From left: Dottie Herman of Elliman, Kirk Rundhaug now of Elliman and Shaun Osher of Core

Kirk Rundhaug, a longtime Core agent and senior vice president, has departed the firm to join Prudential Douglas Elliman as an executive vice president, Elliman told The Real Deal today. His departure is the 10th from the firm in the last three months; the most recent departures were David Grossman and Veronica Matto, who both joined Town Residential earlier this month, and Lawrence Rich, who returned to Elliman after five months at Core, last month. [more]

After losing three of its top agents to realty reality television, Core has managed to snag Doron Zwickel, the number-two ranked agent at Prudential Douglas Elliman, based on number of transactions, according to a statement from Core.

The new staffer is welcome news as the company has seen a handful of high-profile defections recently. Last month, high-performers Frederik Eklund and John Gomes announced they were leaving the company to participate in Bravo’s “Million Dollar Listing” reality show as Elliman agents, which will compete against HGTV’s “Selling New York,” also a real estate brokerage-related reality show. Both used to be on the latter show. Three days ago, agent Caroline Grane left Core for Nest Seekers, with plans to participate in “Million Dollar Listing” as well.

Shaun Osher, CEO of Core, said that Zwickel’s expertise was a key motivator in hiring him, and cited a “culture of transparency and integrity.” [more]

From the April issue: Positive signs in the market are attracting the attention of the many New Yorkers who wanted to sell their apartments, but took them off the market last year in the midst of the recession. With the market now showing signs of improvement, many of these homeowners are considering relisting their homes. “Sellers feel the market is stronger than it was last year,” said Kyle Blackmon, a vice president at Brown Harris Stevens. Their decisions could have far-reaching consequences for the Manhattan market in the coming months. Inventory has declined for the past few quarters (see “The inventory squeeze”), which has helped to create urgency in the market and prevent further price drops. But a large number of units reentering the market at once could reverse some of that progress. [more]

From left: Shaun Osher, head of Core Group, the site at 158 Madison Avenue and the exterior of the building at 158 Madison Avenue (building photo source: PropertyShark)

Shaun Osher’s Core Group Marketing won a 17-month battle for a $113,800 termination fee it said it was owed after being fired in 2008 as the exclusive sales and marketing agent on a stalled condominium project at 158 Madison Avenue.
The ruling may be hollow, however, because investors in the vacant, T-shaped parcel that has frontage on Madison Avenue and 32nd and 33rd streets, are fighting a private lender seeking to recover $33 million from a loan that is in default on the property.
In October 2008, Core residential real estate brokerage sued the property owner, an affiliate of John Rice and Joseph Ingrassia’s Capstone Business Credit for the termination fee, calculated at $27,777 per month as laid out in a written agreement from when it was hired in November 2007 until it was fired in March 2008.
State Supreme Court Justice Marcy Friedman sided with Core against the ownership entity, 158 Madison Ave Associates, awarding the $113,800 fee plus interest and legal expenses, the ruling published March 25 shows.
The amount of money was just a fraction of the potential $4 million that Core could have earned had the project gone forward, the decision says. [more]

From left: 995 Fifth Avenue, Beth Fisher of Corcoran Sunshine, Raizy Haas of Extell Development, and Michele Kleier of Gumley Haft Kleier (building photo source: PropertyShark)

[UPDATE, 5:15 p.m.] Even more “Selling NY” spoilers (involving Bryant Park and Annie Liebovitz) and pictures from last night’s event after the jump. For a slideshow, click here.

There’s drama brewing on the 16th floor of Extell Development’s 995 Fifth Avenue, the former Stanhope Hotel and one of the buildings featured in the new HGTV series “Selling NY,” which kicks off March 18. At least, there will be in front of the cameras, The Real Deal has learned: the show is planning to highlight Extell’s decision to bring in Gumley Haft Kleier to help Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group sell the full-floor apartment in at least one episode this season. Earlier this year, Gumley Haft Kleier’s Michele Kleier and her real estate agent daughters, Samantha and Sabrina, landed the co-exclusive for the 8,360-square-foot unit — Fifth Avenue’s largest and now the only one remaining in the 17-story, 26-unit, gut-renovated building. It is listed for $28.5 million with Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group and will be the site of at least part of the new realty reality show’s season finale, which was filmed last night with a full house of brokers and the press. Comments

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From the October issue: Core has acquired boutique brokerage Garr & Company and several of
its listings, according to Core founder and CEO Shaun Osher, bringing
on board the company’s president, Michael Garr. “[Garr] is bringing a
wealth of experience, having worked at one of the top companies in the
city for a while… as well as being one of the top brokers in Chelsea.
It’s a perfect fit,” Osher said. “He has an incredible, impeccable
reputation.” Garr’s company had three other employees, according to the
company’s Web site, but Osher said only Garr moved to Core. The acquisition officially occurred Sept. 1.

Core marketing group is expanding its core business to include more rentals. The company has enlarged its rental presence and acquired its first rental director, Regis Roumila. Osher said he plans to develop the rental branch in a boutique way, focusing on high-end units and new developments. “I think there’s a niche that is very much needed in this marketplace, where the rental market is very much perceived as something on the lower end,” said company CEO Shaun Osher. “I think there’s been a void in the market, and we’re looking to fill that void.” TRD [more]

The 19th-century brick
house at 11 Spring Street, nicknamed the Candle Building, is now on the
market for $26 million, down from its original price of $39.8 million.
Real estate heiress Caroline Cummings listed the 12,000-square-foot
building with the Corcoran Group’s Robert Brown in September, after
buying it from one of Rupert Murdoch’s sons for $12 million. In
November, Browne was replaced by Core Group, and the price fell to
$36.5 million, and then again to $29.5 million. The home is now listed
with Prudential Douglas Elliman’s Leonard Steinberg for $26 million.