactions rose by 12.5% in December, but rents dropped by 2.6% during 2012, with a 5 percent drop in price in December alone. In contrast, MNS reported the opposite pricing trend in Brooklyn, seeing a 15.8% increase in prices for studios, 10.7% uptick for one-bedrooms and a 10.2% rise for two bedrooms. What this all means in terms of data consistency will have to be hashed out over time by individual market movers. Either way, some senior executives advise younger brokers not to take all data forecasts to heart when making every single market decision. Forecasts are always wrong, youre best doing the opposite, said chief executive officer of Vornado Realty Trust, Michael D. Fascitelli. We cant predict the future. We dont have a crystal ball. Your belly will tell you the right answers. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/607 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/607 Publication: Phil Star Entertainment Date: Jan 10, 2013 Article: Samantha, pals raise funds for Pablo victims Author: Rick Lo New York-based off-and-on actress Samantha Lopez-Edwards recently hosted a get-together for friends at popular French restaurant Felix in Lower Manhattan (NYC) to raise funds for victims of Typhoon Pablo (international codename Bopha). Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental look as if an atomic bomb exploded there because 90 percent of the area was destroyed! said Samantha in an interview with Big Apple correspondent Edmund Silvestre for Funfare, describing the disaster. As opposed to Ondoy, Katrina or even Sandy, Bopha caused the destruction of not just lives and homes but also the livelihood of these people. All banana plantations are destroyed. They can rebuild homes but they have no work. Samantha, who shot to fame as Gracia, the Showdown Girl of the longest noontime show Eat, Bulaga! in the mid-90s, said that the $20 donation from each of her friends will cover food and medicine. She wired a total of $1,000 early this week to her friend Carmina Mapa-del Rosario whose family lives an hour and a half away from the badly-hit towns. Carmina will take care of the distribution of donation through the Archdiocese of Davao del Norte, according to Samanthas New York-based friend Ria del Rosario-Santos, daughter of Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario. Its not much but it can go a long way for people who are just trying to survive, Samantha noted. Those people didnt even think about Christmas anymore. There are sick babies with gangrene limbs and who will most likely die. More than 1,000 perished, and thousands of families were displaced by the monster typhoon. This is the second time Samantha (who is a Cebuana) raised funds to help disaster victims. The first was during Ondoy, another super typhoon in December 2009. Even if we are far from home, we always have to do something for those who need help back home, she added. We cannot just sit back and watch. Little things when put together can help people in need. In fact, were looking at the possibility of holding a Filipino Night at least once a month at Felix to be able to raise emergency funding in case the need arises, even before calamity strikes. Felix is managed by Samanthas close friend, Anthea Robles, a former Miss Philippines-International. Samantha, who is now a licensed real estate salesperson connected to AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC, is married to Warren Edwards, a famous New York shoe designer. Im focused right now on my new career in real estate, but Im willing to accept acting projects kung maganda talaga at kaya ng time, said Samantha whose recent acting assignments include the GMA drama series Basahang Ginto and Time Of My Life. She came home for a brief vacation last year. . Among Samanthas special guests that night was Pinay supermodel Lucia Santiago who graces the December 2012 cover of Runners World magazine. Lucia, a UP Fine Arts graduate and currently finishing accounting, is best known as the fierce, leggy teenager from Angeles City, Pampanga, who beat Nina Ricci Alagao in the 1997 Elite Model Look Philippines. Nina, of course, was later crowned Miss Philippines-Universe in 2000. Towering at 511, Lucia was also the 1996 Body Shots winner. Still active in modeling in the Big Apple, she has worked with major brands like Armani Exchange and Baby Phat and has posed for ace fashion photographers. She has also done bit roles in some Hollywood films like The Devil Wears Prada and What Happens in Vegas, and in the TV shows Gossip Girl and Project Runway. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/609 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/609 Publication: NY Post Date: Jan 09, 2013 Article: Just sold! Author: ManhattanSUTTON PLACE $455,000303 E. 57th St.One-bedroom, 1 1/2-bath co-op, 1,100 square feet, with renovated kitchen and terrace with Central Park views; building features doorman, garage, health club with spa services, roof deck and storage. Maintenance $3,357, 14 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $480,000, on market two years. Brokers: Elayne Reimer, Halstead Property, and Mariana Bekerman, AC Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/611 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/611 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jan 09, 2013 Article: Done Deals Author: Sutton Place303 E 57 Street, 45D$455,000One Bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1100 s/f post war, full service white glove co-op. Driveway, garage, health, club, spa serives, pool laundry room on every floor, valet, rooftop deck, common storage, private storage; unit has views over Central Park. Open living room, renovated kitchen, bedroom overlooking terrace, easily converts to two bedrooms. CC; $3,357; 107 weeks on the market; Asking price $480,000. Brokers: Elayne Reimer, Halstead Property; Mariana Bekerman, AC Lawrence. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/605 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/605 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Jan 01, 2013 Article: Predicting the 2013 market- Residential rentals Author: Guelda Voien The Manhattan rental market has been white hot for some time. And the high end of the rental market will continue to fare well, thanks to international renters looking for New York City homes.Tight credit is definitely helping drive the upper end of the rental market, said Larry Friedman, principal at brokerage AC Lawrence.But at the middle and bottom of the market, renters are increasingly resisting rising rents.There will be a tipping point where you start pricing people out of the marketplace, predicted Gary Malin, president of brokerage Citi Habitats.Indeed, the middle and low segments of the rental market are also seeing an increasing number of renters take the plunge and purchasing, given the record-low interest rates. And, as TRD reported last month, Citi Habitats found that rental prices in Manhattan dropped across all apartment types between October and November, and that overall Manhattan rents slid $76 to $3,368 during that time.The pace of increase [in rents] has slowed in the last two months, year over year, Jonathan Miller, president of Miller Samuel, the real estate data firm, told TRD at the time. We could be reaching some sort of threshold; were getting more resistance to the rising rental market.With a lack of large-scale new rental developments in Manhattan, Malin said he expected new, amenity-rich buildings in the outer boroughs to continue to see strong activity, and noted that there may be more development of that sort as well.There are nice amenities at a significant discount to Manhattan, Malin said, pointing to new rental construction in Brooklyn and Queens.But, generally, expect more of the same in the rental market next year, real estate executives said. I think the vacancy rate will hover right around where it is, and concessions will continue to play the same role theyve been playing that of a marketing tool for new buildings not a financial incentive landlords feel they must provide, Malin said. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/601 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/601 Publication: Broker's Weekly Date: Dec 24, 2012 Article: Done Deal Author: 200 Riverside Boulevard $760,000One-bedroom, one-bath home in Trump Place facing south and west. Herringbone hardwood floors, washer/dryer, individual heat & air conditioning in each room. Full service, white glove condo, state of the art fitness center, pool, garage, spa. CC:$636; Asking price: $775,000. Six weeks on the market. Brokers: Saman-tha Lopez-Edwards, AC Lawrence: Barry Rodrick, Corcoran Group. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/603 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/603 Publication: Broker's Weekly Date: Dec 24, 2012 Article: AC Lawrence expands into former Manhattan Apartments space Author: AC Lawrence Real Estate announced that it is expanding its residential real estate operations to Manhattan's West Side, and will be moving some of its agents into an 11,000 s/f office at 729 Seventh Avenue in the Theater District. This marks significant growth for the full-service residential and commercial brokerage, which was acquired recently by The Bellmarc Group. The prime 729 Seventh Avenue loft location had been the offices of Manhattan Apartments Inc., a residential brokerage founded in 1984. Manhattan Apartments has now ceased operations. Its founder, CEO and president, Jerry Weinstein is joining AC Lawrence as a consultant, bringing 30 years of rentalsexpertise to the burgeoning firm. Neither holding company The Bellmarc Group nor AC Lawrence is acquiring or merging with Manhattan Apartments. Manhattan Apartments agents are being encouraged to join AC Lawrence, though. A lawsuit between Manhattan Apartments and A.C. Lawrence & Company has been resolved."We are excited to expand to Manhattan's West Side, an area of tremendous appeal to renters and buyers with the wide range of housing inventory available, as well as the proximity to business, culture and transportation," said Larry Friedman, principal, The Bellmarc Group."We hope to welcome many of Manhattan Apartments agents to AC Lawrence, where they will have full access to our advances in real estate technology, such as our computerized key system, iPad client registration and many cutting edge Internet advances under development," said Anthony DeGrotta, principal, The Bellmarc Group."By joining AC Lawrence, our leadership team will be unparalleled in New York City in terms of landlord relationships, years in the rental business and name recognition,"said Weinstein, a well-known name in Manhattan rentals.Any Manhattan Apartments agents who wish to join AC Lawrence also will benefit from the new alliance with Bellmarc, which avails any interested agent of the full sales training program that was developed and is still taught by Neil Binder, co-founder of Bellmarc."I am pleased to offer Bellmarc's sales program and reach in the industry to a new group of agents. Having the opportunity to learn both rentals and sales makes the most well rounded agent, one who is able to best help a client with all possible needs," said Binder. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/597 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/597 Publication: The Real Estate Weekly Date: Dec 19, 2012 Article: AC Lawrence expands into former Manhattan Apartments space Author: Rew Staff AC Lawrence Real Estate announced that it is expanding its residential real estate operations to Manhattans West Side, and will be moving some of its agents into an 11,000 s/f office at 729 Seventh Avenue in the Theater District.This marks significant growth for the full-service residential and commercial brokerage, which was acquired recently by The Bellmarc Group.The prime 729 Seventh Avenue loft location had been the offices of Manhattan Apartments Inc., a residential brokerage founded in 1984.Manhattan Apartments has now ceased operations. Its founder, CEO and president, Jerry Weinstein is joining AC Lawrence as a consultant, bringing his 30 years of rentals expertise to the burgeoning firm.Neither holding company The Bellmarc Group nor AC Lawrence is acquiring or merging with Manhattan Apartments.Manhattan Apartments agents are being encouraged to join AC Lawrence, though. A lawsuit between Manhattan Apartments and A.C. Lawrence & Company has been resolved.We are excited to expand to Manhattans West Side, an area of tremendous appeal to renters and buyers with the wide range of housing inventory available, as well as the proximity to business, culture and transportation, said Larry Friedman, principal, The Bellmarc Group.We hope to welcome many of Manhattan Apartments agents to AC Lawrence, where they will have full access to our advances in real estate technology, such as our computerized key system, iPad client registration and many cutting edge Internet advances under development, said Anthony DeGrotta, principal, The Bellmarc Group.By joining AC Lawrence, our leadership team will be unparalleled in New York City in terms of landlord relationships, years in the rental business and name recognition, said Weinstein, a well-known name in Manhattan rentals.Any Manhattan Apartments agents who wish to join AC Lawrence also will benefit from the new alliance with Bellmarc, which avails any interested agent of the full sales training program that was developed and is still taught by Neil Binder, co-founder of Bellmarc.I am pleased to offer Bellmarcs sales program and reach in the industry to a new group of agents. Having the opportunity to learn both rentals and sales makes the most well rounded agent, one who is able to best help a client with all possible needs, said Binder. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/599 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/599 Publication: Citybiz List Date: Dec 13, 2012 Article: AC Lawrence Real Estate Expanding into 11,000 SF at 729 Seventh Ave Author: AC Lawrence Real Estate is expanding its residential real estate operations toManhattans West Side, and will be moving some of its growing agent roster into an 11,000-square-foot office at 729 Seventh Avenue, by 49th Street, in Manhattans Theater District, north of Times Square.The full-service residential and commercial brokerage was acquired recently by The Bellmarc Group.The 729 Seventh Avenue loft location had been the offices of Manhattan Apartments Inc., a residential brokerage founded in 1984. Manhattan Apartments has now ceased operations. Its founder, CEO and President, Jerry Weinstein is joining AC Lawrence as a consultant.Neither holding company The Bellmarc Group nor AC Lawrence is acquiring or merging with Manhattan Apartments. Manhattan Apartments agents are encouraged to join AC Lawrence. A lawsuit between Manhattan Apartments and A.C. Lawrence & Company has been resolved.The Bellmarc Group is a limited liability company based in New York City, founded in 2012. In its first year, The Bellmarc Group added Bellmarc and AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC to its member companies. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/593 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/593 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Dec 12, 2012 Article: Manhattan Apartments ceases operations, offers agents opportunity to join AC Lawrence Author: Guelda Voien Manhattan Apartments the rental brokerage that has been on a long, public slog through financial troubles and litigation in the years since the recession began has ceased operations, The Real Deal has learned. The firms remaining agents have the option to join rental rival AC Lawrence, a division of the Bellmarc Group, which will take Manhattan Apartments 11,000-square-foot space at 729 Seventh Avenue in the Times Square area.The 27-year-old firm, helmed by Jerry Weinstein a figure described by competitors as inspiring a cult-like following had failed to pay brokers for months, forcing them to do deals in cash in order to get paid, said an agent formerly with Manhattan Apartments, who asked not to be named.Manhattan Apartments owes millions, to other companies and its former agents, the source said. Last week, the phones at the firms office were disconnected, and earlier this week their website went dark.Exact numbers on how many agents have opted to join AC Lawrence were not immediately available, although many agents planned to depart for other companies after learning of the firms closure, the source said. Weinstein will join AC Lawrence as a consultant, a representative for the firm said.By joining AC Lawrence, our leadership team will be unparalleled in New York City in terms of landlord relationships, years in the rental business and name recognition, Weinstein said in a statement to TRD this evening.AC Lawrence was acquired last month by Bellmarc Companies, the parent company of Bellmarc Realty, one of Manhattans largest residential brokerages. The consolidated company, known as the Bellmarc Group, has about 400 agents. However, the two brokerages are maintaining separate identities and cultures, Bellmarc owner Neil Binder told TRD when that deal closed.Manhattan agents who choose to join AC Lawrence will have access to Bellmarcs sales training, executives said.We hope to welcome many of Manhattan Apartments agents to AC Lawrence, Anthony DeGrotta, principal at Bellmarc, said in the statement.Larry Friedman, also a principal with Bellmarc, said he expected most affected agents to be interested in joining his firm. Were used to accommodating teams, he added.Despite their shared emphasis on rentals, Manhattan Apartments and AC Lawrence might seem like strange bedfellows a 2011 lawsuit between the two firms was still pending as of last week, a source said, although it has now been resolved.Weinstein filed the lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court against AC Lawrence and its principals, Larry Friedman and Anthony DeGrotta, and Weinsteins then-business partner, supermarket mogul Leonard Franzblau, alleging breach of contract and fraud and asking $10 million plus punitive damages, as TRD reported at the time.Franzblau, an investor who brought a cash infusion to Manhattan Apartments several years ago, countersued with the AC Lawrence principals that same year, alleging that Weinstein froze out Franzblau, Friedman and DeGrotta, according to court documents. The three said Weinsteins attack was essentially a pre-emptive strike, because he believed his partners and consultants would sue him, since they were allegedly denied access to company documents and company email.The two companies have filed a stipulation of discontinuance, to end the suit, Friedman said.But Manhattan Apartments a mainstay of the rental section of the real estate industry for years and the second largest rental firm on The Real Deals 2007 ranking has been on the rocks for years.In 2009, observers speculated that the company was kaput, as the firm owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to vendors, clients, landlords, agents and this magazine. Weinsteins generous salaries the firm also employed a number of his family members resulted in huge a overhead for the company, and after the housing market crashed, the firm never recovered, sources told TRD.Still, the closure of the firm represents an end of an era of sorts. The high volume brokerage got many New Yorkers their first apartment in the city, and was the baby of a hardscrabble self-made Brooklyn native who began his professional life as a matre d at another stalwart New York City institution: the Russian Tea Room.Jerry is an icon in the rental world, Friedman said. I dont think anyone has been around as long as Jerry and [now] hes still around, which is great. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/595 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/595 Publication: AC LAWRENCE Date: Dec 12, 2012 Article: AC LAWRENCE REAL ESTATE EXPANDS TO THE THEATER DISTRICT Author: AC LAWRENCE REAL ESTATE EXPANDS TO THE THEATER DISTRICT- Rapidly-Growing Brokerage Spreads into Former Manhattan Apartments Space - NEW YORK CITY December 12, 2012 AC Lawrence Real Estate announced today that it is expanding its residential real estate operations to Manhattans West Side, and will be moving some of its growing agent roster into an 11,000-square-foot office at 729 Seventh Avenue, by 49th Street, in the heart of Manhattans Theater District, north of Times Square. This marks significant growth for the full-service residential and commercial brokerage, which was acquired recently by The Bellmarc Group. The prime 729 Seventh Avenue loft location had been the offices of Manhattan Apartments Inc., a residential brokerage founded in 1984. Manhattan Apartments has now ceased operations. Its founder, CEO and President, Jerry Weinstein is joining AC Lawrence as a consultant, bringing his 30 years of rentals expertise to the burgeoning firm. Neither holding company The Bellmarc Group nor AC Lawrence is acquiring or merging with Manhattan Apartments. Manhattan Apartments agents are encouraged to join AC Lawrence, if the agents and leadership feel the fit would be mutually beneficial. A lawsuit between Manhattan Apartments and A.C. Lawrence & Company has been resolved. We are excited to expand to Manhattans West Side, an area of tremendous appeal to renters and buyers with the wide range of housing inventory available, as well as the proximity to business, culture and transportation, said Larry Friedman, Principal, The Bellmarc Group. We hope to welcome many of Manhattan Apartments agents to AC Lawrence, where they will have full access to our advances in real estate technology, such as our computerized key system, iPad client registration and many cutting edge Internet advances under development, said Anthony DeGrotta, Principal, The Bellmarc Group. By joining AC Lawrence, our leadership team will be unparalleled in New York City in terms of landlord relationships, years in the rental business and name recognition, said Weinstein, a well-known name in Manhattan rentals. Any Manhattan Apartments agents who wish to join AC Lawrence also will benefit from the new alliance with Bellmarc, which avails any interested agent of the full sales training program that was developed and is still taught by Neil Binder, co-founder of Bellmarc, and one of the most veteran real estate leaders in the city. I am pleased to offer Bellmarcs sales program and reach in the industry to a new group of agents. Having the opportunity to learn both rentals and sales makes the most well rounded agent, one who is able to best help a client with all possible needs, said Binder. About The Bellmarc GroupThe Bellmarc Group is a limited liability company based in New York City, founded in 2012. In its first year, The Bellmarc Group added Bellmarc and AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC to its member companies. About Bellmarc BrokerageFounded in 1979, Bellmarc is one of the oldest residential sales brokerages in New York City. Bellmarc is widely recognized as the leader in agent sales training, spearheaded by company co-founder Neil Binder, who wrote The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Coops and Condos in New York City, which serves as the initial primer for the Bellmarc training courses. It joined The Bellmarc Group in 2012. For additional information: www.bellmarc.com About AC Lawrence Real Estate LLCAC Lawrence is a New York City-based real estate brokerage specializing in residential rentals and sales, corporate relocation, and commercial tenant and landlord representation and investment sales advisory. It is a member of The Bellmarc Group. For additional information: www.aclawrence.com http://www.aclawrence.com/news/591 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/591 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Dec 10, 2012 Article: Ranks of NYC brokers swell, as market strengthens Author: Leigh Kamping-Carder As the real estate market has bounced back, and the wider jobs market continues to sputter, an increasing number of people are obtaining their real estate licenses in New York City. As of late November, the city was home to about 27,000 licensed salespersons and brokers, or 5.5 percent more than the 25,600 who were licensed at the same time last year, according to New York State Department of State data provided to The Real Deal.Breaking the numbers down further, there were 14,666 licensed salespersons in New York City an 8.4 percent year-over-year increase and the highest number since 2007, before the housing bust. There were 12,337 licensed brokers, a modest 2.2 percent increase over the same period in 2011.(More commonly known as agents, salespersons represent the first rung on the licensing ladder, while licensed brokers must have at least two years of industry experience and pass an additional licensing test. All agents must renew their licenses annually.)While its difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the growth, insiders pointed to two parallel trends bringing people into real estate: a healthier sales and rental market with more opportunities for deals, and a lackluster jobs market that is convincing some to try a different career.A year ago, the real estate market looked dark and scary to those on the sidelines, but this winter a trickle of new developments, a hot rental market, and a stabilizing sales market particularly in Manhattan are all causes for optimism, said Gary Malin, president of Citi Habitats. Once people start to hear positive news about a sector that was maybe getting battered earlier, they want to get in on that in the earlier states of a recovery, rather than in the middle of the recovery, Malin said.Larry Friedman, co-founder of A.C. Lawrence, which was recently acquired by Bellmarc Realty, said that he has not necessarily seen more agents coming into the industry, but he has seen better quality agents, who enter real estate as a second or third career, already equipped with contacts. (One recent A.C. Lawrence hire is a retired urologist, he said.) Rather than real estate being the proverbial last resort, the career is something theyve always wanted to do, and see now as the right time to try, Friedman said.As The Real Deal has reported, the industry experienced something of a purge of less experienced agents in the years immediately following the housing crisis.... http://www.aclawrence.com/news/585 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/585 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Dec 01, 2012 Article: Bellmarc expands space following acquisition Author: Guelda Voien In need of more space after acquiring A.C. Lawrence, the Bellmarc Group will open a new office at 48 West 22nd Street in Chelsea this month, firm head Neil Binder told The Real Deal. Bellmarc Group, the parent company of Bellmarc Realty, absorbed fellow brokerage A.C. Lawrence in October. The merged company now has a total of 400 agents in its five offices. Especially crowded is Bellmarc Realtys office at 936 Broadway, which now has 150 agents crammed into it, Binder said. Roughly 45 agents will move from there to the new, 2,500-square-foot storefront space. Lisa Strobing, executive vice president and manager of sales of the Broadway office, will manage the new office, he added. The two firms, both members of the Bellmarc Group, will maintain separate names though AC Lawrence has dropped the periods between its initials and forge a symbiotic relationship, Binder said. Bellmarc Realty will continue to focus primarily on residential sales, but begin inching into the rental space, while AC Lawrence will do the opposite. The two companies will train their agents together. All of the agents moving to the new space will be from Bellmarc Realty rather than AC Lawrence, Binder said. I am anxious to maintain the separation because they have different cultures, he said of the two firms. The new storefront space was slated to open early last month, but was delayed due to Hurricane Sandy, Binder said. The location of the new space was a strategic choice, Binder noted, since Bellmarc hopes to expand its business in Chelsea. We felt it would broaden us to touch the Chelsea market a little more, Binder said, adding, Chelsea is a very cool market. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/587 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/587 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Dec 01, 2012 Article: Brokering after Sandy Author: Katherine Clarke .... But Sandy-related disruptions were not limited to Downtown.The day after the storm, AC Lawrence agent Holden Sherman awoke in his Upper West Side apartment to find that a car windshield outside his building had been shattered by falling debris.And Miron Properties Sandra Falus actually moved a client referred to her through a family friend into her own Upper East Side apartment.The clients ground-floor rental at 555 East 78th Street had been flooded in the storm.FEMA was overwhelmed and took their time to process everything, Falus said. In the meantime, this poor woman needed a place to live.After housing the client in her apartment for a week, Falus eventually found her another rental on a higher floor at 555 East 78th Street.... http://www.aclawrence.com/news/589 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/589 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Dec 01, 2012 Article: Broker exchange Author: Andrea Cetra ResidentialAC LawrenceNeil Nerich has been hired as listing director. He was previously at Bond New York. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/579 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/579 Publication: NY Post Date: Nov 29, 2012 Article: Just Sold! Author: QueensSUNNYSIDE $255,50047-39 40th St.One-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 850 square feet, with windowed eat-in kitchen and dining area; building features elevator, laundry, storage and bike room. Maintenance $619, 50 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $265,000, on market eight weeks. Brokers: Mariana Bekerman, AC Lawrence and Sandeep Shrivastav, Laffey Fine Homes http://www.aclawrence.com/news/581 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/581 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Nov 28, 2012 Article: Done Deals Author: Upper West Side235 W 102nd St.$290,000450 s/f studio in pre-war Broadmoor co-op building. 24-hour doorman and concierge, live-in superintendent, residents sundeck and glass solarium. Unit features entry hall, oak floors, three closets, seperate kitchen, beamed ceilings. CC: $708. Asking price: $299,000. Five weeks on market. Brokers: Deborah Abraham, AC Lawrence; Eva Graczyk & Terry Oleske, Margaret Bassett Realty. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/583 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/583 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Nov 28, 2012 Article: Done Deals Author: QueensFlatbush1655 Flatbush Ave.Junior One Bedroom, 1-bath, 600s/f co-op in Philip Howard building. Full service luxury building with 24-hour doorman, swimming pool, private security, and indoor parking. Apartment has garden view, good closet space, renovated kitchen. CC: $305. Asking price: $125,000; 48 weeks on the market. Brokers: Michael Facey, AC Lawrence; Karma Wilkinson, Douglas Elliman. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/575 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/575 Publication: AC LAWRENCE Date: Nov 27, 2012 Article: AC LAWRENCE HIRES NYC RENTAL VETERAN NEIL NERICH AS LISTINGS DIRECTOR Author: AC LAWRENCE HIRES NYC RENTAL VETERAN NEIL NERICH AS LISTINGS DIRECTOR NEW YORK CITY November 26, 2012 AC Lawrence Real Estate, a member of The Bellmarc Companies, today announced the hire of Neil Nerich to head up its expanding listings department. The rapidly-growing, Manhattan-based residential and commercial brokerage is putting a strong focus on making its listing department and proprietary residential rentals database the best in NYC; hiring Nerich as Listings Director is the next step in serving its clients and agents with highly-accurate listings updated in real time. Nerich was most recently employed at Bond Realty and, before his years at Bond, spent eight years with Benjamin James. He is known for his strong knowledge and landlord connections in the downtown market, one of the areas AC Lawrence clients seek, and brings with him sought-after Tribeca loft exclusives. Neil will be a tremendous asset to AC Lawrences rental clients and our agents, both by connecting them with desirable properties downtown, expanding upon AC Lawrences landlord relationships across the city, and by developing our proprietary rental database to an even higher level. Unlike some brokerages that still fax listings and rarely update their status, AC Lawrence enables our agents to log into our database from the street from their mobile device or any computer, so can access the latest listings and updates even when out with clients touring properties, said Anthony DeGrotta, Principal, The Bellmarc Group. AC Lawrence is a member of The Bellmarc Group. Born and raised in Hells Kitchen, Nerich studied at Utica College, where he played on the ice hockey team, then went on to manage an ice rink and taught ice hockey, before turning to real estate. The rental client today is very smart and becoming smarter; the industry has to stay several steps ahead of what they want and need in order to be the ultimate resource to finding their next home. AC Lawrence is hot and making huge strides in leading the rental market here in NYC; I hope to help them in this endeavor, specifically with my 12 years of listings experience, my connections and exclusives all over Manhattan, and my dedication to making our rental database the most complete and up to date, said Nerich, who now lives in Weehawken with his wife, their two children and Labrador, and continues to coach ice hockey for USA Hockey. Nerichs interest in ice hockey has enhanced his real estate career: He has worked to find Manhattan homes for many players from the Rangers NHL hockey club moving to the city, one of the most notable recently being a $25,000 a month penthouse loft at 11 Vestry Street. Property is king; every question can be answered by inventory knowledge. Ive always loved property; theres nothing better than cruising around the city and seeing all the amazing architecture, added Nerich. About AC Lawrence Real Estate LLCAC Lawrence is a New York City-based real estate brokerage specializing in residential rentals and sales, corporate relocation, and commercial tenant and landlord representation and investment sales advisory. It is a member of The Bellmarc Group. For additional information: www.aclawrence.com ### http://www.aclawrence.com/news/577 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/577 Publication: Citybiz List Date: Nov 27, 2012 Article: AC Lawrence Appoints Neil Nerich As Listings Director Author: AC Lawrence Real Estate, a member of The Bellmarc Companies, announced the hire of Neil Nerich to head up its expanding listings department.The rapidly-growing, Manhattan-based residential and commercial brokerage is putting a strong focus on making its listing department and proprietary residential rentals database the best in NYC; hiring Nerich as Listings Director is the next step in serving its clients and agents with highly-accurate listings updated in real time.Nerich was most recently employed at Bond Realty and, before his years at Bond, spent eight years with Benjamin James. He is known for his strong knowledge and landlord connections in the downtown market, one of the areas AC Lawrence clients seek, and brings with him sought-after Tribeca loft exclusives.Neil will be a tremendous asset to AC Lawrences rental clients and our agents, both by connecting them with desirable properties downtown, expanding upon AC Lawrences landlord relationships across the city, and by developing our proprietary rental database to an even higher level. Unlike some brokerages that still fax listings and rarely update their status, AC Lawrence enables our agents to log into our database from the street from their mobile device or any computer, so can access the latest listings and updates even when out with clients touring properties, said Anthony DeGrotta, Principal, The Bellmarc Group. AC Lawrence is a member of The Bellmarc Group.Born and raised in Hells Kitchen, Nerich studied at Utica College, where he played on the ice hockey team, then went on to manage an ice rink and taught ice hockey, before turning to real estate.The rental client today is very smart and becoming smarter; the industry has to stay several steps ahead of what they want and need in order to be the ultimate resource to finding their next home. AC Lawrence is hot and making huge strides in leading the rental market here in NYC; I hope to help them in this endeavor, specifically with my 12 years of listings experience, my connections and exclusives all over Manhattan, and my dedication to making our rental database the most complete and up to date, said Nerich, who now lives in Weehawken with his wife, their two children and Labrador, and continues to coach ice hockey for USA Hockey.Nerichs interest in ice hockey has enhanced his real estate career: He has worked to find Manhattan homes for many players from the Rangers NHL hockey club moving to the city, one of the most notable recently being a $25,000 a month penthouse loft at 11 Vestry Street.Property is king; every question can be answered by inventory knowledge. Ive always loved property; theres nothing better than cruising around the city and seeing all the amazing architecture, added Nerich. