The end of an Era: Serhant takes over sales at cantilevered UWS building

Brokerage rebranding distinct condominium as The Westly

The end of an Era: Serhant takes over sales at cantilevered UWS building
251 West 91st Street and Ryan Serhant (Ryan Serhant, The-Westly.com)

UPDATED, Jan. 4, 5 p.m. ET: Serhant is bringing the Upper West Side a new Era — or rather, The Westly.

Ryan Serhant’s eponymous brokerage will take over sales at the distinct cantilevered building formerly known as Era at 251 West 91st Street, Serhant announced Tuesday.

Developers Adam America Real Estate and Northlink Capital launched sales while the 20-story building was still under construction in June 2021. Under Serhant, the building will now be known as The Westly.

“We can put our projects in front of more eyeballs than anyone else, in terms of both mass marketing and targeted marketing,” Serhant said. “Our goal is to sell out the project! And we will.”

The 52-unit building, designed by ODA Architects, features an array of upscale amenities, including a rooftop pool with recreational and lounge areas, 24-hour concierge, fitness center, music room, gaming room and more.

However, it’s the cantilevered design that makes it hard to miss. The distinctive structure, which juts out above retail shops below, has sparked backlash from locals.

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Some Upper West Side residents went as far to start the Cantilever Opposition Group, which last year sought to shut down construction. Members called the building “ugly” and claimed it was harming the neighborhood’s aesthetic. After the group filed a zoning challenge, the Department of Buildings told Crain’s the building complies with building codes and zoning.

The brokerage kicked things off with an Instagram Live announcement Tuesday afternoon, with Serhant offering a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of a new video from inside the property.

Serhant is hoping to use its marketing tactics to give sales a boost in the building, which has no more than four units per floor. Prices start at $2.63 million for a two-bedroom unit to $13.5 million for a five-bedroom.

“Our company was built as the only content-to-commerce real estate firm,” Serhant said, pointing to his firm’s in-house branding team, film studio and new development division.

Shlomi Reuveni, president and CEO of Reuveni, confirmed the end of the company’s sales duties at the building in a statement. Reuveni was involved in the planning and design phases for the building, which he called “a wonderful project and a great new addition to the Upper West Side.”

“I am very proud to have been associated with this visionary project, and with the impressive record-breaking sales transactions that Reuveni Real Estate has established for ERA,” Reuveni said. “I wish the developers continued success. We look forward to upcoming new and exciting opportunities in 2022.”

Adam America Real Estate and Northlink Capital did not immediately respond to requests for comment.