Ingredients for REBNY’s deal of the year: Death, prison and a hunt in Queens

Industry trade group celebrates residential achievers at Chelsea event

Manhattan’s top dealmakers descended on the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea last night for accolades, cocktails, and a tribute to local cinema complete with a Liza Minnelli impersonator belting “New York, New York.” Twas the night of the Real Estate Board of New York’s 26th annual residential Deal of the Year awards, and though the setting was glamorous — the event carried the theme of New York City’s depiction in film and TV — the top honors went to a deal that was anything but.

Douglas Elliman’s Sharon Burroughs took home the sales deal of the year prize for a complex townhouse transaction involving three death certificates, a man in prison and a search for a woman in the far reaches of Queens.

Keller Williams NYC’s Shelley Lindauer grabbed second place for a two-bedroom condo purchase involving a Brazilian couple, and Corcoran Group’s Timothy Melzer took third place for a deal that involved navigating the politics of a co-op board.

On the rental side, Linda Guido of Halstead Property, along with Anna Filippova of the Spire Group, received the Deal of the Year – the only award given in the rental category.

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Anthony Bitar of A.C. Lawrence Real Estate, owned by Coldwell Banker the Bellmarc Group, was named rookie of the year. Bitar initially became a broker to supplement his music career, but has since become one of the firm’s top producers.

Reba Miller of RP Miller Real Estate Group took home the Henry Forster Award for lifetime achievement. Miller, a broker for more than 30 years, has sold more than $1 billion in Manhattan real estate, according to REBNY.

Other notable attendees included Donald Trump Jr. and brokerage chiefs such as Halstead Property’s Diane Ramirez, Warburg Realty’s Frederick Peters and Aptsandlofts.com’s David Maundrell.