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/571 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/571 Publication: The New York Times Date: Nov 16, 2012 Article: Recent Lease Author: $45 / square foot$87,975 approximate annual rentChanin Building122 East 42nd Street (at Lexington Ave)ManhattanA public relations firm has taken a five year lease, with two months rent-free, for a 1,955-sqft, newly constructed space on the 21st floor of this 52-story 1928 Midtown office building.Tenant: EVC GroupTenant Broker: Chris Salizzoni, AC LawrenceLandlord: Stahl Real Estate CompanyLandlord Broker: Peter Occhi, Cassidy Turley http://www.aclawrence.com/news/569 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/569 Publication: The Real Estate Weekly Date: Nov 14, 2012 Article: Bellmarc buys AC Lawrence Author: The Bellmarc Group announced the acquisition of New York City residential and commercial real estate brokerage AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC last week. Terms were not disclosed.Newly-formed limited liability company The Bellmarc Group will now have as its initial members both The Bellmarc Companies New Yorks oldest independently-owned residential sales brokerage, founded in 1979 and currently owned by Neil Binder and AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC.Operating under The Bellmarc Group umbrella, Bellmarc and AC Lawrence will each maintain their brand identities, while utilizing the capabilities and technology of the other.In addition, Bellmarc sales agents will be able to participate in AC Lawrences rental training program and AC Lawrence agents will be able to participate in Bellmarcs sales training. Bellmarcs sales training is generally recognized as among the best and most extensive in the industry. It was developed by Binder, the author of The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Coops and Condos in New York City and other sales books, and he is actively involved in working with all trainees.I am very pleased about the expanded service that Bellmarc is offering to the public and all its agents; I am particularly excited about working with AC Lawrence rental agents to broaden their skills. It is a great honor to have this opportunity. Both companies are committed to providing our customers with the finest possible service, which we hope will exceed their expectations, said Binder.Operating and leading The Bellmarc Group and its member companies will be Binder, alongside Anthony DeGrotta and Larry Friedman, co-founders of A.C. Lawrence & Company Inc. The Bellmarc Group, now 400 agents, is a combination: a primarily sales-focused firm, with Bellmarcs 250 agents, and a primarily rentals-focused firm, with 150 agents at AC Lawrence.The two entities are committed to maintaining a cultural and brand separation, so that agents in each firm will continue working on the primary business offered by their company, said Freidman.However, we are eager to provide our clients services across the board. AC Lawrence agents will be encouraged to learn and engage in sales and Bellmarc agents will be encouraged to look at rentals. Agents in each company will be given the opportunity to engage in either, depending on their personal goals and objectives.Partnering with Bellmarc gives us the chance to enhance our overall presence in the marketplace,ˮ added DeGrotta. We are now able to provide broader service, superior training and enhanced technology. This is a significant event that we believe is a positive step for everyone.Bellmarcs Broadway and 22nd Street location has been remodeled to serve the expanded needs of The Bellmarc Group, which actively is seeking additional acquisitions, as well as prime office space to expand into geographic areas not fully served currently. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/573 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/573 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Nov 14, 2012 Article: New Listings Author: BrooklynPark Slope482 Seventh Ave$1,215,0002,385 s/f three family townhouse. Five bedrooms, three baths and finished basement. Outdoor kitchen, with deck, grill pit and landscaped backyard. Each unit has hardwood floors and exposed brick. Upgraded appliances in each unit and washer and dryer in basement. Asking price $1,395000. On the market: 12 weeks. Broker: Shantal Cooper, AC Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/561 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/561 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Nov 13, 2012 Article: Deal Sheet Summary Author: http://www.aclawrence.com/news/559 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/559 Publication: Citybiz List Date: Nov 12, 2012 Article: Bellmarc Group Acquires AC Lawrence Residential & Commercial Brokerage Author: The Bellmarc Group has acquired New York City residential and commercial real estate brokerage AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC. Terms were not available.Newly-formed limited liability company The Bellmarc Group will now have as its initial members both The Bellmarc Companies, currently owned by Neil Binder, and AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC.Operating under The Bellmarc Group umbrella, Bellmarc and AC Lawrence will each maintain their distinct brand identities. Bellmarc sales agents will be able to participate in AC Lawrences rental training program and AC Lawrence agents will be able to participate in Bellmarcs sales training.Bellmarcs sales training was developed by Binder, the author of The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Coops and Condos in New York City and other sales books. Operating and leading The Bellmarc Group and its member companies will be Binder, alongside Anthony DeGrotta and Larry Friedman, co-founders of A.C. Lawrence & Company Inc. The Bellmarc Group, now 400 agents, is now a primarily sales-focused firm, with Bellmarcs 250 agents, and a primarily rentals-focused firm, with 150 agents at AC Lawrence. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/551 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/551 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Nov 09, 2012 Article: Bellmarc acquires A.C. Lawrence Author: Bellmarc Companies, the parent company of Bellmarc Realty, one of Manhattans largest residential brokerages, has absorbed residential and commercial real estate brokerage A.C. Lawrence Real Estate, The Real Deal has learned. The consolidated company, which will be known as the Bellmarc Group, will have about 400 agents, a spokesperson for the new firm said.Bellmarc owner Neil Binder said he had been looking for opportunities to sell some of his former partner Marc Broxmeyers interest in the firm since his retirement a few years ago.I tried to sell his interests but was not satisfied with the options, so I decided to find a company that would complement us, and then acquire it, with some interest in Bellmarc given as consideration, Binder said.A.C. Lawrence will suit Bellmarc, as it specializes in rentals, a helpful supplement to Binders firm, which does mostly sales, Binder said. While the companies will have two separate cultures, they will share training programs, Binder says.Bellmarc has about 250 agents, representatives said, while A.C. Lawrence has some 150.Last year, sources said that the New Englandbased William Raveis Real Estate was preparing to acquire Bellmarc, but Binder told TRD at the time that in fact he had been negotiating for the brokerage to purchase Broxmeyers shares in Bellmarc.Binder continued to shop a 33 percent stake in the firm, as the firm shuttered its Madison Avenue location in favor of a new storefront on Lexington Avenue last May. Before the merger, Bellmarc had five Manhattan offices; A.C. Lawrence had one. Staff will now use the Bellmarc spaces, a representative said.The deal provides minority interest in Bellmarc to A. C. Lawrence co-founders Anthony DeGrotta and Larry Friedman, but allows Binder to retain controlling interest. It closed on October 5, according to Binder. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/555 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/555 Publication: Crains New York Date: Nov 09, 2012 Article: Bellmarc Group snaps up rival residential broker Author: Residential broker the Bellmarc Group has acquired rival AC Lawrence Real Estate for an undisclosed price, Bellmarc announced Friday.Though both firms handle rental and sales deals, the merger will join companies that have complimentary strengths. Bellmarc is best known as a sales firm, while AC Lawrence is stronger in rental deals, according to industry sources."Bellmarc doesn't have as formidable a rental component and AC Lawrence would give them that capability, especially in middle-market deals," Andrew Heiberger, chief executive of the brokerage company Town Residential said.In a statement, Bellmarc said it will maintain the AC Lawrence brand after the merger. The new combined company will boast 400 brokers."Partnering with Bellmarc gives us the chance to enhance our overall presence in the marketplace," Anthony DeGrotta, one of the co-founders of AC Lawrence, said in a statement. "We are now able to provide broader service, superior training and enhanced technology."The deal is part of a long running wave of consolidation in the residential real estate brokerage business. In recent years, for instance, AC Lawrence absorbed the operations and brokers of the shuttered brokerage company Century 21 NY Metro."You really have to run a very effective company with scale to be successful in the brokerage business today," Mr. Heiberger said.He also noted that having a strong rental unit is an asset to a sales brokerage, a factor that likely made AC Lawrence attractive to Bellmarc. Younger residents in the city tend to lease apartments, he said, and companies that cater to them can build relationships with customers that may eventually blossom into sales deals when those renters decide to buy. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/557 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/557 Publication: AC LAWRENCE Date: Nov 09, 2012 Article: THE BELLMARC GROUP ACQUIRES NYC BROKERAGE AC LAWRENCE REAL ESTATE LLC Author: THE BELLMARC GROUP ACQUIRES NYC BROKERAGE AC LAWRENCE REAL ESTATE LLC- Tenured Sales Firm Bellmarc WelcomesRapidly Growing AC Lawrence Residential & Commercial Brokerage NEW YORK CITY November 9, 2012 The Bellmarc Group announced today the acquisition of New York City residential and commercial real estate brokerage AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC. Terms were not disclosed. Newly-formed limited liability company The Bellmarc Group will now have as its initial members both The Bellmarc Companies, the oldest independently-owned New York City residential sales brokerage, founded in 1979 and currently owned by Neil Binder, and AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC. Operating under The Bellmarc Group umbrella, Bellmarc and AC Lawrence will each maintain their distinct brand identities, while enjoying the capabilities and technology of the other. In addition, Bellmarc sales agents will be able to participate in AC Lawrences rental training program and AC Lawrence agents will be able to participate in Bellmarcs sales training. Bellmarcs sales training is generally recognized as the best and most extensive in the industry. It was developed by Binder, the author of The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Coops and Condos in New York City and other sales books, and he actively is involved in working with all trainees. I am very pleased about the expanded service that Bellmarc is offering to the public and all its agents; I am particularly excited about working with AC Lawrence rental agents to broaden their skills. It is a great honor to have this opportunity. Both companies are committed to providing our customers with the finest possible service, which we hope will exceed their expectations, said Binder. Operating and leading The Bellmarc Group and its member companies will be Binder, alongside Anthony DeGrotta and Larry Friedman, co-founders of A.C. Lawrence & Company Inc. The Bellmarc Group, now 400 agents, is a unique combination: a primarily sales-focused firm, with Bellmarcs 250 agents, and a primarily rentals-focused firm, with 150 agents at AC Lawrence. The two entities are committed to maintaining a cultural and brand separation, so that agents in each firm will continue working on the primary business offered by their company. However, we are eager to provide our clients services across the board. AC Lawrence agents will be encouraged to learn and engage in sales and Bellmarc agents will be encouraged to look at rentals. Agents in each company will be given the opportunity to engage in either, depending on their personal goals and objectives, stated Larry Friedman. Partnering with Bellmarc gives us the chance to enhance our overall presence in the marketplace. We are now able to provide broader service, superior training and enhanced technology. This is a significant event that we believe is a positive step for everyone, said DeGrotta. Bellmarcs Broadway and 22nd Street location has been remodeled to serve the expanded needs of The Bellmarc Group, which actively is seeking additional acquisitions, as well as prime office space to expand into geographic areas not fully served currently. About The Bellmarc GroupThe Bellmarc Group is a limited liability company based in New York City, founded in 2012. In its first year, The Bellmarc Group added Bellmarc and AC Lawrence Real Estate LLC to its member companies. About Bellmarc BrokerageFounded in 1979, Bellmarc is one of the oldest residential sales brokerages in New York City. Bellmarc is widely recognized as the leader in agent sales training, spearheaded by company co-founder Neil Binder, who wrote The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Selling Coops and Condos in New York City, which serves as the initial primer for the Bellmarc training courses. It joined The Bellmarc Group in 2012. For additional information: www.bellmarc.com About AC Lawrence Real Estate LLCAC Lawrence is a New York City-based real estate brokerage specializing in residential rentals and sales, corporate relocation, and commercial tenant and landlord representation and investment sales advisory. It is a member of The Bellmarc Group. For additional information: www.aclawrence.com ### http://www.aclawrence.com/news/549 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/549 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Nov 07, 2012 Article: Done Deals Author: 47-39 40th Street, 3B$255,500 One-bedroom,1 bath, 850 s/f pre-war co-op. Elevator, laundry, storage and bike racks in basement. Unit has high ceilings, wood floors, living room, bedroom with two closets, updated bathroom with two closets, updated bathroom and kitchen with dishwasher and dining area, foyer space for an office and two hall closet. Asking price: $230,000. CC: $619; eight weeks on the market. Brokers: Mariana Bekerman, AC Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/563 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/563 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Nov 01, 2012 Article: Office Leases Author: Address: 214 West 39th St, NYSquare Feet: 1,500Tenant: Renoir FashionTenant Rep: Lily Lin, A.C. Lawrence & Co.Landlord: 214 West 39th StreetLandlord Rep: Ernie Vallorano, Granite ManagementNotes: The menswear company signed a three-year lease on the 10th floor. The reported asking rent was $35 per square foot. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/565 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/565 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Nov 01, 2012 Article: Office Leases Author: Address: 444 Madison Ave, NYSquare Feet: 4,560Tenant: Sessa CapitalTenant Rep: Lily Lin, A.C. Lawrence & Co.Landlord: Outsource Partners International Inc.Landlord Rep: Scott Bogetti, CBRENotes: The hedge fund signed a 29-month sublease on the third floor. The reported asking rent was $40 per square foot. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/567 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/567 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Nov 01, 2012 Article: Office Leases Author: Address: 14 Wall St, NYSquare Feet: 6,603Tenant: Pegasus Legal Funding LLCTenant Rep: Lily Lin, A.C. Lawrence & Co.Landlord: ROZA 14W, LLC.Landlord Rep: Jonathan Cope, CBRENotes: The personal injury financing provider signed a five-plus-year lease. The reported asking rent was $32 per square foot. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/547 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/547 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Oct 10, 2012 Article: Done Deals Author: BrooklynPark Slope556-558 5th Avenue$465,000700 s/f one bedroom, 1-bath condo in post war low rise elevator building. Voice intercom, roof access. Unit has hardwood floors, renovated kitchen with stainless steel Liebherr refrigerator, Fagor Dishwasher, Dacor fitted microwave, Bosch cook top and built-in electric oven. Renovated bathroom, central air, city views. CC: $275.76; Asking price: $469,000; Six weeks on the market. Agents: Katherine Barron, AC Lawrence & Company; Shantal Cooper, AC Lawrence & Co. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/541 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/541 Publication: New York Post Date: Oct 04, 2012 Article: Just Sold! Author: QueensASTORIA $260,00044-14 Newtown RoadOne-bedroom, one-bath corner co-op, 800 square feet, with renovated windowed kitchen, dining area, renovated bath, new lighting and mahogany floors; building features garden, laundry and live-in super. Maintenance $460, 50 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $269,000, on market 24 weeks. Broker: Mariana Bekerman, AC Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/543 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/543 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Oct 03, 2012 Article: Done Deals Author: QueensAstoria44-14 Newtown r. #4T$260,000King-sized one bedroom sponsor unit. renovated corner unit with new kitchen, new bath, new lighting, mahogany floors. Monthly maintenance is $460 and covers all taxes, insurance, and utilities. Manhattan skyline views and live-in super. asking price: $269,000. Time on market: 24 weeks. Agent: Mariana Bekerman, AC Lawrence. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/545 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/545 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Oct 03, 2012 Article: Leases Author: AC Lawrence and Co. announced the following leases:- Renoir Fashion, a menswear company, has signed a three- year lease for 1,500 s/f on the 10th floor of 214 West 39th Street, a 12-story building in the Garment District. The leased space in this 1910 building includes three offices and a reception area. Asking rents were $35 psf. Lily Lin of AC Lawrence & Company, represented the tenant. The landlord, 214 W 39th Street, was represented by Ernie Vallorano of Granite Management.-Manhattan-based Pegasus legal Funding, a personal injury financing provider, signed a five year lease for 6,603 s/f at 14 Wall Street. asking rents were $32 psf. Lily Lin represented by Jonathan Cope, CBRE http://www.aclawrence.com/news/539 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/539 Publication: The New York Times Date: Sep 12, 2012 Article: Recent Lease Author: $35/square foot$52,500 approximate annual rent 214 West 39th Street (between Seventh and Eighth Avenues)Manhattan A mens wear company has signed a three-year lease for 1,500 square feet on the 10th floor in this 12-story building in the garment district. The leased space in this 1910 building includes three offices and a reception area. TENANT: Renoir FashionTENANT BROKER: Lily Lin, A.C. Lawrence & CompanyLANDLORD: 214 West 39th StreetLANDLORD BROKER: Ernie Vallorano, Granite Management http://www.aclawrence.com/news/535 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/535 Publication: The New York Times Date: Sep 05, 2012 Article: Recent Sublease Author: $40/square foot$182,400 approximate annual rent444 Madison Avenue (between 49th and 50th Streets)ManhattanA new hedge fund has signed a 29-month lease sublease for this 4,560-square-foot third-floor space in a 40-story 1931 office building. The furnished space includes a conference room. The tenant has received one month rent-free.SUBTENANT: Sessa CapitalSUBTENANT BROKER: Lily Lin, A.C. Lawrence & CompanySUBLANDLORD: Outsource Partners International Inc.SUBLANDLORD BROKER: Scott Bogetti, CB Richard EllisLANDLORD: VII 444 Madison Lessee L.L.C. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/537 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/537 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Sep 05, 2012 Article: New Listings Author: Murray Hill7 Park Avenue, 18A$1,249,000High floor home in white glove co-op. One bedroom apartment with terrace with both Empire State & Chrysler Building views. Walking distance to Port Authority, Penn Station, Grand Central, the Theatre District, plus an easy commute to NY and NJ airports. Listing brokers: Cheryl Greenberg, Greg Olson, A.C. Lawrence & Company. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/625 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/625 Publication: Date: Sep 01, 2012 Article: Selling New York, premier episode of the 2nd season of HGTVs Author: Cathy Shim appeared on the premier episode of the 2nd season of HGTVs Selling New York. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/533 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/533 Publication: The New York Times Date: Aug 15, 2012 Article: Recent Lease Author: $37.09/square foot$40,800 approximate annual rent17 Vestry Street (between Hudson and Varick Streets)ManhattanA Pilates studio has signed a two-year lease for an 1,100-square-foot loft with hardwood floors on the second floor of this three-story building in TriBeCa.TENANT: Mackenzie Chambers PilatesLANDLORD: Paula ChinBROKER: Chris Salizzoni, A.C. Lawrence & Company http://www.aclawrence.com/news/527 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/527 Publication: The New York Times Date: Aug 05, 2012 Article: Residential Sales Around the Region Author: Murray Hill$275,000201 E 37th Street. The WingateStudio, 18 weeks on the market500-sq-ft. postwar studio co-op; 24-hr. doormen, separate kitchen, h/w floors, south exposure; maintenance $732, 50% tax deductible; listed at $300,000. Broker AC Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/523 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/523 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Aug 01, 2012 Article: Done Deals Author: 321 E 71st #2F$212,000350 s/f studio in pre-war, elevator co-op building. Unit renovated with new, eat-in kitchen and parquet floors. CC: $956. Asking price $228,000; 19 weeks on the market. Brokers: Mariana Bekerman, AC Lawrence & Company; Martin Orenstein, Martin Paul Realty Associates. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/525 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/525 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Aug 01, 2012 Article: Leases Author: AC Lawrence announced the following leases:Article One Partners Holdings, LLC, signed a 2,625 s/f sublease for five years at 555 Madison Ave. Askingrent was $50 psf. Lily Lin of AC Lawrence Represented the tenant. Cushman & Wakefield's Robert Baraf represented the landlord. At 110 William St., 3rd floor, OTC FIN, LLC, a finance company, subleased 7,324 s/fat an asking rent of $16 psf. Lilly Lin represented the tenant. The sub-landlord, the New York City Economic Development Corporation was represented in-house by Dean Bodnar. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/529 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/529 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Aug 01, 2012 Article: Office Lease Author: Address 8 West 37th St, NY Square Feet 2,104 Tenant Domestic Wokers United Tenant Representative S. Ai, C. Cui, A.C. Lawrence Landlord Sachsol Realty; Yaddi Group Landlord Representative Joseph Mangiacotti, CBRE Notes: The organization of caregivers signed a seven-year lease on the fourth floor. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/531 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/531 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Aug 01, 2012 Article: Office Lease Author: Address 594 Broadway, NY Square Feet 1,423 Tenant Shirley Madhere Tenant Representative Jean Bates, A.C. Lawrence Landlord 594 Broadway Associates LLC Landlord Representative Donna Vogel, Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Notes: The plastic surgeon signed a five-year lease. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/521 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/521 Publication: NY Post Date: Jul 25, 2012 Article: Just Sold! Author: MURRAY HILL $1,175,00010 Park Ave.Three-bedroom, two-bath co-op, 1,280 square feet, with windowed kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and mosaic-tiled floors, dining area, Jacuzzi bath, home office and washer/dryer; building features doorman, roof deck and laundry. Maintenance $2,403, 55 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $1,275,000, on market 33 weeks. Brokers: Cheryl Greenberg and Greg Olson, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/519 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/519 Publication: The New York Times Date: Jul 23, 2012 Article: Residential Sales Around the Region Author: East Village$387,000226-230 East 112th Street1 Bed, 1 Bath, 12 weeks on the market550-sq-ft. co-op in a pre-war building; kitchen window, high ceilings, parquet floors, south exposure; maintenance $910, 50% Tax deductible; listed at $399,000. Brokers: AC Lawrence & Co; Corcoran Group http://www.aclawrence.com/news/515 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/515 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jul 18, 2012 Article: Done Deals Author: Murray Hill10 Park Avenue$1,175,000 Combination apartment turned into a three bedroom, 2-bath home with home with views of Park Avenue. Center hall leads you to sunken living room with decorative fireplace. Windowed chef's kitchen with Silestone counters and backsplash. Master bedroom en suite with marble bath and Jacuzzi tub. Separate den/ home office/ bonus room. refinished oak floors, city-proof windows with Starphire premium ultra clear glass, beamed ceilings, Spanish alabaster chandeliers, plus washer/ dryer. Lobby with doorman/ concierge, live-in manager, and roof terrace. Full service co-op. CC: $2,402.51; Asking Price: $1,275,000; 33 week on the market. Brokers Cheryl Greenberg and Greg Olson, AC Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/517 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/517 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jul 18, 2012 Article: New Listings- Brooklyn Author: Shantal Cooper at AC Lawrence & co. has just listed this three-family Park Slope townhouse at 482 Seventh Avenue for $1,395,000. It could be bought and used as an investment in its current configuration or re-designed as a single family home. The first floor is currently a one bedroom 1-bath apartment with updated, open kitchen, exposed brick and backyard views. The second floor is two bedroom, 1-bath with open kitchen and exposed brick. The third floor is also a two bedroom 1-bath floor through with new hardwood floors and renovated kitchen with stainless steel appliances. The basement/ garden level offers a recreation room with Murphy bed, closet space, washer/dryer, outdoor kitchen with sink and grill pit, access to deck, landscaped backyard with backyard pond. The building can be delivered vacant. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/513 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/513 Publication: The New York Times Date: Jun 27, 2012 Article: Market Ready Author: TIM McKEOUGH Q. Our two children share a bedroom, and it looks cramped. What can we do to make the room appear larger? A. Its important to make your space feel as generous as possible before opening your home to potential buyers particularly if your sleeping quarters, or those of your children, appear cramped and uncomfortable. When youre selling your apartment, youre selling someone elses vision to them, said Fanny Montalvo, a managing director at A. C. Lawrence & Company real estate in New York. If a room is already stuffed full of furniture and other belongings, it doesnt allow them the opportunity to imagine what they could do to it. And when youre considering the design of a childs room, remember that some buyers may have other intentions for the space. Youre looking to attract every buyer, not just someone who has children, Ms. Montalvo said. When a couple or single person is looking to buy the space, theyre looking at that room as a den or guest room. One solution, she suggested, is installing a pair of Murphy beds: When the beds are folded up, it really is a den. Murphy bed units also offer the opportunity to add built-in wardrobes, drawers and shelving, she noted, which would create more storage space for toys and clothing. A set of bunk beds is another excellent option, said Cortney Novogratz, a New York designer with seven children who is a host of the HGTV show Home by Novogratz with her husband, Robert. You can put it against a wall, and have two kids sleep there, she said. What kid doesnt like bunk beds? Theyre a great way to go. Most bunk beds will fit in rooms with ceiling heights as low as eight feet, she said (but maybe put the younger child on top, she added). A work surface is also a good idea. Kids always need an area to create, but it doesnt have to be very big and it doesnt have to be very deep, she said. She recommended the Besta Burs desk from Ikea, which is less than 16 inches deep, but long enough to provide space for two children. Pair the desk with stools, she said, because they can easily be tucked underneath, which creates more floor space. Similarly, she suggested removing any floor lamps from the room and using only desk lamps and ceiling-mounted light fixtures: Any time you can create more room on the floor, it gives the kids not only space to wrestle and hang out, but also makes the room seem bigger. Using these strategies, she said, she and her husband were able to create a comfortable space for a clients triplets in a small bedroom in Hells Kitchen. But the most effective intervention, she noted, is probably the least expensive: clear out clutter. With children, we go to birthday parties and come back with all these goodie bags, and before you know it, you have so much stuff, she said. Donate toys and clothes, and give things away. Even if you just spend an afternoon making bags, youll be surprised how much stuff your kids have accumulated. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/509 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/509 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jun 20, 2012 Article: New Listings Author: BrooklynPark Slope $449,000One bedroom apartment in ultra-modern classic boutique condo building . living offers expansive window city views. Kitchen has Liebherr refrigerator, Fogor dishwasher, Dacor fitted microwave. Washer and dryer. Bathrooms with soaking tub and Toto toilet. The bedroom has a walk-in closet Storage available. Low common charges. Listing Brokers: Shantal Cooper & Katherine Barron, AC Lawrence & Co. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/511 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/511 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Jun 20, 2012 Article: Leases Author: AC Lawrence & Co. announced that Domestic Workers United , an organization that assists nannies, housekeeper and caregivers to the elderly, has signed a seven-year lease for a 2,104 s/f space on the fourth floor of 8-10 West 37th Street. Asking rent was $30 psf. Sadah Ali and Christine Cui, AC Lawrence & Co, represented the tenant. The landlord was represented by Joseph Mangiacotti, CB Richard Ellis. