His clients call him the “Broadway broker.” Whitney Osentoski, a real estate agent for City Connections Realty, has sold homes to clients who have performed in Broadway productions ranging from “Anything Goes” to “Motown” to “Shrek.”
In February, he closed two deals at Saint Anne’s Court, a rental-turned-condo at 48-54 West 138th Street in Harlem. Both his buyers are currently touring with the musical “Wicked.” Shortly after he went into contract on his second deal in the building, a third interested buyer — another “Wicked” performer, who was dating his second buyer — reached out to him.
“I texted him a video tour of the upcoming unit, and he put in an offer immediately,” Osentoski said.
Osentoski estimates that at least five members of the “Wicked” touring company now own units at that same building, which he attributes to the laid-back bohemian vibe there — exposed brick lobby, tiled hallways — and affordable prices. One-bedroom units range in size from 475 to 500 square feet and in price from $270,000 to $320,000.
“There’s not a lot of inventory out there in that price range,” Osentoski said. “A lot of the stuff in Harlem is cond-ops or co-ops, and they have caps on how long you can sublet. Because they’re on tour, they wanted to have that option of being able to sublet indefinitely.”
As for the outsized proportion of “Wicked” actors in the building, he credits the musical’s success.
“A lot of this is that ‘Wicked’ is such a hit,” he said. “The fact that it’s running year after year allows people to save.”
Before he transitioned full-time into real estate in 2007, Osentoski was a Broadway performer himself, appearing in “Mamma Mia!” and “Tarzan,” among others. Wanting more stability, he switched into real estate, where he had family connections.
“I’m happy with it,” he said referring to his transition. “I love that I’m working with so many performers.”