Elliman sues Hamptons power broker for back pay
October 30, 2009 02:30PM By Candace Taylor
Andrea Ackerman, Hamptons broker
"Things may level-off, but nothing ever loses value here," the long-time broker told the magazine. "No matter when you buy, in retrospect it always looks like you made a great deal."
As she and many homebuyers have since discovered, that wasn't necessarily the case. Two years later, Hamptons home prices have tumbled 38.6 percent from their peak and Ackerman is in the midst of a legal struggle with former employer Prudential Douglas Elliman over nearly $150,000 in back pay.
Elliman filed suit Oct. 22 in New York State Supreme Court against Ackerman, who is now at Brown Harris Stevens, claiming that she owes the company some $148,000.
As the financial crisis has dried up real estate profits across the region, a slew of lawsuits have popped up as agents and brokerages fight over commissions.
Ackerman, a Hamptons broker for nearly three decades, is currently marketing a $12.95 million lakefront home in Southampton and a $6.4 million Bridgehampton spread. In 2008, she was named to the now defunct Hampton Style's list of "Real Estate Brokers Who Drive the Hamptons."
Ackerman was a principal at Long Island-based Dunemere Associates in 2004 when the company was purchased by Brown Harris Stevens, where she stayed on as a partner for 15 years. She moved to Elliman in April 2007 as both a real estate broker and "to advise PDE on matters related to corporate strategy in the Hamptons Long Island region," the suit says.
The two parties agreed that Ackerman would receive a monthly draw of $12,000 a month against future commissions, according to the suit. When Ackerman left in March 2009 to rejoin Brown Harris Stevens, she owed Elliman $142,268.96 in draws and advances that had not been set off by commissions earned, the suit claims. In addition, she allegedly owes the company an additional $6,164 from a $50,000 signing bonus, because she left the firm less than two years after her start date.
Ackerman tells a very different story, saying she left Elliman because the firm stopped paying her.
"They cut off my draw prior to the end of my contract," she said when reached by phone at Brown Harris Stevens's Bridgehampton office, where she is a senior director.
"They were in breach of contract," she said. "I had no choice but to leave."
She added that Elliman "defamed" her, but did not elaborate.
"It sounds like this is the subject of an appropriate counter claim," she said.
Through a spokesperson, Elliman declined to comment.
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Comments
Anonymous
Wow!!! She is almost drop dead gorgeous.
Comment #1 Posted By: Anonymous 10/30/09
UrbanDigs
"Things may level-off, but nothing ever loses value here," the long-time broker told the magazine. "No matter when you buy, in retrospect it always looks like you made a great deal." This is what it takes to be a power broker! Something is very very wrong with this business.
Comment #2 Posted By: UrbanDigs 10/30/09
Anonymous
Of course, Elliman cut of her draw. Despite her big ego, she wasn't producing. She should just go home and cry to Mommy.
Comment #3 Posted By: Anonymous 10/30/09
Anonymous
She made the right decision to affiliate herself with a brokerage that exudes class and good standing in the industry!
Comment #4 Posted By: Anonymous 10/30/09
Anonymous
#4 Please give it up. Brown Harris Stevens has no presence in the Hamptons. Always going on and on about class, good standing but gee no beef. What gives.
Comment #5 Posted By: Anonymous 10/30/09
Anonymous
Don't people realize that the Hamptons is devoid of "class"?? It's a place for new money to buy ridiculous housing at overinflated prices, with brokers that know SQUAT about real estate. Including, clearly, the one featured. Shelter Island is the area with understated elegance. I don't believe that draws have to be paid back unless this woman was an "employee" of Elliman, vs. independent contractor.
Comment #6 Posted By: Anonymous 10/30/09
Anonymous
I wouldn't exactly say that south Hampton is new money. And there are plenty of areas where pretense is limited. Montauk, Sag Harbor, West Hampton, Hampton Bays.
Comment #7 Posted By: Anonymous 10/30/09
Anonymous
#5 must be an affiliate of Prudential for such a response. Noteworthy, without the Elliman purchase, Prudential would not have clout in the luxury market. Prudenital was synonymous for lower end properties situated parts of Long Island in the lower end market. It cannot compare to Brown Harris.
Comment #8 Posted By: Anonymous 10/30/09
Anonymous
ooooff who cares
Comment #9 Posted By: Anonymous 10/30/09
Anonymous
Elliman is all talk and no action, sad that a Long Island agency tanked a great name and hired every fool who walked through the door. Promises agents the world, dlivers nothing. It is the home of the biggest egos, the most hype and the largest vacuum of talent.
