Million Dollar Listing-NY by Jeff Crisalli
Once again, I want to thank everyone for the positive feedback I have received on my recaps of Million Dollar Listing New York. I look forward to the comments each week and will continue to provide my view of the intricate and unique world of New York real estate.
Please indulge me the privilege of sharing with you a day in the life of me. Yesterday morning started as usual with a quick 3-mile run, shower, suit, kiss my wife and daughters and out the door. I had 2 meetings before an exciting lunch meeting planned at a restaurant in NYC, Michael’s New York. It is a power spot for the entertainment and business crowd. The food and atmosphere is amazing.
What was even more amazing than the restaurant were my guests. My associate and friend Michael Mazzella and I had the privilege of a 2-hour lunch with 2 amazing people.
Lori Zaslow and Jennifer Zucher have a show on Bravo TV, Love Broker. The show was born from the real passion of these 2 great ladies, finding love for people in search of their “soulmate”. 3 years ago, the two came together and formed Project Soulmate.
(www.projectsoulmate.com) I will not describe the service they provide simply because I can not do it justice. The enthusiasm and passion that Lori and Jenn provide for their clients in the search for love is one that can be best described by them. Lori and Jenn are smart, witty, beautiful (one has a potty mouth that I adore) but most of all, they are real. Both of these women are successful at their careers but most of all, they pride themselves on being Mom’s. It is a difficult balancing act to juggle a career and a successful family life and they do it with grace and ease. We are exploring some business opportunities together but most of all, we consider each other friends.
(www.projectsoulmate.com) I will not describe the service they provide simply because I can not do it justice. The enthusiasm and passion that Lori and Jenn provide for their clients in the search for love is one that can be best described by them. Lori and Jenn are smart, witty, beautiful (one has a potty mouth that I adore) but most of all, they are real. Both of these women are successful at their careers but most of all, they pride themselves on being Mom’s. It is a difficult balancing act to juggle a career and a successful family life and they do it with grace and ease. We are exploring some business opportunities together but most of all, we consider each other friends.
Lunch complete, time for a client meeting and then some downtime at Starbucks and gain control of my day. I had to return 15 phone calls and answer 27 e-mails. It’s all good!!
6:30, show time. My friend and client had a book signing at the NYU bookstore.
Kristen Johnston’s book, “guts” is a story of her journey to sobriety. It is a raw and uninhibited inside look at a battle with her demons. She read a chapter to a captivated audience last night and it was followed by some q&a. One person asked her why she chose the “guts” for the title. In her fuuny and real manner, she replied that because her guts literally blew up during her ordeal and also that her mom hated the title. That is true but she did not reveal what I think is more important than those reasons. Kristen, along with everyone who battles addiction, faces a lifelong struggle to stay sober. It takes courage and an unending will to beat those demons and most of all it takes GUTS to fight for your life each and every day! Addiction effects young and old, rich and poor, blue collar and celebrity alike. There is no discrimination. Everyone who battles addiction and wins is a hero. Kristen has battled addiction hard, kicked its ass and is enjoying life and giving back. She is involved in some great projects to help others in this struggle.
All that said, after the book signing we ordered some sushi, went back to her apartment with some friends and just enjoyed some down time. What a day!! Now I had to go home, it was midnight, watch MDL-NY, write my blog, kiss my wife and daughters who were asleep and then go to bed. Didn’t exactly happen that way because I was tired when I got home so hence the delay in today’s blog. Without further ado, here it is….
Ryan, Ryan, Ryan.. You are cool, chic, eye candy and a closer but certainly not a guitar player.. Dina, your assistant is on her way to saint hood!! I do like your boyish crush on her that appears evident.. But Dina, RUN!!!!! Ryan got a call from a potential new client and as he hung up, he called him dude. His assistant told him it wasn’t professional. It may not have been for a different client, but in this business, you need to appeal to your audience. Real estate is a very personal business and I think Ryan does have a personal touch that is added to his pitch. In that situation, dude was acceptable. What wasn’t acceptable was the smell of the wallaby!! It was a classic YouTube moment to see Ryan strap on the pouch and become a “jill” (a female wallaby). He did face real challenges that realtors face on an almost daily basis, pets. There is a trend in new buildings, as we saw in tonight’s episode, to provide pet care. Later in the show, Ryan makes a comment to his client that can’t find a kangaroo friendly building unless the price point exceeds $7MM and he moves to a townhouse. I was shocked.. We may not have been privy to the research he performed to get that answer but do we think that Fredrik would have told a client impossible? I think not.. I wouldn’t.