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/507 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/507 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jun 13, 2012 Article: Done Deals Author: BrooklynProspect Heights,675 Vanderbilt Avenue, 3A $248,000 4500 s/f studio in pre-war walk-up co-op with laundry. Unit has hardwood floors, renovated eat-in kitchen with stainless steel appliances, renovated marble bath. CC: $435.71. Asking price: $269,000; 17 weeks on the market. Broker Shantal Cooper, AC Lawrence & Company http://www.aclawrence.com/news/497 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/497 Publication: NY Post Date: Jun 07, 2012 Article: Just sold! Author: BrooklynPROSPECT HEIGHTS $248,000675 Vanderbilt Ave.Studio co-op, 400 square feet, with renovated eat-in kitchen with stainless-steel appliances and renovated marble bath; building features laundry. Maintenance $436, 40 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $269,000, on market 17 weeks. Broker: Shantal Cooper, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/499 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/499 Publication: NY Post Date: Jun 07, 2012 Article: Just Sold! Author: Manhattan MURRAY HILL $275,000201 E. 37th St.Alcove studio co-op, 500 square feet, with separate kitchen and hardwood floors; building features doorman, roof deck with river views, laundry and storage. Maintenance $732, 50 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $300,000, on market 18 weeks. Broker: David Bucci, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/501 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/501 Publication: The New York Times Date: Jun 07, 2012 Article: Recent Lease Author: $30/square foot$63,120 approximate annual rent8-10 West 37th Street (between Fifth and Avenue of the Americas)ManhattanDomestic Workers United, an organization that assists nannies, housekeepers and caregivers to the elderly, has signed a seven-year lease for a 2,104-square-foot space on the fourth floor of this 10-story building.TENANT: Domestic Workers UnitedTENANT'S BROKER: Sadah Ali and Christine Cui, A.C. Lawrence & CompanyLANDLORD: Sachsol Realty/Yaddi GroupLANDLORD BROKER: Joseph Mangiacotti, CB Richard Ellis http://www.aclawrence.com/news/503 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/503 Publication: The New York Times Date: Jun 07, 2012 Article: A Place of Her Own, No Strings Attached Author: JOYCE COHEN SINCE her graduation from Rutgers University in 2000, Claudia Beqaj has lived in Manhattan, first sharing apartments with roommates and then sub-subletting from a friend.The sub-sublet was a studio with a balcony in Washington Square Village, a residential complex owned by New York University, and occupied mostly by faculty members and grad students. She paid $1,400 a month.The illegal arrangement created an uneasy situation for all concerned. Ms. Beqaj tried to remain incognito in the building, she said. She couldnt receive mail or packages there, and found the doormen way too involved in my business. They monitored her car, which was parked on the street, anticipating when she would leave her spot so they could claim it for another vehicle. It was this icky people-watching-me feeling, she said.Both sublessor and leaseholder started to get nervous, and the leaseholder mentioned the possibility of relinquishing the lease.Meanwhile, Ms. Beqaj, now 34, had been given several promotions at her job in pharmaceutical marketing. As her salary rose, her taxes did, too. She had few tax deductions. Her accountant told her he was struggling to find something she could write off, she said.The news that she might have to vacate her rental was the incentive she needed to hunt for a place to buy. Her price range was around $400,000. She had socked away $40,000, or 10 percent of that amount, in a savings account. It would go toward her down payment.She attended some open houses, hunting for an alcove studio or a one-bedroom below 23rd Street. She did not want a doorman.Last spring, she found a place she liked in a co-op building on Thompson Street in Greenwich Village. The 475-square-foot studio, which had a sleeping section separated by French doors, was listed for $400,000, with monthly maintenance in the mid-$400s.But when Ms. Beqaj reviewed her finances with the selling agent, he told her she needed a 20 percent down payment plus two years of mortgage and maintenance payments in reserve. That was the first time I ever heard that, Ms. Beqaj said. I was stunned. I thought that co-op was being fussy. (The studio later sold for $360,000.)She assumed she could find a less fussy building. But friends informed her that such financial requirements were standard. I was never really a saver, Ms. Beqaj said. I love shopping and going out. I realized how nave I had been about the whole financial situation of renting versus buying. I was completely deflated.She immediately slashed her spending going out less often, forsaking taxis for subways and calling a moratorium on clothing purchases. By the second month, the effect on her bank account was noticeable. That was very rewarding to me, she said. I gained momentum from that.She answered an ad from Cathy Shim, an associate broker at A. C. Lawrence & Company, who listened to everything I said, she said.Claudia wasnt particularly picky, Ms. Shim said. She knew what she liked, and she was pretty decisive as to what apartment would work for her. When she lingered and asked a lot of questions, thats when I knew she was interested.In the summer, Ms. Beqaj found out that her job was going to be eliminated in a few months. It was unclear when, or whether, she could move to a different position at her company. And the leaseholder of her rented studio, who had indeed decided to relinquish the lease, gave her a firm departure date. She decided to rent.She assumed that $1,800 to $1,900 a month would suffice for a nice studio. In her four years subletting, however, I became blind to what was happening to rental prices, she said. Cathy starts showing me these tiny closet-size studios for $2,200 or $2,300, she said, and all she could think was, This is not an apartment, this is a hallway with a hot plate.Besides, if she didnt have a job, she couldnt land a rental, let alone a mortgage. I got so upset and frustrated, she said. I felt like all of these things were hitting me at once. I called my sister in tears.Her sister offered to let her stay at her house in Union County, N.J. Ms. Beqaj knew that was the smart thing to do. She moved there in the fall.In the meantime, she was still working her office was nearby in New Jersey and continuing to sock away money. Before long, she had the cash she now knew she needed to buy a place.Her luck turned. Within weeks, she landed a new job in marketing for Mela Sciences, a medical device company in Irvington, N.Y., that makes a melanoma-detection device called MelaFind.She immediately contacted Ms. Shim and resumed the search. The first place they visited was a prewar co-op building on a pretty East Village block. Two adjacent one-bedrooms were for sale there. Ms. Beqaj preferred the larger, with around 550 square feet; it had more windows, if a less-than-stellar view of backyards. The asking price was $399,000, with maintenance just under $1,000 a month.She liked the layout and felt the place had character. But she and Ms. Shim had planned a day of hunting, so she moved on.Ms. Beqaj also considered a 650-square-foot one-bedroom in a small walk-up building on East 27th Street, but with just a few small windows it seemed dark. The price was $340,000 with maintenance in the $700 range. (It later sold for $330,000.)She saw half a dozen other apartments that day, and compared every one with the East Village place she had seen first. When she realized it came out on top every time, she made a quick decision and bought it for $387,000.She moved in early this spring and is now learning about her apartments quirks. There is a music school on the block behind it. Imagine my surprise on a Saturday morning when I am hearing trumpets playing, she said. But she cant hear the music with the windows shut. Once I figured that out, I felt much better, she said.She dislikes the kitchen. Both stove and refrigerator protrude into the narrow space. The sink is awkwardly positioned in front of a window, which she cant reach to open. She plans a renovation.Many of her money-saving habits continue. I had all this stuff and thats where my money went, buying me stuff, and the stuff kept me from getting to my goal, she said.With mortgage and maintenance, her outlay is around $2,500 a month. Her accountant told her she would save around $1,000 a month in taxes.He asked her, Do you want more in your paycheck every month or money back when we file next year? she said. Her answer: Both. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/505 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/505 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jun 06, 2012 Article: Done Deals Author: MURRAY HILL201 East 37th St. #2C$275,000500 s/f alcove studio in post-war elevator building (The Wingate). 24-hour doorman, roof deck with river view, storage and laundry room. South-facing unit with a separate kitchen. CC: $732; Asking price $300,000; 18 weeks on the market. Broker: David Bucci, A.C. Lawrence & Company. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/495 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/495 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: May 16, 2012 Article: Lucky Cheng's drags itself to new Time Square digs Author: Linda O'Flanagan New York's most outrageous cabaret club is about to drag itself to Time Square. After 18 years on Lower East Side, Lucky Cheng's, the iconic drag club, will open at 240 west 52nd Street."It is the perfect space for Lucky Cheng's," said Jean Bates, of the real estate brokerage A.C. Lawrence, who represented the club's owner, Hayne Suthon, in 10-year the triple net lease, along with colleagues, along with colleagues Haim Vinik and David Rosen. The 12,776 s/f Times Square property was listed at $ 600,000 per year. "This tenancy truly represents the highest and best use of this property," said Victor Menkin of Menkin Reallty Services, who represented the Landlord in the deal.According to Menkin, the property has a long history in the restaurant/club world. The building was apparently home to the original Ruby Foo's restaurant and was later the uptown branch of Max's Kansas City, Lone Star Roadhouse and the popular after hours bar/nightclub Float.. "The combined force of being across from Roseland, around the corner from Letterman and surrounded by the intensity of the hotels, office towers, theaters, restaurants and entertainment venues of the area should catapult Lucky off the starting line and provide for a long and successful run," said Menkin."The property has a very interesting configuration which works well for Lucky Cheng's business model." The parcel represents two adjacent 20 ft. by 60 ft. five story brownstones which were converted to commercial use many years ago and combined into one tax lot. A 40 ft. by 40 ft. two-story addition was built on the back of the buildings to create a performance/dining area with high ceilings and a seating mezzanine. According to Bates, Suthon was not optimistic that her team could find an affordable space in the middle of the Theater District that would meet the goals she has for business. But, said Bates, "The outcome could not have been better."Added Menkin:"This relocated Lucky Cheng will provide Time Square and the theater district with the unique out of the box experience which has helped to make this area the tourist mecca of the world and has contributed to Lucky Cheng's success in NYC and Las Vegas".According to published reports, Lucky's Cheng's building at 24 First Avenue will be sold and likely, torn down. Once a Russian bathhouse, the building later housed Club Baths, the first openly gay-owned bathhouse in Manhattan. Hayne Sulhon and her family bought the building in 1986 for $2.9 million- money earned from their natural-gas wells in Louisiana, according to New York magazine. She turned the bathhouse into Cave Canem, a restaurant that served ancient Roman dishes and became a hot spot for hipsters. In 1993, she created Lucky Cheng's which became an instant hit for its drag cabaret dinner and shows, attracting everyone from Prince Albert of Monaco to Yoko Ono. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/491 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/491 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: May 16, 2012 Article: Leases Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced that Lotus Skin Care Boutique has leased 350 s/f space at 310 East 23rd Street for 10 years. asking rents was $102 psf. Josh Singer, Winick Realty represented the landlord. The tenant was represented by Haim Vinik and David Rosen, AC Lawrence & Company. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/487 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/487 Publication: The New York Times Date: May 09, 2012 Article: Leases Author: Lucky Cheng's The drag cabaret and restaurant in the east village has leased 14,300 square feet in a theater district building, where it will move in late summer. Hayne Suthon, the bar's owner, said she wanted to tap into the tourist trade uptown. "Over the past 10 years, we've lost the tourists," she said. "They want to stay in the Times Square area. The type of tourist who would like Lucky Cheng's also likes 'Jersey Boys,'" : 240 West 52nd Street. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/489 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/489 Publication: New york post Date: May 09, 2012 Article: The lease you can do Author: Max Gross ... 1. Carry a lot of paper on your hunt.Have immediate access to all of your paperwork to verify employment and references, says Marc Lewis, chairman of A.C. Lawrence. You need to have copies of your two to three most-recent pay stubs. If youre a new hire, obtain a signed employment letter on company stationery stating your job description, hire date, annual salary and any bonus. ... http://www.aclawrence.com/news/481 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/481 Publication: The New York Times Date: May 03, 2012 Article: Recent Lease Author: $15/square foot$60,000 approximate annual rentPfizer Building630 Flushing Avenue (between Tompkins and Marcy Avenues)East Williamsburg, BrooklynA raw food vegan preparation and distribution center has signed a 10-year lease for 4,000 square feet on the fourth floor of this eight-story building. It is the site of a former plant for Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company.TENANT: One Lucky Duck/Pure Food and WineLANDLORD: Acumen Capital PartnersBROKER: Louis Velazquez, A.C. Lawrence & Company http://www.aclawrence.com/news/485 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/485 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: May 02, 2012 Article: Leases Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced the following lease: - At 8 West 37 Street Unithree, LLC a success training company for executives, leased 4,450 s/f. Asking rent was $30 psf. Haim Vinik, Jean Bates, David Rosen and Chris Salizzoni of AC Lawrence & Company represented the landlord in tenant. Joseph Manigiacotta, CBRE, represented the landlord in the seven year deal. - Levo League, a mentoring program for professional women, leased 4,000 s/f at 833 Broadway for 10 years lease. David Gomez of Fountain Realty Group represented the tenant. The landlord was represented by Haim Vinik, Jean Bates, David Rosen and Chris Salizzoni;Lady M Confections, a cake boutique, signed a 15-year lease for 376 s/f on the ground floor of 32 West 40th Street, landmarked 12-story co-op facing Bryant Park. Asking rent was $185 psf. Jean Bates of AC Lawrence & Company represented the tenant. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/483 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/483 Publication: The Real Deal Date: May 01, 2012 Article: Whos hiring? NYC real estate jobs on rise, especially in private equity Author: Sarah Evelyn Harvey Good news for graduates: While there are still more applicants than job openings in New York City real estate, sources say conditions are getting better.A.C. Lawrence, which currently has 127 agents, is looking to grow by 40 percent this year, she said, mostly by recruiting from Manhattans New York Real Estate Institute and other local programs. Were going into our busiest season, Turturro said. People are relocating, sizing up or sizing down and graduating theres a lot of movement. Larger brokerages, like Citi Habitats, are also open to hiring recent graduates. Were always looking to hire new people, said firm president Gary Malin, though he said the firm isnt necessarily looking for a set number of new employees. Gillian recommended that real estate job seekers in any segment of the market study the market to find out which companies are most active, and therefore likely to be hiring. Open those newspapers, read those business columns, learn who is doing what and what transactions are going on, Gillian said. And look at what companies are behind those transactions those are the companies that are really helping push things. Similarly, candidates should look for firms with training programs, Malin said; Citi Habitats offers a five-day training program for new hires, plus on-the-job training. You might be really good with people, but you have to be willing to learn the business, Malin said. Most importantly, employers want candidates who are a good fit for the industry. Success in real estate takes a maverick type of personality, said Daun Paris, president of the commercial brokerage Eastern Consolidated. It requires communication skills, and also the ability to be creative and thrive on the unknown. Most of Eastern Consolidateds new hires are seasoned professionals, including attorneys, accountants and small business owners, so Paris doesnt typically hire right out of college. But she recommends that graduates interested in commercial real estate start by researching the industry and figuring out if they have the skillset for sales. For the right person, there are always opportunities in real estate, she said. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/479 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/479 Publication: NY Times Date: Apr 29, 2012 Article: Residential Sales Around the Region Author: Tribeco- $1.9million8 Thomas Street2 Beds 2 Bath On the market 22 weeks1,260 sqft. duplex penthouse condo; 18-ft. ceilings, exposed brick walls, two-level terrace, south exposure; common charge $847; taxes $10,104; listed at $1.995 million. Broker: AC LAWRENCE & CO. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/477 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/477 Publication: New york post Date: Apr 25, 2012 Article: Just Sold! Author: ManhattanEAST VILLAGE $387,000226-230 E. 12th St.One-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 550 square feet, with windowed kitchen, and parquet floors; building features laundry, storage and live-in super. Maintenance $910, 50 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $399,000, on market 12 weeks. Brokers: Denise Cataudella, The Corcoran Group and Cathy Shim, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/475 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/475 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Apr 18, 2012 Article: Leases - Lily Lin Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced the following leases: -Lily Lin of AC Lawrence represented the law firm of William Chuang in the leased of 1,586 s/f of office space at 325 Broadway. Asking rents are $26psf. The Landlord, 325 Broadway Associates, was represented by Alexis Feldman, Feldman Realty Group -Talara Capital Management, LLC, a hedge fund, sub-leased 5,753 s/f at 805 Third Avenue. Asking rent was $45 psf. The landlord was represented by Omar Farooq at Cushman & Wakefield. The tenant was represented by Lily Lin. -High 5 Games, a tech company, leased 9,040 s/f for five years on the 11th floor of 50 West 23rd St. Asking rent was $41 psf. The landlord, TWO Trees Management Co., was represented in-house by Caroline Pardo. Lily Lin represented the tenant. -High 5 Games signed a short-term lease for 10.026 s/f at 50 West 23rd St.. Asking rent was $39 psf. The tenant is leasing the 5th Floor of the property until the space on 11th floor is ready on June 15. The landlord was represented in-house by Caroline Pardo. Lily Lin Represented the tenant. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/473 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/473 Publication: New York Post Date: Apr 12, 2012 Article: Just Sold! Author: ManhattanBATTERY PARK CITY $841,0002 River TerraceOne-bedroom, one-bath condo, 887 square feet, with kitchen with Corian counters and Thermador, Sub-Zero and Miele appliances, dining room, marble bath with double sinks, bamboo floors, Bosch washer/dryer, air and water filtration system and central AC; LEED-certified building features doorman, garage, garden, gym, pool, nursery and billiards room. Common charges $616, taxes $1,001. Asking price $899,000, on market 44 weeks. Brokers: Jimmy Wood, Halstead Property and Arnie Leventhal, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/469 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/469 Publication: The New York Times Date: Apr 11, 2012 Article: Recent Lease Author: $185/square foot$69,600 approximate annual rentBryant Park Place32 West 40th Street (between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas)ManhattanA cake boutique has signed a 15-year lease with three months' free rent for a 376-square-foot ground-floor space in this landmarked 12-story co-op facing Bryant Park. The shop, which is to open this summer, already has an Upper East Side location, with another expected at the Plaza Food Hall next month.TENANT: Lady M ConfectionsLANDLORD: 40th Street Tenants CorporationBROKER: Jean Bates, A.C. Lawrence & Company http://www.aclawrence.com/news/467 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/467 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Apr 04, 2012 Article: DONE DEALS Author: Battery Park City2 River Terrace$841,0001-bedroom, 1-bath, 887 s/f condo in post-war elevator building (The River-house). LEED-certified green luxury condo has 24-hour doorman, concierge, garden, garage, health club, pool, laundry room, valet, nursery, billiards room, party room. Unit has bamboo floors, central HVAC, filtered air and water. CC:616;taxes $1001;Asking price $899,000; 44 weeks on the market. Brokers: Arnie Leventhal, A.C. Lawrence &Company; Jimmy Wood Halstead. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/471 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/471 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Apr 04, 2012 Article: Leases Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced that QFive, is an information management start-up that has designed a cloud -based sports community around individual athletes has leased 640 s/f at 1133 Broadway for one year. Asking rent was $46 psf. The landlord, Kew Management, was represented in house. Chris Salizzoni, executive vice president of the commercial services at AC Lawrence, represented the tenant. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/463 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/463 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Apr 01, 2012 Article: Retail Lease- Jean Bates Author: Address: 1400 FifthSquare Feet: 2,348Tenant: Doggedly DevotedTenant Representative: Jean Bates, AC Lawrence & Co.Landlord: 1400 Fifth Avenue CommercialLandlord Representative: Elizabeth Martin, EL Martin PartnersNotes: The dog day care center signed a 10-year lease. The reported asking rent was $26 per square foot.April 2012 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/461 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/461 Publication: Mann Report Date: Apr 01, 2012 Article: Nurturing Needle in the Haystack Sales Agents Author: Upon first joining A.C. Lawrence & Company to lead and develop the residential sales division of the Tribrid composed of residential rentals, residential sales and commercial services brokerage, Fanny Montalvo set a series of performance goals and the highest of ideals for her team. Not merely the highest for an agent, but the highest code of conduct for humans interacting with one another, the same she strives to emulate.Montalvo sought from her first day to implement an extensive and intensive sales training program, creating New York City sales agents with the ability and know-how to be buyers agents as well as exclusive agents. A 30-year sales and client service veteran, Montalvo serves as the Managing Director of Sales, guiding sales training, recruiting agents to augment A.C. Lawrences sales division and working with agents on identifying and signing exclusives, then working with them throughout each deal to contract, closing and beyond. Before her decade in real estate, Montalvo worked as a technology recruiter for more than 20 years, ultimately opening her own IT executive search firm while simultaneously founding and running a restaurant; careers that taught her how to relate to a wide variety of people, serve and satisfy their array of needs, and build relationships that span a lifetime. A member of the executive board of the Manhattan Association of Realtors, where she serves on the 2012 Realtors Cultural & Age Diversity board, in addition to the Real Estate Board of New York, Montalvo, who is multilingual, has maintained her Realtor status, creating a larger network base for A.C. Lawrence agents to give and receive referrals both internationally and domestically. The desired goal: For agents to never to need to say no to serving a client looking to buy, sell or rent. In addition to widening their opportunities via a varied client stream, A.C. Lawrence sales agents are now fully versed on the new Agency Disclosure laws and are accountable to Montalvo in assuring they have disclosed properly and have the necessary documentation. My goal is for the A.C. Lawrence sales division to be that needle in the haystack to anyone seeking a full-service and top-notch sales team. Each of the agents I manage brings a unique piece of themselves to a larger puzzle, Montalvo said. I try to inspire each one by celebrating their successes in their small steps as well as monumental triumphs. My management style developed over time as reflection of who I strive to be - polished, organized, straight forward, capable of extending either a serious or relaxed mindset as needed, while remaining humble in never forgetting where I come from. In a residential sales environment that can prove challenging to buyers, sellers and agents alike, Montalvo offers all three the same counsel: Do your homework. Bigger isnt always better, even in real estate brokerages where its easy to get lost in the shuffle. In a competitive city as New York, in a competitive industry as sales, there is extra pressure in competing for a listing, competing for a buyer, competing to be the top firm. To this, Montalvos constant words of encouragement to her agents are: Its not enough to be the person everyone wants to be with; rather, its better to be the one they cannot do without. For those looking to succeed as a real estate professional, one should ask a brokerage if they will be trained first as a sales person, but always as a creator and keeper of relationships and if their sales manager will lead and guide, or compete with them for sales. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/465 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/465 Publication: The New York Times Date: Mar 28, 2012 Article: Recent Lease Author: $36/square foot$54,000 approximate annual rent2 West 45th Street (between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas)ManhattanA dental practice has signed a 10-year lease, starting May 1, for 1,500 square feet on the 17th floor of this Midtown office building. The practice is getting three months' rent free.TENANT: JMW DDSLANDLORD: Joseph P. DayLANDLORD REPRESENTATIVE: Craig Berman, Joseph P. DayTENANT BROKER: Chris Salizzoni, A.C. Lawrence & Company http://www.aclawrence.com/news/457 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/457 Publication: NY Post Date: Mar 15, 2012 Article: Just sold! Author: UPPER EAST SIDE $1,425,000250 E. 64th St.Two-bedroom, two-bath condo, 1,485 square feet, with foyer, windowed kitchen, washer/dryer, walk-in closet and home office; building features doorman, roof deck with barbecue grill, gym and laundry and storage. Common charges $1,229, taxes $975. Asking price $1,599,000, on market 34 weeks. Brokers: Brett Forman, Prudential Douglas Elliman and Annamaria Fattori, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/459 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/459 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Mar 14, 2012 Article: Leases Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced that dog day care Doggedly Devoted has signed a 10 year lease for 2,348s/f on the ground floor and 684 s/f in the basement of the eight-story condominium at 1400 Fifth Ave. Asking rent was $26 psf. Jean Bates of AC Lawrence represented Doggedly Devoted. The landlord was represented by Elizabeth Martin, E.L. Martin Partners. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/445 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/445 Publication: The New York Times Date: Mar 07, 2012 Article: Recent Lease Author: Rosalie R. Radomsky $26/square foot$78,648 approximate annual rent1400 Fifth Avenue (between 115th and 116th Streets)ManhattanDoggedly Devoted, a dog day care, training and boarding company, has signed a 10-year lease for 2,348 square feet on the ground floor and 684 square feet in the basement of this eight-story 2003 condominium.TENANT: Doggedly DevotedTENANT'S BROKER: Jean Bates, A.C. Lawrence & CompanyLANDLORD: 1400 Fifth Avenue CommercialLANDLORD'S BROKER: Elizabeth Martin, E.L. Martin Partners http://www.aclawrence.com/news/451 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/451 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Mar 07, 2012 Article: Docs Lease Walk-In Clinic Author: New York Doctors Walk-In Urgent Care leased a second location at 205 Lexington Avenue, on the corner of 32nd Street. The clinic is set to open in the next few months, taking over a space that previously housed a real estate office for a nearby condo development. "Walk-in medical offices have taken off recently as a new trend for the city," said Winick Realty Group executive vice president Darrell Rubens, who represented landlord Somerset Management along with associate director Lee Block and associate Annie Shinn. "This is a great location for them. They're situated in the middle of Murray Hill, near NYU Langone Medical center and many doctors' offices." The walk-in medical clinic will occupy a 2,717 s/f ground-floor facility offering emergency and general medicine care, as well as occupational medicine, physicals, x-rays, laboratory tests and vaccines. Jean Bates of AC Lawrence & Co. represented New York Doctors in this lease transaction. The tenant currently operates another location at 65 West 13th Street in Greenwich Village. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/453 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/453 Publication: Broker's Weekly Date: Mar 07, 2012 Article: Done Deals Author: This convertible three-bedroom, two-bath, 1,485 s/f corner unit has undergone significant updates and features renovated hallways and lobby, roof deck with BBQ grill and iPod hookup, gym, bike storage, private storage, and laundry room; entrance to the apartment is via a foyer with three closets. The living/dining room has an airy feel due to the corner location with south and east exposures and extensive windows. Master bedroom has a large walk-in closet and en-suite bath. The windowed kitchen and bathrooms have been updated and hardwood floors have been installed throughout the apartment; apartment includes a private storage bin. There is the potential to add a washer/dryer in the unit. Common charges $1,229; taxes $975 ($11,700 per year); asking price $1,599,000; 34 weeks on the market. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/455 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/455 Publication: Broker's Weekly Date: Mar 07, 2012 Article: New Listings Author: Cheryl Greenberg and Gregory Olson of A.C. Lawrence are listing this fully renovated studio apartment at 320 East 42nd Street for $295,000. The home would make an ideal pied-a-terre. It features an entry foyer, a beautiful tiled bath, good closet space, high beamed ceilings, wood floors, kitchenette, living area with a large flat screen, plasma television, and a nice size sleeping alcove with its own flat screen, plasma tv. The televisions are included in the price. The casement windows offer great northern light along with open city views. In a full service, doorman, elevator building, conveniently located in Murray Hill, within walking distance to Grand Central Station, Port Authority, the Theater District, great restaurants, and fabulous shopping. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/443 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/443 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Mar 01, 2012 Article: Survival of the fittest: Brokers beat out agents in an evolving market Author: Leigh Kamping-Carder Nobody really grows up saying, I want to be a real estate agent, said Fanny Montalvo, managing director of sales at residential brokerage A.C. Lawrence & Co. and a former information technology recruiter. Still, a couple years ago everybody was getting their real estate license, she said. Today, those people are no longer in the business. This, of course, has been one of the central narratives of the real estate boom-and-bust: the surge of inexperienced agents profiting off quick-selling properties, followed by a reorganization of the industry that flushed out newer and less-skilled agents. This month, The Real Deal took a closer look at this oft-repeated truism, examining the state of New York Citys real estate labor force. Data shows that during the downturn, the number of agents (technically called salespeople, agents are the lowest rung on the real estate sales ladder) fell sharply. During the same time period, however, the number of brokers who have more experience and training than agents held steady and, in some years, increased. That suggests that the industry did indeed see a survival-of-the-fittest purge of less-experienced professionals. Plus, data shows that during the downturn, the earnings gap between agents and brokers widened. Now, rookies have begun returning to real estate, but this time around, they are having a much harder time making money, while seasoned brokers continue to reap the biggest rewards.And while compensation is more volatile in the real estate business than it is in other industries, employment in the industry fell less during the recession than in New York City as a whole.Overall, the result of the recent boom-and-bust has been that the rich got richer and the poor got poorer, said Chris Peters, director of sales at Prudential Douglas Elliman.--- http://www.aclawrence.com/news/447 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/447 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Mar 01, 2012 Article: Commercial Sales Author: Address: 134 West 29th St, NYSquare Feet: 4,500Tenant: Partnership for Innovative Comprehensive CareTenant representative: Jean Bates, A.C. Lawrence & Co.Landlord: Sitasons InternationalLandlord Representative: Suraj Advaney, Triboro Realty and Management Notes: The nonprofit signed a 10-year lease on the top floor of the 12-story office building. Issue: March 2012 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/449 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/449 Publication: Mann Report Date: Mar 01, 2012 Article: FANNY MONTALVO TO LEAD SALES DIVISION AT AC LAWRENCE & CO Author: AC Lawrence & Co announced the hire of Fanny Montalvo to lead the sales division of the Manhattan-based real estate brokerage.A 30-year sales and client service veteran, Montalvo will serve as Sales Director, guiding sales training, recruiting sales agents to augment AC Lawrence's sales division and working with agents on identifying and signing exclusives, then working with them throughout each deal to contract, closing and beyond.Montalvo most recently worked as Fenwick Keats; East Side sales manager for seven years. Fluent in Spanish and conversant in Italian, she is a member of the executive board of the Manhattan association of Realtors where she will serve on the Realtor's Cultural & Age Diversity board in 2012, as well as the Real Estate Board of New York. Montalvo worked as a technology recruiter for more than two decades, ultimately opening her own IT executive search firm while simultaneously founding and running restaurant , careers that taught her how to relate to a wide variety of people, serve and satisfy their array of needs, and build relationships that span a lifetime. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/439 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/439 Publication: NY Times Date: Feb 23, 2012 Article: The Hunt: Trading the Nest, for a Place for Two Author: Joyce Cohen AFTER graduating from Fordham University in 2008, Abbe Ouziel returned home to live with her parents in Fort Lee, N.J.It was a practical move. She had graduated into a bad economy with a degree in dance.Her friends from outside the city, who had to find housing when they were booted from the dorm, were envious. It was pretty great, aside from the fact I was used to living at Columbus Circle, said Ms. Ouziel, 25, who had spent four years there in a Fordham dormitory.She had to get used to taking a bus and a subway to the Upper West Side, where she teaches Gyrotonics, an exercise technique. She intended to remain with her parents until I thought of a good reason to move and start paying rent, she said.The reason surfaced last fall. Her boyfriend, Jon Shiffman, 26, wanted to move to New York City. Mr. Shiffman, a drummer, had been living with his mother in Teaneck, N.J., because he traveled so often he couldnt justify shelling out good money for an apartment. But now he was planning to switch careers and start course work at City College in preparation for the schools physician assistant program.I had been on the road for the last five years and never really had a place of my own, he said, so I was extremely gung-ho about finding a place in time for classes to start. I didnt want to commute into college.The couple decided to hunt for a one-bedroom on the Upper West Side for $1,400 to $1,600 a month. On that budget, Mr. Shiffman and Ms. Ouziel knew they would have to go way uptown, probably beyond Morningside Heights.Mr. Shiffman scoured Craigslist and visited a few open houses. But something was always wrong. One place had a pipe with towels wrapped around it, which seemed like an ominous sign, he said. Ms. Ouziels friends insisted that she would know immediately when she had found the right place, but she was unsure.Early this winter, Mr. Shiffman contacted Michael Rider, an agent at A. C. Lawrence & Company, who had rentals in Inwood and Washington Heights. Mr. Rider took the couple to a handsome, newly renovated one-bedroom, for $1,400 a month, on West 188th Street. But it was on the ground floor, with two bedroom windows right on the street.They moved on to Magaw Place, where another one-bedroom, small and unrenovated but livable, also cost $1,400. Now, however, they were starkly aware of the appeal of a newly redone interior. If we had to live there, we would have been fine with it, Mr. Shiffman said, but there wasnt any real wow factor.The wow came at a just-renovated one-bedroom for $1,600 a month on West 173rd Street near Broadway in Washington Heights, high enough to have a view of the George Washington Bridge. I kind of at that moment understood when people said that, when you walk in and feel you should be there, youll know, Ms. Ouziel said.Unprepared to have found a place so quickly, they gathered the necessary paperwork, which they provided to Mr. Rider the next morning.But they were too late. We got scooped on the apartment within a half hour, which is not uncommon, Mr. Rider said. Ms. Ouziel was heartbroken. I am green to this whole situation, she said, and never considered the fact you can apply to an apartment and not get it. But then I realized that happens all the time. Having seen several perfectly fine places, they were sure to see more.A few days later, with Ms. Ouziel at work, Mr. Shiffman ventured out again with Mr. Rider, this time to a $1,500-a-month one-bedroom on Pinehurst Avenue in Hudson Heights. It was completely gutted, with renovations about to begin.Even in its unfinished state, Mr. Shiffman liked the space, a large rectangle. If you are the first tenant, he said, it feels it was built for you.The following Sunday, Mr. Shiffman and Ms. Ouziel drove to the neighborhood. They were joined by his mother, Joanne Kennedy, who had worked for years at what was then Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. In fact Mr. Shiffman had spent his babyhood nearby on Cabrini Boulevard.I decided I wanted to live here before I got out of the car, Ms. Ouziel said. I had never seen a neighborhood like this in Manhattan. She loved the calm streets, away from busy Broadway.Ms. Kennedy, a nurse practitioner, was thrilled to revisit her old neighborhood. Oh, my heavens, it brought back such nostalgia, she said. Franks Market on West 187th Street, once a butcher shop, was now a gourmet purveyor. This place had such a renaissance. It was wild. I loved it.This time the only glitch was the landlords concern about having a drummer for a tenant. Mr. Shiffman allayed those fears: he keeps his drums at his mothers house. If you are serious about drums here, he said, you pretty much have to get a rehearsal studio.The couple signed a one-year lease on the unfinished apartment, paying a brokers fee of $1,850. They had seen the superintendents home, and knew theirs would be renovated in a similar style, so they werent worried. I could tell it was going to be great, Ms. Ouziel said. And I didnt think we would find anything like it.They moved in last month, shortly before Mr. Shiffman started classes. They are a bit short on closet and cabinet space, but a trip to Ikea produced a clothes rack and some shelves.They have less light than they expected, but more heat. I am someone who is always freezing, Ms. Ouziel said, but in this apartment I am always hot. We had to get a lighter comforter.Happily, she again feels like a New Yorker. Mr. Shiffman drives to New Jersey several times a week to teach drums, with each round-trip over the George Washington Bridge costing a painful $12.If he returns late at night, he cant always find a spot on the right side of the street.You have to get lucky some nights, he said, but midday you can always find parking, and weekends you can mostly find parking. