Brown Harris Stevens

October 13, 2016

Brooklyn, Queens are more expensive than they’ve ever been; Manhattan rents are down

Market reports are in from the third quarter of this year, and sales numbers are setting new records, especially in Brooklyn and Queens. From Douglas Elliman, numbers show sales prices in Brooklyn and Queens climbing for the fourth year in a row across the board for condos, co-ops and one- to three-family homes, as well as luxury properties (defined as the upper 10 percent of the market). The median sales price rose 8.7 percent to $735,000; the average sales price went up 14.8 percent to $983,511; the median sales price for luxury properties rose 23.5 percent to $2.5 million. All three numbers represent record increases. The rising market has likely been the result of a healthy job market in New York City and population growth that's five years ahead of schedule.
Find out more
January 22, 2016

Modern, Massive Loft in Prewar Flatiron Building Asks $7.895 Million

Space, volume and abundant light—those are the three virtues of this Flatiron loft apartment at 260 Park Avenue, according to its listing. When it comes down to it, we'd have to agree; it's hard to argue with 3,287 square feet of open loft space that includes a "great room" that spans more than 46 feet, 12 enormous windows covering multiple exposures, and a master bedroom that comes with a double walk-in closet that's probably the size of some studio apartments. This condo sits within an eight-story prewar building that long served as the headquarters of the United Federation of Teachers. Well-known economist Richard Thaler purchased it in 2012 for $5.94 million and he's now trying to unload it for $7.895 million.
Take the tour
July 29, 2015

Modern Mansion Spanning 8,000 Square Feet Asks $13 Million on the Upper West Side

Here's a six-story single-family home at 337 West 87th Street with space galore: 8,000 square feet, to be exact, plus another 1,700 square feet outdoors. The whole place has been renovated with luxurious modern finishes, including a marble powder room, skylights, custom cabinetry, walk-in closets and more. In case you're wondering how you'd be able to climb six stories of your home everyday without breaking a sweat, it is outfitted with an elevator that goes from the cellar up to the penthouse level. Of course, all this doesn't come cheap, especially considering that the property is located on a tree-lined block off of Riverside Drive. The asking price is $12.995 million.
Tour the inside
July 7, 2014

Two for the Price of One: Our Interview with Father/Son Broker Team Siim and Rudi Hanja

It’s hard not to become a jaded New Yorker when it comes to real estate. We’ve been duped by phony listing pictures, stood up at a random addresses by our brokers, and probably watched a little too much of the soap opera-like Million Dollar Listing. But it’s not all Photoshopped specs and inter-agency drama — something I quickly learned during my interview with Siim and Rudi Hanja, a father/son broker team at Brown Harris Stevens who are passionate about their careers, connection to downtown, and their relationship with each other. Siim Hanja has been a SoHo and Tribeca resident for the past 40 years. He’s considered an expert on the downtown residential market, and much of his client base includes people involved with the arts. He raised his daughter and son Rudi in SoHo, a neighborhood he is still proud to call home. Rudi was first introduced to real estate when he was around ten years old, filing papers at a small, boutique brokerage that Siim owned. After graduating from Boston University, Rudi took a summer job with the sales and marketing team at 120 Greenwich Street, where he worked with the exclusive broker and closed the final 30% of sales in the condo building. He then went on to work at another major real estate firm in the city until he and Siim decided to begin working together at Brown Harris Stevens.
Find out what team Hanja has to say