+ ART, 540 West 28th Street, 3C - Chelsea, New York

LUXURY. DESIGN. LOCATION. Come and experience this bright and spacious, mint 1-Bedroom at the cutting edge +Art Condominium. Email me for a private showing: pzweben@elliman.com

 This meticulous home with bright northern light and open contemporary layout, has been thoughtfully designed by the owners who are professional designers. The +Art Condominium offers residents a comfortable, luxurious lifestyle with a nod to the industrial backdrop of West Chelsea's roots. This juxtaposition accurately characterizes the hip, booming, eclectic neighborhood in which new construction continues to emerge and blend with the warehouses and low-rise buildings from years past. Expansive walls of windows and high ceilings create a light and airy quality to this stunning home, while state-of-the-art finishes are both pampering yet understated. Enjoy multi-zone central air conditioning, wide-plank white oak floors and a sleek chef's kitchen with Subzero fridge, Bertazzoni range, Bosch dishwasher, honed black granite counters, and walnut cabinetry. The pristine bath has a soothing soaking tub, stainless steel fixtures, and custom black lacquered vanity. Look no further for a mint, new 1-bedroom home in one of the hottest new condominiums. +Art features a 24-hour attended lobby, fitness center, 2 common outdoor areas, stunning roof deck and landscaped yard and is set amongst the Highline Park, art galleries, flower district, as well as the some of the city's best restaurants, shopping and night life! Pets are welcome.

This listing courtesy of Douglas Elliman

What makes a good Real Estate team?

I have been reading a lot of articles lately on teams. One in particular was very interesting. The article showcased Amy Kite’s team, a Chicago powerhouse, Ranked number 138 nationally for closed transactions in the rankings, the team had its best year ever last year, with 341 closed transaction sides, more than double its previous year’s performance. 341 transactions???? #OMG

What she wrote about Real Estate being no Part-time gig, resonated with me.

Real estate is no part-time gig

Having children led Kite to start her career in the industry. She came from a high-flying career in head hunting, where she used to say she was a Realtor — but she sold people.

“I’ve always been in sales, I’ve just always sold different products. I changed from headhunting to real estate because I had just given birth to our second child and I wanted to be able to drop in at home any time,” said Kite.

Endorsed by Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran as her go-to agent in Chicago land, the former corporate executive has never approached real estate as a part time gig. She was in no doubt about wanting to take real estate seriously.

“The fact is that it’s a business. Too many people don’t look at it that way; they treat this as a hobby.”

Which brings me to our team and how we got here.

5 years ago, my wife was pregnant with our Princess, Olivia. Pryor to Olivia’s arrival it was me, Carolyn and Heather Burns. We were mean and lean.

We wanted to prepare for growth, both in our personal life and professional lives. We had already cracked the $1,000,000 Gross Commission level, with just the three of us, but wanted to get to the next level.

In the last 5 years, we have moved to grossing over $2,500,000 in gross sales commissions, which is the equivalent to $100,000,000 in annual sales volume and ranking #18 out of over 6000 Douglas Elliman real estate agents.

We now have two assistants and 6 agents on our team. We are constantly focused on our customer’s needs, from the minute we start working with them, until the transaction is completed.

So, how do we do it?

My training as a Chef for 18 years of my life and working in the restaurant business for over 31 years has helped me in my Real Estate career. From developing and running the Calle Ocho concept, to working with Laurent Tourondel at BLT Prime and BLT Steak DC, to working with David Burke at the River Café. It taught me the following:

~The customer is always right

~No day is ever the same

~Customers want to be communicated to, in a quick, precise way, with accurate responses.

~If there is an emergency, ie. Short staffing, running our of food, special orders; FIGURE IT OUT! The customer doesn’t care that two cooks didn’t show up and you ran out of chicken.

~treat people with respect. Every person in the restaurant is important. It is a living, breathing machine and it must operate on all cylinders. If you derail one employee by screaming at them, the machine will not run smoothly.

Here are my tips on running a successful real estate team and being the team leader:

~Always be positive, no matter what. If the team leader is in a bad place, the entire team is in a bad place.

~ Have at least one monthly team meeting, if no more. You should have topics to discuss. Ideas, how to help each team members business to grow. Talk about the current markets we are in. what is each team member doing for future business? Are there any positive or tough situations that can be shared, for the entire team to learn from? During the meeting, all phones are off and everyone is 100% attentive. Bring in guest speakers.

