NEIGHBORHOODS
Lights! Camera! App? High-tech tool lures condo buyers 93 Worth has its very own app, available both for the iPhone and iPad.
C
reativity isn’t a must, but it certainly doesn’t hurt when it comes to marketing high-end homes in Manhattan.
There’s one about architecture, nearby restaurants, even movie history. “Real estate is about innovation,” Core CEO Shaun Osher said. “We wanted to do something paperless and creative. We thought this
And that’s exactly what the brokerage Core
neighborhood and market required something different.”
is doing to gin up interest in 93 Worth, a luxury
By all indications, the app has been a success: Nearly three-quar-
condominium tower, the New York Daily News
ters of the 91 homes, ranging in price from $900,000 to $2.2 million,
reported.
are sold.
In a hat tip to Tribeca’s film history, Core is asking prospective
buyers to download an app on their mobile phones or tablets so they
The homes, all one- and two-bedrooms, have white-oak floors and bronze accents throughout.
can learn more about both the high-end high-rise and the historic
One new owner is Gio Cassaro, who went with two bedrooms.
neighborhood.
“I loved it. I want to be paperless. I can just show this to my friends
Here’s how it works: A client trains his iPhone or iPad on a photograph on a card. Depending on the picture, the app plays a video.
How long do Tribeca homes take to unload?
Sellers are seeing time simply fly by Year
Days on market
2013
97
2012
187
2011
237
2010
277
2009
287
Source: StreetEasy; average days on market for April of each year
and say, ‘I bought here,’” Cassaro told the newspaper about the app. “It’s eco-friendly, and it appeals to tech-savvy people like myself.”
Sizing up the market Bruce Ehrmann, a managing director at Douglas Elliman Q: Where can real estate investors get the best return in Tribeca? A: For a long-term investment, landmark status and/or historic district designation is very compelling. In Tribeca, you know, there are two certain things: There won’t be wholesale changes to neighboring buildings and if you’re in a landmark district (and much of Tribeca is) the streetscape will retain its grandeur; no one will come in and tear down the blocks around you. Tom Postilio, a managing director at Core Q: There’s not much on the market today—who’s looking to sell? A: We’ve turned to [trying to find sellers] where there are none. While mass-mailings may turn up a curious potential seller here and there, a careful study of the owners in a target building may give us some insight into who might be willing to sell. [People] are often eager to turn a profit when presented with an opportunity to do so.
Luxury Listings NYC | MAY/JUNE 2013
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