Sidney Whelan

A life-long New Yorker and ten-year veteran of the real estate brokerage industry, Sid Whelan has built a reputation among his clients, customers, colleagues and competitors for his passion, integrity, knowledge, care and persistence. They all know that if Sid is on board, the job is going to be done the right way. In his decade in the business, Sid has engaged as many aspects of the New York City residential real estate world as possible, bringing an expansive base of knowledge and experience to his clients. He is an expert in townhouses, new construction and co-ops. As a current townhouse owner, Sid has closed numerous townhouses transactions. His new construction and sponsor sale expertise comes from having sold onsite at eight different new condominiums as well as from representing buyers in many other new construction sales. A former owner of two co-op apartments, Sid served three years on his former co-op board, including one year as its president. This knowledge of the inner workings of a co-op board has given him an unbroken record of successful co-op applications during his brokerage career. In addition, Sid is a landlord who has concluded numerous rental transactions as a real estate agent. Says Whelan, “It may be counter-intuitive but I believe in, and always apply, the soft touch - the soft sell with buyers. It is highly effective. For one, the buyer knows much better than I do what they need, so it’s essential to draw this out and listen carefully. Then, when the purchase property is selected, even the wealthiest buyers experience a moment of vulnerability when they turn over their financial and personal details to complete strangers for evaluation and approval. An aggressive and pushy approach tends to erode trust. In both sales and applications for financing or co-op board approval, trust is absolutely essential. The buyer has to believe what the broker says about the process or they won’t comply with the rules and best practices. In that case, a rejection will become likely.”

Sid was born and raised in New York City, attended high school at Milton Academy in Massachusetts and college at Oberlin College in Ohio, where he is currently a member of the President’s Advisory Council. Sid enjoys travel, hiking, fitness and horseback riding. He is an avid home cook, particularly renowned for his paella and his homemade breads. His wife is the Director of the High School at the Dalton School. Together, they live in a 1912 Harlem townhouse with their two daughters, one of whom attends Dalton and the other LaGuardia. A musician since a very young age, Sid has been known to play a mean blues guitar when the opportunity arises. Before entering the real estate business in 2004, he worked in the music business for over a decade and remains close to many musicians of note, often working on their behalf in real estate transactions.