~Keep tabs on all individual sold and closed and pending deals.

~Be a part of all deals. I want to be cc’d on the majority of communication with the buyer, sellers and renters for the customers that the team member has generated the business. This model makes us stronger and allows me to participate with negotiations on all deals and maintain outstanding customer service.

~If they are my buyers and sellers, then just my wife, Carolyn and our two assistants are copied on all communications.

~Be a great attentive listener

~Be proactive

~Treat every member with respect

~Share your knowledge. Share ideas. Share how you generate business.

~Teach your team members how to use video and social media to connect with current clients, past clients and future clients.

~The most important tip I can give you as a team leader is to be laser focused, passionate and have a fun running the team. If you can’t have fun in this business, maybe you need to get on another ride?

Best wishes-

The Zweben Team~

Tavern on the green~

Tavern on the green has been one of those Iconic New York city restaurants, since, 1934.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From 1934, the landmark restaurant was managed by restaurateurs licensed by the City of New York's Park Department. In 1943 Arnold Schleifer and his nephews, Arthur Schleifer and Julius Berman, won the contract to operate the restaurant. During their tenure, the dance floor was enlarged and nightly music was enjoyed. A large outdoor patio offered dining al fresco. Trees were first wrapped in the well-known twinkling lights around the property, and the Elm Tree Room was built to surround one of the city's classic American elms. The menu was designed to be elegant but affordable for New Yorkers. Luncheon and dinner offerings changed regularly, and Mr. Berman would often add special desserts to celebrate family events, e.g., "Parfait Ruth" to honor the birth of his granddaughter.

The Berman-Schleifer family ran numerous restaurants they owned and other New York City concessions. Among these were the venues at Orchard Beach, the Claremont Inn (1934–1948) in Riverside Park, accessed from Riverside Drive, United Nations Caterers, Manny Wolf's 49th Street Chop House on Third Avenue, and New York City's first air-conditioned restaurant, Schleifer's Fashion Center on 7th Avenue.

In 1956, the infamous Battle of Central Park, a scandal instrumental in the eventual downfall of Robert Moses, occurred over Moses' attempt to expand the Tavern's parking lot by half an acre. The event is chronicled in Robert Caro's The Power Broker.[3]

In 1962, Joe Baum's Restaurant Associates purchased the Schleifer-Berman interest in the Tavern's operation.[4]

In 1974, Warner LeRoy took over the restaurant's lease and reopened it in 1976 after $10 million in renovations including the addition of a glass enclosed Crystal Room overlooking the restaurant's garden[5] (one of several dining rooms), which doubled the seating capacity to 800. According to city officials it was illegal but the city, wanting the restaurant expanded at a time when the city was having its own financial problems, did not stop the expansion.[6] Since LeRoy's death in 2001, it was managed by his daughter, Jennifer Oz LeRoy, until its renovation in 2009.[7]

Tavern on the Green was frequented by prominent actors, musicians, politicians, and writers. Regular patrons have included former New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia, actresses Grace Kelly and Fay Wray and many others.[8] Tavern on the Green hosted the wedding receptions of several prominent Americans, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler[9] and film director Walter Hill.[10] John Lennon was a neighbor to Warner LeRoy and his son, Sean, was a playmate of Warner LeRoy's son, Max LeRoy. As a result, John and Sean celebrated numerous birthdays at Tavern on the Green during the late 1970s.[11]

When the restaurant finally reopened in 2014, I could hardly wait. Our entire Zweben Team was invited to the opening party, thanks to our dear friend and customer, Steven Hall.

The opening party was stellar and we were so grateful to attend. The food was delicious and the whose who of the food industry attended. The new folks we are now running the restaurant, just could not get their act together and made some very poor hiring choices of chefs. This is NOT to say the chefs that ran the kitchen from 2014 are not good, it is just a monster of a kitchen and you really need someone who understands volume.

They finally got it right and hired a true veteran, Bill Peet, who was most recently executive chef of Urbo, a massive Times Square restaurant, and an alum of Lutèce, was named chef of the Central.

On our last visit to the restaurant in June, we had a wonderful meal. It was a special occasion, the celebration of my father in laws birthday. The service was spot on and the food was simple and delicious.

The iceberg wedge was delicious and so was the New York Strip.

Everybody needs a second chance, so go to The Tavern on the Green and enjoy!

