From left: Douglas Elliman Chairman Howard Lorber and the Witkoff Group’s Steve Witkoff (Credit: Katherine Clarke)

Douglas Elliman heavyweights, including Chairman Howard Lorber, CEO Dottie Herman and an array of the firm’s top producing brokers, gathered last night to celebrate the launch of 10 Madison Square West in style. More than 100 guests flocked to a cordoned-off section of Madison Square Park — which developer the Witkoff Group had rented out for the event — to sip lemonade- thyme cocktails and nibble on tiny lobster rolls and salted caramel tartlets.Click here to see the photos and more.

From left: David Bistricer and 752 West End Avenue

David Bistricer’s Clipper Equity and the family-owned Rieder Holdings are switching tactics at a nearly 200-unit Upper West Side rental building which they were in the midst of converting to condominiums. The partnership sold 752 West End Avenue for $120 million, according to records filed yesterday.

The buyer appears to be the Miami-based developer Crescent Heights, according to property records. [more]

HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire”

From the June issue: Even in today’s market, some listings will sit unsold, of course. A mansion in Yonkers with interiors dating to the 16th century, an architecturally unique Park Slope mansion asking $18 million — these homes may take a moment to find the perfect buyer. One way for the seller to pocket big bucks in the interim is to rent out the listed space to film and television shoots. [more]

From the June issue: With temperatures spiking and new college graduates looking for apartments, June marks the start of the busiest time of year for rental agents in New York City.

This year, they’re even busier than normal. As the shortage of for-sale inventory keeps a stranglehold on the sales market, brokers said they’re seeing an unusually high number of “hybrid” customers — clients who are open to either buying or renting. That’s making an already tight rental market even more competitive. [more]

Living room at 18 East 73rd Street

A five-story townhouse, at 18 East 73rd Street between Fifth and Madison avenues, has sold for $19.5 million to an undisclosed buyer, the New York Observer reported. [more]

From left, Vanessa Grout, Douglas Elliman’s Florida CEO, and the Ritz Carlton on Key Biscayne

From the South Florida site: Douglas Elliman is bringing its top 100 top-producing agents to Miami next week for a retreat on how to draw more wealthy buyers from Greater New York and overseas to South Florida, the company told The Real Deal yesterday. [more]

1211 Park Avenue and Elana and Sagi Genger

The son of an aide to former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon has switched listing brokers after just five months of trying to sell his Park Avenue townhouse, StreetEasy shows. [more]

Eau d’Hadrien fragrance by Annick Goutal and 379 Bleecker Street

Paris-based Annick Goutal fragrances will open its first freestanding store in the U.S. at 397 Bleecker Street, the New York Post reported.

Douglas Elliman’s Puopolo team, Louis Puopolo and Alex Furst, and Elliman’s Diane and Ian Nichols negotiated the 10-year lease for the landlords, David E. Stutzman and John Lamb, according to StreetEasy. Winick Realty Group’s Michael Gleicher and David Lawford handled the deal for the tenant. The 900-square-foot space asked $33,000 per month. The townhouse location enjoys the company of retail neighbors including Ralph Lauren, Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors, the Post said. [more]

Clockwise from top: John Burger of Brown Harris Stevens, Serena Boardman of Sotheby’s International Realty, Paula Del Nunzio of Brown Harris Stevens, Deborah Grubman of the Corcoran Group, Leonard Steinberg of Douglas Elliman and Carrie Chiang of Corcoran

From the June issue: With more eight- and even nine-figure listings hitting the market, Manhattan’s top brokers aren’t feeling the inventory squeeze as much as their colleagues in other segments of the residential industry. While nearly all of Manhattan’s top 10 brokers have fewer properties on the market than last year, most have a higher dollar value of listings, according to The Real Deal’s annual ranking of Manhattan’s top 75 listing agents. [more]

Elliman’s Michael Allen and 490 Driggs Avenue

UPDATED, 10:05 a.m., June 4: Douglas Elliman has installed Michael Allen, a recent hire from aptsandlofts.com, as director of marketing in Brooklyn, as well as the director of sales for the Williamsburg office.

Allen, who joined the brokerage in April, began last week overseeing more than 40 agents at the brokerage’s Williamsburg office at 490 Driggs Avenue. [more]