One of the new guards in New York real estate is looking to put her name — and her companyʼs — on the map.
31-year-old Rutenberg NYC president Stefani Berkin announced this week she has re-branded the firm as R New York following a year of record growth.
She also announced an expansion into Brooklyn and Long Island’s east end and a strengthening of the firm’s commercial division.
“The success of our clients and agents has always been the foundation of our brokerage,” said Berkin.
“While our name has changed to reflect our new brand identity, our values and those of our esteemed agents remain steadfast. The name defines the essence of who we are. We are real estate professionals. We R New York.”
R New York has been on an upward trajectory since Berkin took the reins in 2014 when she was just 28.
In the past two years, the company has nearly doubled its office space, grown to 700 New York agents and closed on several multi-million dollar sales thanks to champion agents such as Jeffrey Fields and Tak Cheung.
Now ranked as the fifth largest brokerage in New York City by agent count, the firm sold $83.3 million worth of real estate last year, according to The Real Deal.
In an industry that was stagnant for many years, Berkin has positioned herself as an agent of change and believes R New Yorkʼs 100 percent commission model has pushed the boundaries on the landscape of residential brokerage in New York City.
“We offer a compelling combination of financial rewards and operational flexibility that has attracted a steady stream of seasoned agents,” she said of the model. “We believe agents should keep their hard-earned commissions, while our role is to provide counsel and supportive services to help them close deals and grow their business base.”
Berkin said R New York will continue to disrupt the traditional brokerage industry with a commission model she believes encourages agents to be their own entrepreneurs.
“At R New York, our agents appreciate the freedom and flexibility we offer, both financially and operationally, and they are able to reap the rewards of their own, hard-earned success,” Berkin explained.
“We provide technology, connectivity, market information, first class office space, conference rooms, mentoring, training, continuing education, communications, licensing and all the other tools they can leverage for their success.
“We are proud to be R New York, and to serve our global clientele in all brokerage capacities – residential and commercial sales and leasing. We believe the future for our business is R New York.”
R New York will expand into Long Island through its sister company, R Hamptons, which covers all of the hamlets of Long Island’s North and South forks. An R Brooklyn office is scheduled to open this fall.