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/437 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/437 Publication: City Biz Real Estate Date: Feb 22, 2012 Article: New York Doctors Leases Second Walk-In Clinic Author: New York Doctors Walk-In Urgent Care has leased a second location in New York, this one at 205 Lexington Ave on the corner of 32nd Street. The tenant currently operates another location at 65 West 13th Street in Greenwich Village.The walk-in medical clinic will occupy a 2,717 square-foot ground-floor facility offering emergency and general medicine care, as well as occupational medicine, physicals, x-rays, laboratory tests and vaccines.The clinic is set to open in the next few months, taking over a space that previously housed a real estate office for a nearby condo development.Jean Bates of A.C. Lawrence & Co. represented New York Doctors in this lease transaction. Winick Realty Group LLC Executive Vice President Darrell Rubens represented the landlord, Somerset Management, with Associate Director Lee Block and Associate Annie Shinn."This is a great location for them," said Rubens. "They're situated in the middle of Murray Hill, near NYU Langone Medical Center, Beth Israel Medical Center and many doctors' offices." http://www.aclawrence.com/news/441 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/441 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Feb 22, 2012 Article: Leases Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced the following leases: New York Doctors Walk-in Urgent Care Center signed a 12-year lease for 2,717 s/f on the ground floor 205 Lexington Avenue (at East 32nd Street). Asking rents were $67 psf. Jean Bates of AC Lawrence & Company represented the tenant. Anne Shinn and Darrell Rubens, Winick Realty Group, represented the landlord, 205-215 Lexington Avenue Associates. Partnership for Innovative Comprehensive Care, a non-profit group that works with developmentally disabled adults, has signed a 10-year lease for 4,500 s/f on the top floor of 134 West 29th Street. Asking rents were $34.20 psf. Jean Bates , AC Lawrence & Co., represented the tenant. The landlord, Sitasons International, was represented by Suraj Advaney, Triboro Realty and Management. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/435 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/435 Publication: ny post Date: Feb 16, 2012 Article: Just sold! Author: Long IslandVALLEY STREAM $309,3008 Louise PlaceThree-bedroom, two-bath Cape on a 41-by-154-foot lot, with windowed eat-in kitchen, dining room, family room, den, fireplace, new windows, central AC, finished basement, backyard and garage. Taxes $7,598. Asking price $310,000, on market 23 weeks. Brokers: Charles Maione, Prudential Douglas Elliman and Mariana Bekerman, A.C. Lawrence & Co. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/433 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/433 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Feb 15, 2012 Article: New Listings Author: Living room and corner bedroom with open city views and en suite customized bath. Electric and cable are included in maintenance. Listing agent: Kevin Brunnock, AC Lawrence & Company. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/427 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/427 Publication: New York Post Date: Feb 02, 2012 Article: Just sold! Author: ManhattanTRIBECA $1,900,00068 Thomas St. Two-bedroom, two-bath duplex penthouse condo, 1,262 square feet, with 18-foot ceilings, dining area, oversized windows and private outdoor space with built-in audio system, automatic irrigation system and remote-controlled retractable shade; building features elevator. Common charges $847, taxes $842. Asking price $2,175,000, on market 32 weeks. Brokers: Kevin Mallen and Michael Graves, Core, Brittany Fox, A.C. Lawrence and Louis Caceres, Dwellworks Property Advisor http://www.aclawrence.com/news/425 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/425 Publication: The New York Times Date: Feb 01, 2012 Article: Recent Lease Author: $67/square foot$181,000 approximate annual rent205 Lexington Avenue (at East 32nd Street)ManhattanA walk-in medical clinic has taken a 12-year lease for 2,717 square feet on the ground floor of this 18-story 1963 building.TENANT: New York Doctors Walk-In Urgent Care CenterTENANT'S BROKER: Jean Bates, A.C. Lawrence & CompanyLANDLORD: 205-215 Lexington Avenue AssociatesLANDLORD'S BROKER: Annie Shinn and Darrell Rubens, Winick Realty Group http://www.aclawrence.com/news/429 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/429 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Feb 01, 2012 Article: Deal Sheet Summary Author: http://www.aclawrence.com/news/431 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/431 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Feb 01, 2012 Article: The mighty middle: Market for mid-priced homes wakes up Author: Leigh Kamping-Carder A Central Park West mansion belonging to retired Coach executive Keith Monda sold last month for $22.4 million, a record price for a single-family townhouse on the Upper West Side. The purchase kicks off the New Year with echoes of 2011: luxury real estate maintaining (or even exceeding) its pre-crash values, and a wealthy foreigner in this case, international buyer Igor Iankovsky swooping in to own a piece of New York City.But the rest of the residential market last month was inconsistent, brokers said; while theres strong demand for mid-priced properties, sales of properties under $1 million are sluggish.Monda, who was the president and chief operating officer of Coach until 2008, put his 13-room townhouse at 247 Central Park West on the market in April 2010, asking $32 million. The renovated 12,270-square-foot home, built in 1887, features a 60-foot indoor lap pool, a gym and a roof terrace.Though the property eventually sold for 30 percent off its initial asking price, the sale brought Monda a sizeable return. He had bought the house just two years earlier from Abigail Disney, Walts grandniece, for $15.5 million. So far in 2012, brokers said, demand has increased for this and other high-end properties, much like it did in 2011. Meanwhile, starter apartments linger on the market. Unlike last year, however, the middle of the market also appears to be waking up. ... The market for properties priced slightly lower than that, however, is showing weakness. While buyers complain about a lack of quality inventory in the $1 to $2 million range, sellers are listing more properties priced between $800,000 and $1 million, according to Fanny Montalvo, the managing director of sales at A.C. Lawrence & Company. ... http://www.aclawrence.com/news/417 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/417 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jan 25, 2012 Article: Done Deals: Long Island Author: Valley Stream 8 Louise Place $309,300 Cape detached single family house. Thress bedrooms, 2-baths, built in 1950, Lot Size: 41X154, full finished basement. New roofs on house and garage, replaced windows, central air, in-ground sprinklers, central alarm, back yard. Asking price $310,000; 23 weeks on the market.Brokers: Charles Maione, Prudential Douglas Elliman; Mariana Bekerman, AC Lawrence & Company. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/419 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/419 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jan 25, 2012 Article: Done Deals: Manhattan Author: Tribeca 68 Thomas Street, #5R $1,900,000 Two bedroom, 2-bath, 1,262 s/f penthouse with two-level outdoor private terrace and downtown Manhattan views Loft style duplex layout with 18 ft. ceilings and exposed brick. Pre-war, boutique elevator building. CC: $847; Asking price $1,995,000; 21 weeks on the market. Brokers: Brittany Fox, AC Lawrence & Company; Louic Caceres, Dwellworks Property Advisors; Michael Graves, Core. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/421 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/421 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jan 25, 2012 Article: Who's News Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced that nine new agents have joined the firms ranks. Anastasia Argiropoulos previously worked in facilities management, construction company office management and property management. She holds an associates degree in biology degree in biology from Kingsborough College. Ashley Crayton worked in the hospitality industry after studying marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan. She also worked as a bartender and as operator of her own catering business. Christine Cui has enjoyed a rewarding career in real estate for over 15 years. She worked as a real estate comptroller prior to entering the world of residential sales and rentals. She is a graduate of Bachelor degree in business. Tom Dawson previously spent 25 years in the telecommunications industry with top companies. He holds a BA degree in Political Science from McDaniel College. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/423 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/423 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jan 25, 2012 Article: Who's News Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced that nine new agents have joined the firms ranks. Sadah Ali attended Virginia State University and the University of Maryland, Seoul, Korea. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance. Prior to entering real estate, he was an actor and model who appeared on popular soaps and television series, as well as in print ads for big brands. Qasim Siddiqui is co-founder of two companies that continue to thrive. When no focused on work, he concentrates on his studies in economics at New York University. Louis Velazquez enjoyed a career in finance for over 20 years. He transitioned to real estate four years ago. He is also currently involved in the entertainment industry with several projects underway. He is retired professional wrestler. For more than six years, Miguel Narea has worked in real estate. Before that he was a restaurant manager. He graduated from New York institute of Technology with a degree in international business. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/415 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/415 Publication: New York Magazine Date: Jan 22, 2012 Article: Making the Most of It: The moment for first-time buyers may be right now Author: S.Jhoanna Robledo The Bed Goes Into Hiding 10 Park Avenue, No. 9F Asking price: $450,000 Amenity: A queen-size Murphy bed turns a little foyer into a bedroom Monthly maintenance: $812 Agents: Cheryl Greenberg and Greg Olson, A.C. Lawrence & Company The recession has turned the old rent-or-buy calculus on its head. In the past couple of years, cautious shoppers have flooded into rentals, bringing the vacancy rate (as reported by Citi Habitats) down to 1.27 percent. The corresponding flattening of the co-op and condo market means that "the formula now tips in favor of buying," says Melissa Cohn, president of the Manhattan Mortgage Company. That's doubly so because mortgage rates are historically lowin fact, some loans are below 4 percent, and simply can't get much lower, because the banks have to make something on the deal. The market is particularly attractive for starter apartments. Prudential Douglas Elliman's recent market report placed the median monthly rent for a Manhattan studio at $2,350. Do the math for, say, a $345,000 co-op studio (the median price, per the appraisal firm Miller Samuel). Put up 20 percent, borrow $276,000, and your monthly outlay hovers at $1,250 plus a maintenance that's typically around $500, and your monthly nut is about $1,750. For now. "We hit rock bottom in late 2009," says Elliman CEO and president Dottie Herman. "Certain pockets are going sideways, others are going up at a healthy pace." You may have competition. Corcoran's William Bolls says buyers have started to return. "They were waiting for something to push them one way or the other," he says, and high rents have nudged them to the buy side. Nor are we poised for a second slump. "We're not going to see a free fall like after Lehman Brothers [collapsed]," says broker Noah Rosenblatt of analytics firm UrbanDigs.com. "There's not a lot of fear. Buyers have the confidence, for now, that this asset class"real estate"won't destroy itself." http://www.aclawrence.com/news/413 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/413 Publication: Our Town NY Date: Jan 19, 2012 Article: Affordable Noise Author: Sean Creamer For the past few years, residents and businesses on the Upper East Side have been victim to heavy-duty construction on the Second Avenue subway line. The construction, expected to be completed in 2016, will make Second Avenue a new hub of transportation in the city. In the meantime, its a nightmare for proprietors, residents and business owners and a godsend for realtors and young professionals willing to tackle the dirt, dust, construction noise and grit in return for cheap rent in a great location. Businesses between 62nd and 96th streets on Second Avenue have been especially hit by the construction. The constant roadwork and blocked storefronts have led to decreased sales and, in the worst case, businesses closing, according to Andre Soto, director of management of Salon Realty, located at 338 E. 92nd St., between First and Second avenues. Salon deals in full-service property management, and Soto manages two buildings in the heart of the construction zone. Due to the construction, Soto said, two of the four businesses in his buildings that operate on the street level have closed up shop. The two survivors have had their rent lowered by 40 percent to accommodate the storeowners, whose sales have been decimated by the construction. Even in the early stages of construction, businesses were suffering from a loss of clientele. Lowered rents began in the first year of construction, said Soto. Commercial tenants who rent 700 square feet would pay $5,200-5,600 under regular rent conditions, but now that the construction has curbed business, the same renters pay $3,200-3,700 and businesses are still struggling, he said. Even residential properties have been discounted in the construction zones. On average, a one-bedroom apartment in one of Sotos buildings on the Upper East Side would go for $1,100-$2,200, and a two-bedroom would go for anywhere between $1,800 and $2,800. Soto has lowered rents by 30 percent in the areas that are at the mercy of subway construction because of the volume of complaints filed by residents. Mark Lyon, a Midtown lawyer, lived on 96th Street around the corner from Second Avenue at street level for three years before moving due to the constant barrage of noise from the subway construction. During that period, he and his wife were subjected to blasting, constant roadwork and dirty air that placed his family in a living hell. Lyon supports the subway, saying, Im a big fan of the projectI think it is needed, but his frustrations stem from the fact that the MTA, city and the contractor have not considered ways to mitigate the impact on residents.He said that at first, construction crews followed procedures, but after a few months, Construction equipment would be left on, work would begin earlier than the allotted time and extend late into the night. His personal disaster tale did not stop there, though. There were times when access to his apartment was blocked and no notice of any construction was given. Last year, my wife and I agreed to try and suffer through and keep the apartment and location we loved; I thought wed be able to do that again this year, said Lyon. However, right as the Lyons had decided to deal with another year of construction hassles, the workers dealt their final blow. The contractors parked a generator outside our window and filled our apartment with exhaust for weeks. That was the breaking point. We gave up and started looking for other places to live, he said via email. Although the Lyons gave up on their attempts to weather the noise, some people have resorted to modifying their homes to combat the auditory intrusion. Cityproof has been in the business of soundproofing windows since the 1960s, and on or near Second Avenue by the construction site, business has been booming. The amount of contracts has been increasing at a rapid pace on Second Avenue in the past year, said Michael Damelin, president of Cityproof. Although the problems with the subway construction have caused some people to move, they have opened the market on the Upper East Side to a younger generation willing to deal with the clamor in exchange for lowered rents.Because of the proximity to the hustle and bustle of Second Avenue and the cheaper rents, many more young professionals have come in, according to Norman Shakner, a realtor from A.C. Lawrence Realty. He noted that real estate in the area is booming because of the prospect of having a train line in the future and the fact that proprietors are driving down prices to fill empty apartments. A new resident of the Upper East Side, Simi moved there three months ago, saying she was drawn to the area because of better prices and more space for your money. She said it was cheaper than the Upper West Side, and the proximity of her apartment to her job and her friends couldnt be beat. The construction does not really affect her day-to-day activities, but it makes a lot of noise in the morning, especially on days Im not working. According to David Sannella, founding partner of Onno Realty LLC, property owners have been throwing out concessions to fill empty apartments that have been vacated due to the construction. You would get a great deal for a studio apartment on the Upper East Side because prices have been suffering in the Second Avenue corridor, said Sannella. He agreed that commercial property is taking the hardest hit of all. Commercial rents have dropped tremendously, many storefronts for lease on Second Avenue between 62nd to about 96th Street have not seen any activity, he said. This has created situations like the ones Soto described; he has to work with his clients to ensure that they are able to remain in business. Sannella said that a landlord would usually raise commercial rent by 3 percent each year, but now that business has slowed down substantially, that same 3-percent rise is instituted every three years in an effort to lessen the stress felt by local businesses. Rays Pizza, at 1827 Second Ave., has been in business for 25 years and is just one of many businesses that have been affected by the construction. Unfortunately, they signed their lease before construction began, so their rent has not changed like it has for businesses around them. Like other business owners and renters, they think the subway line will be a major benefit for the neighborhood and city when it is finished. Mahoud Ahmed, an employee of Rays, is hopeful that the new line will make the area more desirable and increase business. The new subway is going to take the Lexington Avenue crowd and bring them over to Second Avenue, he said. Once the train is done, it will bring more business to the area. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/411 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/411 Publication: The New York Times Date: Jan 18, 2012 Article: Recent Lease Author: Rosalie Radomsky $34.20/sq. ft.$153,900 approximate annual rent134 West 29th Street (between Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue)ManhattanPartnership for Innovative Comprehensive Care, a nonprofit group that works with developmentally disabled adults, has signed a 10-year lease for 4,500 square feet on the top floor of this 12-story office co-op. The company will be moving in next month.TENANT: Partnership for Innovative Comprehensive CareTENANT'S BROKER: Jean Bates, A.C. Lawrence & CompanyLANDLORD: Sitasons InternationalLANDLORD'S BROKER: Suraj Advaney, Triboro Realty and Management http://www.aclawrence.com/news/407 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/407 Publication: Brick Underground Date: Jan 17, 2012 Article: Top negotiating mistakes of buyers, and their brokers Author: Teri Karush Rogers Most people buy and sell a home just a few times during their lives, so even if you consider yourself a good negotiator, chances are that youre bit rusty when it comes to acquiring or unloading a co-op or condo. So with the spring market just ahead of us, we reached out to a dozen or so real estate brokers and closing lawyers to compile this list of top negotiating blunders commited by sellers and their brokers.First up in our three-part crash course this week, we'll focus on buyers. Tomorrow: mistakes sellers and their brokers make.1. Don't talk too much in front of the sellers agentBuyers tend to talk too much in the presence of the selling agents about their financial information before they even make an offer, says Maria Pascal of The Heddings Property Group. This information is best left confidential and should be handled by their real estate broker. The only thing you should be sharing with the sellers agent is your apartment needs and wish list," she says. "Ask questions but dont show your cards." You may give the agent reason to believe that you can afford more than you initially offer--or, unbeknownst to you, you might disqualify yourself as a buyer by inadvertently underselling your qualifications. Presentation is everything and your broker knows how to present your net worth statement properly, says Pascal. Oftentimes even the most educated buyers leave out assets that they didn't realize are counted towards their net worth. 2. Don't make a lowball offer that isnt--or cant be--defended Starting with a really low offer just to see if a seller is desperate enough to take it" is a mistake, says Bevan Versfeld of Rutenberg Realty. The broker for the seller will recognize it"--and you may "insult" the seller into refusing to negotiate with you. Rather than pulling a number out of a hat, says Olinda Turturro of A.C. Lawrence & Company, study comps in the building and elsewhere, talk to your broker, and make an informed offer" --accompanied by a well-reasoned analysis and comparables--that makes sense to the other side too, even if they don't like it. 3. Don't ask for everything at once Pick your battles when you make your first offer, says Kevin Kurland of The Spire Group. Making a lowball offer and insisting on closing in four months even though you know the seller wants to close in two will probably not get you very far. 4. Don't present your best offer first A lot of times when people negotiate they put everything on the table right away, says Holly Sose of City Connections Realty. The problem lies in the fact that most times, the other side assumes that youre asking for more than you expect to get, she says. They try to chip away at your position; meanwhile, youre stuck digging in your heels with nothing left to give.Nobody appreciates anything they didn't ask for, and if you give it all up at the beginning, they dont understand youre being generous," says Sose. It makes the transaction go so much better if everyone can give and take.5. Don't seem too enthusiasticStay neutral in front of the seller or their broker: Stop saying that you picture yourself eating in their kitchen or hanging out in their soaking tub, says Rodrigo Guzman of Rutenberg Realty. Be more neutral so the seller and their broker wont think they can yank on your heart strings during price and concession negotiations.6. Don't forget to write a proper offer letterAn offer is more than just a number scribbled on a piece of paper. Your offer letter should be carefully crafted, typed in a Word document on your agents letterhead (scanned and emailed is fine) and explain the offer as well as the reasoning behind it, referencing supporting information like comparable sales.It communicates a lot more sincerity if its a written letter that takes time to delineate the points supporting the offer, says Wei Min Tan of Rutenberg Realty.Moreover, he says, usually if its written, the sellers broker will show it to the seller, and these points will not be lost. A letter also shows that you are a nice person who is taking the time to produce a letter, rather than presenting 10 other offers on other properties at the same time.7. Don't sit around twiddling your thumbs if the seller doesnt respond to your lowball offerPatience is important, but unless you are willing to lose the property, this is a very dangerous tactic, says Lori Ben-Ari of The Heddings Property Group.If the property has been on the market for a short time, and there are other offers, chances are the property is priced well, she says.When the seller does not counter, the buyer should go back to the selling broker and get a sense if the other offers have been countered. If this is the case, the buyer needs to come in with a stronger offer, at least within 5% of ask. If the property has been on the market for awhile, the buyers can afford to have more patience, but should still check in with the selling broker on a regular basis," she says. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/405 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/405 Publication: Brick Underground Date: Jan 11, 2012 Article: Does 'No Pets' mean 'No Cats'? Author: Lucy Cohen Blatter Over on StreetEasy, a renter who assumed that in most buildings, "no pets" applies only to dogs--not cats--is finding otherwise. Why would landlords care, she wonders? It seems that hardwood floors and cats really don't mix. (It's a combination of scratching and cat urine that concerns landlords.) The general consensus on StreetEasy is that you're safer looking for buildings that embrace all kinds of pets, and say that from the get-go. We checked in with a couple of real estate agents to see whether they think "no pets" always means "no cats." When it comes to rentals, says Gus Waite of AC Lawrence Real Estate, "there are many, many times" where cats are allowed in a no-pet building."Talk to people who live in the building and the super to see if 'no pets' means 'pay the super $100 and bring your cat in in a box.' Is it 'don't ask, don't tell' or is it-really really 'no pets'?" he says.He recommends finding out if cats live in the building, and making sure that someone who recently moved in has a cat, since "sometimes pets are grandfathered in. Just because someone has a cat does not mean that new cats can move in." When it comes to co-ops and condos, Deanna Kory of The Corcoran Group says, the rules are usually a bit stricter."Many times, there is a no dogs policy when they mean no dogs. 'No pets' usually means cats as well," she said. "It is important to ask because people think to 'sneak' cats in and then if found out, they can be asked to have the cat out of the apartment. Safest bet is to ask up front." http://www.aclawrence.com/news/409 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/409 Publication: Crain's New York Date: Jan 09, 2012 Article: Executive Moves Author: AC Lawrence & Co.: Fanny Montalvo, 52, joined the real estate brokerage as director of sales. She was previously sales manager at Fenwick Keats. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/403 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/403 Publication: NY Daily News Date: Jan 06, 2012 Article: The Closer: Flips and splits of New Yorks real-estate community Author: JASON SHEFTELL Olinda Turturro just took over recruiting at A.C. Lawrence. The associate broker, who has been in the business for 30 years, started out in real estate to support her acting and singing career. If you recognize the name, Turturros sister Aida played Tonys sister Janice on The Sopranos. Her cousins are actors John and Nick. Her father, Domenick, a renowned painter, bought a synagogue on Henry St. for the familys home and his studio in the late 1960s. Im really impressed by A.C. Lawrences three owners, says Turturro, who ran an acting school in the Village with her husband, Enzo. They have integrity and look you eye to eye. Were going to stress that as we grow the firm. Young people today want to hear the truth, and well give it to them. One great factoid from Turturros career: She found the apartment Charlie Sheen had with Daryl Hannah in Oliver Stones Wall Street. Back 26 years ago, it rented for $25,000 a month. Where was it? 415 E. 54th St. in St. James Tower, says Turturro. The penthouse, of course. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/626 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/626 Publication: Curbed Date: Dec 16, 2011 Article: Selling New York S4E9: Market Fresh Author: HGTV's Selling New York rides along with brokerages CORE, Gumley Haft Kleier and Warburg as they try to sell fabulous properties fabulously. Here's our recap of how the NYC real estate industry is portrayed to the world, penned by Molly Reisner. Episode air date: 12/15/2011. Ooohwee, there's nothing like a brand-new building for a broker to bite into! The desired taste? A little cha followed by a lot of ching (fact: cha isn't as delicious as ching). If you've been desperate to be enveloped in developments, then last night's Selling New York will blanket your square-footage-seeking soul. A Tribeca tally-up tale is told when a developer seeks guidance from his brokers on how to price the rental units in his prized project. Then, a group of agents is charged with staging a still-under-construction Chelsea condo building into an open-house ready hotspot. Will tempers get wild or will everyone just be really reasonable and mild? Discover the deep, dark secrets of developmental delays and dire dollar designations in today's DUM DUM DUM...dramatic recap. CRISIS #1: AGENT MUST DO A LITTLE RESEARCH TO FIND RIGHT PRICE RANGE FOR DEVELOPER'S TRIBECA RENTALS CORE prez Shaun Osher and CORE agent Doron Zwickel are doing a walk through developer's Francis Moezinia's latest loft conversion at 83 Franklin in Tribeca. The pre-war building is almost done being divvied up into eleven luxe rentalseach one around 2,000 square feet and loaded with high-end furnishings as well as access to the building's amenities. Care for a 700-square-foot terrace? Don't mind if I do! Francis says he remodeled the building "as if he were building it for myself" AKA "well, aren't I tasteful!" Sure, the skylight is nice... But I'm not seeing any built-in nacho bars. Anynachosaremylifeways, Franciepants needs CORE's help to determine how many dollars a month he can get for the rentals. Shaun explains pricing "is more of an art than a science" and sends Doron out on a worldwide (if the world = a few Tribeca blocks) tour of comparable rentals to feel out market capability. Doron embarks on his exploration at 6 Murray to size up this $6,000/month loft sporting 1,700 square feet: Yael Dunskythe pad's brokerreveals to Doron that this unit was recently rented and that she didn't have to lower the price one penny. Perhaps this positive news is the result of a secret "I hope this unit went for asking price" wish Doron made moments before on the magically-timed oven clock? The mystical art of pricing continues when Doron world-tours around the corner to 45 White Street. There, broker Neil Nerich shows this $11k/month giant duplex loft: After seeing this 2,700 square foot fiefdom, Doron feels confident with coming up with a pricing structure. Then, ShaunDo (agent hybrid alert!) catch up with Francis at 83 Franklin to share their artistic findings. Shaun exclaims that with pricing, it's the brokers job to "be the voice of reason" since "the owner of the building thinks their building is always the best." Shaun asks Francis to release one unit at $8,500/month, which surprises Francis. He wants closer to $9,000. Doron explains he looked at a bunch of other somewhat comparable places and thinks $8500 is a good place to start. Hey...isn't $8,500 the average of the featured Place #1 ($6000) and Place 2 ($11,000)? Phooey "the art of pricing"...smells like solid science to me! Francis relents to $8,500 when ShaunDo tell him that it's better to start lower and gauge the market. If there's interest at that price, they can always pump up the monthly lump sums on the other units. Finally, it's time for the soft launch party and to take a look at a finished unit: The party was a success as the update informs that a month later nine of the units were rentedall above the original price. And as of now, 83 Franklin has a blinking no vacancy sign. Tribeca, you so fancy! http://www.aclawrence.com/news/401 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/401 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Dec 14, 2011 Article: Who's News Author: AC Lawrence & Company annouced the hire of Fanny Montalvo to lead the sales division of the Manhattan-based real estate brokerage. A 30-year sales and client service veteran, montalvo will serve as sales director, guiding sales training, recruiting sales agents to augment AC Lawrence's sales division. Montalvo most recently worked as Fenwick Keats' East Side sales manager for seven years. Fluent in Spanish and conversant in Italian, she is a member of the executive board of the Manhattan Association of Realtors where she will serve on the Realtor's Cultural & Age Diversity board in 2012, as well as the Real Estate Board of New York. Montalvo worked as a technology recruiter for more than two decades, ultimately opening her own IT executive search firm while simultaneously founding and running a restaurant. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/397 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/397 Publication: Crain's New York Date: Dec 12, 2011 Article: Executive Moves Author: Olinda Turturro, 53, joined as director of recruiting and associate broker. She was formerly director of recruiting at BOND New York. