Brooke Gaiss, Brooke & Mortar NYC

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Brooke Gaiss, Brooke & Mortar NYC

Educating you on how to root, relocate, and invest with transparency, candor, and empathy.

12/16/2025

If you’ve never done 5th Ave Open Streets in December, put it on your list for next year!

It’s touristy, but there’s nothing more magical and quintessentially Christmas in NYC - especially on the lucky snow day this past Sunday. ❄️

5th Ave closes to cars from 48th to 57th Street, which means you can actually walk and enjoy the iconic holiday window displays without getting trampled. Bergdorf’s, Saks, Tiffany’s bat at the top of the order every year.

Beyond the windows, there were dozens of pop-ups, live music, food vendors. It’s a worthwhile tourist trap, and I stand by that. See you there December 2026 ✨

11/15/2025

ahead of spotify wrapped and holiday countdowns, my top story of 2025:

my client wanted to rent in NYC and buy some time in the future. enter, creativity. here’s how we did it:

1️⃣ Found a stale listing on market for 100 days (high rates, dead market). Asked my friend who listed it: “Would your seller rent this instead?” They said yes.
2️⃣Client got board-approved as a tenant, and tested out the unit. Then we played the long game.
3️⃣ Nine months later, it hit the market again. She was first in line AND already board-approved. No competition, no stress, no board interview intensity.
4️⃣ Keys in hand, and she’s paying slightly more than rent but building equity, can renovate whenever, and doesnt have to move at her landlord’s whim. 3 months from offer to keys.🔑

renting and thinking about buying? rent-first-buy-later strategy might be your move. dm to splore the option!

11/04/2025

with New York real estate, it’s not just what’s on the market it’s who you know off it. there are 17,000 rentals and 16,000 sales out there, but the best stuff is still hiding in inboxes and text threads of real estate agents. dm me if youre looking for something specific to see what I’ve got💅

06/06/2025

Are you in the middle of an apartment hunt?
Big changes to NYC broker fees start June 11 you gotta know about!

The Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act shifts broker fee responsibility from tenants to landlords when the broker represents the landlord.
 🔄Logistics:
Landlords must pay broker fees if they hire the broker.
Tenant must pay broker fees if they hire a broker.
All tenant fees must be transparently disclosed in listings and agreements.

📅 Effective Date: June 11, 2025
Applies to all new residential leases signed on or after this date.
IF lawsuit filed by Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) is resolved by June 11.

✅ Impact on Renters Reduced Upfront Costs.
No more paying listing broker fees for landlord-hired brokers.

⚠️Impact on Landlords:
Landlords bear broker fee costs.
Will landlords bake this impact into rental prices? Likely.

🏠 A Step Toward Fairness: The FARE Act aims to make NYC rentals more transparent.
The question is whether it will make renting in NYC more affordable.

💡TLDR
Keep your ears open on June 11th.
If we’re in the middle of a house hunt, I would sign an apartment quickly if you are in flux.
Questions? Reach out

In the middle of an NYC house hunt right now?

🔍 Sign Before June 11 If:
You found the apartment and don’t want to risk losing it.
The landlord is already covering the broker fee.
You’re in a competitive market where waiting might mean missing out.

🕰️ Wait Until After June 11 If:
You’re early in your search and not in a rush to move.
You want to see how landlords adjust pricing or incentives once the law goes into effect.

03/20/2025

if you rent in nyc like me, it’s time we understand the FARE Act

1️⃣the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act shifts the the broker fee to whoever hired the broker.

2️⃣it’s supposed to go into effect in June 2025 but is currently being held up by a lawsuit.

3️⃣the arguments for are clear: whoever hires the broker should pay the broker

the arguments against are:

1. fewer listings – landlords may choose not to list apartments publicly, relying on word-of-mouth to avoid paying broker fees.
2. higher rents – landlords may increase rent prices to cover broker fees, making apartments more expensive overall.
3. longer rental process – landlords may take more time screening tenants without brokers facilitating the process.

what arguments for or against did I miss?

12/17/2024

scenes from everyone’s favorite season 🎁🍎

12/12/2024

2024 has been a whirlwind of FUN in New York City real estate🍎

When I moved to my business from Seattle to NYC, I wondered:

Will I make it? Will they eat me alive?
Are all the agents that kind of *new york city* mean portrayed in movies?
Will I meet

Thanks to the amazing role model for taking a chance on me. To and for upskilling me on the crazy market that is New York City and selling with my own style. To the UWS office for answering my bottomless pit of questions.

🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 And most of all to my clients for trusting me. Helping clients turned friends and friends turned clients is the biggest blessing I can imagine.

I love getting to work with the very bones of this fascinating city and could not be more excited to keep it going in 2025.

Here’s a glimpse into some of the transactions, rentals, and clients I had the joy of working with in my first six months in business.🍾🥂

11/12/2024

Have you heard of the FARE Act?

The NYC bill that shifts who pays the broker’s fee.

In short, whoever hires the listing agent pays the fee.

It’s slated for a vote on November, 13th, 2024 in New York City.

11/04/2024

Hot off the press: The Brooke & Mortar Insider Report – November Edition

💬 Comment or DM “newsletter” to get a link to this issue that includes:

🏡 Two Prize Listings
📈 Manhattan Q3 2024 Report
🌃 Office to Residential Conversions
🦃 The Locals Hack to Macy’s Parade
🎄Holiday Market Lineup

10/01/2024

Couldn’t have a more charming listing as my first, thanks to partner in crime .crocker.properties

🏡 Prewar Parisian Studio with a 200 sqft Terrace

🌳 This stunning pre-war studio on the 14th floor of The Bancroft, just steps from Central Park, is a rare find.

☀️ Flooded with sunlight, this elegant space offers a 200 square foot private terrace, perfect for dining al fresco or soaking up city views.

🍴With hardwood floors, high ceilings, the studio exudes comfort and sophistication. The fully equipped kitchen features a dishwasher and gas range, and the windowed bathroom includes a shower/tub combo.

🛌 Available furnished or unfurnished, this chic Upper West Side gem puts you right in the heart of the city’s best, blocks from Lincoln Center, and steps from Trader Joe’s.

🌃 Plus, enjoy the exceptional amenities of a 24-hour doorman, live-in super, and laundry in the recently renovated Emery Roth building. Board approval required.

💰No broker’s fee!
💰$3,900/month
📍40 W 72nd Street (Upper West Side)

Reach out for a tour, send to your friends!

Address

New York, NY

Website

https://www.corcoran.com/real-estate-agents/detail/brooke-gaiss/31784/regionId/1

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