Any broker in New York City that claims they've never had a board turn down is telling you a white lie.

When the email comes from the managing agent, and it says, "Mr. Sal Ami has been turned down by the board of directors at 1313 Mockingbird Lane in the city of Mockingbird Heights," you feel like someone just kicked you in the stomach.

Most brokers curl up in a ball and whimper.

Not #thezwebenteam, we thrive on getting board turn downs reversed and have an almost 100% track record.

Here are some tips on how to do it:

*if you are representing the buyer:

• reach out the sellers agent and collaborate on what the strategy is to turn the decision around.
• a lot of sellers brokers will just put the listing back on the market and leave your buyer in the dust.
• try to prevent the seller's agent from putting the home back on the market.
• have the sellers agent reach out to the managing agent and see if they can get any color on why the buyer was turned down.
• have the seller's agent, have the seller make a plea to the board of directors and ask if there is anything the buyer can do in order to turn the decision around.
• most of the time the board turn down is based on financial reasons, bit there are so many other reasons that board turn down happen, and I won't go into any other reasons, but financial.
• have the buyer write a letter directly to the board suggesting a few different modifications to the financial part of deal. Perhaps putting maintenance in escrow, etc.

In the letter, also mention with emotions, how much you (the buyer) loves the property.

And always remember, when you are buying or selling real estate, work with a knowledgeable professional, that has your best interest at heart!

My friend and colleague, Corinne Pulitzer added some useful tips to this post:

-Sellers know their Board best: Prevail upon the Listing Agent to enlist the help of the Seller to find out the reason(s) for the turn down and if they'll entertain remedies

-Prepping the Buyer for possible turn around: Buyers should know that the Sellers's agent follows the seller's directives aand the property my be put back on the market during the possible revisiting of their application by the board. The sellers may have back ups they don't waant to lose.

-Every building is different and some may be more approachable than others. Be prepared for disappointment, but also be armed with ‎financial remedies, should a second chance be offered.

Did you ever go to Nells on a Wednesday night to dance to salsa?

17 years and 40 days ago, Calle Ocho on the Upper West Side was really in a rhythm.

We were constantly packed and I was so excited to be a part of the restaurant.

We literally timed the opening on the heels of Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martins explosion onto the scene.

There was this young woman, who was moonlighting as a cocktail waitress. By day, she was working in a successful gallery in Soho and at night she handled a packed lounge, with up to 50 people.

I never saw her sweat. She was always in control and always had a beautiful smile.

Her name was Carolyn Pena and I definitely wanted to date her.

We would make small talk from time to time , but she was always busy holding down her station.

One Monday night I asked her what she was doing on Wednesday and she said that she was going to Nells with some friends to dance to Salsa. “I responded, wow, so am i. Hope to see you there!”

When Wednesday came, I was so excited. I went to have dinner by myself in Chelsea and then around 8pm, I started to walk to Nells. I bumped into my old friend Steven Kalt, who now owns and runs, one of the hottest restaurants in LA, Spartina.

I got to Nells around 8pm, the music was blasting and I literally was the only patron there.

*note- who goes to a club at 8pm, DUH!

I stayed till about 10:30 and never saw Carolyn Pena.

The next morning, I was working at Union Pacific. I accessed our payroll and got Carolyn’s home phone number. (Not really a smart way of getting a girls phone number)

At 6am, I left the following message on her voice mail, “Hi, this is Paul David Zweben, from Main Street Restaurant Partners. I was at Nells last night and you never showed up! If you’d like to speak, please call me at 917.653.**49,or 212.223.8832, or 212.721.**20 or email me at pzweben@ms**group.com.” and then I hung up.

I am sure she listened to the message and said, how did he get my home number and man, this guy is crazy.

She finally called me up and I asked her out and she said she was busy that day. Then I asked for another date and she said she was busy and finally I asked for August 16, 1999 and she said yes.

Our first date started at Butterfield 81, where my dear friend Tom Valenti was the chef.

I remember as we sat at the bar, Carolyn excused herself and as she walked away, Tom said in his raspy voice, Dude and his big beautiful smile of his exploded. He said, Paul, you did good.

After drinks at Butterfield 81 we went to Raos for dinner and the rest is history.

I remember sending an email to my partners, Jeff Kadish, Steve Scher and Spencer Rothschild that I was dating Carolyn Pena and that she was the one. Jeff emailed me back and said to fire her.