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/399 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/399 Publication: The New York Times Date: Dec 07, 2011 Article: Recent Lease Author: Rosalie R. Radomsky $46/square $276,000 approximate annual rent104 West 27th Street (between Avenue of the Americas and Seventh Avenue)Manhattan A dog hotel has taken a 10-year lease for a 10,000-square-foot space, with 6,000 square feet on the ground floor and 4,000 in the basement. It is to open next summer. TENANT: King K-9 L.L.C. TENANT'S BROKER: Jean Bates, A.C. Lawrence & CompanyLANDLORD: Marvin Davis http://www.aclawrence.com/news/395 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/395 Publication: AC Lawrence Date: Dec 06, 2011 Article: FANNY MONTALVO TO LEAD SALES DIVISION Author: Seasoned Sales Manager & Client Services Veteran Joins to Direct Sales Agents A.C. Lawrence & Company announced today the hire of Fanny Montalvo to lead the sales division of the Manhattan-based real estate brokerage. A 30-year sales and client service veteran, Montalvo will serve as Sales Director, guiding sales training, recruiting sales agents to augment A.C. Lawrences sales division and working with agents on identifying and signing exclusives, then working with them throughout each deal to contract, closing and beyond. Montalvo most recently worked as Fenwick Keats East Side sales manager for seven years. Fluent in Spanish and conversant in Italian, she is a member of the executive board of the Manhattan Association of Realtors where she will serve on the Realtors Cultural & Age Diversity board in 2012, as well as the Real Estate Board of New York. Montalvo worked as a technology recruiter for more than two decades, ultimately opening her own IT executive search firm while simultaneously founding and running a restaurant, careers that taught her how to relate to a wide variety of people, serve and satisfy their array of needs, and build relationships that span a lifetime. People work with the ones they know and trust. I encourage agents to forge relationships with everyone they meet: you never know which renter might decide to buy or have a circle of friends in need of home guidance and services, says Montalvo, who grew up in Long Island City, not far from the Pepsi-Cola sign she can now see from her Midtown Manhattan office view. Whether buying, selling or renting real estate, its really about making your best first impression, so always exude professionalism and respect. Montalvo, who started out in sales before the advent of faxes, computers and email, is a big believer in picking up the phone and talking to people, but more importantly: leaving the office and spending time in person with clients and potential contacts. Aside from the interpersonal nuances of the career, Montalvo is a big advocate of training, teaming new agents with mentors and making sure her team knows all the protocols and laws particular to working in New York City real estate, including agency disclosure and Fair Housing, as well as being educated in the changing market, inventory and nuances of financing, board approval and contracts. Fanny Montalvo is the perfect match with A.C. Lawrences dynamic of doing strong service with buyers and sellers, while retaining the personality and differentiators that bond a client to an agent for life, says Larry Friedman, Owner & Principal, A.C. Lawrence & Company. The combination of Fannys drive, experience and charisma will result in our sales division growing and thriving in New York City, a metropolis to which people flock to live, work, invest and play. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/391 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/391 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Nov 23, 2011 Article: HAVE YOU HEARD... Author: Olinda Turturro - a member of the Turturro acting family otherwise known as the Barrymores of Brooklyn- has joined the ranks of AC Lawrence.She will serve as recruitment director for the growing brokerage led by Larry Friedman. Turturro - sister to Sopranos star Aida and cousin to John - has worked in brokerage for 30 years while taking acting gigs in movies like Ballad of little Jo with Oscar Winner, Ian McKellan. "I am thrilled to work in a capacity where I am able to encompass my skills as an associate broker, recruiting director and sprinkle a touch of my creative ability, which may add a bit difference, to 'business as usual,'" said Turturro, who said she has been getting the "star treatment" since arriving at AC Lawrence."Olinda is not only experienced, but also possesses the charisma and drive essential to building our agent ranks, with individuals who are human, personal, kind and 'do the work' of matching clients with properties and closing deals," said Friedman. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/393 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/393 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Nov 23, 2011 Article: Who's News Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced the hire of Olinda Turturro to lead recruiting efforts for the Manhattan-based real estate brokerage.Turturro has worked in New York City real estate for more than 30 years, first as a broker and most recently as director of recruiting for BOND New York.A member of the Turtturro acting family, Turturro initially turned to real estate as a means to supplement her acting career, first joining J.I. Sopher & Co. as an agent; then working as an on-site sales agent at The America, The Highpoint and 65 Cooper Square; before serving as a listing director for Benjamin James, and as a sales manager for three of Citi-Habitats' offices. After developing her own sales training manual, Turturro founded the sales division of City Connections, Anchor Associates and Joseph Gregory, taught sales training seminars and trained and consulted with agents at Tungsten Properties and Metropolitan Property Group.She and her husband, Enzo, own The Turturro Acting Studio in Greenwich Village, currently on hiatus, and she has taught acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/389 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/389 Publication: New York Post Date: Nov 17, 2011 Article: Just Sold! Author: UPPER EAST SIDE $310,0001420 York Ave.Studio condo, 402 square feet, with renovated kitchen, renovated bath and terrace; building features elevator, roof deck, laundry and live-in super. Common charges $418, taxes $296. Asking price $329,000, on market 29 weeks. Brokers: Ray Schmitz and Maria Forgo, Charles Rutenberg Realty and Cathy Shim, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/387 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/387 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Nov 16, 2011 Article: New Listings Author: Murray Hill10 Park Avenue$675,000 One bedroom, one bath with sunken living area, beamed ceilings, windowed kitchen, good closet space, prewar details, Empire Starte Building views. Co-op building offers antique lobby and roof terrace. Listing brokers: Cheryl Greenberg and Greg Olson http://www.aclawrence.com/news/385 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/385 Publication: AC Lawrence Date: Nov 14, 2011 Article: OLINDA TURTURRO TO LEAD RECRUITING AT A.C. LAWRENCE & COMPANY Author: 30-Year NYC Real Estate Veteran Joins in Building Brokerage Ranks A.C. Lawrence & Company announced today the hire of Olinda Turturro to lead recruiting efforts for the Manhattan-based real estate brokerage. Turturro has worked in New York City real estate for more than 30 years, first as a broker and most recently as longtime Director of Recruiting for BOND New York. We are extremely pleased to announce NYC veteran broker and recruiting director Olinda Turturro has joined A.C. Lawrence. Olinda is not only experienced, but also possesses the charisma and drive essential to building our agent ranks, with individuals who are human, personal, kind and do the work of matching clients with properties and closing deals, says Larry Friedman, Owner & Principal, A.C. Lawrence & Company. As an experienced broker herself, Olinda knows the deal process inside out, has many connections in the industry and with potential clients, and can spot the key traits for success in an agent candidate. A member of the famed Turturro acting family, Turturro initially turned to real estate as a means to supplement her acting career, first joining J.I. Sopher & Co. as an agent; then working as an on-site sales agent at The America, The Highpoint and 65 Cooper Square; before serving as a listing director for Benjamin James, and as the sales manager for three of Citi-Habitats offices, where she conducted a successful and innovative sales training seminar. After developing her own sales training manual, Turturro founded the sales division of City Connections, Anchor Associates and Joseph Gregory, taught sales training seminars and trained and consulted with agents at Tungsten Properties and Metropolitan Property Group. When considering opening her own real estate company, Turturro met with a number of rental brokerages where she could found a sales division, but decided to join BOND as an Associate Broker and grow her own sales group. Turturros results in recruiting for her own group were so successful the BOND owners decided to offer her an evolving position of Director of Recruiting, in which she served for more than five years before joining A.C. Lawrence. Turturro did not throw away her passion for performing, even if her career shifted from real estate being merely part time to support her singing and acting career, to a full-time occupation: She and her husband, Enzo, own The Turturro Acting Studio in Greenwich Village, currently on hiatus; has taught acting at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and has appeared alongside critically-acclaimed performers Sir Ian McKellan, Danny Aiello, Mark Ruffalo and Melissa Leo, in numerous television and film productions. I am thrilled to work in a capacity, where I am able to encompass my skills as an Associate Broker, Recruiting Director and sprinkle a touch of my creative ability, which may add a bit of difference, to business as usual. I bring to the table many years of negotiating, communication skills, a dash of class and an impeccable savvy. And humility, of course! Turturro says with a smile. I couldnt be happier. I have found the A.C. Lawrence principals, as well as the management team, to be the best in the business. They are consummate professionals. And, their joie de vivre is surpassed only by their enthusiasm. The welcome I received was nothing less than Star Treatment! http://www.aclawrence.com/news/383 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/383 Publication: Crain's New York Date: Nov 08, 2011 Article: Softness seen in Manhattan apt. rentals Author: Amanda Fung The rent on an average Manhattan apartment held steady in October, rising a mere $10 to $3,341, but that still leaves the average monthly payment a hefty 8% higher than it was a year earlier, according to a monthly report released by Citi Habitats on Tuesday. Going forward, however, there are signs of weakness.With the approach of winter and increasing jitters on Wall Street, rents are expected to be stable at best, according to Gary Malin, president of Citi Habitats, the city's largest residential rental firm. There are a lot of question marks in the market with Wall Street layoffs, said Mr. Malin. Rents won't fall off a cliff, but they will be more flexible and vacancy will creep up if negative news intensifies. There were already some signs of softening in the October data. While the vacancy rate in October fell .06 percentage points to 1.2% from the level of a year ago, it actually inched up 0.10 percentage points from September. According to Mr. Malin, renters decided to remain in their apartments and renew leases instead of moving because rents were rising and concessions were disappearing during the summer. In fact, last month a mere 7% of deals brokered by Citi Habitats included a free month's rent and/or broker-fee payment. The same time a year ago, 17% of the firm's deals included some type of landlord concession. But that steady dwindling of concession may change soon. There was a slight uptick in deals that included concessions from a month ago, when 5% of Citi Habitats' deals included incentives. Little by little I am seeing concessions creep back, especially in the fringe neighborhoods, said Gus Waite of brokerage A.C. Lawrence & Co., referring to areas like the Far West Side and the Financial District. Landlords with empty units entering Thanksgiving and Christmas will likely reintroduce concessions to rent out apartments, according to Mr. Malin. Citi Habitats' report is based on its closed transaction each month. Average rents for studio were also up 8% year-over-year, to $1,989. Meanwhile, the cost of living in apartments running from one to three bedrooms rose 7% from a year ago. As of last month, average rent for a one bedroom was $2,690, a two bedroom was $3,715 and a three bedroom was $4,971. At current levels, average rents are within striking distance, just $53 shy, of the all-time market peak set in 2007. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/381 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/381 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Nov 02, 2011 Article: New Listings Author: Murray Hill10 Park Avenue$450,000 Redesigned and renovated pre-war studio. Open kitchen with cherry wood cabinets, granite countertops, tiled floors, microwave and dishwasher. Pass-through bar into living area, sleeping alcove with shelves and overhead reading lights. Two closets (one walk-in) and entry foyer. LG through-the-wall AC and numerous built-ins. Full-service, doorman building with ive-in super, art deco lobby, roof terrace. Listing Brokers: Cheryl Greenberg & Gregory Olson, AC Lawrence & Company. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/377 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/377 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Nov 01, 2011 Article: Residential Deals Author: Battery Park City $1.22 million 300 Rector Place 2-bedroom, 3-bath, 1,600 sf combination condo in a full-service doorman building; unit has view of the Hudson River; building has elevator, storage, roof deck, gym, garden and bike room; common charges $2,079 per month; taxes $1,552 per month, asking price $1.399 million; 39 weeks on the market. (Brokers: Cheryl Greenberg, A.C. Lawrence & Co.; Greg Olson, A.C. Lawrence) "What was special about the apartment was that it was a two-bedroom combined with a one-bedroom and it was a high floor with views: It faced east, south and west. The apartment [has] a magnificent library that a former owner had actually designed, and you would swear that you had walked into a professional library. The seller was a retired lawyer who moved to New Jersey. The buyers have actually lived in Battery Park City for a number of years. The apartment currently has two master-bedroom suites and a library, but they wanted to [reconfigure it as] a three-bedroom, because they have a growing family." Cheryl Greenberg, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/379 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/379 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Oct 26, 2011 Article: Done Deals Author: Carroll Gardens156 Sackett St. 2D$385,000724s/f, one bedroom, 1-bath post war condo elevator building. Unit has open kitchen, oversize windows, walk-in closet, parquet floors, private garage spot. Building has laundry room and roof deck. CC: $308. Asking Price $399,000; 35 weeks on the market. Brokers: Shantal Cooper, AC Lawrence & Company; Stan Gerasimczyk, Steven Gerber, Corcoran. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/371 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/371 Publication: The New York Times Date: Oct 20, 2011 Article: For a Bachelor Father, a Pad With a Pool Author: Joyce Cohen UPON finishing 10 years of active duty in the Army, Jeff Csoka lived and worked in New Jersey. Two years ago, after a divorce, he decided it was time to try city life. His intent was to rent in Manhattan for a year or so, get an idea of where and how he wanted to live, and then hunt for a bigger place. So, with the help of Shantal Cooper, a vice president of A. C. Lawrence & Company, to which he had been referred by a friend, he rented a railroad apartment in a small elevator building on far East 88th Street. He paid $2,100 a month. Ms. Cooper helped him rent furniture, too. Well before the lease was to expire, the landlord informed him that the rent would be rising by $400. After I notified them I would be leaving, he said, they offered to keep the rent what it was. Instead, he contacted Ms. Cooper to seek her help in buying a place. Mr. Csoka, 36, had few requirements. He wanted a large studio or one-bedroom suitable for visits from his daughter, now 6. Ideally, the place would be near both a park and a subway. It would take me 20 minutes just to get to the subway station on Lexington Avenue, he said. And his daughter balked at the long walk there. Its funny how quickly she picked up on how much easier it is to take a cab, he said. She would try to bargain with me. Ice cream became a bargaining chip. Mr. Csokas budget started around $400,000, though it soon rose to $500,000. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he now works in the field of procurement and strategic sourcing. He is also the operations officer for the 69th Infantry, a unit of the National Guard. Because he could be called up for duty, he was most interested in condominiums, which generally are more lenient about rentals than co-ops. Ms. Cooper showed him several places on the Upper East Side. I dont think he knew what he was looking for, she said. The prewar buildings he saw seemed dingy, and he decided he preferred downtown anyway. Thats where he headed when he went out with friends, he said. It was never, Hey, lets go to the Upper East Side. In the financial district, Mr. Csoka fell for 99 John Street, an Art Deco tower built in 1933 for an insurance company. With a gym, a lounge and a roof deck, it was one of the first full-service condominiums he looked at and he realized how much easier life would be with amenities right at hand. I felt those are things I am going to use regardless, he said. If I dont have a gym in the building, I am going to get a gym membership. Nor did he notice much of a price difference between buildings with plenty of services and those with few. He was interested in two studio condominiums at 99 John, both with more than 500 square feet, one for $475,000 and the other for $510,000. He intended to get a loan guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which would not require a down payment. But the building was not approved for such loans. Fifty Lexington Avenue, a condop near 24th Street, had the advantage of a location near the 69th Regiment Armory, as well as a pool, which Mr. Csoka knew his daughter would love. A nice alcove studio, with more than 500 square feet, was priced at $487,500. But this building, too, was not approved for V.A. loans. (The studio later sold for $460,000.) Some places were too small; others had inferior finishes. Mr. Csoka turned down a walk-up building in TriBeCa with no washer and dryer. I wanted to see if the neighborhood was enough to make it worth it, he said, but I decided it really wasnt. As he and Ms. Cooper continued their research, they realized that few properties in Manhattan were approved for V.A. loans. In my ignorance, I assumed every building in Manhattan would be, said Mr. Csoka, who had once owned a house near his base in Fort Campbell, Ky. Securing a V.A. loan there had not been a problem, he said. Then Ms. Cooper suggested the Oro, a condominium in Downtown Brooklyn, which she had read would be V.A.-approved once 70 percent of the building was sold. Mr. Csoka was doubtful. I didnt know anything about Brooklyn, he said. When I think of New York City, I think of Manhattan. But he also felt he had few other options, and Ms. Cooper told him he would like it there. He didnt believe me, she said. I said, Jeff, this is an awesome building, there is a basketball court, I know you like amenities, my sister lives down the block, there is a train station nearby and we should take a look at it. So he did. And he loved the building, which is 40 stories tall, with views of Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island, and has amenities like a 50-foot indoor lap pool. He considered several Brooklyn-facing units, including an alcove studio of around 600 square feet, for $485,000, and a one-bedroom of nearly 700 square feet for $541,000. Then he checked out a larger one-bedroom on a higher floor, facing Manhattan. That one, which had about 750 square feet, also cost $541,000. When he saw the view of water and skyline, he knew it was the one. Everything I was looking for was in this apartment, he said. When I thought about whether it was worth the extra money for the view, I basically decided it was. He knew if he passed it by, I would be kicking myself down the road. For the Brooklyn-facing apartments, we put in offers 10 percent below asking, Ms. Cooper said. But for this one, the sponsor had no interest in negotiation. Mr. Csoka left a 5 percent deposit to hold the place until 70 percent of the apartments were sold. Then he went into wait mode. He relinquished his lease, returned his furniture and stayed with friends and relatives. Ms. Cooper offered to find him a short-term rental, but he is a soldier for real, she said, and he was trooping it out until closing. The process was bumpy. Though Mr. Csoka had received a letter of commitment from a bank, it did not approve him for financing. So now I am completely stressed out because I dont know if I am going to get financing, he said, and according to my purchase agreement I am going to lose my down payment. He also feared prices would rise while he waited. In the end, he was unable to get a V.A. loan, but he did secure a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Using his deposit for a down payment, he bought the Oro apartment for the asking price and paid another $10,000 for a storage unit. Monthly charges are around $500. Mr. Csoka arrived in the summer. Now, he said, I could not be happier. I sit and look out the window half the day. Though he regrets that there is no supermarket nearby, he has a well-appointed kitchen. I dont have an excuse not to cook, he said. This time, he is buying furniture. His daughter loves the place, too. We can go swimming every day, he said. Theres no playground in the immediate area, however. For that, they walk to Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo. She still negotiates for treats. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/365 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/365 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Oct 19, 2011 Article: Who's News Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced the following new hires:Andrew Rosenberg has job experience ranging from working in comedy clubs, lounges and restaurants to acting in theatre, on TV, and doing voiceover work for some of the newest video games. Born and raised in Miani, Florida, he attended Rutgers University where he received a BFA in Acting.Dori Condo has more than 10 years of experience in the industry and has extensive relationships with landlords citywide.Fluent in English and Spanish, she is originally from Cuba. She studied Business at Boston University where she earned BA, then attended the University of Miami for Motion University for Motion Video and Film. Before entering real estate, she was in film industry, working as a stylist for Spanish Artist with Oliver Stone, Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz and many others.Richard L. Bucci attended school at New York University, graduated with a BA degree, and never left the city. He has an extensive history working with people and in customer service-related positions.Tim Hansley has experience in dealing with all types of transactions, from rental to co-op/ condo buildings. Previously, he enjoyed a career in sales with Canon Inc., Nationwide Pensions, and was a recruiter in the medical/ pharmaceutical industry. Hansley holds a bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/367 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/367 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Oct 19, 2011 Article: Done Deals Author: CARROLL GARDENS156 Sackett Street, 2D$385,000724 s/f one-bedroom, 1-bath in post-war condo elevator building with laundry room and roof deck. Open kitchen, oversized windows, walk-in closet, parquet floors, private garage spot. CC: $308. Asking price $399,000. 35 weeks on the market. Brokers: Shantal Cooper, A.C. Lawrence; Stan Gerasimczyk, Steven Gerber, Corcoran. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/369 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/369 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Oct 19, 2011 Article: Leases Author: A.C. Lawrence & Company announced that designer Sohee Kang has leased 500 s/f of retail space at 320 East 11th Street for three years. Rent is $3,500 per month. Jean Bates at A.C. Lawrence & Company represented the tenant. The landlord is Hank Freid Company was represented in house. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/363 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/363 Publication: The New York Times Date: Oct 16, 2011 Article: Residential Sales Around the Region Author: Upper West Side... 735,000245 WEst 74th Street, Alfie Arm 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 5 weeks750-sq-ft. co-op in a prewar building: renovated kitchen and marble bath, high ceilings, washer/ dryer; maintenance $1,232, 68% tax deductible; listed at $750,000. Brokers: AC Lawrence & Co.: Sotheby's. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/359 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/359 Publication: New York Post Date: Oct 13, 2011 Article: Just Sold! Author: BrooklynPROSPECT LEFFERTS GARDENS $569,000225 Hawthorne St.Two-family townhouse, 3,252 square feet, with three-bedroom, one-bath unit over three-bedroom, one-bath unit, renovated kitchen with stainless-steel appliances, renovated baths, finished basement, skylight and backyard. Taxes $3,961. Asking price $578,000, on market 19 weeks. Brokers: John Mallon, Century 21 Homefront and Mariana Bekerman, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/375 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/375 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Oct 11, 2011 Article: Meet The Landlord Author: Jane C. Timm Life as a landlord:Which do you like better: Being an owner or a broker?Definitely management. There's a lot less running around. We use outside brokers, so I just visit the buildings a few times a week. I have an exclusive with A.C. Lawrence & Co. Marc Lewis is a close, personal friend of mine, so I give him all of my listings. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/353 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/353 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Oct 05, 2011 Article: Done Deals Author: Battery Park City300 Rector Place $1,225,000Two-bedroom, 3-bath, 1,600 s/f combination unit condo at Battery Pointe with full-service doorman service, elevator, storage, laundry, roof deck, gym, garden, nursery, and bike room. The double corner unit, which features expansive views of the Hudson River, is currently configured with two master bedroom suites, a living room/ dining area, and a library. Common charges $2,079; taxes $1552; asking $1,399,000; weeks on the market: 39 weeks Brokers: Cheryl Greenberg and Greg Olson, AC Lawrence & Co. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/355 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/355 Publication: New York Post Date: Oct 05, 2011 Article: Just Sold! Author: ManhattanBATTERY PARK CITY $1,225,000300 Rector PlaceTwo-bedroom, three-bath condo, 1,600 square feet, with dining area, windowed kitchen, marble bath, library and city and harbor views; building features doorman, elevator, roof deck, gym, garden, nursery, laundry and storage. Common charges $2,079, taxes $1,552. Asking price $1,399,000, on market 39 weeks. Brokers: Cheryl Greenberg and Greg Olson, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/357 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/357 Publication: The New York Times Date: Oct 02, 2011 Article: Residential Sales Around the Region Author: Murray Hill$242,000 242 East 38th Street 10 Weeks, 475-sq.ft. studio co-op in a postwar building; elevator, kitchen window, h/w floors; maintenance $689, 52% tax deductible; listed at $259,000. Brokers: Living Quest; Cathy Shim, AC Lawrence & Co. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/349 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/349 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Sep 28, 2011 Article: New Listings Author: Murray Hill 10 Park Avenue $1,400,000 One bedroom joined with a large studio in a prewar building is totally renovated with a windowed kitchen. The original studio unit has been converted to a master suite with a Jacuzzi tub and rain shower. The bedroom boasts a walk-in closet with a window, which has the potential to be converted into a home office. There are a generous number of its own walk-in closet. The unit boasts a Park Avenue view. The building's amenities include a doorman/ concierge, a striking lobby, and a roof terrace. Listing Broker: Cheryl Greenberg and Greg Olson, AC Lawrence & Company. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/347 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/347 Publication: New York Post Date: Sep 15, 2011 Article: Just Sold! Author: MIDTOWN $929,000 325 Fifth Ave. One-bedroom, one-bath condo, 816 square feet, with marble bath, washer/dryer and central AC; building features doorman, gym, pool and party room. Common charges $765, taxes $350. Asking price $949,000, on market 14 weeks. Brokers: Jason Kay, The Corcoran Group, and Jessie Lee, A.C. Lawrence http://www.aclawrence.com/news/345 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/345 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Sep 13, 2011 Article: Coming Home Author: Liana Grey Ten years ago, Anthony DeGrotta, co-founder of A.C. Lawrence, managed a brokerage office on the ground floor of 100 John Street, in the shadow of the World Trade Center. As he exited the subway on the morning of September 11th, a plane roared overhead and slammed into the north tower. DeGrottas first instinct was not to run north, as police were urging dazed survivors to do, but to make his way to 100 John. After closing shop and ensuring his team had evacuated safely, DeGrotta joined the swarm of Wall Street workers fleeing uptown. Two days later, I was allowed back downtown, he said. I went down there and dusted off what we needed to dust off. We got back to work right away. Phone lines were down, so DeGrotta hooked up his computer to a fax machine. We did searches for clients, he said. We came up with incentive programs to generate more interest downtown. At that point, a residential renaissance had been well underway in the Financial District. In the years before the attacks, young bankers flocked to rental conversions along Wall and John Street, including the one that housed DeGrottas office. After the towers fell, Nathaniel Faust, a Citi Habitats broker, helped a handful of neighborhood residents decamp to buildings in Greenwich Village, the Flatiron District, and near Central Park.There was an exodus out of the Financial District and Battery Park right after September 11th, he said. The vacancy rate was very high. In the weeks after 9/11, Citi Habitats offered discounts to clients leaving lower Manhattan, Faust said. Corcoran, too, helped Financial District dwellers relocate. By the end of September, Vicki Negron, a broker in the agencys Montague Street office, moved a dozen home owners out of Battery Park City and TriBeCa. Most wound up in Brooklyn Heights and Carroll Gardens, safely across the East River from the destruction theyd witnessed and the dust still hanging over lower Manhattan. Several of them have bought brownstones and never turned back, Negron said. Others continued to rent in the borough. To lure a new crop of tenants south of Canal Street, landlords shelled out broker fees and offered free months rent. Neighborhood groups like the Downtown Alliance and the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, which was formed in the wake of the attacks, launched publicity campaigns; the latter helped fund the renovation of parks in the area, including parts of Battery Park and Bowling Green, and stabilize small businesses. The rest of the revival effort fell on government initiatives. Luxury towers like 10 Liberty and 2 Gold, where one-bedrooms rent in the $3,000 range, rose with the help of liberty bonds. According to the website of 10 Liberty, which was developed by Glenwood, what sets it apart is that it was originally designed as luxury apartment building and is not a building that was converted for residential use. Whether fans of sleek new construction or historic charm, apartment hunters, particularly those seeking to buy, took advantage of a subsidy program, which offered a 30% discount on monthly rent and mortgage payments for up to two years after 9/11. Soon, moving near Ground Zero became something of an act of patriotism, or at least a desire to prove that things were back to normal. People wanted to take a stand and say, This is where I want to live; if the government believes in it, I believe in it, said DeGrotta, of A.C. Lawrence. Not to mention, he added, It was the best value for the dollar at the time. Flush with subsidy money, developers competed to provide attractive amenities packages at bargain prices. Buildings that were converted and put up after September 11th were super over-the-top, said Faust, of Citi Habitats. They built them this way to lure people there. In recent years, DeGrotta has visited properties with on-site tailors, swimming pools, and other attention-grabbing features. When TF Cornerstone took advantage of the Liberty Bond program to build 2 Gold, a soaring 51-story rental tower. The firm included a glass-enclosed lap pool, a landscaped garden, and a solarium.99 John, another TF Cornerstone property, has a swanky lounge with a fireplace, a Zen garden, and a fitness center. To bring buzz to the building, which was designed by the architecture firm responsible for the Empire State Building, TF Cornerstone and Nest Seekers International, the firm tasked with handling sales, called on local artists to enter a model unit design contest. The winner, Laura Weatherbee, is a longtime resident of the Financial District, with an office on Nassau Street. Then theres 20 Pine, a 30-story tower a block from the new upscale shops on Wall Street, where residents can swim laps inside a former bank vault, play virtual golf, and access the Fulton Street subway station through a private passageway. When the new World Trade Center site opens, DeGrotta only expects the amenities arms race to intensify. Theres already a surge in the neighborhood, he said. Indeed, according to a report released this month by the Real Estate Board of New York, Lower Manhattans rental market strengthened quickly over the last decade, as downtown became a destination for families and young people alike. Currently, some 56,000 people call downtown, below Chambers Street, home and that number is expected to reach 60,000 by 2013, according to the Downtown Alliance. In the days after 9/11, Corcorans Negron recalled, clients were forced to make snap decisions after abandoning their dusty, debris-filled apartments. Details affluent house hunters once labored over the lack of a dog spa in the amenities package, say were relegated to the back burner. Now that the little things count again, and the blocks around Ground Zero are buzzing, the Financial District has become a staple request among Negrons clients. The area crept up on everyones target list, she said. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/341 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/341 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Sep 07, 2011 Article: Done Deals Author: Midtown 325 Fifth Avenue$929,000One bedroom, 1-bath, 816 s/f post-war condo elevator building. 24-hour doorman, health club, pool yoga and aerobics room, recreation room, meeting room, movie screening room, play room, courtyard and garden, private storage and bike room. Unit has high ceilings, open kitchen, washer/ dryer, custom closets and window treatments, electronic wall safe. CC: $765; Asking price $949,000; 14 weeks on the market. Brokers: Jessie Lee, AC Lawrence & Co; Jason Kay; Corcoran. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/343 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/343 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Sep 01, 2011 Article: Broker Exchange Author: ResidentialGeorges Bleuzen, David cooper, Jonathan Kirsner, and Alexander Lau joined the firm. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/337 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/337 Publication: New York Post Date: Sep 01, 2011 Article: Just Sold! Author: MURRAY HILL $242,000242 E. 38th St. Apt. 6HStudio co-op, 475 square feet, with windowed kitchen; building features elevator and laundry. Maintenance $689, 52 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $259,000, on market 10 weeks. Brokers: Cathy Shim, A.C. Lawrence and Ryu Tsuneizumi, Living Quest http://www.aclawrence.com/news/339 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/339 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Sep 01, 2011 Article: Commercial Lease Author: Address: 39 West 38th StSquare Footage: 2,708Tenant: SocialFeet Representative: Chris Salizzoni, A.C. Lawrence Landord: Eretz Group Landlord Representative: C. O'Toole, S. Moore, Tarter Stats O'Toole Notes: The referral buying company for online retailers signed a three-year lease. The reported asking rent was about $25 per square foot. