Rob Clark travels the world in style, meeting all the right people in all the right places and, not incidentally, selling luxury condominiums at one of the trendiest addresses in Los Angeles.
He’s not a real estate broker, though. The international mover and shaker is a fictitious character created by the New York City-based Athena Group, whose projects include 111 Central Park North, a condo that set price records for Harlem, as well as a number of projects in Jersey City. The character was created to help market 105 units in the Rob Clark, an upscale condominium complex just north of Beverly Hills and only a short walk to some of the city’s hottest shops and restaurants.
You can tour his apartment at www.therobclark.com. Plane tickets lie strewn on his desk, next to a French newspaper. His phone rings repeatedly. He’s the kind of guy young professionals in L.A. aspire to be, said Harry Dubin, the Athena Group’s marketing and sales director and Rob Clark’s creator.
“He goes to all the Academy Award events,” Dubin said. “He knows everyone. He’s a very social guy.”
The concept works, even though most people know by now that Clark isn’t real, he said. The building’s studio, one- and two-bedroom condos went on the market last March starting in the mid-$300,000s, and nearly all have sold, without the help of newspaper ads. The first residents began moving in this summer.
But the company won’t bring Rob Clark to New York City to market any of its properties here, Dubin said. The concept wouldn’t work. Young professionals aspiring to be someone can’t afford to buy an apartment in Manhattan, where the average apartment price is more than $1.3 million. It’s even hard to find a bargain in the outer boroughs these days, Dubin said.
Most parents can’t afford to make that kind of investment for their children, either, Dubin said. About 30 percent of the condos at the Rob Clark were sold to parents.
“L.A. is much different than New York,” Dubin said. “It’s much easier to live out there. It’s much less expensive than it is to live in Manhattan.”
Condo units in the Rob Clark range from 500 to 1,200 square feet and boast granite fireplaces, stone countertops and hardwood floors. There’s a pool, landscaped garden, great views and it’s in one of the city’s most desirable locations. Just don’t ask for any special bells and whistles. Everything at the Rob Clark is standard — no exceptions.
“We took the approach of finding unique materials that were not expensive, but actually looked expensive,” Dubin said.
It’s more likely that Rob Clark will move to Jersey City for a while, Dubin said. Young professionals are gobbling up much more affordable condos there, he said. Athena recently began selling condos at the A, a 35-story luxury building in Jersey City with units starting at around $600,000. Dubin said he sold 180 units in one day, out of a total 250 units. The group has purchased other rental properties in Jersey City that Rob Clark could easily help market. The Athena Group is also the developer behind the Rem Koolhaas building slated for Jersey City.
“I could see Rob Clark coming to Jersey City,” Dubin said. “But not to Manhattan.”