It was the best firing ever. Carolyn attacked her true passion of selling real estate and she never looked back.

Carolyn, thank you for giving me two beautiful children and a warm, loving home.

I know I am not perfect and I know I live in the Dog House on a regular basis, but I wouldn’t want to be on this journey with anyone else.

Happy 17 year dating anniversary!

19 East 88th Street, Inc, 19 East 88th Street, 9D - Carnegie Hill, New York

Welcome to this sophisticated 2-Bedroom, 2-Bath home in a lovely full-service Art Deco Coop in one of the most desirable and prestigious neighborhoods in Manhattan. This sunny and spacious estate condition home boasts a graceful layout and lovely prewar details. A gracious dining gallery overlooks the generous, south-facing sunken living room showcasing stunning original details including high beamed ceilings and gorgeous basket weave hardwood floors with inlaid wooden borders. The windowed kitchen has northern views and is off of the dining gallery.

Both bedrooms are spacious and serene with excellent storage and also feature a desirable, split-layout, ideal for privacy. The master bedroom offers beautiful south and western sunlight, including a direct view of Central Park! Washer/ dryers are permitted in units with board approval! A prestigious full-service building, 19 East 88th Street is situated on quiet 88th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenue, with distinguished neighbors including the Guggenheim Museum and Central Park. Residents of this special building enjoy amenities including 24-hour doorman and full staff including excellent, live-in Super, beautiful planted roof deck, bike room, and central laundry. Pets are welcome. There is an assessment running through 2016 in the amount of $299.99. The 2% flip tax is paid by the purchaser.

For a private showing, please email me: pzweben@elliman.com or call me: 212.769.9807

• 
• We had a big sale pending at 55 Liberty street, just weeks before Lehman Brothers imploded. Let's just say that the buyers knew what was coming in the banking sector, well before the sellers did. The sale never happened. The buyers came to the closing table and tried to negotiate a sales price of $1,000,000 less than the contract price. The sellers told the buyers to take a hike!  I remember meeting my wife, after I left the closing table at a cafe on 6th ave and had to give her the news. It hurt for about a day and then we looked at each other and said, this is the perfect point in our careers to fine tune our team, have better systems, better marketing, more networking and more social media. I am grateful 55 Liberty never closed!
• Liberty tower. 55 Liberty street . Built in 1909 by Henry Ives cobb ( one of only two New York commission ) it stands 33 stories and 385 ft tall with foundations sunk 90 ft into the ground and is just 58 by 82 ft across. The building has had a turbulent past - the original owners were almost bankrupted by its construction, then in 1917 the famous 'zimmerman plot' was traced back to a rented office in the building. In 1919 the building was sold to the Sinclair oil company famous for the 'Teapot dome scandal' of 1922 -the biggest scandal to rock the U.S until Watergate. The building settled down to an uneventful life being sold by Sinclair oil in 1945 and returning to multi occupancy use until 1979 when it was turned into condo's The building was literally shook to its foundations by the destruction of the twin towers causing structural damage and underwent major renovation. #thezwebenteam #driven #focused #passionate @douglaselliman

Open House Details

• Sunday, August 14^th, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM BY Appointment only~

We have just released the “Elliman Report: Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens Rentals” for July 2016, the leading resource on the state of the rental market.  As always, our market reports are produced in conjunction with Miller Samuel to provide you and your clients with the most comprehensive and neutral market insight available.

Manhattan rents moved a little higher, helped by an increased use of concessions by landlords. Smaller apartments continued to see the largest rent increases.

For the first time this year, Brooklyn rents slipped despite gains in the luxury market. There were more concessions given this year as renters resisted price increases at time of lease renewal.

Consistent with the region, the northwest Queens rental market weakened in July, more so with larger apartments. Marketing times were a bit faster while negotiability remained about the same as last year.

At Douglas Elliman, we are constantly looking for ways to provide our clients with better information, empowering them to make more informed decisions. Our efforts to create this market report series reflect our strong belief that access to timely information is a vital resource in a market that is constantly changing. Committed to providing the best information in the industry, we are proud to offer this service to our clients. Explore our full market report series covering Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Northwest Queens, Long Island, The Hamptons, North Fork, Westchester, Putnam & Dutchess Counties, Fairfield County, Greenwich, Miami, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Los Angeles and Aspen at http://www.elliman.com/marketreports

Warmest regards,

Dottie Herman

President and CEO, Douglas Elliman