Category : Residential

A smile and a set of keys does not a good broker make — in fact, it might not even make a real one. A stark rise in the number of scam artist’s posing as rental agents has prompted a warning from the Governor's office for apartment hunters to beware. Since January, the New York State Division of Consumer Protection, an agency that focuses on educating the public on how to avoid scams, said the state has received 211 complaints from people conned out of cash by a fake agent, 121 of whom were in New York City.

Three years after returning to his roots at The Marketing Directors, Andy Gerringer says he’s right where he’s supposed to be. “I am so grateful to work in a field that I am passionate about, and share it with smart, wonderful people along the way,” said Gerringer. “The Marketing Directors was a place that helped me grow and learn, and so when the opportunity presented itself, I was excited to return. It’s exactly where I want to be in my career.” To many in the business, it was a surprise when Gerringer left Douglas Elliman after 19 years to become the managing director of new business at The Marketing Directors.

After five years in the economic doldrums, Italy is enjoying a real estate renaissance. And Keller Williams NYC has announced plans to take advantage, announcing a partnership with the boutique Lionard agency in historic Pistoia, and a portfolio of 800 listing worth more than $6 billion. “This is a great time to invest in Italy, after five years of a very difficult real estate,” says Richard Tayar, KWNYC Executive Director of International Relations and Director of Italian Property Services.