Comment #10 Posted By: Anonymous 10/30/09
Anonymous
#11, how true: The talent at any agency is a reflection of the folks at the top. A company run by vacuous egos can only attract the same, or worse.
Comment #11 Posted By: Anonymous 10/30/09
Anonymous
Elliman is a shark tank of sleaze.
Comment #12 Posted By: Anonymous 10/31/09
Anonymous
While Brown Harris may do business in the city, they're a joke on the East End. It's where agents go after they've already been canned or rejected by Corcoran or Elliman. As for comment #1, I guess that's a joke for Halloween!
Comment #13 Posted By: Anonymous 10/31/09
Anonymous
All agents are losers who only wish they could get their waiter jobs back but the restaurants are all going out of business. Say hello to my little friend, Jen Luc.
Comment #14 Posted By: Anonymous 10/31/09
Anonymous
Prudential Elliman agents need to take continuing education on "class" - All the negative comments are obviously associated with their affiliation with the company and their lack of professionalism in the industry. This is posted by someone who is not bias and just very informed.
Comment #15 Posted By: Anonymous 10/31/09
Anonymous
Elliman got what they deserved. Everyone else already knew she was a loser.
Comment #16 Posted By: Anonymous 10/31/09
Anonymous
#1 Nice to hear from you Ms. Ackerman.
Comment #17 Posted By: Anonymous 11/01/09
Anonymous
Andrea is a professional who just got caught in a den of vipers. Unfortunately, the whole industry cries out for cleaning up. Perhaps if the Prudential managers weren't also selling, Andrea would have had a chance to get and sell a listing. I hope she does sue for defamation of character, and wins. It's only fair.
Comment #18 Posted By: Anonymous 11/01/09
Anonymous
It appears that Prudential is a player "hater". They seem to defame everyone that leaves their fold. Don't hate the player. Hate the game.
Comment #19 Posted By: Anonymous 11/01/09
Anonymous
What took so long,
Comment #20 Posted By: Anonymous 11/01/09
Anonymous
Why does anyone think that she has a clue as to where the market goes . She's a broker . B R O K E R . . . a glorified sales person
Comment #21 Posted By: Anonymous 11/01/09
Anonymous
How can you be a power broker and only have 6 listings?
Comment #22 Posted By: Anonymous 11/02/09
Anonymous
Elliman should bring in Mariano Rivera to close their deals- go Yankees- 1 more baby
Comment #23 Posted By: Anonymous 11/02/09
Anonymous
Brown Harris Stevens truly has the stupidist brokers in the biz. That goes for NYC, the Hamptons. Always going on about class. My wife and I were shopping on the Island a few years ago with one who got lost while showing us around. If other brokers have "egos' at least they actually know what they are doing. Umm, egos and sales kind of have to go together sometime. BHS = throw outs.
Comment #24 Posted By: Anonymous 11/02/09
Anonymous
as to comment # 33....you were probably shopping in a 12 dollar neighborhood , and trying to buy for 6 dollars and expected your BHS salesperson to know every neighborhood on the map
Comment #25 Posted By: Anonymous 11/02/09
Benjamin B. Mcintyre
I presume that most of the preceding anonymous drivel has come from jealous and/ or lonely members of the real estate community. If you can not sign your name, you have nothing to say.
Comment #26 Posted By: Benjamin B. Mcintyre 11/02/09
Anonymous
re cmment 35 More true than you realize.
Comment #27 Posted By: Anonymous 11/02/09
Anonymous
Prudential has such a lowlife reputation in the Hamptons - she's way too classy for them.
Comment #28 Posted By: Anonymous 11/03/09
Anonymous
re #38 1000% Ask most, and not just the 'jealous' ones as comment 35 would have you believe.
Comment #29 Posted By: Anonymous 11/03/09
Anonymous
re comment#21 'den of vipers' .....'sue for defamation'??? How many people has she outrageously defamed ??? She wrote the book on slandering people
Comment #30 Posted By: Anonymous 11/03/09
Anonymous
ok.. was it the'' have you heard of photo shop" or that "she is a hideous person inside and out".or " to ask any broker in hamptons how awful she is?" . that had the comment deleted?? none of these are any worse than others on site... obviously hitting a nerve!! i am assuming #38 was a comment referring to before site deleted..if this website is going to post a photo that has so obviously been 'retouched' - for those of us that have seen her in person- you should allow comments on.. otherwise remove photo!!
Comment #31 Posted By: Anonymous 11/04/09
Anonymous
in re #40 .yes as to #38. How can Real Deal erase a blog...that's not 'all the news'..... that's filtering. What is Real Deal afraid of , honest reporting????????????????????