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/333 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/333 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Aug 24, 2011 Article: Leases: New York Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced the following leases: At 415 Madison Avenue, Fortune Financial Guaranty LLC, a real estate management company, sublet 4,741 s/f of space at asking rents of $36 psf. Lily Lin of AC Lawrence & Company represented the tenant. Nicholas Weld, CB Richard Ellis represented the sub-landlord. At 39 Broadway, Merit Hire LLC, a staffing company, leased 4,443 s/f at asking rents of $26 psf. Lily Lin represented the tenant . Brain Siegel, The Lawrence Group, represented the landlord. At 146 West 29th Street, A76 Productions a video/ photo production company, leased 2,415 s/f of space at asking rents of $25.37 psf. Lily Lin represented the tenant. The landlord, Teresharan Land Co., was represented inhouse by Manu Pahani http://www.aclawrence.com/news/335 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/335 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Aug 24, 2011 Article: Who's News Author: AC Lawrence announced the appointment of several new agents. Alexandra Lau graduated from Hunter College with a degree in Theatre and Media Studies. Previously, she worked as a costumer in theatre and a customer service at various cultural institutions. A New York City native, she specializes in homes in Midtown East to the Upper East Side.Jonathan Kirsner is graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is an amateur DJ in Spare time, plus is an avid New York sports fan.David Cooper has spent many years as a business owner and entrepreneur working in sales and management, and retail. Georges Bleuzen attended New York University and previously enjoyed a long and successful career as an Information Technology manager with the New York Times Co.He directed IBM midrange and mainframe operations, processes and staff for multiple large Data Center sites. He was recognized for numerous outstanding achievements, including receiving prestigious Chairman's and Presidents' awards. Bleuzen is fluent in French. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/329 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/329 Publication: New York Post Date: Aug 17, 2011 Article: Just Sold! Author: BrooklynDOWNTOWN BROOKLYN $541,000306 Gold St.One-bedroom, one-bath condo, 765 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows and washer/dryer; Oro building features doorman, gym, pool, basketball court and screening room. Common charges $487, taxes $10. Asking price $541,000, on market six weeks. Brokers: Shantal Cooper, A.C. Lawrence & Co. and Cathy Kim, Rose Associates http://www.aclawrence.com/news/331 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/331 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Aug 17, 2011 Article: Leases: New York Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced that SocialFeet, a social group/ referral buying company for online retailers, will open its first New York office at 39 West 38th Street. The 2,708 s/f lease was negotiated on behalf of the tenant by Chris Salizzoni of AC Lawrence & Company. Catherine O'Toole & Stephanie Moore of Tarter Stats O'Toole represented the landlord, the Ertz Group. Asking rents were $24.50 psf. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/325 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/325 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Aug 10, 2011 Article: Done Deals Author: Downtown Brooklyn306 Gold Street$541,000One-bedroom, 1-bath, 765 s/f new construction condo. Full-service doorman elevator high-rise building. Indoor basketball court, lap pool, screening cinema room and a bi-level fitness center. Unit has expansive floor-to-ceiling windows, washer/dryer; hardwood floors from sustainable forests. CC: $486.96; Asking price $541,000; Six weeks on the market. Brokers: Shantal Cooper, A.C. Lawrence & Company (pictured); Cathy Kim, Rose Associates http://www.aclawrence.com/news/319 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/319 Publication: The Real Estate Weekly Date: Aug 05, 2011 Article: Things just swell at booming brokerage Author: Linda O'Flanagan New York City brokerage A.C. Lawrence & Company has grown nearly four times in agent count in just six months, through an aggressive, targeted recruitment campaign. The Manhattan-based residential and commercial brokerage has expanded rapidly since moving into its new, 13,000 s/f Midtown East office in January 2011, growing from 40 agents to more than 150 by the end of June. The new hires are a combination of newly-licensed agents, as well as tenured superstars, says Frank Sanchez, an A.C. Lawrence principal. The brokerage moved from 60 Madison Avenue to 228 East 45th Street in January and has been on a charged hiring campaign, adding residential agents, a commercial division, and a relocation team led by Dean Dunbar, who left BOND New York with his top-producing team in the spring. A.C. Lawrence is focused on finding the right fit, not just filling desks, even in the height of rental season. We are looking for customer-service oriented agents, who look at real estate as a full time career and have great people skills: motivated, and most importantly, excited, Sanchez said. The word is getting around the brokerage community about the rentals, sales and commercial platforms we have set up. Many senior agents are finding us; we want to continue growing and will have over 200 agents by the end of this year. In addition to hiring, A.C. Lawrence has been focusing on enhancing the customer experience through its new website, which was one of the earliest to build a Virtual Office Website (VOW) and adjusts with the market, focusing on graduates in May and June, new hires and the summer rental season during the big move warm weather months, and is updated in real time so it has the most current availabilities when clients are searching. The companys proprietary database will soon have an automatic listing key check-in barcode system to make sure agents have a set of more than 3,000 keys, exactly when they need to show an apartment. The brokerage also developed new marketing materials and is in the process of installing A.C. Lawrence plaques on 20 buildings around Manhattan where it is the exclusive residential l broker. A.C. Lawrence also now has a 912 billboard on 270 Bleecker, where they are the exclusive broker for the entire building, both residential and retail units. The brokerage offers its agent offers extensive training, including ongoing agent education through Broker Heaven, provided as a free career perk to develop the best-trained agents in NYC. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/317 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/317 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Aug 03, 2011 Article: The New Players Author: Roland Li In January, Ilan Bracha, one of the top producers at Prudential Douglas Elliman, left to begin a New York franchise of national giant Keller Williams. In the heady days of 2007, such a move would have been inexplicable. Condos sold like happy hour drinks, and the citys largest firms Elliman, Corcoran, Brown Harris Stevens, Halstead Property and Citi Habitats commanded the lions share of exclusive listings and top agents, with a virtual monopoly on new developments. Although the biggest brokerages continue to market the most properties, both in resales and new developments, a new crop of challengers is emerging, while existing smaller firms are expanding. Some are trying non-traditional commissions, while others recruit aggressively. But it remains to be seen if the new players can remake the industry. For Bracha, the move was an opportunity to expand an existing brand, while still retaining his own identity. We are not inventing anything new. We are following a formula, he said in an interview at the firms office at the Trump Tower at 725 Fifth Avenue, also home to his development company, B+B Investment Group, which he will continue to operate, along with the Bracha Group. With over 70,000 agents in the country, Keller Williams is now the second-largest real estate franchise company in the country by agents, behind Prudential, but ahead of RE/MAX and Century 21. It has 350 agents in Queens, said Bracha, but is only now entering Manhattan, which is often regarded as a separate country when it comes to real estate. After reading The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller, one of Keller Williams founders, Bracha was intrigued by the firms ethos. A major difference is that Keller Williams NYC gives agents a 70% commission split, higher than the traditional 50%. Fees to the firm are also capped at $50,000, allowing the agent to take home a larger chunk of commission. In addition, agents receive a smaller percentage of commissions by referring new brokers for the firm to hire, and after three years at the firm, they will continue to receive payments even if they leave. Agents are also allowed to keep their individual brands or companies at the brokerage. The model will be attractive to top agents, said Bracha, particularly those who feel their existing firms are taking too much of a split. And with a sales market that remains difficult, he said, the time is ripe for brokers to look at new firms. We try to make money with the agents, because we are an agents company, said Bracha. We believe people will stay, and if they dont, they will come back After only three months, Keller Williams NYC has hired around 100 brokers and a total of $142 million in listings, said Bracha, putting it in the top seven of New York firms with agents with over $10 million in listings. Bracha hired Adina Azarian as CEO. She said there was a major emphasis on teaching at the firm, with weekly training sessions. The company is seeking to attract entrepreneurs current agents have an average of seven years of experience but it is also involving newer brokers, sometimes putting them in more experienced teams. Its not a company where the agent is dependent on the company, said Azarian. Youre definitely given the tools and the training, and you can definitely brand yourself. You can grow as big as you can will it to be. Azarian will continue to own her rental firm, Adina Equities. Keller Williams NYC plans to open additional offices, taking advantage of the still-recovering leasing market, and hopes to double its agent roster over the next few months, eventually surpassing 1,000. Were getting referrals every day, said Bracha, who is currently marketing the Cassa Hotel and Residences, with 57 condos, in midtown. Andrew Heiberger, founder of Citi Habitats, launched a new firm called Town Residential at the beginning of the year. He told the Times that the firm now has 40 staff and 140 licensed brokers. Prominent hires include Robert Dvorin from Elliman, Paula Busch and Ric Swezey from Corcoran, and Wendy Maitland from Brown Harris Stevens. Town has four offices, including 110 Fifth Avenue, 88 Greenwich Street, 730 Fifth Avenue and in the Charles Gwathmey-designed 26 Astor Place. The firm has over $250 million in listings, with exclusives that include 1,400 units from the Moinian Group. Joseph Sitts Thor Equities is an equity partner. Town Residential is a full-service real estate firm that continues to see steady, rapid growth, and is one of the citys top brokerages after only six months of operation, said Heiberger. We have an experienced and innovative management team comprised of seasoned veterans with shared goals and views on how a real estate services firm needs to run in order to succeed and excel in Manhattans new market. Some brokerages the largest being Rutenberg Realty have created a 100% commission model in which brokers receive the entire commission, but pay regular fees to the brokerage for transactions. New firms are adopting the structure, such as Blu Realty, Kian Realty and Titan Real Estate of New York, in a departure from the traditional brokerage. Dottie Herman, president and CEO of Prudential Douglas Elliman, doesnt think much of that model. That is not, in my opinion, a real estate company. That is a holding company for licenses, she said. Im not rattled by it, because I havent seen them do anything in my market, she added, citing 100% commission firms in the Hamptons that failed to crack Ellimans market share. I think theres always room for competition. With over 4,000 agents in the New York area and around 90 offices, Elliman is one of the largest brokerages in the entire country. Having an established brand the company opened in 1911 is an indispensable asset, said Herman. The firm recently relaunched its website and hired Dawn Doherty from StreetEasy to train agents on digital marketing. It also issues regular reports prepared by appraisal firm Miller Samuel and holds training sessions in Manhattan and the Hamptons. I couldnt create that from scratch today, said Herman. David Schlamm of City Connections Realty agrees that the 100% commission model has its flaws. His firm instead uses what he calls a high commission model, which charges a flat monthly fee of $150 or $950 a month. Brokers earn a 70% split for the first $60,000 and 90% thereafter for the lower membership, or a 90% split for the higher membership. Schalmm does not charge fees for transactions, and agents have access to a marketing budget and training. You need to have a respectable brand and you need to have support, he said. City Connections has two new storefronts in the works and plans to open other locations. It has around 130 agents and currently marketing a new development, the Lantern, in Harlem, and is in talks to market new conversions. There is definitely a big change going on in the marketplace right now, said Schlamm. I think the perception was, you had to be with the big firms to be successful. But now, he said, brokers feel they can succeed anywhere. One destination for top brokers has been Core, run by Shaun Osher, also a former Elliman agent, and Jack Cayre, a principal of Midtown Equities. In the past year, Core has hired Vickey Barron, Doron Zwickel and Ogden Starr, all top agents at Elliman, along with Adrian Noriega, a top agent at Corcoran. Core now has around 60 brokers and will soon move its headquarters for new development, management and support staff to a new office. When you expand at a certain rate, maintaining the same amount of quality is difficult, said Osher. Were continually expanding, but its very organic. Rather than looking for market share, Core seeks agents that fit with its brand as a boutique brokerage, focusing on high-end sales and luxury rentals. It is particularly meticulous in branding, retaining a staff photographer and appearing regularly in HGTVs Selling New York. Osher contrasts his six-year-old firm with the larger start-ups in that there is no target staff size. Rather, the firm hires when it believes there is a good match. The right culture takes time to build, said Osher. Things certainly dont happen over night. By choosing selectively, Osher said that the firms dollar volume of listings per agent is the top rate in the industry. Were not interested in becoming all things to everyone, he added. What we created was a nimble boutique agency that could really customize to our clients needs. Brokers at Core describe the environment as collaborative, rather than cutthroat, and a more positive environment compared to some other companies. I feel that people have my back, said one broker. Turnover is rare at the company, said Osher. Three recent departures Fredrik Eklund and John Gomes to Elliman, Caroline Grane to Nest Seekers seem at least partially motivated because the brokers wished to appear on Bravos Million Dollar Listing, which competes with Selling New York. Although many of the new residential firms focus on sales, one firm has quadrupled its size in six months, while mostly doing rentals. Last year, Century 21 NYC Metro, a franchise of the countrys third-largest company, closed. Seizing an opportunity, A.C. Lawrence & Co. leased the brokerages 13,000 s/f office at 228 East 45th Street. Anthony DeGrotta and Larry Friedman, co-founders and principals of the firm, partnered with Marc Lewis, Century 21 NY Metros veteran top executive, who joined the firm as chairman, along with around 60 former Century 21 agents. It now has 120 employees. A.C. Lawrence created a proprietary database with 80,000 listings and hired four people to manage the data. Listings are also updated immediately. Frank Sanchez, a principal, trains new agents regularly, ensuring that both veterans and newcomers to the industry are prepared. Its a very hands-on office. Nobody gets lost. Nobody is floundering here, he said. Roughly 60% of the firms business is rentals, 30% is sales and 10% is commercial. The firm currently does around 300 rentals a month. A.C. Lawrence also runs a commercial leasing division with 11 brokers. It hired Dean Dunbar, formerly of BOND NY, to head a corporate relocation team. With both types of brokers, it has an exclusive at 270 Bleecker Street, for both the residential and retail units. We encourage our agents to be hybrids, said Friedman. I think were in a very unique position. The firms focus is cultivating relationships with landlords and developers, while providing strong customer service. Rather than focusing on exclusive listings, A.C. Lawrence seeks to be a top choice because of service. It also seeks a positive office atmosphere that is collaborative. We dont tolerate negativity, said Sanchez. Were about teamwork. Gary Malin, president of Citi Habitats, the citys largest rental firm, welcomes more competition. I think its part of the natural ebb and flow in the business model, said Malin, president of Citi Habitats. I think competition is healthy for everybody. Malin is confident in his firms position in the market. Citi Habitats full-service approach has enabled it to win numerous high-profile new developments, said Malin, including Frank Gehrys 8 Spruce Street and Silverstein Properties Silver Towers. We pride ourselves on being a full-service firm, said Malin. Our belief is that you need to invest in your infrastructure. Citi Habitats has around 650 agents in 12 offices and over 3,000 transactions in the second quarter of 2011. As a result, it has a vast database that encompasses the entire city. Even with such a scale advantage, Malin remembers when Citi Habitats was just another start-up in the mid-1990s, and he continues to focus on constant improvement. Such an attitude will ensure the brokerages top spot, he said. If I stay vigilant and our firm is always in motion, everything seems to figure itself out, said Malin. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/311 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/311 Publication: Crain's New York Date: Aug 01, 2011 Article: REAL ESTATE DEALS: COMMERCIAL Author: Oppenheimer & Co. signed a 15-year lease for 270,000 square feet at 85 Broad St. Cushman & Wakefield's Matt Astrachan, Steven Bauer, Mitch Konsker and Jon Herman represented the tenant. JLL's Peter Riguardi, Frank Doyle, Cynthia Wasserberger and Alexis Tener represented landlord MetLife. The asking rent was in the low to mid-$50s per square foot. Bevmax Office Centers signed a lease for 27,384 square feet at 40 Worth St. The building is now 100% occupied. Newmark Knight Frank's Brian Steinwurtzel, Roy Lapidus and Jeff Gural represented the tenant. The building's owner, Newmark Holdings, was represented by Mr. Steinwurtzel and Mr. Lapidus. The asking rent was $34 per square foot. RETAILMom + Pop Music signed a two-year lease for 1,860 square feet at 1140 Broadway. David Rosen and Haim Vinik of A.C. Lawrence represented the tenant, while Colliers International's Michael Joseph represented the landlord. The asking rent was $38 per square foot. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/321 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/321 Publication: The Upper East Side Magasite Date: Aug 01, 2011 Article: The Current State of the Upper East Side Real Estate Market, August 2011 Author: By Marc Lewis, Chairman, A.C. Lawrence & Company As a New York City real estate broker for nearly 40 years, I have seen many cycles of the marketplace, from shortages of clients to shortages of apartments. Often, there are too many apartments and not enough qualified clients. During the many recessions we have had, owners have had to reduce rents and pay fees and or give free rent to attract the shrinking pool of clients. Other times I have seen too few listings and a very tight market, with many clients bidding up rents, competing for the scarce supply. What we are experiencing now is unique in that there is a smaller supply of apartments available, and fewer clients looking during the so-called busy rental season. This is a bad sign for the economy. When the supply and demand are both low, even though rents have gone up about 30% from the lows of 2007 after the banking crash, the rents have not gotten back up to where they were and the lack of hiring in Manhattan is still a drag on the market place. Another factor leading to a low supply compared to past years, is the lack of aggressiveness by owners to push tenants out on renewal as they have just gone through a big loss factor in the past three years where they reduced rents and paid out a ton of money in brokerage commissions. Many owners would rather take a small to medium increase with their present tenants, than have to take the risk and suffer the expense of finding another tenant and have to paint the apartment. There are pockets of expensive neighborhoods downtown where owners are getting big increases for the first time in years and they are pushing up their rents when they can. The Upper East Side has the most number of rental buildings of any area in Manhattan and even though rents have gone up about 20% across the board, there are signs this will not be able to be sustained, as the inventory is creeping up for upcoming vacancies. One of the saving graces for tenants in the past few years is that many people were paying above market and when the rental market collapsed in 2007 they were stuck with a rental that was worth from 10-40% less than a comparable apartment offered by neighboring owners, so they were able to find another unit -- without a brokers commission, with 1-2 months of free rent and a lower rent. This lowered all rents across the board as eventually every owner reduced all their rents for renewals and new tenants and some even had full-time people answering the phones to field the calls from tenants who wanted to renegotiate their rents even before their leases were up. Now this has stopped, with very few requests for a lower rent as tenants and owners have learned that there is very little new construction under the price of $3,000 a month, so tenants have realized that it is better to renew at an increased rent than have to pay a new commission and a mover. For an average rent of $2,500 this can cost a tenant as much as $5,000 to find a new place. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/309 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/309 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Jul 27, 2011 Article: Record Label Signs Deal On Broadway Author: Roland Li Record label Mom + Pop Music has signed a two-year lease for 1,860 s/f at 1140 Broadway. Rent was $38 per s/f, with a yearly rent of around $70,680. Mom + Pop is home to bands such as Sleigh Bells, Neon Indian and Tokyo Police Club. It was founded in 2008 as an affiliate of Q Prime, a music management company, by Peter Mensch, Cliff Bernstein and Michael Goldstone. Mensch and Bernstein manage the likes of Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as part of Q Prime. The space includes one office, one conference room, and Mom + Pop will be adding another office. According to city records, the landlord for the space is 1140 LLC, an entity that was controlled by GVA Williams, which is now part of Colliers International. David Rosen and Haim Vinik of AC Lawrence & Company represented the tenant. Michael Joseph of Colliers International represented the landlord. The 128,000 s/f building was built around 1915 and landmarked in 2010. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/297 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/297 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jul 20, 2011 Article: Done Deals: A Deal to Shout About Author: Linda O'Flanagan Noise-sensitive buyers found the answer to their prayers in Murray Hill co-op once owned by the church. The couple paid $630,000 for the unit in 10 Park Avenue, a former hotel building for which the Community Church of New York City held title. "The apartment was minimalistic and so we staged it by giving it some color," explained listing broker Cheryl Greenberg of AC Lawrence & Co. "Also, it was a high floor, light and bright, has an open view and is very quiet. The buyers happen to be noise sensitive. It is also very loft-like and yet it is in a pre-war former hotel." Cheryl had listed the 636 s/f Junior 4 unit at $650,000. It took eight weeks to close the deal with Edward Orbach of Fenwick Keats Real Estate. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/299 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/299 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jul 20, 2011 Article: Who's News: Gus, Leonidas, Andrew Author: Linda O'Flanagan AC Lawrence & Co. has hired new residential agents. Gus Waite has earned a consistent spot in the Top 1% of New York residential rental brokers. He is an active member of REBNY's Rental Committee and a sought-after speaker and advocate of using social media to better serve New Yorker looking to rent an apartment. Leonida Bertsos focuses on both rentals and sales. He graduated of FIT, with a bachelor's degree in graphic design. Andrew Walker earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Organizational Management, and is looking to pursue an MS in Organizational Leadership. Previously, he worked with actors and performing artists and has done marketing for major events. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/305 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/305 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jul 20, 2011 Article: Who's News: Elizabeth, Christie, Michael, Clemens Author: Linda O'Flanagan Elizabeth Taylor previously spent many years working in film and television. A graduate of the University of Southern California, she holds 2 Bachelor of Art degrees in Film and Journalism. Christie McCabe was a hair stylist and makeup artist for 15 years. She studied Dance Education and Film at Townson State University. Michael Davis spent 10 year as a senior sales manager for a telecom company. Clemens Zecha holds 2 bachelor degrees from the University of Graz. He previously worked in the music business and a property owner himself. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/307 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/307 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Jul 20, 2011 Article: Record label takes 1,860 s/f at Colliers 1140 Broadway Author: Roland Li Record label Mom + Pop Music has signed a two-year lease for 1,860 s/f at 1140 Broadway. Rent was $38 per s/f, with a yearly rent of around $70,680. Mom + Pop is home to bands such as Sleigh Bells, Neon Indian and Tokyo Police Club. It was founded in 2008 as an affiliate of Q Prime, a music management company, by Peter Mensch, Cliff Bernstein and Michael Goldstone. Mensch and Bernstein manage the likes of Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as part of Q Prime. The space include one office, one conference room, and Mom + Pop will be adding another office. According to city records, the landlord for the space is 1140 LLC, an entity that was controlled by GVA Williams, which is now part of Colliers International.David Rosen and Haim Vinik of A.C. Lawrence & Company represented the tenant. Michael Joseph of Colliers International represented the landlord.The roughly 128,000 s/f building was built around 1915 and landmarked in 2010. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/295 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/295 Publication: New York Post Date: Jul 14, 2011 Article: Just Sold! Author: MURRAY HILL $630,00010 Park Ave.One-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 636 square feet, with windowed kitchen, dining area and S/W exposures with open city views; building features doorman, concierge, roof deck, laundry, storage and live-in super. Maintenance $1,344, 55 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $650,000, on market eight weeks. Brokers: Cheryl Greenberg, AC Lawrence and Edward Orbach, Fenwick Keats Real Estate http://www.aclawrence.com/news/287 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/287 Publication: New York Observer Date: Jun 30, 2011 Article: Lo! Shakespeare Society Finds New Abode in Chinatown Author: Elise Knutsen Ill not budge an inch! declares Sly the tinkerer in The Taming of the Shrew. The Shakespeare Society, a nonprofit dedicated to all things Bard related, has proved less bullheaded than Sly, recently signing a lease and moving to 118 Baxter Street in Chinatown. The organization moved from their former Upper East Side home two weeks ago and is now completely settled into the new 700-square-foot space.The Societys new location is situated just above The Asian Mall, whose bright yellow awning serves as the portal between New York as we know it and an Oriental wonderland. The Shakespeare Society will pay approximately $27,360 per year for the seventh-floor roost.The Shakespeare Society was represented by Adam Rosen and Tony Gaskin of A.C. Lawrence and Company and Wayne Leong of Manhattan Realty Corp. worked on behalf of the landlord. None of the brokers could be immediately reached for comment.In a characteristically effusive sonnet, William Shakespeare celebrates the gracious light of the Orient. With slightly less eloquence, the Shakespeare Society called their new home in New Yorks Asian enclave great. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/285 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/285 Publication: New York Times Date: Jun 29, 2011 Article: Recent Lease Author: $2,280/ sq.ft. $27,360 approximate annual rent 118 Baxter Street (between Hester and Canal Streets) Manhattan A non profit organization dedicated to the understanding of Shakespeare's works through performance, commentary and educational programs has signed a two-year lease for a 700-square-foot space on the top floor of this seven-story commercial building in Chinatown. Tenant: The Shakespeare Society Tenant Broker: Adam Rosen and Tony Gaskin, AC Lawrence & CompanyLandlord: Fa Tad Realty CorporationLandlord Broker: Wayne Leong, Reliance Realty of Manhattan Corporation http://www.aclawrence.com/news/281 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/281 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jun 22, 2011 Article: News Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/277 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/277 Publication: NY Times Date: Jun 10, 2011 Article: On The Market Author: Marilynn K. Yee http://www.aclawrence.com/news/273 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/273 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jun 08, 2011 Article: New Listings Author: http://www.aclawrence.com/news/279 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/279 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Jun 01, 2011 Article: Who's News Author: AC Lawrence & Company announced it has hired commercial real estate veteran Brian G. Bey as a senior vice president in its commercial division.With more that 14 years of experience in the commercial real estate arena, Bey has helped a number of companies find a new office in Manhattan such as Schlaich Bergermann & Partner LP, the firm selected to provide the glass for 1 World Trade Center, and The Big Word, the fifth largest translator of information on the Internet. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/269 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/269 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Jun 01, 2011 Article: Brokers Exchange Author: Commercial:A.C. LawrenceBrian Bey joined the firm as senior vice president in the commercial division. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/267 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/267 Publication: Crain's New York Date: May 30, 2011 Article: Executive Moves Author: Laura Shin A.C. Lawrence & Co.:Brian G. Bey, 48, was named senior vice president of the real estate brokerage firm. He was previously managing director of Prime Manhattan Realty. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/261 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/261 Publication: AC Lawrence Date: May 18, 2011 Article: A.C. LAWRENCE HIRES COMMERCIAL BROKER BRIAN G. BEY Author: Charlotte Kullen FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:A.C. LAWRENCE HIRES COMMERCIAL BROKER BRIAN G. BEYNEW YORK - May 18, 2011 - New York City real estate brokerage A.C. Lawrence & Company announced today it has hired commercial real estate veteran Brian G. Bey as a Senior Vice President in its commercial division."We are pleased Brian has opted to join our commercial team at A.C. Lawrence & Company; he has a significant track record working with tenants and landlords in NYC, and will help us in our goals of expanding our commercial side," said Anthony DeGrotta, Principal & Co-Founder, A.C. Lawrence & Company.With more than 14 years of experience in the commercial real estate arena, Bey's understanding of tenants' requirements has been instrumental in the successful completion of numerous transactions throughout New York City."I'm thrilled with this chance to work with A.C. Lawrence," says Bey. "It's a great opportunity. I look forward to helping build the commercial division from the ground up. I'll continuing my history of asking the right questions of my clients and really listening to their answers, helping ensure we find the best space options for their needs so I can negotiate favorable terms, helping them meet their business goals." Bey's ease with people, and intimate knowledge of the commercial deal, smoothly guides tenants through every step of the process, from finding the right location, negotiating lease terms, selecting an architect, reviewing bids for construction, monitoring the construction process, and following up until move in. He has helped many companies find a new office in Manhattan such as Schlaich Bergermann & Partner LP, the firm selected to provide the glass for 1 World Trade Center, and The Big Word, the fifth largest translator of information on the Internet and spoken words. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/265 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/265 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: May 18, 2011 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/257 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/257 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: May 11, 2011 Article: Done Deals- Greenberg In The Know Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/247 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/247 Publication: The Real Deal Date: May 01, 2011 Article: Broker Exchange Author: Compiled by Adam Fusfeld A.C. Lawrence's Denise Salizzoni was promoted to senior vice president from managing director. Cammy Cutler was promoted from executive assistant to closing director and assistant manager. Rebecca Wolfson, Tawn Jefferson, Nikolaya Todorova, Nelly Narvaez, Dina Capobianco, Daniel Jaeger, Meza Eythel, Hans Desil and Inanna Moreni joined the firm as residential agents. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/253 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/253 Publication: Time Out New York Date: Apr 26, 2011 Article: Apartment/ Home Design - Studio, Upper East Side Author: Eva Medoff http://www.aclawrence.com/news/245 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/245 Publication: Crain's New York Business Date: Apr 18, 2011 Article: Executive Moves Author: Laura Shin AC Lawrence & Co.: Denise Salizzoni, 47, was hired as a Senior Vice President for the real estate brokerage firm. She was most recently managing director at Century 21 NY Metro. Cammy Cutler, 34, was promoted to closing director and assistant manager. She has been an executive assistant. