Billionaire discounts $21.5M Fifth Avenue spread

Perhaps hoping to cash-in on the current momentum of the high-end real estate market, Seagram heir Charles Bronfman is trying a new strategy to market his full-floor apartment at 810 Fifth Avenue.

Bronfman, the former co-chairman of Seagram, has ditched brokers Bonnie Chajet and Ronnie Lane of Warburg Realty Partnership — who have had the listing for over a year — in favor of Sotheby’s International Realty power-broker Serena Boardman, according to data from Streeteasy.com. Boardman has, in turn, lowered the asking price to $21.5 million, down from $23 million.

The freshly price-chopped listing joins a bevy of ultra-pricey properties on the market.

Eyal Levy’s Millennium Tower spread hit the market for $27 million earlier this week, and man-about-town and high-end art patron John de Neufville listed his 81 Horatio Street property for $20 million June 1.

“What we’re seeing is a tremendous amount of interest in the luxury segment of the market right now and sellers are responding to that,” said Core broker Michael Graves. “With recent high priced sales at One 57 and 15 Central Park West, people are no longer shocked or scared away with mega million-dollar listing prices.”

Bronfman’s apartment was originally priced at $24.93 million when it first hit the market in May 2011, shortly after Bronfman bought the property. No renovations have been made to the spread since Bronfman purchased it for $21 million in 2010, according to reports. Bronfman lived just down the street at 838 Fifth Avenue for more than 10 years before buying into the exclusive, J.E.R. Carpenter-designed co-op.

Neither Bronfman nor Boardman were immediately available for comment. Chajet could also not be reached.

The 13-room residence, which is currently configured as nine rooms, features a living room, dining room and library as well as a master suite with his and hers marble-clad bathrooms, according to the listing. In addition, the property has a second bedroom and bathroom plus a powder room, kitchen and pantry.

Bronfman is the uncle of former Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr., who sold the so-called “Muppet Mansion” at 117 East 69th Street (formerly the Jim Henson’s creative headquarters) for $23 million last year. Charles Bronfman is apparently a little eccentric: he and ex-wife Bonnie Bronfman reportedly held a massive party at the Four Seasons last year, inviting over 100 guests to celebrate their divorce.