Ryan’s open house was a success. He works the room, interacts with everyone and definitely paid attention to detail. Fredrik and his “boys”, I use that term VERY loosely, came in and appeared to us very unprofessional. I get it that Fredrik is aggressive and a shark but it should not be at the expense of other brokers. What’s the matter Fredrik, $1 billion in sales in not enough you need to poach? So not cool.. In the end, Captain Kangaroo made an offer on the apartment and the building owner rejected it. Ryan lost out on both sides of the transaction. That’s a hard pill to swallow. Week after week we see a multi-faceted Ryan, sometimes we applaud and sometimes we throw up in our mouth. I do have to give him kudos though because at the end of the day, his client asked him to do something unethical and Ryan refused. I am so glad he did!! Nicely done.
Is everyone as happily surprised to see Michael coming into his own? I see a certain
swagger and hop in his step that I was not sure he had in him. Getting the call from the high profile developer was an accomplishment for him. The real treasure will be if he closes a sale. It’s a cliffhanger. I hate to do this, but I have to mention it. $430 to $550 for a bathing suit? Really? Enough said.
swagger and hop in his step that I was not sure he had in him. Getting the call from the high profile developer was an accomplishment for him. The real treasure will be if he closes a sale. It’s a cliffhanger. I hate to do this, but I have to mention it. $430 to $550 for a bathing suit? Really? Enough said.
Michael did a great job with the open house at 949 Park Ave. He had a great turn out and the exposure gained was monumental. It was a risk to have the open house at his office as opposed to the property but he pulled it off. Once again though, our new villain strikes and Fredrick’s words and actions soured the mood. I think I speak for the masses when I say we all want Michael to succeed. Clients want results. There is tremendous pressure on Michael to close some deals with his new developer client. It agitated me when we saw Fredrik waltz in and try to be the “big deal.” Once again, Fredrik showed us his dark side and made some inappropriate comments to Michael and his father. Michael’s dad surprised me when he suggested that Michael take Fredrik’s advice and stand by the door. Michael is more than capable of working the room and he will do it with more class and elegance than the side of Fredrik we saw tonight. NY is not big enough for two Fredriks so I say, butt out of Michael’s and Ryan’s businesses and worry about keeping your “boys” way far in the background..
I wrote some things tonight that many Fredrik lovers may not like. That said, I have to also point out that he did a great job in dealing with his client and the developer to close the deal. The combining of apartments happens a lot in NY real estate. Normally, side-by-side conversions are the norm as well as a 2-floor combination. Combining 5 floors into one massive apartment is very unique and exciting. Fredrik made the deal work for all parties involved. He is a closer. I also think he did a slick move in calling the potential buyer in front of the developer. Normally, I would not advise this but it was the correct approach in such a unique deal. We cannot argue with success. We can argue the means in which Fredrik gains that success but he is a great real estate broker. Let’s hope that the editing process and what we see as viewers is not the real picture of the character of Fredrik. Our business is filled with good and bad brokers. I love when people succeed. I want to root for success as I watch the show. Let’s hope that the joy of watching Fredrik’s success is not soured by some very undesirable characteristics.
I have decided to bring us back to reality at the end of each week’s blog. Please continue to share this journey with me and provide me with your thoughts and comments. I would like to end with this.. Addiction is a terrible disease that affects everyone. Be in tune to the behaviors of your children, nieces, nephews, friends and family and if you suspect an addiction issue, stop what you are doing and GET HELP!! If you suffer from a damaging addiction, nothing is more important that kicking it’s ass. There is no negativity in seeking help for your addiction; the negativity is in NOT seeking treatment. No one will ever condemn you if you are trying to get help and get healthy. And if they do, get in touch with me because my friend Kristen and I would like to speak to them!! Until next time…..
Jeff Crisalli is the founder and sole-owner of Blue Diamond Realty in New Jersey. Having been entrepreneurial since the age of 23, Jeff has successfully started and operated a general contracting firm and a consulting company advising companies and individuals with their real estate needs. With a career marked with results, Jeff ventured into a high level position with a Wall Street firm completing institutional investments throughout the United States and abroad. He acquired and developed properties in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan and Mexico City. Feeling the need to face new challenges and achieve loftier goals, Crisalli partnered with various individuals to create real estate investment opportunities and in turn created Blue Diamond Realty. Servicing his luxury client base in any capacity needed, Jeff was able to grow his network of both clients and strategic partners. This has granted both Blue Diamond and Mr. Crisalli the ability to operate in a multi-state environment. Currently, Jeff benefits his clients by acting as a dual agent within the State of NJ as well as a buyers agent/consultant in various United States markets.