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/217 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/217 Publication: Mann Report Residential Date: Apr 01, 2011 Article: Chameleons In The Concrete Jungle Author: Mann Report Similar to chameleons ability to change colors to match their native surroundings, Gabriela Vatamanu and Kevin Maher adjust their real estate client service approach to best adapt to the personalities and needs of each client.Honesty can be difficult to maintain when working in the NYC real estate industry, where not every player plays by the same set of rules, ethics and code of honor. But it is one of the ideals that set the Vatamanu-Maher Group at A.C. Lawrence & Company apart. Company leaders in number of transactions and gross commissions, Gabi and Kevin take their responsibility of finding, renting or selling homes for their clients very seriously. Genuine in all of their client relationships, the team meets with every rental client or buyer at A.C. Lawrence & Companys Midtown office to learn about what they seek in their next home, desired geographies, amenities and price range, before discussing the full range of possibilities and setting up a viewing schedule. Despite the need to move fast in a market with shrinking inventory and high demand, the duo makes sure to take as much time as needed to ensure a client finds and signs the best home for that particular phase in their life. There's the right apartment out there for everyone. You just have to have the time and patience to look for it, while remaining positive in your search. Always stay positive, says Maher. The two began working together after both joining their prior firm and realizing they had a similar outlook on real estate and customer service. While their work styles and goals are very similar, their backgrounds began an ocean apart: Vatamanu was born and raised in Romania, where she was educated and worked with Air France, before making the move to the restaurant business in NYC and eventually enrolling in real estate school. Throughout her decade in New York, Vatamanu has lived in all five of the citys boroughs, but now calls the Upper East Side home, as do many of her clients. Maher grew up in Westchester County, graduated from Fordham University in the Bronx and worked as a financial representative for New England Financial before deciding to turn to real estate as he always loved the city and its properties. Vatamanu, too, always felt drawn to real estate, resulting in her buying a property in Arizona, which she rents out and oversees. This experience helps the team in connecting with owners seeking to sell their homes, as they understand the emotional attachment and financial impact involved with the sale of a property. While continuing to grow their rental business exponentially, the team is developing relationships with potential buyers and sellers, helping them fully embrace the hybrid agent approach that A.C. Lawrence encourages in its team, creating agents who can answer the needs of any NYC real estate client. Fluent in Romanian, French and English, with some Spanish and Italian, the team is able to work with clients from many parts of the world, whether relocating for work or graduate school, or seeking a pied-a-terre in Manhattan. As the busy NYC rental season heats up, Vatamanu and Maher will have less free time for personal pursuits: Luckily checking out apartments for clients across the city brings with it a certain level of fitness, albeit not to the level Maher is used to as a lacrosse player, but the pair is dedicated to staying in touch with their past clients, focusing on developing their advertising and marketing and enrolling in continuing education to improve as NYC real estate agents. When you love something like Kevin and I do New York real estate, thats where you want to spend your time and energy. Were looking forward to a lifetime of helping clients find, rent and sell their NYC homes, says Vatamanu. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/225 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/225 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Apr 01, 2011 Article: Retail Leases Author: The Real Deal 333 Hudson St.SqFt: 1,300.Tenant: Select Media.Representative: Chris Salizzoni, AC Lawrence & Co.Landlord: Whitehall Storage.Land Representative: Represented in-houseThe health research company signed a five-year lease. The reported asking rent was $32 per square foot. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/223 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/223 Publication: New York Times Date: Mar 25, 2011 Article: Prices Say Its Time to Think Studios Author: Vivian Toy (page 2 of 2)A few of them are represented by Fern Hamberger, an agent at Citi Habitats. She recently had three studios available for $245,000 at 244 Riverside Drive; two are now in contract. Thats an unheard-of asking price for this neighborhood, right on top of Riverside Park and right near the 96th Street subway, she said. All three apartments, which are owned by an investor and need renovating, came on the market in early 2010 at $315,000. Last year wasnt so hot, Ms. Hamberger said. But we lowered the price and now we are at the right price. Michael Murphy, a vice president of Prudential Douglas Elliman, said the owner of a studio in Chelsea, at 101 West 23rd Street, tried selling it two years ago, then rented it out for a while, and has decided to list it again, even though he will probably take a loss. It would be easier to rent than sell, Mr. Murphy said, but the owner is just ready to move on. The apartment, in a doorman building, came back on the market last summer at $255,000 and was recently reduced to $199,000. With approximately 550 square feet of space, it is one of the roomiest studios available in this range, but it has a hefty maintenance fee of $1,257 a month. Mr. Murphy said most of the people who had checked out the place were young first-time buyers looking to move out of a rental and to start building equity in a home. The buyer pool is much the same for the $279,000 studio at 304 East 73rd Street represented by Jennifer Ferland, an agent at A. C. Lawrence. That apartment, in a prewar elevator building, has about 480 square feet and a wall of windows that overlook 73rd Street. Its largest drawback may be that it is steps from Second Avenue, which has been overrun by subway construction. A lot of the people who have come to look are first-time buyers, Ms. Ferland said. And theyre looking because they feel they should be looking and they think its time to buy. Sydney Frazier, a 33-year-old interior designer, fits that description. He started his search in the middle of 2010 and saw dozens of studios south of 34th Street for under $350,000. It was a little depressing, because for that price I could have a very large house anywhere else, said Mr. Frazier, who is from Alabama. And here I was looking at one room, sometimes with no separate kitchen or any kind of closet. But with prices and mortgage rates down, Mr. Frazier felt it was time to move out of his one-bedroom rental in Astoria and to buy in Manhattan, even if it meant less space. He wound up buying a teeny tiny studio in the heart of Greenwich Village for less than $300,000. He has been living there since late December and plans eventually to redo the kitchen and bathroom. It suits the lifestyle I have right now, he said. Im never home; I just need a nice place to lay my head. Lisa Holland-Davis, a vice president of Halstead, has several studio listings on the Upper East Side. She said they had attracted both first-time buyers and people looking for a pied--terre. They want someplace in the city to hang their hat, but not have heavy overhead, she said. One of her listings is a studio at 345 East 77th Street, a prewar elevator building with a live-in superintendent, asking price $235,000. The monthly maintenance is $503. The apartment has a Pullman kitchen and looks out on a dark interior courtyard. An apartment with a view, Ms. Holland-Davis said, would naturally cost more. Most apartments in this price range are in walk-up buildings that dont have a laundry or a resident super, she said. What $235,000 buys you is a piece of Manhattan. On the Upper West Side, a few studios are available for around $300,000 in prewar doorman buildings right on Central Park West. Margaret Bay, a vice president of Brown Harris Stevens, has a studio at 257 Central Park West listed at $275,000. It hasnt been touched since the mid-1970s, Ms. Bay said, explaining why her listing does not show any photos of the interior. But theres been enormous activity on it because the location is great. A few blocks away, at 225 Central Park West, is a studio with a sidelong view of Central Park that was listed at $319,000 last December with a maintenance of $840. It is now in contract. Brian Lewis, an executive vice president of Halstead, was the listing agent. We had to be really attractive with the price, he said, because the building, known as the Alden, requires a 35 percent down payment and does not allow pieds--terre, investors, guarantors, or parents buying for children. Those kinds of restrictions protect the buildings share value, he said, but they can be very limiting for small apartments. The limits did not keep Timothy Dawson from his recent purchase of a $280,000 studio in the building. Mr. Dawson, an equity trader, lives in a one-bedroom on the Upper West Side but was looking to downsize after a divorce. His new place faces west and has wide-open city views, but it was the location that won him over. He and his Labrador retrievers, Butter and Sable, take daily walks in Central Park. Noting that the comedian Jerry Seinfeld owns a place next door at the Beresford, Mr. Dawson said, You can buy a home with great light and views for under $300,000, be one block north of Seinfeld, and feel pretty good. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/229 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/229 Publication: DW- World.de Date: Mar 23, 2011 Article: Kinezt investojn n tregun amerikan t pasurive t patundshme (In German) Author: Miriam Braun & Lindita Arapi http://www.aclawrence.com/news/227 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/227 Publication: DW-World.de Date: Mar 22, 2011 Article: 华人投资海外房地产首选美国 (In Chinese) Author: Miriam Braun http://www.aclawrence.com/news/221 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/221 Publication: Metro New York Date: Mar 21, 2011 Article: Raising the cap on rent-stabilized units? Author: Emily Anne Epstein QUOTED Rents havent kept pace with inflation or expenses. Someones got to do some calculus. Marc Lewis, Chairman of Brokerage A.C. Lawrence & Co.Rent for an estimated 3 million New Yorkers could change for the better this June, when the New York City rent laws are set to expire.About 1 million apartments citywide are rent-stabilized, meaning landlords can only raise the rent by a certain percent each year. According to state law, apartments lose coveted rent-stabilized status and convert to market rate once they are wither vacated and renovated, or reach $2,000 a month.That $2,000 threshold was set in 1993 and expires on June 15.And now, for the first time in more than a decade, a powerful real estate lobbying group said they would consider raising the cap higher.If someone has an argument to make, well take a look, said Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York. We believe the laws work.Prospect Heights resident Mariel Villere, 24, is one of the lucky New Yorkers who found a rent-stabilized apartment.Villere, a freelance architecture consultant, pays $1,725 for her stabilized 2-bedroom apartment.Being my age, its a really nice perk, she said. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/213 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/213 Publication: The New York Times Date: Mar 11, 2011 Article: The Ascent of the Little Guys Author: Hilary Stout THE A in A.C. Lawrence & Company stands for Anthony, as in Anthony DeGrotta, who co-founded this upstart real estate firm in 2006. The C doesnt stand for anything Mr. DeGrotta and his partner, Larry Friedman, just thought it sounded good. Lawrence is for Mr. Friedman, even though his name isnt Lawrence; it really is just Larry. The overall effect that the now-35-year-old co-founders were striving for is a name that suggests experience, longevity and venerability.We wanted the firm to sound like something that passed down through the generations, started by Grandpa, Mr. DeGrotta said. Something must be working in the name or otherwise, because in less than five years, A. C. Lawrence has grown from five agents in a tiny Chelsea office to more than 100 in swankier Midtown digs on East 45th Street. The founders say the company stands out for its attention to training and low agent-to-manager ratio of seven or eight to one, and for its transparency. There are no pocket listings within our company, Mr. DeGrotta said. If an agent knows of a listing, they dont keep it to themselves for competitive advantage. They put it into our proprietary data base. The firms expansion which took place during the rockiest property market in decades raises an interesting question: Could we be heading toward an era of the little firm in New York real estate? Big firms like the Corcoran Group and Prudential Douglas Elliman, with thousands of agents, still dominate the market, of course. (Elliman says it sells 33 homes a day.) But whether the clout of little firms is growing is an important question for buyers and sellers, as they decide between a highly visible name with vast listings and resources, and a smaller firm that promises to shower the client with individual attention, in many cases focusing on a particular segment of the market, like new downtown condos, prewar Classic 6s or East Side brownstones. Back in 2005, none other than Barbara Corcoran, the queen of big firms who built the multibillion-dollar Corcoran Group from a $1,000 (borrowed) investment, declared in a Business Week interview, I think the future belongs to small brokers. She acknowledged that not many people held that view but went on to argue that while the big firms were richer and had more resources, the little ones were more creative and nimbler, having far less bureaucracy and layers of management. We need to be responsive to a changing market, Ms. Corcoran said. And more often than not, the little guy can move. The big guy is still thinking about it. Reached last week, Ms. Corcoran, who sold her firm in 2001, stood by her pronouncement. Definitely, she said. On the Internet everyone is equal. The small agent can look as classy as the big agent. She added, Ten years ago, if you wanted your property noticed you were far better off with large brokerage firms because they were the big buyers on the print ads. Thats out the window now. Shaun Osher, a top-producing broker at Douglas Elliman who left in 2005 to start his own firm, CORE, relies heavily on social media to get his firms name into the public eye, sometimes in subtle ways. Mr. Osher has a blog, COREtalks.com, where he sometimes muses on matters that range far afield from real estate. Last month, for example, he posted a video interview he had done with the designer Nicole Miller during New York Fashion Week. The conversation touched only tangentially on real estate but the interview went out on Twitter to all Ms. Millers followers (as well as, of course, Mr. Oshers), and was picked up by numerous fashion blogs and other sites outside of the real estate realm. Mr. Osher has also taken advantage of reality television, taking part in the HGTV reality show Selling New York. CORE, which started with four people, has grown to 50 agents and 16 staff members. The company focuses on new residential developments, many in downtown Manhattan. One of the main things that any small business whether an independent bookstore, a corner toy store or a neighborhood hardware store would have customers believe is that service is better and personal attention greater at a little firm. Whether that is true in real estate depends because the company name may be ubiquitous, but the clients relationship is usually with a single person. Nevertheless, Solomon Asser, the principal of the Tecny Group, a design-and-build firm, who would probably get a high level of service no matter where he went, said he thought there could be advantages to smaller firms like Leslie J. Garfield & Company, which currently has two of his listings, including a $26 million Upper East Side town house. Dealing with a smaller firm goes with faster answers to things, quicker resolution to things, Mr. Asser said. You dont need to get an answer from someone else to get something done. Inexperienced players can find smaller brokers less intimidating. When Kelly Snyder and her fianc, Darien Ward, began hunting for their first home, they had trouble reaching the Elliman broker they were dealing with in Harlem. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/207 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/207 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Mar 02, 2011 Article: Lease- New York Author: Real Estate Weekly New York AC Lawrence announced the following leasing transactions: - 1 146 W 20th Street, A 76 Productions a video and photo production company, leased 2,415 s/f of office space for a term of five years. Asking rent was $2,664 psf. Lily Lin of AC Lawrence represented the tenant. The landlord was represented by Manu Pohani, Teresharan Land Co. - At 214 W 39th Street, Profits Fund Global Holding Limited, a woman's ready-to-wear fashion company, leased 1,200 s/f of showroom space for 2 years. Asking rents was $31 psf. Lily Lin represented the tenant. The landlord, Granite Management, Ernie Vallorano. - At 153 W 57th Street, clothing wholesaler Gear Collected LLC leased 1,080 s/f of showroom space for three years. Asking rent was $23.89 psf. Lily Lin represented the tenant. The landlord, Justin Management, was represented in-house by Sam Stein. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/211 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/211 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Mar 02, 2011 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/203 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/203 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Mar 01, 2011 Article: Retail Leases Author: The Real Deal http://www.aclawrence.com/news/201 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/201 Publication: NY1 - Real Estate Report Date: Feb 27, 2011 Article: What Can You Buy In NYC For Around 700K? Author: Jill Urban If 2011 is your time to make a move, its good to know how far your dollar will go in the New York City real estate market. NY1s Jill Urbans search to see what you can get for your money continues at around $700,000.Manhattan One Bedroom10 Park Avenue, Murray HillList Price: $650,000Contact: Cheryl Greenberg, A.C. Lawrence and Co. "This is a great loft like corner one bedroom apartment with double exposures facing both south and west with great light through our gorgeous casement windows. Decorative fireplace, windowed bath in original excellent condition, beamed ceilings, hardwood floors and also a windowed kitchen," says Cheryl Greenberg of A.C. Lawrence and Co. The building offers a rooftop deck. The property is listed at $650,000 and maintenance is $1,344 a month with a capital assessment of $195 a month until early next year. The apartment has been on the market for about a month. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/155 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/155 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Feb 18, 2011 Article: Priciest, cheapest units to hit the market Author: The priciest listing to hit the market this week is a 12,000-square-foot townhouse at 117-119 East 69th Street according to Streeteasy.com. The $27.25 million mansion, once the home of Muppets creator Jim Henson, is currently owned by Warner Music Group Head Edgar Bronfman. The listing is a co-exclusive of Brown Harris Stevens' Alina Pedroso and Paula Del Nunzio, the Corcoran Group's Carrie Chiang and Key Ventures' Vanessa Bronfman, Edgar Bronfman's daughter, The Real Deal reported. The townhouse includes a fireplace, elevator and private outdoor space. The second most expensive home to come online is a $14.47 million condo in the Centurion at 33 West 56th Street. The 3,365-square-foot apartment is being marketed by Prodigy International's Amy Williamson. The third-priciest listing to hit the market this week is a $12.5 million co-op at 88 Central Park West. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom listing is being marketed by Brown Harris Stevens' MacRae Parker. The least expensive listing to become available is a three-bedroom, one-bathroom co-op at 454 West 152nd Street. The $110,000 Hamilton Heights apartment is being marketed by Tasha Trice of A.C. Lawrence. A 400-square-foot co-op at 90 Park Terrace in Inwood is the second cheapest home to come online this week. The $179,000 apartment is being marketed by Susanna Saarinen of Access Property Group. The third least expensive listing to hit the market is a $239,000 studio at 513 East 5th Street. Daniel Berman and Liz Saldana of Bellmarc Realty Group are marketing the co-op apartment. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/11 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/11 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Feb 09, 2011 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/157 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/157 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Feb 09, 2011 Article: Leases- New York Author: Deals & Dealmakers http://www.aclawrence.com/news/209 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/209 Publication: Mann Report Date: Feb 01, 2011 Article: AC Lawrence Expanding Author: Mann Report Residential A.C. Lawrence is proud to announce that the company is expanding into a new 13,000 square foot state of the art Rentals and Sales office located at 228 East 45th Street, between Second and Third Avenues. The new office, which was the former home of Century 21 NY Metro, is strategically located steps away from all major transportation. "We have been fortunate enough to gain market share during this downturn and are excited to continue growing" said Larry Friedman, Principal. "With room for over 200 agents, our new office will be able to house our existing agents and will have enough room to accommodate our future growth" said Frank Sanchez, Principal, who became on owner of AC Lawrence in 2009. "Our hands on structured rental and sales training program as well as tenured management team have enabled us to attract and retain top talent, tremendously aiding our growth, commented Anthony DeGrotta, Principal. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/151 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/151 Publication: New York Post Date: Jan 20, 2011 Article: Houses of the Week Author: NY Post http://www.aclawrence.com/news/153 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/153 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jan 19, 2011 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/195 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/195 Publication: Mann Report Date: Jan 01, 2011 Article: Residential Round-Up Author: Mann Report Residential Elizabeth ChoA.C. Lawrence & Company 1. How long have you been in the business? - I started working in December 2009 2. What made you decide to get into real estate? - The freedom and flexibility to be my own boss create my own hours and dictate how I wanted to run my business. 3. Who inspires you? - People who have overcome extremely difficult hardships physically and mentally like Lance Armstrong and Anthony Robbins. Also my boyfriend, family and friends have inspired me in so many ways. 4. What pushes you to the next level? - My passion and ambition 5. What is the hottest deal you have made to date? - My hottest deal was in SoHo/ Nolita area, a 1 bedroom penthouse duplex that was featured on TV! 6. What is your secret weapon for sealing a deal? - Authenticity - I am direct, real, and honest and genuinely want the client to feel as comfortable as possible with their decision. 7. What is the hottest area for deals right now? - I think there are hot deals everywhere, but I see the most bang for your buck in the Upper East Side and Upper West Side. 8. Whats the best season for deals? - The summer is always busy, but I actually love the winter months because the clients are easier to work with. 9. If you had to live/work in any city other than New York, where would it be? - Tel Aviv, San Francisco and Seoul because I love the rich culture and energy of these cities! 10. Whats the best piece of advice you would give to someone starting in the business? - Stay focused, implement a system and don't take things personally. Pull out your thick skin and be honest, real and transparent. It isn't about the deal. It's about building a relationship. The rest will come. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/149 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/149 Publication: CBSMoneyWatch.com Date: Dec 29, 2010 Article: A.C. Lawrence Author: Real Estate Weekly A.C. Lawrence announced its expansion and relocation to new offices at 228 East 45th Street in the East Grand Central office district. The firm has hired Mare Lewis, a well-known name in Manhattan rentals for the past 30 years, to serve as chairman and focus on company strategy, rentals, investment sales and landlord relations. Most recently, Lewis was CEO and president of Century 21 NY Metro. Also joining A.C. Lawrence management is Denise Salizzoni, who will serve as rental director, and Tiffany Stilwell, who will be the new listings manager. Both Salizzoni and Stilwell have been in New York real estate for the last two decades, and have many deep-rooted relationships and a depth of hands-on experience. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/189 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/189 Publication: New York Post Date: Dec 23, 2010 Article: Houses of the Week Author: Andy Wang http://www.aclawrence.com/news/187 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/187 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Dec 15, 2010 Article: Who's News Author: AC Lawrence has hired industry veterans Marc lewis, Denise Salizzoni, and Tiffan Stilwell. Marc Lewis will serve as chairman and focus on firm strategy, rentals, investment sales and landlord relations. Most recently, Lewis was CEO and president of Century 21 NY Metro. Also joining AC Lawrence management is Denise Salizzoni, also a Century 21 NY veteran, who will serve as rental director, and Tiffany Stilwell, who will be the new listing managers. Stilwell, formerly of Century 21 NY, has been in real estate for the last two decades, and has a dept. of hand-on experience. AC Lawrence's moved to new offices at 228 East 45th Street, the former offices of now closed Century 21 NY Metro http://www.aclawrence.com/news/185 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/185 Publication: New York Observer Date: Dec 13, 2010 Article: Apartment Traders Gain Elbow Room Near Grand Central Author: Laura Kusisto 228 East 45th Street The Century 21 offices are looking a lot homier these days.Residential real estate brokerage A.C. Lawrence & Company, which absorbed the recently closed firm Century 21 NY Metro, has already started moving into its former 13,000-square-foot space near Grand Central.The bigger office will give A.C. Lawrence the elbow room to launch a commercial arm and to enhance its recruitment and training, Anthony DeGrotta, a firm principal, told The Commercial Observer. A.C. Lawrence had been eying a move sometime in the spring, but jumped on the opportunity to take over the recently gut-renovated space. The deal was conducted entirely in-house. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/177 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/177 Publication: The New York Times Date: Dec 12, 2010 Article: Residential Sales Around the Region Author: Gene Rondinaro http://www.aclawrence.com/news/179 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/179 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Dec 08, 2010 Article: In wake of Century 21 NY Metro closure, A.C. Lawrence moves in, nabs personnel Author: Candace Taylor With Century 21 NY Metro now closed, boutique brokerage A.C. Lawrence has taken over the firm's 45th Street office space and hired several of its top managers, including former CEO Marc Lewis as chairman.Former Century 21 NY Metro managers Denise Salizzoni and Tiffany Stilwell are also joining A.C. Lawrence's management. Salizzoni will serve as rental director and Stilwell is listings manager. Former Century 21 NY Metro Sales Director Marc Windheuser has returned to Prudential Douglas Elliman. Other former Century 21 agents are "free to decide" whether they want to join A.C. Lawrence or not, said A.C. Lawrence spokesperson Charlotte Kullen, formerly the spokesperson for Century 21 NY Metro. A.C. Lawrence, which has around 35 agents, said it is launching an "aggressive recruitment campaign," however. A.C. Lawrence's new office is located at 228 East 45th Street, the 13,000-square-foot space where Century 21 NY Metro moved in March. A.C. Lawrence will close its current office at 60 Madison Avenue. The former Century 21 NY Metro website now redirects to A.C. Lawrence's site. In recent weeks, The Real Deal reported that struggling Century 21 NY Metro was on the verge of closure, and that agents were told the firm would be absorbed into AC Lawrence. Kullen said that A.C. Lawrence did not technically absorb Century 21 NY Metro; rather, Century 21 NY Metro, the entity, was closed, leaving AC Lawrence free to take over its space and taking on many of its personnel. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/181 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/181 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Dec 08, 2010 Article: C21 shuts its doors... AC Lawrence moves in Author: Roland Li Century 21 NY Metro is no more. The brokerage - a franchise owned by private investors - has been closed by its owners for financial reasons, said Marc Lewis, former president and CEO of the company. "It just wasn't working," said Lewis. But Lewis won't be changing his commute - he will join AC Lawrence, which just leased Century 21's old office, as chairman. "We're very excited to have him on board," with AC Lawrence. The Real Deal first reported Century 21's financial troubles. In June, the company moved into a new office at 228 East 45th Street, but has now surrendered it to landlord Beckrose Realty Co. The space was then leased directly to AC Lawrence and no broker commission was paid. Douglas Grabiner of newmark Knight Frank, the leasing agent for the space, confirmed that the lease was done directly between the landlord and tenant. AC Lawrence, which is currently based at the Moinian Group's 60 Madison Avenue, had been looking for a new office, and it jumped at the availability at 228 East 45th Street. The building's modern features, which include floor-to-ceiling glass partitioning, were a big selling point. Asking rent was $29.50 psf, according to Property Shark. "It's a fantastic, brand new state-of-the-art space," said Friedman. Now that it has a new office with space for around 200 brokers, AC Lawrence plans to aggressivelyrecruit other Century 21 agents, as well as those from other firms. Friedman expects it to grow from its current size, around 35 agents, to 150 agents within a few months. The timing of the move made sense according to Jonathan Miller, president and CEO of Miller Samuel Inc., the prominent real estate appraisal and consulting firm. A winter move gives AC Lawrence time to situate itself in its new space and prepare for the spring, a traditionally busy season in the residential market. Century 21 is not the first small firm to close since the recession. Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy, which had around 200 agents, closed last year, as did JC DeNiro & Associates, with around 30 Agents."fewer transactions means fewer agents can be supported with the market," said Miller. Lewis' decision to join AC Lawrence will give him more control and independence than if he was at a larger firm, said Miller. "A lot of it is, if you're a big fish in a small pond, you don't want to be a small fish in a big pond," he said.Manhattan Apartments, Inc., another brokerage, had also been rumored to have plans to merge with AC Lawrence, but there will be no merger, said Jerry Weinstein, president of Manhattan Apartments. The brokerage, which faced its own financial woes earlier this year, currently has around 120 agents and is also looking to hire more before the spring, although weinstein said the market is still tough."Of course, it's a challenge right now," he said. "Sales are picking up. The rentals are okay. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/183 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/183 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Dec 08, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/175 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/175 Publication: New York Post Date: Dec 02, 2010 Article: Just Sold! Author: Andy Wang http://www.aclawrence.com/news/171 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/171 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Dec 01, 2010 Article: Done Deals Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/173 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/173 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Dec 01, 2010 Article: Century 21 NY Metro has closed Author: Roland Li Century 21 NY Metro is no more.The brokerage - a franchise owned by private investors - has been closed by its owners for financial reasons, said Marc Lewis, former president and CEO of Century 21 NY Metro.It just wasnt working, said Lewis.But Lewis won't be changing his commute - he will join A.C. Lawrence, which just leased Century 21's old office, as chairman.Were very excited to have him on board, said Larry Friedman, a principal with A.C. Lawrence.The Real Deal first reported Century 21s financial troubles last week.In June, Century 21 moved into a new office at 228 East 45th Street, but has surrendered it to landlord Beckrose Realty Co. The space was then leased directly to A.C. Lawrence and no broker commission was paid.Douglas Grabiner of Newmark Knight Frank, the leasing agent for the space, confirmed that the lease was done directly between the landlord and tenant.A.C. Lawrence plans to aggressively recruit other Century 21 agents, as well as those from other firms. Lewis expects it to grow from its current size, around 35 agents, to 150 agents within a few months.The timing of the move made sense, said Jonathan Miller, president and CEO of Miller Samuel Inc., the prominent real estate appraisal and consulting firm. A winter move gives A.C. Lawrence time to situate itself in its new space and prepare for the spring, a traditionally busy season in the residential market.Century 21 is not the first small firm to close since the recession. Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy, which had around 200 agents, closed last year, as did JC DeNiro & Associates, with around 30 agents.Fewer transactions means fewer agents can be supported with the market, said Miller.Lewis decision to join A.C. Lawrence will give him more control and independence than if he was at a larger firm, said Miller.A lot of it is, if youre a big fish in a small pond, you dont want to be a small fish in a big pond, he said.Manhattan Apartments, Inc., another brokerage, had also been rumored to merge with A.C. Lawrence, but there will be no merger, said Jerry Weinstein, president of Manhattan Apartments.Manhattan Apartments has around 120 agents and is also looking to hire before the spring, although Weinstein said the market is still tough.Of course, its a challenge right now, he said. Sales are picking up. The rentals are okay. