Howard Lorber

From the February issue:  To outsiders, it may be hard to distinguish between New York City’s big real estate firms. But behind the scenes, even firms of similar sizes and reputations can have vastly different ownership structures. Many of the city’s residential brokerages, for example, have long been privately owned by families. Others have large, publicly traded corporate parents. Still other owners have silent parents, or offer their brokers the opportunity to own a piece of the firm. [more]

From the January issue: With the luxury residential market booming, expensive rentals have recently been in higher demand than ever — getting snapped up faster than usual and, in some cases, sparking bidding wars. Manhattan rents were at an all-time high this past year even as Citi Habitats’ third-quarter rental market report, the most recent data available at press time, showed the historic rental highs that occurred between January and August had plateaued during 2012’s third quarter (see related story: Manhattan sales volume perks up). While in the past rentals were considered a less-prestigious (and lower-paying) sector of the brokerage business, six-figure rental deals have changed that, and a number of high-end brokers have found themselves focused on rentals. [more]

Eddie Shapiro

From the October issue: Eddie Shapiro prefers to remain an enigma. On a recent summer afternoon, the founder of residential brokerage Nest Seekers International is clad in his own version of business casual: a slim-fitting white suit and black loafers, his longish brown hair slicked back, his goatee clipped, his burgundy tie dotted with tiny skulls.

“To an extent, I like to keep a lot of things in our [firm’s] business a mystery,” Shapiro said. Then he quoted a line from the 1997 film “The Devil’s Advocate”: “No matter how good you are, don’t ever let them see you coming.” [more]

A company Zipcar, a monthly spinning night at a local gym, and expensive bottles of wine: all perks offered by residential brokerages in New York City. But which firm has the best perks? And the best marketing budgets, managers and commission splits?

This September, The Real Deal will publish our first-ever look at New York City’s best residential brokerages to work for. We’ll be evaluating companies in about a dozen different categories, from splits to training programs to office facilities.

TRD has already sent out detailed questionnaires to management at a slew of brokerages. The deadline for survey responses is August 1, 2012.

In early August, we’ll be conducting additional research, including phone surveys of randomly selected brokers at each firm. Decisions will be made by TRD’s editorial staff.

For more information, please contact Leigh Kamping-Carder at lkc@therealdeal.com or 212-991-5026.

Debra Reece and Judi Desiderio; inset: Sotheby's Sag Harbor office

For some, summertime in the Hamptons is all about relaxation. Not so for two of the East End’s biggest residential real estate brokerages. Town & Country Real Estate and Sotheby’s International Realty are in the process of expanding their office spaces.

Town & Country recently moved into a new 1,600-square-foot space in East Hampton that is connected to its current office at 52 Main Street, founder Judi Desiderio told The Real Deal. [more]

From the July issue: Every year, The Real Deal publishes its much-anticipated ranking of the largest (and most prolific) residential real estate firms in New York City. But how do those firms, along with New York’s premier suburban brokerages, stack up on the national stage?

This month, TRD examined a recently released ranking of the country’s 500 largest residential brokerages — published by the research company Real Trends — and came up with a detailed breakdown of how the New York–area firms on the list performed. [more]

Which residential brokerages offer the best perks? Whose managers reign supreme? And where can a broker go to get the best commission splits?

This September, The Real Deal will attempt to answer these questions, with our first-ever look at New York City’s best residential brokerages to work for. We’ll be evaluating companies in about a dozen different categories, from splits to training programs to office facilities.

This week, TRD will start sending out detailed questionnaires to a slew of brokerages. We’ll also be conducting additional research, including surveying randomly selected brokers at each firm. Decisions will be made by TRD’s editorial staff.

The deadline for survey responses is August 1, 2012. For more information, or if you do not receive a questionnaire by Friday, please contact Leigh Kamping-Carder at lkc@therealdeal.com or 212-991-5026.

Ted Gounaris

From the March issue: Alumni of now-defunct brokerage Homestead NY are starting up a new firm, with a new take on the increasingly popular 100 percent-commission model.

Called Voro, which stands for Virtual Online Realty Office, the new firm is slated to launch this month. The founders are Ted Gounaris, former managing director at Homestead New York who has also worked at Prudential Douglas Elliman, and Danny Shamooil, founder of Homestead NY and Prime New York. [more]

From the March issue: Nobody really grows up saying, ‘I want to be a real estate agent,’” said Fanny Montalvo, managing director of sales at residential brokerage A.C. Lawrence & Co. and a former information technology recruiter. Still, “a couple years ago everybody was getting their real estate license,” she said. “Today, those people are no longer in the business.” [more]

From left: Rapid Realty's Anthony Lolli, Adrian Cardona, Gabriela Falquez and Carlos Angelucci

From the February issue: Rapid Realty’s Brooklyn headquarters was buzzing on a Thursday afternoon last month, as agents jostled for space at computers lining the exposed-brick wall. For an office housing 30 agents, the sleekly designed space is tiny — only around 500 square feet.

But that’s the point, explained Rapid founder Anthony Lolli; the young rental brokerage prides itself on being efficient. The black-and-metal bar stools that serve as the only seating, for example, are “not supposed to be comfortable,” he said, since agents are encouraged to be out doing deals rather than sitting in them. [more]