Brokers' Blues
In New York City, finding a decent apartment at an affordable price is difficult enough. But introduce a smarmy, fast-talking real estate broker into the mix and you've just added insult to injury.
"Two thousand dollars a month for a one-bedroom?" the broker says to me incredulously via cell phone. "You can't find a one-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side for that. You're going to have to go above two-grand if you want something bigger than a studio," he snaps.
"Good times," I think as I hang up my phone and re-focus my attention on the Craigslist apartment postings on my computer screen.
There are an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 real estate brokers in Manhattan, and many of them sound like broken records. They condescendingly inform you that whatever amount of money you are willing to fork over isn't enough - that the only way to get the apartment you want is to actually hemorrhage cash. They use words in their listings like "gorgeous" and "amazing" to describe a space that is nothing short of a crack den.
So when I heard the news that beginning March 1 there will be a $10 fee imposed on New York brokers each time they post their crack on Craigslist, I felt marginally vindicated. Craigslist officials say they are doing it in the hopes of deterring the brokers who list the same apartment several times in a single day. The Washington Post Reports:
Now if we could just institute a "crappy apartment fee" on the broker every time he or she wastes our time showing us one...
"Two thousand dollars a month for a one-bedroom?" the broker says to me incredulously via cell phone. "You can't find a one-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side for that. You're going to have to go above two-grand if you want something bigger than a studio," he snaps.
"Good times," I think as I hang up my phone and re-focus my attention on the Craigslist apartment postings on my computer screen.
There are an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 real estate brokers in Manhattan, and many of them sound like broken records. They condescendingly inform you that whatever amount of money you are willing to fork over isn't enough - that the only way to get the apartment you want is to actually hemorrhage cash. They use words in their listings like "gorgeous" and "amazing" to describe a space that is nothing short of a crack den.
So when I heard the news that beginning March 1 there will be a $10 fee imposed on New York brokers each time they post their crack on Craigslist, I felt marginally vindicated. Craigslist officials say they are doing it in the hopes of deterring the brokers who list the same apartment several times in a single day. The Washington Post Reports:
In the highly charged, competitive real estate market of New York, the [Craigslist] site has become a victim of its own success. Its simple interface gives the newest listings the most prominent spot, prompting some brokers to repost the same listings several times a day to ensure that theirs were the first ones that home-seekers encounter. As a result, the site gets 600,000 listings for real estate in New York per month; by instituting a fee, Craigslist hopes to cut that number down by 90 percent.
Now if we could just institute a "crappy apartment fee" on the broker every time he or she wastes our time showing us one...
posted by Rachel Natalie Klein at 4:06 PM
4 Comments:
I understand your frustration but on the other hand I am engaged to a fairly hard working real estate agent who is frustrated because everything is going condo so there anything left is being inflated insanely. I know that it's frustrating but most brokers work on commission only and are independant contractors.
By the way - if you are looking for something that cheap for a one bedroom apt - you should consider Brooklyn or Queens.
I love your blog. I also live in East Harlem and have a blog -- although it's about 1/3 East Harlem, 2/3 my life...I'm a grad student but also work part-time in real estate. I totally agree w/ you that most brokers suck. It is a tough business to be honest and fair in...but, I try. I read about your place in the NYTimes today...sounds great!
Rachel,
I am one of the many who has found your blog via the NY Times article. I was initially just curious as to why you move so often (still haven't figured that out) but I am moved to comment on your frustration with real estate agents. Unfortunately, in most states, it doesn't take much more than a 40-hour course to become licensed. You therefore get a glut of amateurs whose numbers only spike up in a healthy market. I share your frustration, because, as a principle broker of my own firm here in Westchester, I have to work with these people every day. I often find myself dealing with their inane puffery, lack of professionalism & incompetence which forces me to do their job for them in order to get paid. If you find a good broker, stick with them. Best of luck. And I'm with you on craigslist.
I moved to Harlem 2 years ago, and I have already been forced out by a rent increase. Thankfully, I found a 2-bedroom apartment in Washington Heights for $1400.
Tourists stay away!
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