CORE’s Natalie Rakowski jumps to Elliman

Veteran agent was founding member of Shaun Osher-led firm

From left: Howard Lorber (credit: Richard Lewin) and Natalie Rakowski
From left: Howard Lorber (credit: Richard Lewin) and Natalie Rakowski

Natalie Rakowski, a founding member of the residential brokerage CORE, has jumped to Douglas Elliman.

Rakowski began her career at Elliman in 1994 and then joined the team that launched CORE in 2005. She returned to Elliman on Tuesday with three team members — Stephen Gallagher, Kerry Elizabeth Lynn and Tucky Ridder, the brokerage confirmed.

In a statement, Rakowski cited Elliman’s global brand as a reason for her move.

Rakowski’s departure might end the close working relationship she’s had with CORE CEO Shaun Osher, who launched the brokerage with the Cayre family. In a 2011 blog post, Osher described Rakowski as a “power broker” and friend. “When I started Core in 2005, I was honored to have her by my side, and we’ve never looked back,” he wrote at the time.

Early in her career, Rakowski founded a company that helped Holocaust survivors and their families recover property in East Berlin. In recent years, she worked on new development projects including Brickman’s 1280 Fifth Avenue, a 116-unit condominium tower in East Harlem designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects.

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In 2014, mega developer Related Companies acquired a 50 percent stake in CORE. The residential firm racked up $293.6 million in listings as of March 27 and ranked second in The Real Deal’s recent ranking of mid-sized residential firms.

The firm has lost several top brokers to Elliman in recent years, including “Million Dollar Listing: New York” co-star Fredrik Eklund and business partner John Gomes, who left in 2010. Last year, CORE’s Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon joined Elliman, as TRD reported.

Elliman has made major changes on the marketing front. It shuttered “Elevate,” a magazine that launched in 2014. Shortly thereafter, Nicole Oge – who spearheaded Elliman’s recent marketing blitz – left the firm for reasons that were not disclosed.