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/169 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/169 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Nov 30, 2010 Article: A.C. Lawrence's Friedman denies Century 21 merger Author: Roland Li A.C. Lawrence will take Century 21's old office at 228 East 45th StreetDespite earlier reports, A.C. Lawrence and Century 21 NY Metro will not merge, according to Larry Friedman, a principal and co-founder of A.C. Lawrence. There is absolutely no merger, said Friedman. However, A.C. Lawrence is moving into Century 21s former office at 228 East 45th Street, taking around 13,000 sqft. A.C. Lawrence, which is currently based at the Moinian Group's 60 Madison Avenue, had been looking for a new office, and it jumped at the availability at 228 East 45th Street. The buildings modern features, which include floor-to-ceiling glass partitioning, were a big selling point. Asking rent was $29.50 per s/f, according to Property Shark. Its a fantastic, brand new, state-of-the-art space, said Friedman. With around 35 agents, the residential brokerage is aggressively seeking to hire more personnel to fill its new office, which has room for 200 brokers. The company works in rentals and sales in all price points, mainly in Manhattan, and despite the downturn, it has continued to expand. Were picking up a lot of market share, said Friedman. Were always looking for fantastic agents. In stark contrast, Century 21 NY Metro had a tough summer and The Real Deal reported last week that the brokerage was on the brink of closing. Although no official announcement has been made, Century 21s website has been shuttered, although its web address, www.c21nyc.com, now curiously redirects to A.C. Lawrences site. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/167 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/167 Publication: The New York Times Date: Nov 28, 2010 Article: Residential Sales Around the Region Author: Gene Rondinaro http://www.aclawrence.com/news/159 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/159 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Nov 17, 2010 Article: Done Deals Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/143 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/143 Publication: The New York Tmes Date: Nov 14, 2010 Article: Residential Sales Around The Region Author: Gene Rondinaro http://www.aclawrence.com/news/137 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/137 Publication: The New York Times Date: Nov 07, 2010 Article: Residential Sales Around The Region Author: Gene Rondinaro http://www.aclawrence.com/news/133 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/133 Publication: New York Post Date: Oct 28, 2010 Article: Houses of the Week Author: Andy Wang http://www.aclawrence.com/news/129 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/129 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Oct 27, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/131 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/131 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Oct 27, 2010 Article: Who's News Author: Linda O'Flanagan Akiko Osaka has joined the ranks of AC Lawrence as a sales associate. A ajapanese native, Osaka earned the top sales person award when she was employed at Esthetic Business Development Company in Tokyo. Osaka is fluent in Japanese and English and excells at piano. She started playing at three and now teaches piano to children and supports a youth soccer team in Westchester on weekends. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/231 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/231 Publication: Real Estate Weekly Date: Oct 13, 2010 Article: Leases - New York Author: Real Estate Weekly http://www.aclawrence.com/news/125 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/125 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Oct 13, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/127 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/127 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Oct 13, 2010 Article: Done Deals Author: LInda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/115 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/115 Publication: Mann Report Date: Oct 01, 2010 Article: AC Lawrence & Co. Hosts Producers' Dinner Author: Mann Report Residential AC Lawrence & Co. congratulated their top producing agents of May 2010 for their outstanding production and services. They were all rewarded to an exquisite Mexican dinner at Rosa Mexicano in Flatiron. This dinner is celebrating the most revenue and closings produced in one month ever in the history of AC Lawrence. On June 21st, the agents and managers enjoyed the illuminating beauty of the Mexicans architect and famous cuisine. Among the top producers are Executive Vice President Cheryl Greenberg, Gregory Olson, Delvis Estrada, Jennifer Ferland, David Bucci, Crystal Lemus, Christopher Bruggers, and Carleen McManus, Jamie Lee and Shantal Cooper. COO, Larry Friedman says This past month was record-breaking in term of rentals and sales, due to our agents hard work and training. We love our agents. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/121 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/121 Publication: Mann Report Date: Oct 01, 2010 Article: Residential Round-Up Author: ann Report Residential 1. How long have you been in the business? - 1 Year 2. What made you decide to get into real estate? - I grew up in a very entrepreneurial family so working for myself was always a very important goal for me. It was either China or NYC Real Estate, and Im happy I chose this path. 3. Who inspires you? - Robert Kiyosaki and my father who is the greatest businessman Ive ever known. 4. What pushes you to the next level? - The fact that I will buy my own place in the city within a year. 5. What is the hottest deal you have made to date? - The Jumeirah Essex House, two bedrooms with 1200 sq/ft private terrace that overlooks the entire Central Park. It was my second sale for $3.5M 6. What is your secret weapon for sealing a deal? - I always make it my mission to be the most informed on properties for my clients and customers. By educating them fully, they are confident my presented deal is the best for them. 7. What is the hottest area for deals right now? - The hottest area is the West Village- 77 Perry Street. Townhouse Exposed Brick Studio for $369K. It is cheaper to own than to rent this apartment! 8. Whats the best season for deals? - The best season for me is Winter because I am one of the few agents that are actually working, and Im the best. 9. If you had to live/work in any city other than New York, where would it be? - Beijing, China because of all the amazing business opportunities. 10. Whats the best piece of advice you would give to someone starting in the business? - Be prepared to work really hard, because there is so much money to be made and some amazing New York properties. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/111 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/111 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Sep 29, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/109 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/109 Publication: New York Post Date: Sep 23, 2010 Article: Just Sold! Author: Andy Wang http://www.aclawrence.com/news/103 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/103 Publication: New York Post Date: Sep 02, 2010 Article: Just Sold! Author: NY Post http://www.aclawrence.com/news/97 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/97 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Sep 01, 2010 Article: Done Deals - Love At First Sight Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/93 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/93 Publication: Mann Report Date: Sep 01, 2010 Article: AC Lawrence Enlists Broker Heaven NY to Take its Agents to the Next Level Author: Mann Report Residential It is every real estate brokerage companys desire to have motivated, well educated agents. In accomplishing this goal, AC Lawrence is proud to announce it has enlisted the help of Broker Heaven NY, a real estate training and consulting firm led by Greg Young. In this hypercompetitive market, we strive to give all of our agents the best tools to ensure their success, regardless of where they are in their career or how long they have been in the business said Frank Sanchez, Managing Partner of AC Lawrence. As an industry veteran since 1982 and former Director of Sales for Citi Habitats, we are certain that Greg will add to A.C. Lawrences extensive education program. AC Lawrence Management and agents will work closely with Broker Heaven NY. Agents will attend Broker Heavens seminars as well as additional coaching clinics, led by Greg Young. Management will consult with Broker Heaven on various topics including the companys overall training strategy. Anthony DeGrotta, CEO of AC Lawrence, said we are delighted to be working more closely with Greg. I had the pleasure of working with him for several years as an agent and Manager at Citi Habitats. Given his success and proven track record, we are confident Greg will bring tremendous value to our agents. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/99 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/99 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Sep 01, 2010 Article: Done Deals - Love At First Sight Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/105 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/105 Publication: The Real Deal Date: Sep 01, 2010 Article: Residential Deals Author: Sarabeth Sanders Midtown $3.5 million- 160 Central Park South 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom, 1,100 sf condo in a prewar elevator building (Jumeirah Essex House); 24-hour doorman; concierge; unit has new kitchen, renovated bathroom and 1,200 sf wraparound terrace with views of Central Park; building has hotel services, valet, health club; common charges $3,738 per month; taxes $745 per month; asking price $3.995 million; 39 weeks on the market. (Brokers: Nancy Candib, Brown Harris Stevens; Jamie Lee, AC Lawrence & Co.) "It was an all-cash buy and the sellers needed the money quick. We signed a contract in late May and our contract was to close within 30 days. But by the time the contract was fully executed and board-approved, we had less than two weeks to set up the closing. My buyer lives in China and I knew he had the funds, but it turned out that it took him longer than anticipated to get them together. It was nerve-racking, because the sellers were pushing their attorney to close quickly, and although my buyer understands English perfectly, it's difficult for him to negotiate in English. I speak fluent Mandarin, and I was the one coming to the attorney and relaying the information back and forth. The attorney told me that we would have only one chance to extend the closing deadline with a legitimate reason, and it all wound up coming together. We closed on a Monday when the deadline had been the previous Friday. Now, my buyer is renting out the apartment, but eventually he plans to live there when he moves from China with his wife and daughter." -- Jamie Lee, AC Lawrence & Co. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/89 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/89 Publication: New York Post Date: Aug 26, 2010 Article: Houses of the Week Author: Andy Wang http://www.aclawrence.com/news/85 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/85 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Aug 18, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/83 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/83 Publication: New York Post Date: Aug 12, 2010 Article: Just Sold Author: Andy Wang http://www.aclawrence.com/news/79 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/79 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Aug 11, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/81 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/81 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Aug 11, 2010 Article: Done Deals Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/77 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/77 Publication: The New York Times Date: Aug 08, 2010 Article: Residential Sales Around the Regions Author: Gene Rondinaro http://www.aclawrence.com/news/71 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/71 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Aug 04, 2010 Article: Who's News Author: Linda O'Flanagan Julie Cordero has traded in an upstate horse ranch for the mean streets. Cordero has just been hired as a salesperson at AC Lawrence & Co..After studying Psychology at Marist College, Cordero worked at a horse ranch in Millbrook, NY.She grew up with a real estate agents in her family and prides herself in her efficient and professional attitude. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/73 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/73 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Aug 04, 2010 Article: Who's News Author: Linda O'Flanagan Cathy Shim has joined the ranks of AC Lawrence & Co. as an Associate Broker.Shim began her career as an attorney working in the Financial District for eight years.A graduate of New York University with a BA in Politics, she later attended the New England School of law where she earned her Juris Doctorate.After practicing as a civil litigation attorney, she opted for a career change and recently entered the field of real estate.Shim is a long-time resident of Manhattan and member of the Real Estate Board of New York. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/75 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/75 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Aug 04, 2010 Article: Done Deal Author: Linda O'Flanagan BROOKLYN Fort Green306 Gold Street #26CPrice: $680,000Two Bedrooms, 2-bath 1,320 s/f unit in the Oro Condominium, the new 40 story high-rise with 303 apartments. Building has bicycle room, fitness room, basketball court, pool, sauna, lounge, private storage, cinema room, concierge. Unit has high ceilings, wood floors, washer/dryer hookups, and floor-to-ceiling windows. CC: $946. Listed Price: $750,000. On the market: 35 Weeks. Agents: Rose Associates, Inc.; Cheryl Greenberg and Gregory Olson, AC Lawrence. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/69 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/69 Publication: The New York Times Date: Jul 25, 2010 Article: Residential Sales Around the Region Author: Gene Rondinaro Upper West Side $750,000250 West 75th Street28 Weeks 850-sq-ft. co-op in a prewar building; windows in kitchen and bath, breakfast nook, h/w floors, common garden and laundry room in complex; maintenance $1,141, 50% tax deductible; listed at $799,000. Broker: A.C. Lawrence & Co. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/67 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/67 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jul 21, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Brokers Weekly http://www.aclawrence.com/news/63 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/63 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Jun 30, 2010 Article: Have You Heard... Author: Linda O'Flanagan ANTHONY DEGROTTA, CEO at A.C. Lawrence, thinks he has the answer to happy agents - Broker Heaven.That's the name of the real estate training firm - led by former Citi Habitats broker Greg Young - which the company has drafted in to take its agents to the next level. "Given his success and proven track record, we are confident Greg will bring tremendous value to our agents," said DeGrotta. While the brokerage already runs its own in-house program, managing partner Frank Sanchez, said: "In this hypercompetitive market, we strive to give all of our agents the best tools to ensure their success, regardless of where they are in their career or how long they have been in the business." http://www.aclawrence.com/news/197 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/197 Publication: Mann Report Date: Jun 01, 2010 Article: CUNY Conference and AC Lawrence Host Asian American Economic Empowerment Author: Mann Report Residential AC Lawrence led the real estate panel at the CUNY Conference on Asian American Economic Empowerment 2 weeks ago. Sales associates Elizabeth Cho and Delvis Estrada spoke at the panel. Joyce Moy, the Executive Director at the Asian American/ Asian Research Institute (AAARI), sponsored the event. Moy commented, This is the 2nd annual conference and due to a high demand on the real estate panel, I had to make sure that AC Lawrence was there to present again. President of Sales and Partner Antonio del Rosario ran the seminar last year, "I wanted to have 2 of my best agents in sales, rentals and investments there to educate the Asian community." There were many different topics discussed in the economic stand point at the conference. During Elizabeths and Delviss panel, they talked about the different misconception on real estate, foreclosure details, and what you should know before buying, renting, investing, and selling. Estrada included, The panel became an informal question and answer period, which is a great way to get personal and really emphasized the key points doing business in this volatile market. It was great to be able to help people better understand the real estate market, said Cho. There are many opportunities out there when dealing with real estate and it is a good feeling to have when you know that more people are aware of what is going on. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/53 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/53 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: May 26, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/51 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/51 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: May 19, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan 10 Park Avenue, 9-F$485,000Move-in ready renovated studio with sunken living room. Black, Poggenpohl kitchen with granite countertops, Sub Zero refridgerator, dishwasher and range hood as well as a stainless stell DeLonghi gas range. Tiled bath. Four closets plus built-ins and home office area. Custom made Murphy Bed with Shelves for storage. Through the wall A/C. Elegant co-op was a former hotel and has an art deco lobby plus award winning roof terrance. Listing Agent: Cheryl Greenberg & Gregory Olson, AC Lawrence & Co. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/49 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/49 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: May 12, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan Cheryl Greenberg and Gregory Olson at AC Lawrence have a listing to suit every taste. Whether you want a three bedroom, two and a half bath apartments or a two bedroom witha home office or a one bedroom, with formal dining and a separate home office with its own entrance, you can design at 10 Park Avenue, #18-JHG, in Murray Hill. Listed at $2.1 million, the 1,650 s/f apartment has two whole marble baths, one with Jacuzzi and separate stall shower and two kitchens combined to create great entertaining space. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/45 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/45 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: May 05, 2010 Article: New Listing Author: Linda O'Flanagan Murray Hill- Park Ave #22FPrice $450,000Alcove studio with river views. Open kitchen with a breakfast bar, a sunken living room, and alcove. Co-op has a beautiful lobby and roof terrace. Listing Agent: Cheryl Greenberg & Greg Olson http://www.aclawrence.com/news/47 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/47 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: May 05, 2010 Article: Done Deals Author: Linda O'Flanagan Roosevelt Island- 415 Main Street #12APrice: $792,500Two bedrooms, 2-bath, 1,197 s/f unit in the new Riverwalk Court, an 18-story luxury condo. building features doorman, elevator, laundry. Pets allowed. Common outdoor space. CC $1,365. On the Market: 160 days Asking price: $810,000 Agents: Delvis Estrada, Jennifer Ferland, Carleen McManus and Jamie Lee http://www.aclawrence.com/news/43 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/43 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Apr 28, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan 88 Greenwich St. #611Price: $525,000645 s/f studio lof with 10' ceilings, oversized windows and California closet space in Greenwich Club Residences. Pass-thru kitchen with top of the line appliances; bathroom with overhead rain shower and Kohler soaking tub. In wall iPOD port wired to the kitchen and bathroom, individual climate control. Laundry room on every floor. Complimentary continental breakfast, concierge and doorman, tailoring, laundry, dry cleaning and cold grocery storage. Fitness Center with on-site trainers; library billiards room; business center. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/41 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/41 Publication: NY Post Date: Apr 15, 2010 Article: Houses of the Week Author: Andy Wang http://www.aclawrence.com/news/39 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/39 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Apr 14, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/37 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/37 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Apr 07, 2010 Article: Done Deals Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/31 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/31 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Mar 31, 2010 Article: Done Deals Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/35 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/35 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Mar 31, 2010 Article: Who's News Author: Linda O'Flanagan AC Lawrence announced the newly-hired Elizabeth Cho broke company records in number of deals and revenue in February.With over ten years of experience in the hospitality industry, Cho has lived and traveled all over the United States, Asia and Europe.She received her Bachelors of Business Administration, double majoring in both International Business and marketing from florida International University in Miami, Florida.Among her many interests ranging from music to athletics, she is a long distance runner and tri-athlete who loves to train in her free time. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/29 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/29 Publication: Crain's New York Business Date: Mar 19, 2010 Article: Residential brokers spiff up their websites Author: Amanda Fung Local residential brokerage firms are embracing technology in a move to remain competitive and lure buyers to their Web sites. Elika Associates, a small Manhattan-based brokerage catering to just buyers, is the latest firm to launch what has become known as a virtual office Web site, or VOW, feature to its regular Web site. Visitors who register for the service on the Elika Web site will be able to browse property listings citywide from different brokerages. The feature helps brokerage firms compete against third-party sites like StreetEasy.com, which allows buyers to search for different properties across the city for free. So far, the new offering is being well received95 individuals have registered for the feature since it launched a week and a half ago and the average time spent on the site by a user is 10 minutes, according to Gea Elika, founder of the brokerage. The great thing about VOW is it is provides accurate, updated and complete information, said Mr. Elika. Its a one-stop shop so buyers do not need to deal with multiple brokerages. Larger brokerages such as Halstead Property launched VOWs for individual brokers in January, and Prudential Douglas Elliman is expected to unveil its enhanced Web site incorporating a VOW feature next month. AC Lawrence Real Estate was one of the first firms to implement a VOW companywide. Companies are using different vendors like On-Line Residential to power these sites. VOWs level the playing field for corporate and boutique firms, said Antonio del Rosario, president of sales at AC Lawrence Real Estate, which has 40 agents. Everything will be on your Web site whether youre a big, small firm or one man show. Meanwhile, brokerages that do not plan on launching VOWs are offering new social media features to enhance their Web sites. On Wednesday, Warburg Realty Partnership unveiled its new site, which incorporates Facebook and blogs. On the day of the launch, the site doubled its traffic, according to Lori Levin, marketing director of Warburg. Earlier this year, Century 21 NY metro launched a Live Agent Chat on its site, where potential renters and buyers could connect with an agent and instant message. Late last year, Corcoran Group launched an Apple iPhone application, which among other things allows iPhones to display apartments and open houses near the user's location. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/27 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/27 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Mar 17, 2010 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/25 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/25 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Mar 10, 2010 Article: Brokers With Lofty Ambitions Author: Linda O'Flanagan AC Lawrence Realty has just gone to contract on a Tribeca Loft at just under $1 million. Delvis Estrada, Jennifer Ferland, Jamie Lee, Carleen McManus strucked the deal two weeks after taking over the listing from another brokerage which had listed the 1,300 sq.ft. one bedroom at 261 Broadway for $1.3 million.AC Lawrence sales president Antonio del Rosario said hed picked up the listing from a friend while getting his haircut.We received the listing after another broker had it for three months. It was at a higher price, it was messy and had no floor plans available for the buyers to see, said del Rosario. So we cleaned it up, had gorgeous pictures taken, had an achitect do different renderings of the floor plan, and we opened with a wine tastings. The property received an offer two weeks into the market during the holidays. The unit was the only Tribeca loft priced under a million at the time it was released in the market. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/23 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/23 Publication: Mann Report Date: Feb 01, 2010 Article: All About the Numbers Author: Mann Report Residential Establishing a reputation on being the premiere real estate company in New York for both rentals and sales, AC Lawrence & Companys co-founder and chief operating officer Larry Friedman is committed to staying ahead of competitors and conquering challenges that face todays economy. Being in charge of the companys general operations and financial well being, Friedman makes sure AC Lawrence clients and agents are savvy while keeping the business profitable. Friedmans journey from accountant to chief operating officer of AC Lawrence tells a story of extraordinary leadership, strong values and confidence. Prior to founding AC Lawrence, Friedman graduated from State University of Albany with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Before becoming a real estate professional, Friedman spent five years working in the equity research department at various investment banks including UBS Warburg and Bear Stearns. He was also an accountant at Ernst & Young in their financial services group for three years. Friedman brings immeasurable amounts of financial experience which provides AC Lawrence a strong foundation to be successful. You have to make sure you are innovative, keep people motivated and always try to stay a step ahead of the competition, Friedman comments. Friedmans years of financial experience at prominent companies has made him an amazing leader and colleague. Ive worked with Larry closely for almost five years and Im always impressed by his skills with numbers and his mental acuity in terms of business, says CEO and co-founder Anthony DeGrotta. Always accessible and willing to offer insight whenever possible, Friedman brings a personal, humorous communication style that resonates with anyone he encounters. He attributes the company success to his good sense of the companys cash flow and projections. By being proactive, he is able to consistently adapt to the climate of the industry. I have a strong sense of ownership and pride for the company, comments Friedman when asked about how he keeps AC Lawrence financially healthy. Essentially you have to manager everyday to six months ahead. Be proactive. As a licensed agent, Friedman quickly became a top producer at Citihabitats. When Citihabitats was sold to Corcoran, Friedman saw the opportunity to utilize his expertise and established network to begin his own entrepreneurial dream. He partnered with CEO Anthony DeGrotta to begin AC Lawrence & Company. Together they realized that customers want and expect more from real estate agents- not just someone to show them an apartment or who will quickly find them an apartment, but a true partner- someone who will consistently go that extra mile and who will always be there. Throughout his career, Friedman has demonstrated a rare ability to connect with people and inspire them to work together to accomplish extraordinary things. He encourages a friendly yet focused work culture, which in turn creates fierce loyalty among agents. I know that AC Lawrence definitely has the best agents in the industry, no question about it. They are incredibly hard-working, very educated, ethical and committed to client service. We train all our agents to be top producers. AC Lawrence is like my baby, so inevitably its like family as well. I am a very competitive person, I hate to lose, so I make sure everything we do is to gain market share and continue to build the company. Staying ahead of the competition always will be Friedmans main priority. Considering the changes going on with other real estate companies, he knows the most important thing is to manage the bottom line to ensure the success and prosperity of his family and his agents. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/21 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/21 Publication: Mann Report Residential Date: Jan 01, 2010 Article: Residential Round Up Author: Mann Report How long have you been in the business? Two Years What made you decide to get into real estate? My interest in the real estate industry started when I would always find the best quality bargain deals for myself and others. This was around the same time I had an injury and could not play actively on the varsity basketball team. This was awesome timing; I had more free time, besides college work, and I decided to get my license and focus on real estate part time. I instantly developed a real passion for the dynamics of the industry. Who inspires you? Everyone inspires me; I could go down a list. But in all honestly, I keep an open mind. What pushes you to the next level? Reality itself. My father passed away suddenly three years ago, and his passing changed me forever. I have always been ambitious, but death, especially when its someone close reminds me that tomorrow is not promised. So I put my best effort out on a daily basis to be better than I was before. What is the hottest deal you have made to date? I focus mostly on residential sales and rentals, but my hottest deal today was a commercial space approximately 2600 square feet with a five-year lease option to extend in Fort Greene, Brooklyn next to the Atlantic Yards development site. It would be my highest gross commission to date and most exciting deal from beginning to end. It is now a beautiful Italian restaurant. What is your secret weapon for sealing a deal? Its a secret; I cant tell you! I prefer to work with facts by performing my due diligence thoroughly. It allows my clients to feel comfortable and confident with a deal. What is the hottest area for deal right now? Hottest area for deals in sales is in Battery Park - the River house, a totally green building. My sales listing there is a great deal, under priced with 54 feet of stunning unobstructed Hudson River. For rentals, the Upper West Side. The duplex that are apartments available are gorgeous and spacious. Management companies are now offering owner pay commission and net effective rent in prime UWS. What is the best season for deals? Every season is good for deals, especially when using an AC Lawrence Realtor. Our goal is to get the customer as close as possible to his or her wants and needs. Having managers with 35 years of experience collectively, knowing the inventory, and having great relationships with sellers and landlords, were able to find a great deal all year around. If you had to live/work in any other city than New York, what would it be? Los Angeles, California at this time. I am very familiar with the neighborhoods there, and I love the weather. What is the best piece of advice you would give to someone starting in the business? Find a moment and try not to reinvent the wheel too much. This business is not an exact science, but you can learn a lot from other peoples mistakes and successes in the industry. Keep in mind the historical trends; it will allow you to project future trends. http://www.aclawrence.com/news/19 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/19 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Dec 09, 2009 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/7 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/7 Publication: Brokers Weekly Date: Dec 02, 2009 Article: New Listings Author: Linda O'Flanagan http://www.aclawrence.com/news/219 http://www.aclawrence.com/news/219 Publication: Mann Report Date: Oct 01, 2009 Article: Profile- Anthony DeGrotta Author: Mann Report Residential One of the only companies that not only stayed in the black, but has been thriving and growing since the beginning of the recession, A.C. Lawrence keeps bucking the trend by breaking records every quarter. CEO Anthony DeGrotta leads this company with a clear vision and a team of exceptional leaders. You have to know your numbers and your systems what to improve and what to let go. I know Im not always right so when the rest of the leaders of our company say Im wrong, I have no problem letting go, comments DeGrotta when asked what advice he would give to other business leaders in this downturn. Do not think you are bigger than you are get youre ego out of the way, he adds. DeGrotta is careful in choosing who to partner with and gives credit where it is due. Larry Friedman has the strengths that I dont have. He takes care of numbers part of the company and the systematic ways of doing things, explains DeGrotta of his fellow founder COO Larry Friedman. You have to know what voids exist and how to fill them, says DeGrotta of one of his many roles in the company. President of Rentals and Partner Frank Sanchez filled another void in terms of managing every aspect of the rental business. By the same token, Antonio G. del Rosario joined as President of Sales, filling a void by making the company top notch in their sales marketing and training. All four of us managers have equity participation which makes the stakes higher since we all have skin in the game, comments DeGrotta of his business model unique in the industry. Our company is now considered unbeatable in sales and rentals because of the strategies we have executed before and during the recession, concludes DeGrotta. Teamwork among managers is what works, which is also emulated by our agents. We have each others back no matter what, which is refreshing to the usual cut-throat, backstabbing culture other companies may have, DeGrotta responds when asked about loyalty and the supportive nature of so many of A.C. Lawrence agents. The agents consist of newly trained novices to veteran brokers from Corcoran, Citi-Habitats, MBLK, Brown Harris Stevens and the now defunct Coldwell Banker. I grew up in a tight-knit family who supported each other - thats A.C. Lawrence, exclaims DeGrotta. Anthony DeGrotta has always been an entrepreneur. He started a successful car detailing business when he was in high school in Queens. The most valuable lesson in business he learned from his grandfather who was a top seller of the American classic Oldsmobile. Theres a butt for every seat, his grandfather would always say. Theres a buyer or a renter for every apartment in NYC no matter the market our industry is recession proof, adds DeGrotta. In 1998, as soon as he graduated from college with a degree in Management and Marketing, DeGrotta quickly received his real estate license and worked with Gordon Golub, his mentor at CitiHabitats. He broke records at CitiHabitats. At the age of 24, their youngest manager, led their flagship retail office with over 60 agents. When CitiHabitats was sold to Corcoran, he realized there was no longer any opportunity of partnership. Thats when A.C Lawrence was born. The secret to having a balance life is to have a supportive wife. Sarah understands what I need to do to grow myself and the people in my company, says DeGrotta who recently had the pleasure of having his first born, a daughter named Gianna Christine. My wife and daughter are my motivation every day and when I show up at work Im surrounded with my chosen family life cant get any better than that, concludes DeGrotta. I am thankful to my wife and daughter, my business partners and my agents for all the contribution they have made for this great journey to the top.