Hoisted onto a sternward railing, finger pointed dramatically to the starboard horizon, dressed in a sharp navy suit and white hat, Ryan Serhant was ready to play captain.
The star broker was addressing a packed cruise, gathered Wednesday night for the launch of Brooklyn’s newest luxury condominium projects on the Greenpoint waterfront.
“We thought what better way than to take you on a boat!” Serhant said of his team’s plan to show off the development.
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They thought right, judging by the crowd’s reaction.
Brokers from Douglas Elliman and the Agency were among approximately 100 people onboard for the evening voyage across the East River, complete with sweeping views of the Manhattan skyline backlit by a late summer sunset.
After its departure from 23rd Street, the boat’s programming turned its focus to The Huron, a luxury condo project comprised of two towers for 171 total units in the buzzy Brooklyn neighborhood.
Onboard, guests were offered aptly named drinks, like the tequila-based The Huron and the vodka-based Greenpoint cocktail, while waiters walked around with hor d’oeuvres. Serhant flitted around the deck, hyping the party and his brokers, smiling for every group who wanted a picture.
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At sundown, the boat stopped across from at 29 Huron Street for the main event: a light show, played out on the facade of the building to the tune of “Empire State of Mind” by Brooklyn native Jay-Z.
It was a bright but underwhelming display for the building, which London-based Quadrum Global developed after acquiring a vacant warehouse in 2014 for $45.5 million. Morris Adjmi Architects designed the development, which was announced as the latest in a burst of activity in the neighborhood.
The evening on the water was capped off with a finale that interested parties likely hope isn’t a harbinger for sales chaos at the building.
A raffle for speakers grew tense as Serhant read off winning tickets, only to realize the number of tickets in his bucket far exceeded the number of tickets distributed — or at least to brokers still sober enough to read their numbers. No winner had been announced as the boat pulled up to the dock, but, miraculously, several winners manifested just before it was time to disembark.