We are here to make your transition as seamless as possible. The "Big Apple" is one of the nation's most exciting and best loved cities. We recognize that searching for an apartment in New York City may seem a bit overwhelming at first. Knowledge of what to expect, understanding the process and terminology, and learning about the present New York real estate market will be extremely important in h
elping you to find the perfect home. While this Site is designed specifically for your New York City real estate search, we can offer you help anywhere in the U.S. or internationally through our Relocation Services Division. The Real Estate market here operates differently to the Australasian Markets. I worked in the Sydney market for more than 25 years before relocating here – and remain licensed both in Australia and New York. Most Brokers in New York are members of the Real Estate Board of New York – which serves amongst other things as a Multiple Listing Bureau. Membership of this organization mandates that every Listing (Rental & Sales) be distributed to every other REBNY Broker within 24 hours of Listing. Effectively this means that any 1 Broker (me) has access to every Rental & Sales Listing in New York City. See the Property Search tab above. Commissions are split between Listing agents and Renters/Buyers agents.
2. Most Brokers in New York are both Rental and Sales Agents.
3. The real estate Market in the United States is extremely friendly to foreign buyers.
4. New York is a city comprised mainly of cooperative and condominium apartments with a smaller selection of private homes, which we call townhouses or brownstones. Most important is understanding the differences between the types of apartments you will find. Condominium’s have many similarities to Australian Strata Title and Cooperatives have similarities to Company title. Click on the above Buy/Rent Tab for more information on Condo’s & Co-ops. NB Co-ops have a more stringent purchase process and many have specific regulations that can make it difficult or impossible for foreign ownership – although on the up side they are generally priced lower – often between 10 and 20%.
5. Real Estate Broker fees in NY are paid by the tenant for Residential Leasing. (The owner pays for Commercial Leases)
The Standard fee applicable is 15% of the annual rental. There are some exceptions – Certain buildings do not charge a Fee and some of the bigger Landlords will pay Brokers Fees.
5. The Application Process to lease an apartment in New York is onerous compared to Australia and NZ – particularly in a COOP. I specialize in knowing which buildings are more foreigner friendly. Please email me with any queries you may have on [email protected] . I look forward to hearing from you………. Regards Leila Hansen
