Esquire Realty Ciaramella & Co.

Let’s clear something up.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with hiring a real estate agent who is competitively priced. You should be thoughtful about fees. This is a business decision.

But there’s a big difference between competitive and Bargain Bin Bobby.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴- 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

The truth is, the difference between a great agent and a cheap one is rarely the fee. It’s what you net and whether you actually make it to the closing table.

𝗔 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀.𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 “𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗽 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹” 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁.

So yes, be smart. Interview agents. Understand their fee structure. Make sure it makes sense. But if your entire selection process is “who’s cheapest,” you’re not being savvy at all.

Shop for experience. Shop for strategy. Shop for someone who can actually get you to the closing table with the strongest possible outcome.

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.

There’s a pattern right now. Homes hit the market, sit with no real interest, and quickly go stale.

Some agents miss the details that actually drive value. And in this market, those details matter.

Not all properties trade the same just because they share a location. Pricing them like they’re interchangeable is a mistake.

There’s also no such thing as a legal “mother-daughter” designation in NYC. Many homes are legally one-family, and if you don’t understand the Certificate of Occupancy, you’re pricing wrong from day one.

Flood zones and elevation matter. A buyer factoring in thousands per year in insurance is looking at your price very differently.

Lot size matters too. Even on the same block, the difference can be significant, and that directly impacts value.

And one of the biggest mistakes: pricing based on what’s listed instead of what’s sold. A group of overpriced listings doesn’t support your price. It shows what isn’t selling.

You get one real window when your home hits the market. That first wave of attention is everything.

Local knowledge isn’t a buzzword. It’s the difference between selling and sitting.

A property isn’t truly “vacant” just because you plan for it to be. If there’s a tenant in place, your sale comes with an extra layer of risk.

Not every tenant needs to be served notice immediately. Some are cooperative and helpful. But you have to be realistic. A tenant’s behavior can change quickly once photos are taken, showings begin, and the reality of moving sets in.

As agents, we are not working against tenants. In many cases, we can actually help them transition, whether that means finding a new rental, negotiating a lease that works for them, or even guiding them through a purchase of their own. When handled properly, this process can be a shift, not just a disruption. However-

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲. Resistance to photography. Delayed responses about access. Making showings difficult. These are small signs that often turn into bigger problems.

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲.

Serving notice starts the clock. If you wait until you have a buyer ready to close, you are already behind. What could have been handled months earlier can turn into significant delays and even lost buyers.Even if your tenant is being polite and cooperative, serving notice can still be the right move. It can be explained as part of the process when a property is being sold.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲.

One of the biggest misconceptions I see when pricing homes is the belief that every dollar spent on renovations automatically increases the value of the property. It doesn’t work that way.

Some improvements consistently help resale value. Others were wonderful for your own enjoyment but do very little for the market. But here’s the truth-

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲.

If you installed something very specific because it made you happy, that is perfectly fine. Homes are meant to be lived in and enjoyed. Just think of those choices as lifestyle upgrades, not necessarily financial investments.

𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲

🔸Kitchen updates

🔸Bathroom renovations

🔸Refinished hardwood floors

🔸Fresh neutral paint

🔸Landscaping and curb appeal

Many of these projects recover roughly 60 to 90 percent of their cost.

𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲

🔹Pools in many areas

🔹Highly customized kitchens

🔹Luxury upgrades beyond neighborhood standards

🔹Very personalized design choices

These projects often return 30 to 50 percent of their cost.

𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁.

One of the easiest ways for a realtor to win a listing is to promise the highest price.Sometimes I simply refuse to do that.

There have been many appointments where I sat down with a seller, reviewed the numbers, and told them something they did not want to hear. Occasionally that means I lose the listing. But I would rather lose the listing than price a home in a way that makes no sense for the market.

When a home is dramatically overpriced, the result is usually the same. The seller becomes frustrated, the agent spends months working on something that cannot realistically sell, and the property eventually ends up selling for less than it might have if it had been priced correctly from the start.

