Small studios - NEED HELP finding a Broker

I've been researching the market for a few years as a renter, really looking to buy a studio in manhattan at the lower end of market (since that's all I can afford). I obviously want a relatively clean, quiet, apartment in decent shape, in a good building. All relative terms, yes. I see all the listings almost daily. What I am looking for is kind of different in that while I"m ok with a studio and... [more]

I've been researching the market for a few years as a renter, really looking to buy a studio in manhattan at the lower end of market (since that's all I can afford). I obviously want a relatively clean, quiet, apartment in decent shape, in a good building. All relative terms, yes. I see all the listings almost daily. What I am looking for is kind of different in that while I"m ok with a studio and not an official one-bedroom, I am obsessed with the idea of finding a studio that has the right layout that would allow me to section off a sleeping area as a makeshift separate room - with access to one of the windows (or even half a window if there was a way to split a window in half). Can anyone give me tips on how to to find an agent/broker who handles these kinds of properties for buyers? I see all the listings but I assume there are brokers who know the ins-and-outs and maybe even know about things just as they are about to hit the market. I ask around but not coming up with much. I'll need a broker if I'm going to buy (and an attorney, which is another issue i have to tackle as well) but I don't know how to find someone I can trust, who knows the market. Any ideas? Thanks! Guy Who Wants A Studio [less]