Comment #32 Posted By: Anonymous 11/04/09
Anonymous
things are being 'edited and removed' i guess andrea doesn't like to read the truth... how much pressure is she putting on 'the real deal' to remove any negative comments about her.. this is a joke.. you can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig..
Comment #33 Posted By: Anonymous 11/05/09
Anonymous
bottom line is that she is stealing from prudential..she is nothing better than a thief.. she has shown her true colors once again.. if anyone of you hired someone to paint your house, fix your roof etc and you paid them in advance and they did not perform.. wouldn't you want your money back. get real people...
Comment #34 Posted By: Anonymous 11/05/09
Anonymous
what I need to know is , why are they taking Andrea's age out of these comments....or other negative things about her ?? Is this the 'free press' in the United States of America////
Comment #35 Posted By: Anonymous 11/05/09
Anonymous
Idiot #35 read the disclosure llisted by TRD listed below (if you know how to read) and all the Prudential Douglas Elliman agents please refer to comments #5 and #15.
Comment #36 Posted By: Anonymous 11/05/09
Anonymous
(correction to former post#36) Idiot #35 read the disclosure llisted by TRD listed below (if you know how to read) and all the Prudential Douglas Elliman agents please refer to comments #8 and #15.
Comment #37 Posted By: Anonymous 11/05/09
Anonymous
The point is that she took $150,000 over two years and didn't make one sale. I repeat. She didn't make one sale. Now that she's not making a draw she started selling again. What was she doing the two years she had a comfy stipend? As soon as it was going to end she left the company. At least if she had made one single deal, or paid back one dollar of the advance...
Comment #38 Posted By: Anonymous 11/05/09
Anonymous
Q. to #38 - (1) she is with a much better company that has class and motivates her that is why she is selling again. (2) switch the scenario, what if she had deals in contract and the company decided to herminate her, then she would be the one suing for her commission. (3) If the market was in a much better position the time she associated herself with possibly she she would have made sales (4) Also, if the managers were so greedy to compete and take all the listings that too could have helped her (continue next)
Comment #39 Posted By: Anonymous 11/05/09
Response to Comment#38
to #38 - (1) she is with a much better company that has class and motivates her that is why she is selling again. (2) switch the scenario, what if she had deals in contract and the company decided to terminate her, then she would be the one suing for her commission. (3) If the market was in a much better position the time she associated herself with possibly she would have made sales (4) Also, if the managers WEREN’T so greedy to compete and take all the listings that too could have helped her (continue next)
Comment #40 Posted By: Response to Comment#38 11/05/09
Anonymous
Ask this woman what all the other people were doing in her office during the two years ....weren't they all working for the same manager , or managers ?? And I'm sure ,without draws!!
Comment #41 Posted By: Anonymous 11/05/09
Anonymous
re comment 18 How was this woman defamed?? Anybody ???? Ho
Comment #42 Posted By: Anonymous 11/05/09
Anonymous
i heard she was booking flights to and from florida the whole time and doing nothing except living off the drawer.. her dog apparently bit a couple of people as well.. i guess it's true that one's pets mirror their owners.
Comment #43 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
comment # 40 is obviously authored by Andrea herself
Comment #44 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
Hey, Just was made aware of this article. Sounds like Andrea is up to her old tricks. In her alleged counter-suit ,she alleges defamation . What has been said that was defamatory. Did she really not have any sales ....I can't believe that ???!!! And was Elliman that foolish to believe her ?????
Comment #45 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
#45 they were that foolish to believe her.. now the poor fools at bhs have her.. good luck with that. unfortunately agents like her are the norm..when an agent/broker elevates themselves above the buyers and sellers they are no longer viable... she was a dental hygenist .. no brain trust - just knows how spin .. but it looks as if she is at the end of her career in real estate -- she and bhs seem to be the last to realize that..
Comment #46 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
the word is they are keeping her alive by feeding her some big stuff so they don't look like fools for hiring her back !! ,And much to the consternation of the HARD workers in her organization !
Comment #47 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
#44 you are mistaken. Once again, post #38 was not authored by Andrea. Bottom line, it is how the contract is stipulated and whether she violated her part to the agreement! We don’t know what the company promised her and if they fully complied with their part.
Comment #48 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
And as far as if she has counterclaimed for defamation of character. Clearly, many Prudential Douglas Elliman agents have a sore spot and are expressing it here - proof that her character is being blemished. Before you speak of others look at yourself in the mirror!
