Michael J. Franco Team at Compass

Michael J. Franco Team at Compass Michael J. Franco has a deep knowledge & understanding of the New York City real estate market, ensuring that his clients receive the results they deserve.

With over 20 years of experience as a broker, attorney and investor, Michael Franco is a consummate professional, and is recognized as one of the top producing brokers at Compass. Michael prides himself not only as a salesperson but as a counselor and a customer service expert and absolutely loves his job which is readily apparent to all of his clients.

An evening at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for the 3rd Annual Agents Against Cancer Gala.A beautiful setting, ...
10/06/2026

An evening at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago for the 3rd Annual Agents Against Cancer Gala.

A beautiful setting, wonderful company, and most importantly, an evening dedicated to supporting an important cause. Grateful to have been part of it.

10/04/2026

High maintenance fees in Manhattan are not automatically a red flag. Sometimes they are the point.

A full-service building with experienced staff, genuine amenities, and a well-funded reserve is delivering something real. Many of those costs would exist anyway — they would just arrive as separate bills. The question is not whether the number is high. It is whether the building justifies it.

That said, high fees can also signal deferred maintenance, aging infrastructure, or a reserve fund that has not kept pace. The number alone tells you nothing. The financials behind it tell you everything.

Before you walk away from a building because of carrying costs (or into one without looking closely) understand what you are actually paying for.

10/03/2026

In Manhattan, a single dollar can change what you owe at closing by tens of thousands.

New York's mansion tax starts at $1 million and increases at graduated thresholds — and because each threshold functions as a cliff, crossing it means the new rate applies to the entire purchase price, not just the amount above it.

A home purchased at $999,999 owes nothing. At $1 million, the buyer owes $10,000. That same structure repeats at $2 million, $3 million, $5 million, and beyond — which is why pricing and offer strategy in Manhattan often get very precise around those numbers. The difference between a well-structured offer and a reactive one can be a five-figure swing that neither side anticipated.

Understanding where these thresholds fall and how to negotiate around them is one of the most practical advantages an experienced Manhattan broker brings to every transaction.

09/29/2026

The building tells you as much as the apartment. Sometimes more.

Prewar buildings give you proportion, plaster, detail, and layouts that feel like they were designed for actual life. Postwar construction gives you quieter interiors and bones that hold up differently over time. New development gives you light, amenities, and the appeal of nothing having been touched yet.

None of those is the right answer. All three come with trade-offs that matter for how the apartment lives, what it costs to maintain, and what it does over a ten or twenty year hold.

I spend as much time understanding the building as I do the residence itself. That distinction is what separates a good search from an expensive mistake.

09/27/2026

Buying your first home in New York City is not a solo endeavor. The buyers who get it right are never the ones who figured it out alone.

Before you fall in love with an apartment, before you make an offer, before you even know what neighborhood you are searching in — you need the right team assembled and working together. Your broker, your attorney, your mortgage professional. Each one plays a specific role in a transaction that New York makes more complex than anywhere else in the country.

The gap between having the right people and the wrong ones is the difference between closing with confidence and finding out something critical when it is too late to act on it.

In this video I break down exactly who you need, what each person is responsible for, and how to make sure everyone is aligned before the process begins.

First-time buyer in New York City? This is where you start. Link in bio.

09/25/2026

Historic Chelsea character, reimagined. With soaring 12-foot ceilings, original cast-iron columns, oversized windows, and a beautifully appointed chef’s kitchen, this exceptional O’Neill Building loft brings architectural grandeur and modern luxury into perfect balance.

Sold | 655 Sixth Avenue, Residence 5D | $2,650,000

Acquiring direct Central Park views under $1M is one of the hardest mandates in Manhattan real estate. We identified thi...
09/22/2026

Acquiring direct Central Park views under $1M is one of the hardest mandates in Manhattan real estate.

We identified this prewar residence at 68th Street for our buyer, recognizing that its direct tree-canopy views, southern light, and private balcony represented an irreplaceable vantage point. Successfully guiding the buyer through Central Park West’s cooperative board review process turned a complex transaction into a seamless closing.

Sold | 80 Central Park West, Residence 4C | $489,000

09/18/2026

The most expensive mistake a seller makes in Manhattan has nothing to do with the apartment.

It is the price they choose on day one.

Low inventory gives sellers a real advantage right now. But that advantage only works when the pricing is honest, the strategy is deliberate, and the broker is willing to have the conversation most people avoid.

In this video I break down the three ways a listing gets priced, what buyers are reading into days on market before they ever walk through the door, and what actually determines the value of your property when it matters most.

If you are thinking about selling, this is the conversation to have before anything else.

Link in bio to watch the full video.

High above the Upper West Side, this renovated penthouse-style studio paired sweeping Central Park and skyline views wit...
09/17/2026

High above the Upper West Side, this renovated penthouse-style studio paired sweeping Central Park and skyline views with refined, highly functional design. Custom millwork, elegant finishes, and a coveted rooftop made this elevated residence a standout.

Sold | 2025 Broadway, Residence 29G | $440,000

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110 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY
10011

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