That is not good for you and it is not good for my reputation as someone who understands this market.When I prepare a pricing analysis, I always ask sellers to look carefully at the comparables I bring. Not just the homes that are for sale, but the homes that have actually sold. Active listings show what people hope to get. Sold properties show what buyers were actually willing to pay.

There are situations where pricing slightly higher can make sense. When I represent a fiduciary such as an Executor or Trustee, there can be a responsibility to demonstrate that the property was properly exposed to the market to capture full value. In those cases a slightly higher starting price can sometimes be appropriate. But even then, the pricing still has to live in the realm of reality.

My job is not to tell you what you want to hear.

My job is to help you price your home in a way that gives it the best chance to sell well.

I see properties mispriced all the time, and very often they’re listed by agents who don’t actually live and work in this area.

There are real distinctions between Hamilton Beach, Old Howard Beach, New Howard Beach, and Lindenwood. When those differences are missed, pricing and marketing are off from day one.

I’ve seen open houses scheduled in Hamilton Beach during high tide. I’ve seen houses advertised with the wrong zoned schools listed. Buyers notice these kinds of things immediately.

You also need an agent that’s regularly available to show the property. I recently took over a listing that had been with an agent who lives nearly an hour away. Showings were scheduled around her availability instead of buyer demand. How do you think that works out?

Local knowledge isn’t just comps and contracts- it’s living and breathing the neighborhood, down to the slice.

Everyone thinks their deal will be easy.“It’s a simple purchase.”“No issues.”“Clean deal.”It almost never is.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:

➡️ 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚.Contracts, rider negotiations, approvals, mortgage contingencies — delays cost leverage, money, and sometimes the deal itself.

➡️ 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩-𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙮 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙬.If someone spends most of their time in court, they’re often unavailable during business hours when real estate actually moves. Deals don’t pause because someone is mid-trial.

➡️ 𝙏𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 “𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙚.”Liens, judgments, estate issues, missing satisfactions, co-op complications- they come up all the time. Attorneys who only dabble in real estate usually don’t see these problems coming until it’s too late.

➡️ 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.Someone who handles real estate every day can spot red flags early, fix issues quietly, and keep transactions moving. Someone who’s done “a few closings” is learning on your deal.

An “easy deal” can turn complicated overnight. And that won’t be the moment you want your attorney Googling solutions.Real estate attorneys don’t just review contracts. They manage risk, timing, pressure, and people, all at once.

𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗺’𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟮.

True story I wish wasn’t so common. Another agent asked to show one of my co-op listings. Their buyer has a 50% DTI. This building requires 33% or less. When I asked about it, the agent didn’t even know what DTI meant… yet had a full day planned showing co-ops the buyer cannot qualify for.

Before you tour a single co-op, your agent should confirm:

• Debt-to-Income limits
• Minimum down payment
• Post-closing liquidity requirements
• Credit score requirements
• Primary residence rules
• Occupancy rules
• Pet policies
• Interview standards

A good agent protects you before you get financially and emotionally invested. A bad one hands you a long list of apartments you were never eligible to buy. Choose your buyer’s agent carefully. Your time matters.

Happy, young couples with big smiles. And even though they work as a dog walker and an under-water basket weaving instructor, they have endless budgets. Everything feels exciting, hopeful, and is neatly wrapped in a bow by the end of the episode. Lol well, that usually ain’t it.

A huge number of real estate transactions start with grief. With divorce. With financial pressure. With families trying to make decisions during some of the hardest moments of their lives. Deaths. Bankruptcies. Siblings that don’t talk. You get the idea.

I bring a lot of technical knowledge to the table, as a broker and as an attorney, and that’s great, but none of that exists in a vacuum. Real estate is the business of people. And people are emotional.You have to be skillful in reading the room, understanding what’s really driving decisions, and knowing when to slow things down versus when to push forward. You have to know when to be firm, and who needs a hug and a dozen donuts.

No TV show ever really captures that part of it. So maybe this blog post isn’t so technically educational, but just acknowledging the emotional side of it all- and that really matters too.