Comment #49 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
if this was survivor she would be voted out of bhs.. the agents there had no choice- she was foisted upon them.. she has a short memory.. when she was manager/partner at dunemere she was a selling broker.. she did her best to get all the good leads that came into the office.. most of the decent agents left to work at the bridgehampton office or left the company entirely..so for her to claim that the reason she did not do well at prudential is that the managers sell is hypocrisy at its best the agents at bhs are hard working do you really think they want a pampered former partner/manager getting handed the good leads... it would not surprise me if the majority of negative comments came from her colleagues at bhs...they want their tribal counsel
Comment #50 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
#50 silly. I bet you are over 60 and with Prudential Douglas Elliman. An example of the character associated with that company. Hilarious to compare this to survivor. Mentality of the brokers associated with that agency.
Comment #51 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
#51 i might be the person sitting right next to you.. or across the room.. why is everyone so sure the comments are from prudential agents.. just goes to show that you do not know your colleagues very well stop taking yourself so seriously....no one else does..you might get voted out next..!! :)
Comment #52 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
#52 I highly doubt it. I would not even attempt to sit next to a person so clueless, that lacks character and class, as evidenced by your comment and response.
Comment #53 Posted By: Anonymous 11/06/09
Anonymous
re comment # 49 I am NOT in your industry and am a former customer of her , and certainly did NOT purchase thru her.!
Comment #54 Posted By: Anonymous 11/07/09
Anonymous
re comments 51 &53 .. that must be aa.. Sounds just like snarky comments she would make. re comment 50 &52 you are so right. I should know.. maybe we sit next to each other!
Comment #55 Posted By: Anonymous 11/07/09
Anonymous
#49 - you were just that a "customer" - - she was not representing you - and you demonstrated being a typical customer who has no sense of loyalty even if you are not being represented. In such cases, it is better off you went elsewhere. And Hey, for you to express your discontent on here instead of telling her yourself is even more obsured.
Comment #56 Posted By: Anonymous 11/07/09
Anonymous
#55 I reiterate, this is not aa - if the comments seem snarky to you, well too bad you can't handle the truth. And as far as sitting next to one another, once again, that is a sad illusion you have conjured in your small little brain.
Comment #57 Posted By: Anonymous 11/07/09
Anonymous
#56 should be in response to comment #54. sorry for the confusion.
Comment #58 Posted By: Anonymous 11/07/09
Anonymous
#55.. a As a casual observer you have not argued to the point but to the person. Which shows a lack of character as most would agree. The bloggers that you have responded to have made valid points. That not everyone that has negative comments regarding andrea ackerman is a prudential agent and that the fact that she herself was a selling manager/partner at dunemere somewhat negates her argument that she was unable to make any money because the managers at prudential sell. As one blogger stated what about all the other agents at prudential that actually make money. Stick to arguing the point. Doing anything else makes you appear to be a bitter, angry and an intellectually stunted individual.
Comment #59 Posted By: Anonymous 11/08/09
Anonymous
oh .oops..59 should be in response to 57 sorry for the confusion
Comment #60 Posted By: Anonymous 11/08/09
Anonymous to Comment #59
#59 Casual observer, if you weren't so casual to observe you would have read the prevous posts which were in response to the article and all the backlash against aa. Whom I don't know. As evidenced by the responses here there seem to be a lot of bitter agents that are expressing their 2cents worth (and I am certain they are from the Prudential Douglas Elliman affiliation) read them carefully. Shows their lack of character. To clarify, the other response that doesn't relate to this article, was to the ignorant remark that was posted which led the discussion off topic. No oops on this. It is the correct response to post #59.
Comment #61 Posted By: Anonymous to Comment #59 11/08/09
Anonymous
On a final note, #59. your comment about bitter, angry and intellectually stunted individual should be addressed to those that are making inappropriate comments against Andrea Ackerman.
Comment #62 Posted By: Anonymous 11/08/09
Anonymous
re comment #61 and comment#62..... the commenter does not know basic English , it MUST be aa
Comment #63 Posted By: Anonymous 11/08/09
Anonymous
#63 refer to former comment #62 - - clearly you are a part of that group for continuing with your backlash. For your information that was a typo - - and take note once again, this is not authored by Andrea Ackerman. Try to process that in your minute brain. End of discussion.
Comment #64 Posted By: Anonymous 11/08/09
Anonymous
61.. if you had thought about it my 'mistake' was a parody of 56 and 58... I guess it was lost on you. I will not resort to attacking you with statements re: minute brain.. I will leave that to the other bloggers
Comment #65 Posted By: Anonymous 11/08/09