Name: How real estate brokers scrambled to get inside the Epstein house
Uploaded: 2026-02-19T21:00:40Z
Description: Deconstruct is back. New hosts from The Real Deal's newsroom are bringing you the most important news for New York City's real estate world. Up first: the Epstein files reveal how top townhouse brokers tried to claw their way into Jeffrey Epstein's Upper East Side mansion. Plus, early impacts on real estate from the Mamdani administration, Mark Zuckerberg's maybe-buy in Miami, and more.

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Deconstruct is back. New hosts from The Real Deal's newsroom are bringing you the most important news for New York City's real estate world. Up first: the Epstein files reveal how top townhouse brokers tried to claw their way into Jeffrey Epstein's Upper East Side mansion. Plus, early impacts on real estate from the Mamdani administration, Mark Zuckerberg's maybe-buy in Miami, and more.

How real estate brokers scrambled to get inside the Epstein house

In a new episode of Coffee Talk with TRD’s Amir Korangy, LPT Realty’s Robert Palmer gets candid on his company’s explosive growth, how he’s using tech to reinvent the brokerage model, his 2017 purchase of the Jacksonville Armada soccer team, and whether he’s really selling to Compass CEO Robert Reffkin.

Is Robert Palmer selling LPT Realty to Compass CEO Robert Reffkin? | Coffee Talk

Mayor Mamdani’s upcoming “Rental Ripoff Hearings” are already igniting fierce backlash across NYC. Some landlords aren’t holding back — including H.L. Dynasty’s Humberto Lopes, who suggested property owners should “bankrupt the city” by withholding taxes in protest. Is this accountability or political theater? And have rents really become a “ripoff”? Sound off in the comments below!

Landlord calls for NYC property owners to stop paying taxes

After eight years of shutdowns, endless renovations, billion-dollar cost overruns, a global pandemic, and even a takeover by the Chinese government, the legendary Waldorf Astoria New York is finally back on the market.

Waldorf Astoria hits market after eight-year condo conversion #shorts

The Chicago Bears could be eyeing a move to Indiana 👀 — but Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says there’s “progress” on keeping them right where they are. It’s the latest chapter in the high-stakes tug-of-war between states (and cities) competing for major sports franchises — and the economic development they promise to deliver. Should the Bears stay in Illinois or migrate? 🐻⬇️ Drop your take in the comments!

Are the Chicago Bears moving to Indiana? #shrots

Mark Zuckerberg's Miami move is a great story. It just might not be a true one.

Wrong address? Sources say Mark Zuckerberg isn’t buying Jersey Mike’s founder’s home #shorts

The AI gold rush is reshaping real estate. OpenAI snapping up West Coast office space and fueling a data center land rush, with trillions in investment projected by 2030. It's a windfall for the industry, but a potential bubble if profits don't materialize fast enough.

Sam Altman’s OpenAI adds 223K sf to Seattle office footprint #shorts

When you hear “Billionaires’ Row,” you think 432 Park, Central Park Tower, One57 — record-breaking heights, panoramic views, and some of the most expensive homes on the planet.

Can the Malabar Residences move Billionaire's Row across Park Ave?

Celebs are taking moviegoing's future into their own hands. 🍿 Kristen Stewart just bought LA's historic Highland Theatre, joining Hollywood heavyweights like Tarantino, Spielberg and others scooping up movie landmarks before they disappear.

Does #Hollywood have to save itself? #shorts

Beckham penthouse flip ✅ Mayweather rent drama 👀 Ellen's Montecito return 🇺🇸 Welcome to your celeb real estate update.

Celebrity real estate update: The Beckhams, Floyd Mayweather & more #shorts

MAG Partners' MaryAnne Gilmartin knows the recipe for a successful NYC development. The pioneering mind behind the Barclays Center and the New York Times Building stopped by the BSH test kitchen to show off her culinary skills and talk about her firm's winning development philosophy.

The Industry Dish with MaryAnne Gilmartin | Brand Studio

Artefacto has spent 50 years perfecting the signature warm contemporary aesthetic found in Five Park's Penthouse 4701. 

The Design Powering Miami’s Top Penthouses | Brand Studio

Reporters @byKKallergis and @bySheridanWall sat in as defense attorneys for the Alexander brothers pressed witnesses on inconsistencies in their accounts this week. Meanwhile, prosecutors pointed to explicit texts between the brothers and testimony alleging drugging and rape.

Recap: Week 2 of the Alexanders' trial

Robert Reffkin just turned Compass into a megaforce. Now what?

CEO Robert Reffkin has made Compass a megaforce. What's next? #shorts

Boca Raton is in a full-blown battle over One Boca, a downtown mega-redevelopment backed by the mayor, and fiercely opposed by a residents-led grassroots group Save Boca.

Boca Raton is at war over a mega development | #shorts

For years, the Alexander brothers were fixtures of luxury real estate — the kind of brokers who didn't just sell the lifestyle, they *were* the lifestyle. Now, Oren and Tal Alexander and their brother Alon are on trial in federal court, facing sex trafficking charges. They've pleaded not guilty. If convicted, each faces 15 years to life.⁠
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As the case enters its second week, a Lower Manhattan courtroom has become its own ecosystem: a judge with a tight grip, a closely screened jury, three separate defense teams, prosecutors, victims' lawyers, the press and the brothers' family and friends watching from the gallery.⁠

Inside the Alexander brothers’ defense machine | #shorts

"This will be the most sustainable high-rise ever developed in the state."

Sustainability meets style in Honolulu | Brand Studio

Richard A.C. Coles on how Jamie Dimon helped lead NYC’s comeback #shorts

With New York City in a deep freeze, attention is already shifting out east. The Hamptons closed out 2025 with a record Q4: median home prices hit an all-time high of $2.3 million, driven by demand and tight inventory.

The weather is cold, but the #Hamptons market is hot #shorts

What does it take to manage some of the most complex real estate portfolios in the market? Vanbarton Group Founder and Managing Partner Richard A.C. Coles joins TRD’s Erik Engquist in the latest Salon Series to talk strategy, investment, and the realities of running a major asset-management firm. Check out the full interview here.