Clockwise from left: a screen shoot of the application, Streeteasy’s Sofia Song, Steve Dawson of Sotheby’s International Realty, Warburg’s Richard Steinberg and Rutenberg’s Kathy Braddock

The still somewhat mysterious world of brokerage has become more transparent.

New York sales and rentals listings website Streeteasy.com has launched a new feature allowing users a unique way to asses a real estate agent’s performance through data about the deals they’ve closed. The feature, called “Shop for a Broker,” links property with closed sales data from the city, letting users view completed transactions by price point, type of property and neighborhoods.

“This is the first product in New York that’s done anything like this,” said Jared Kleinstein, manager at Streeteasy. The tool will be accessible to consumers with Streeteasy.com insider accounts, which cost $10 per month. Starting today, prospective homebuyers and sellers will be able to identify the most qualified broker to work with, judging by their deal history and how long their listings sit on the market. [more]

Johnny Weir and Twenty9th Park Madison

Johnny Weir, the Olympic figure skater and reality television star, has purchased a one-bedroom pad at the new Twenty9th Park Madison condominium, and according to the Post, fans can expect to see his move chronicled on the second season of the Sundance Channel’s “Be Good Johnny Weir.” The 26-year-old paid $1.1 million for his new digs, which Curbed suspects is the 826-square-foot unit #22D. The apartment was listed for $1.235 million with Warbug Realty’s Richard Steinberg, a reality television show star in his own right on HGTV’s “Selling New York.” Comments

From left: images from inside the home at 180 East 93rd Street and a rendering of the building

A never-been-lived-in apartment at new condominium 180 East 93rd Street is for rent at $23,000, after being purchased by Parisian investors. The third-floor apartment had been on the market for $4.85 million, and closed just before the New Year for an undisclosed price, according to listing broker Ginger Brokaw of the Corcoran Group. The owners are French investors who purchase high-end properties in New York City, then rent them, said Brokaw, who represented the buyers in the transaction. They look for unique properties with stand-out features, she said: homes that are “really interesting — nothing normal.” Meanwhile, a uniquely designed penthouse at Greenwich Village co-op 552 LaGuardia Place just hit the market for $8.75 million. According to the listing, with Brown Harris Stevens’ Paula Del Nunzio, the apartment has four levels, five bedroom and four baths. Click here for more.

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From left: Richard Steinberg, Wendy Greenbaum, Linette Semino and Frederick Peters

Richard Steinberg, executive managing director with Warburg Realty, was presented with his firm’s top prize last night, based on his 2010 sales performance, during Warburg’s annual award ceremony. Wendy Greenbaum, also an executive managing director, took home second place for sales performance, while agent Linette Semino was named rookie of the year. But sales talent isn’t the only thing Warburg is celebrating this year — the firm was recently cast for the second season of HGTV’s realty reality show “Selling New York.” TRD [more]

(Clockwise from left) Brokers Richard Steinberg, Steve Kliegerman, Stacey Max, and Victoria Shtainer talk about real estate priorities post-election.

New construction helped define the legacy of Michael Bloomberg’s first two terms as mayor, whether it was parks, schools, apartments, or more controversial mega-projects. That came in lockstep with a wholesale reordering of what should go where in New York, as Bloomberg rezoned 20 percent of the city, which was the most in four decades. But in Bloomberg’s third term, which he won yesterday in a close election against city Comptroller William Thompson, the city’s real estate community seems focused on different issues — some more far-reaching than others.
Some brokers hope lessons have been learned, like with the Second Avenue Subway, whose famously disruptive construction has hurt sales at the Upper East Side’s Georgica condo, said Richard Steinberg, an executive managing director with Warburg Realty Partnership. [more]

From the October issue: With three months to go to until the end of the year, many claim it’s way too early to jump to conclusions. Nevertheless, some brokers are saying that at least a few Wall
Streeters are resuming apartment searches. In a turnaround from what
was expected just a year ago, some of them are anticipating hefty
year-end bonuses. Goldman Sachs, for instance, announced in July that after two
profitable quarters, it would set aside $11 billion for employee
bonuses. “I am a little surprised people are calling this soon,” said Richard Steinberg, a broker with Warburg Realty Partnership.

Warburg Marketing Group has replaced the now-defunct Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy as the exclusive marketing and sales agent at Twenty9th Park Madison, Warburg said. Richard Steinberg, an executive managing director at Warburg, is
overseeing sales at the 142-unit condominium, according to Andres Hogg,
U.S. general manager of Espais Promocions Immobiliáries, the building’s
developer. The on-site brokers, formerly CBHK agents, will now be employed by Warburg and Steinberg will lead the team. “We made a decision to keep the sales staff we had in-house, but to
bring in a person like Richard to manage the people who are doing our
sales,” Hogg said. [more]