When Post reporters posing as prospective tenants answered the ads last week ... they were text-messaged back by unnamed real-estate salespeople. But each time the reporters tried to see the advertised apartments, they were met with excuses — they’re not available for viewing or they’re suddenly off the market.
They were then shown far less fashionable flats, and were ushered to the offices of St. Marks Place Realty at 36 St. Marks Place.
The undercover reporters then met with the real-estate firm's sole licensed broker, named as Jordan Marshall.
Dressed in a cheap suit, he launched into a high-pressure spiel: A just-viewed East Third Street apartment was listed by a major brokerage, and the rival firm was holding an open house that very afternoon. If the clients paid a $100 application fee on the spot and filled out a form, “We can stop them from renting it . . . This way we don’t lose it.”
When later confronted by the Post, Marshall repeatedly said "I’m not sure what you’re talking about."
Read the whole article here.
Also, Wintour's West Village home is not on the market.
They all seem kind of like scammers to me. Real estate brokers that is.
ReplyDeleteWow, a dishonest NYC apartment broker. Alexander Hamilton would be proud.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago I was apartment hunting and was "working" with a realtor who tried to steal thousands of dollars from me. At the time my credit was less than stellar but I had a decent savings, was/am gainfully employed, and had an excellent letter of recommendation from my previous landlord.
ReplyDeleteThis realtor showed me an apt, I put in an application, and the apt became unavailable. He then showed me another apt, on Ave C @ 8th Street, ground floor - it was perfect. He then came back with a story about the property manager being nervous about my credit. I offered to pay a month or two up front with no hesitation and it went down hill from there.
Over the next week and a half the realtor kept asking if I could put a little more money down ahead, I said fine. He came back and asked for more. Then I was like, 'I'm meeting the agreement of the landlord, why does he keep changing his OWN agreement, asking for more?' He couldn't give me an answer.
I really needed the apt so I went along until he asked for 6 months up front and said I didn't have to bother with a check, cash would be OK. At this point I knew he was conning me. Thank god his greed blew his cover because if he didn't get so greedy, I may have fallen for it. The apartment he was trying to rent me was under 6 feet of water during Sandy a few months later so I actually dodged two bullets.
Point being is I would trust a snake before I would trust a realtor.
That ought to be the end of his real estate license but somebody will probably have to actually file a complaint before that happens; don't expect the city to actually go after him on their own.
ReplyDeleteAnd what kind of "undercover reporters" work for the NY Post anyway? It appears that they didn't come away with an undercover video+audio of the sting.
At least the NY Post got a name this time.
ReplyDelete@anon 2:26 - Your gratuitous slur against Reptile-Americans is not appreciated.
ReplyDeleteThe realtors are all yours, monkey boy.