The Sheffield sales team (click image for slide show)

January is barely half over and already those New Year’s resolutions seem like a distant memory. But for the marketing team behind the Sheffield condominium tower, an event last night was a chance to combine self-betterment (or at least self-indulgence) with a tour of newly opened amenity spaces (click the image above or here for the slide show).

Brokers trickled into the “New Year New You” gathering, which took place in a three-bedroom pad on the 56th floor, which is priced at a sliver under $4.7 million, for organic juices, chair massages and a chance to win a gourmet meal. [more]

A penthouse unit in the Sheffield and Marketing Directors President Jacqueline Urgo

Three weeks ago, the Marketing Directors unveiled the 10 penthouses on the 56th and 57th floors of the Sheffield, and The Real Deal got a sneak peek at the units and their impressive views — just as the overcast weather cleared — today (see photos above). Asking prices for the two- and three-bedroom penthouses at the condominium conversion at 322 West 57th Street range from $2.55 million to $5.25 million for a unit overlooking Central Park, and apparently buyers won’t have much room for negotiation.

“We’re hardly open to any negotiations on those units — being that they are the crown jewels of the building,” Jacqueline Urgo, president of the Marketing Directors, said. “We’re going to hold out for the best prices.”
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Andrew Gerringer, the erstwhile head of Prudential Douglas Elliman’s Development Marketing Group, has announced that he will move to new development sales firm the Marketing Directors.

The move marks a homecoming for Gerringer, who got his start in real estate at the Marketing Directors when he worked there as regional director of sales in the 1980s. “We’re delighted to welcome Andrew back,” Marketing Directors founder and CEO Adrienne Albert said in a statement released to The Real Deal. “Following his tenure with us… Andrew went on to become one of the top producers and most accomplished professionals in the industry. His resume speaks for itself, and we’re thrilled to have him back on our team.” [more]

Williamsburg leads Brooklyn in number of condo transactions so far for 2009, according to a November report from the Marketing Directors (see full report after the jump). The neighborhood has had 269 condo closings through November, according to the report, which gathered data from ACRIS and the listings database On-Line Residential. That’s compared to 125 in Park Slope, 77 in Greenpoint, and 60 in Prospect Heights. Williamsburg has more condo listings in 2009 — 348 — than any other neighborhood, but the neighborhood is also offering competitive pricing, according to Tara Hogan, vice president of research for the Marketing Directors. “I think for right now Williamsburg has quite a few buildings that offer great value,” Hogan said. The average sale price for closed sales in Williamsburg was $548 per square foot, the report says, a significant discount from the average asking price in the area of $757 per square foot. [more]