Meet the Finalists for the Second Annual Essys

Now in its second year, StreetEasy is gearing up to honor NYC real estate agents in our annual awards, The Essys. Using a mix of StreetEasy data and personalized submissions, The Essys will honor exceptional New York City agents who go above and beyond for their clients, their industry and their community. Hundreds of agents were considered for the 2019 awards across six categories and finalists were determined based on the quality and consistency of their work. 

Community Champion Nominees

1. Matthew Bizzarro, The Bizzarro Agency:  A champion of his uptown community, Bizzarro’s sponsorships include the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra and the Uptown Soccer Academy. His brokerage donates a portion of every sale to local charity.  
2. Sara Golan, Nest Seekers International: Golan finds a number of ways to positively impact neighborhoods in central Brooklyn, devoting time to Masbia soup kitchen network, several social housing groups, and the Von King Park Conservancy.
3. Barbara Fox, Fox Residential: Fox founded WOOF, an animal rescue organization that relocates pets out of NYC’s shelters and into the care of veterinarians or foster homes.

Industry Choice Nominees

1. Elana Streim, Compass: Thoughtful, tenacious, sharp — a seller’s agent was so impressed with Streim’ss work representing a buyer in a recent deal that they nominated her for the Industry’s Choice Award. 
2. Erik Serras, Ideal Properties Group: Serra is widely respected for his relentless drive, especially by his colleagues at the independent Brooklyn firm he co-founded in 2007. In submissions for The Essys, several folks commented on his leadership and commitment to transparency.
3. Justin DuPree, Compass: Dupree is praised for trustworthiness and diligence — not only by his clients, but by fellow agents and brokers.

New Yorkers’ Choice Nominees

1. Jonathan Meiselman, Compass: A past client was so impacted by Meiselman’s work ethic that he wrote a 1,000 word essay praising his  patience, character, professionalism, and more patience. Meiselman is a tireless coach who teaches his clients about the complexities of the Manhattan real estate market.
2. Christa Chi, Elegran: Chi  wields a rare blend of expertise, packaging deep knowledge of both the real estate and finance industries. In particular, one client raved about Chi’s ability to secure her both a mortgage and appraisal contingency. 
3. Jason Sciulara, Bergen Basin Realty: Sciularas clients went to lengths to describe what sets him apart as an agent, in particular, calling attention to how generous he is with his time.

All-Star Renter Agent Nominees

The finalists for this category were determined by examining customer satisfaction, the quantity of listings agents claimed on StreetEasy, and the overall quality of listings they shared with StreetEasy users.

1. Danny Moyal, Abode Residential 
2. Dana Schneider, Dream Space Realty
3. Moshe Kanarfogel, Compass

All-Star Buyer Agent Nominees

The following nominees were determined based on the quantity of listings they claimed on StreetEasy, as well as their negotiation skills — their rate of closed deals below listing price. 

1. Matthew Bizzarro, The Bizzarro Agency
2. Ryan Serhant, Nest Seekers International
3. Stephen Ferrara, Compass

All-Star Listing Agent Nominees

Finalists were determined by the quantity of listings they claimed on StreetEasy, how many days their listings were on the market, and their ability to negotiate and close deals above listing price.

1. Jessica Peters, Douglas Elliman 
2. Angel Colon, RE/MAX In The City
3. Andrew Anderson, Douglas Elliman

About the Awards

Find the description and criteria for each award category here. This year’s finalists were determined by the StreetEasy team, using internal data and testimonial submissions from renters, buyers, and agents.