Best NY R.E. Company to sell apt?

they are all the same...it's all about the individual broker you choose from them.

What neighborhood, price range, apartment type?

The companies listed above offer many of the same great services - good websites w/lots of traffic, solid information services, good teams of brokers. But in my experience it's not the firm that matters as much as the individual broker who will be representing you. Find a broker who works in your neighborhood with your type of property - there are brokers who specialize in, say UWS co-ops, or Manhattan townhouses, who may be right for that type of listing, but not right for a new development condo. Check Streeteasy for similar listings to your own - especially ones that have gone into contract in the last couple of weeks. The brokers representing those sales may have interested buyers left over from their previous listing. If nothing else, they will help you get a sense of pricing, and pitch a marketing strategy to you - free of charge.

Also, if you have friends who have bought or sold recently, or someone in your building, ask for their recommendations. When it's time to choose, trust your gut. This is a person you'll have to spend a LOT of time with, and you should feel comfortable. That said, you're not out to make a new friend. You want someone who can sell to the current market, in which buyers are incredibly well-informed, and not desperate. Make sure your broker understands the buyer's market and has a strategy for making a deal stick.

[I'm a broker based in Brooklyn, and I work for a very small company (not named above). I'm not pitching my company.]

Everyone specializes -- in this market they may pretend they don't, but they all do.

Interview three agents, and ask them each about the last three deals they did -- what they did right, and what surprised them. That will give you a good picture of each person's style.

Then, ask each agent what your apartment will sell for. Demerits to the agent who names the highest price, because he/she is probably trying to "buy" your listing.

Finally, remember that commissions are negotiable, so don't be afraid to talk about cost and what you're going to get for your money.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the helpful (and wise) tips.

i think you should give ali r. a chance. i have been reading these threads and she appears to be very knowledgeable and ethical. i am from out of town.

I second the comment about condsidering brokers who may have sold a unit in your building. We used the broker we bought our apartment from when we decided to sell it in part because he had been part of 9 of the 10 pervious sales. In addition to being a good guy, he knew a lot about the building (i.e., could answer potential buyer's questions), knew the perfect price to list it for as he knew each apartment that sold and how they compard to our unit, and was well known to the board and management company when it came time to get the paperwork done. Good luck.

Avery,
You should also look in to the commission level. The companies that you mentioned charge around 6%. We at Edge Residential charge 1% for the same work. 6% is just an unbelievable overprice for the job required with today's technology.
www.edgeresidential.com

You should ask the brokers about their marketing. You want to choose someone who gives you as much coverage in front of buyers as possible. You should also ask for a written guarantee of their marketing and weekly updates. In this market, you can't settle for a local broker who isn't aggressive, technologically savvy and professional.

Also, if someone is telling you they've sold in your building, ask them to prove it. A real estate "professionl" had the gall to telephone my huband at work and tell him that she sold (25) apt. in our building... I know my building... no one's done this. The laughable part is that we rent our unit and we're obviously not selling anything.

We also have the same question and there is a broker who sells often in our building. How do we know she's our best choice though? Do we limit our upside to what she has sold for previously?

lo888, you just have to meet with them and see what they have to offer. As I said above, we used the broker who sold us our place and has sold most of the units in our building and got an outstanding result. Most of that was because he was a good broker, but I think some had to do with his familiarity with the building - he was also able to tell potential buyers why our unit was better than the prior sales in the building even though it wsa on the first floor (and he got us the highest price in the building's history as a result). An added benefit was that he helped the sale proceed smoothly because he knew the board and the management company well and was able to get them to move a bit faster. Good luck.

lo888 - If the broker has demonstrated ANY upside for sellers in your building, she might be ahead of the pack in the current market. When was her most recent sale? Does she have anything that as recently gone into contract?

1) you want to know about broker's expertise, but only in relation to how it will help your sale. You want to make sure that the person you hire will work in your best interest and that you will get fair value for your property. What are they bringing to the table?

2) make sure they understand timing and interest rate environment. Is there math behind things? What is their marketing strategy? Target crowd for a studio is very different from penthouse even in the same building!

3) make sure they have time to invest in the process. It's hard to handle a lot of listings at the same time.

Ask them to tell you something you don't know.

Good luck

elena
(broker)

I always tell my friends to interview three agents. You learn a lot from hearing different people's pitches, and you also get a sense of who fits with your personal style.

Some of the questions that you'll ask will be pretty standard -- "what's your marketing plan"? but another good question to ask an agent is "what was the biggest mistake you made on your last listing?"

ali r.
{downtown broker}

Pick someone who is going to personally take care of the property and show it to all people who request to see it, rather than giving the listing to someone who is going to have their secretary who doesn't have a license do all the work and only show it to people who are directs that way they dont have to co-broke. Simple.

Only use Brown Harris Stevens and Sothebys if you have a high end listing since that is what they specialize in. The average BHS client is probably not interested in buing a $450,000 alcove studio.