Real Estate Brokers & Agents in Astoria - LIC, NY
You can search far and wide throughout all of Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. You will be hard-pressed to find a community that is as nice and inviting as Astoria and neighboring Long Island City.
Only a short train ride away from the city, Astoria and LIC is all about convenience. With quick and easy access to the R, M, N and Q trains, Astoria and LIC residents love the fact that their neighborhood is quiet and family-friendly, yet so close to where they work. From both these neighborhoods, the commute to Manhattan's looming office towers is much shorter than it is from trendy, more buzzed-about neighborhoods like Bushwick and Williamsburg.
Young professionals who move here from the suburbs or upstate New York pick up on this feeling of community very quickly. It kind of reminds them of home. Brand new high-rise buildings and condo developments are sprouting up all over the area, like the cornfield and baseball diamond in Kevin Costner's film "Field of Dreams." If you build it, they will come.
A great deal of the credit for Astoria and LIC being able to hold on to its identity goes to the realtors in our community. Experienced professionals like Metropolis Realty's Ted Kouris and Amorelli's Paul and Jim Halvatzis know how to strike a balance between respect for tradition and bringing about change for the better. Let's meet a few of Astoria and LIC's leading real estate professionals. As people, they all bring something different to the table, so we encourage you to meet with a variety of realtors and see who is RIGHT for you.
Amorelli Realty - Astoria, NY
When it comes to buying your dream home or finding that perfect apartment that's within your budget, the good folks at Amorelli Realty have got you covered. There's no one-size-fits-all approach here. Paul and Jim Halvatzis, along with their staff, treat every client with respect and consideration.
The Halvatzis family success story started way back in 1978, when Anita Halvatzis purchased a small realty office on 30th avenue. Anita has always dreamed big and she thought that this stretch of real estate in the heart of Astoria had a ton of potential. She was right. Today, 30th Avenue is affectionately known by locals as Astoria's version of Manhattan's famed Restaurant Row. There's an incredible selection of gastropubs, bars, cafes and restaurants on the avenue. You could go to a different one for two weeks running and still not have tried them all.
Anita Halvatzis' vision and dedication are shared by both Paul and Jim, together with every member of their staff. Unlike some realtor's offices, where you can be rushed in and out, here at Amorelli, every potential client is greeted with a smile. The staff really wants to help. Associates like Fiotos Gerasopoulos, Nicholas Halvatzis, Joseph Vaccaro and Christina Halvatzis realize that finding the right home or apartment is one of the biggest decisions that you will make in your life. It's all about putting down roots. And they are there for you, every step of the way.
In a city that is as diverse as New York, the borough of Queens takes a lot of pride in being referred to as the most diverse area of the city. The staff at Amorelli Realty reflects the rainbow of ethnic groups that make up Astoria. Many of their sales agents, in fact, speak several different languages, making communication with their valued clients comfortable and efficient. Their sales agents are also well versed in mortgage financing, which is invaluable when you are in the market to purchase a house. When Paul and Jim aren't working with homeowners, first-time buyers or apartment seekers, they work hard to give back to the community by becoming involved in numerous charitable endeavors.
The Halvatzis family have also played a significant role in getting some really noteworthy transactions off the ground, such as the recent sale of the historic Steinway Mansion. Built in 1858 by the family that gave us the Steinway Piano, the mansion was their residence for many years. The grounds then became the site of the Steinway piano factory. In recent years, the beautiful mansion became a private residence before being put up for sale. A vital part of our neighborhood fabric for over 30 years, Amorelli Realty stands for hard work, courtesy and outstanding professional ethics.
Location and Hours
36-01 30th Avenue
Astoria NY
(718) 204-2828
Metropolis Realty - Astoria, NY
"You can't be an effective realtor and do the very best possible job for your client, if you haven't lived what you're selling." Those words of wisdom, spoken by real estate agent Nick Arsenis, reflect the overall philosophy of the professionals at Metropolis Realty, which is located in Ditmars, Astoria. The owner of Metropolis Realty is Ted Kouris. Though he is much too modest to admit it, Ted is somewhat of a local legend in the real estate business here in Astoria.
Charming, affable and always on point, Ted Kouris has over the course of 29 years built a solid reputation throughout the community. His business acumen and strong professional ethics are second to none. Whether you are thinking about selling a property that's been in the family for years or are a first-time home buyer, you will be in good hands with Metropolis Realty. All too often, people who are looking to sell or buy end up selling themselves short by attempting to do everything themselves. What they don't realize is that, having an experienced broker by your side can help you save both time and, in the long run, money.
Professionals like Ted do this every day for a living. An expert at the fine art of negotiation, Ted can also help his clients navigate the bureaucratic maze of paperwork that comes with buying (and selling) a home or applying for a mortgage.
Blessed with a keen sense of business as well as the negotiating skills of a professional diplomat, Ted has seen and done it all. There's not very much that fazes him. He is great at bringing parties together, so that everyone concerned with the "deal" comes out happy.
One of the benefits of dealing with an office like Metropolis Realty is that the brokers and sales agents all have strong roots in the community. When you speak with Ted or Nick, you get a real sense of just what living in Astoria means to them. This is not a trendy, too cool for school real estate office with a catchy marketing slogan and not much else. Many of these offices are here today and gone tomorrow. Metropolis Realty is going anywhere but high up in the realty businesses professional rankings.
The team at Metropolis, Angela Metaras, Nick Arsenis and their colleagues, reflect the values of the company's founder, Ted Kouris. And this isn't just a business for Ted. Real Estate is his passion. "I don't work 9 to 5. When you're in this field, you have to be available to your clients almost 24/7. Sometimes when I am at the gym, at 8 or 9 in the evening, I have to take a couple of calls. Same thing, when I am out having dinner with the family. If you are not available when they need you, the client will simply find another realtor who is."
Reminiscing a bit, Ted reflected on how he got into the business all those years ago. "Actually, a friend suggested that I give it a try. Thought that I had the personality for the business." Ted ended up having beginner's luck and sold a house first day on the job. "I showed a house and neither the seller or buyer could speak very good English. There was a communication issue from the start, but I acted as intermediary and got them talking. I wasn't sure that the parties even liked each other. But next day I got a call and my client wanted to make a solid offer on the house. It was accepted and the rest is history. And here we are today." Metropolis Realty is an office with traditional old-school values that will never go out of style.
Location
29-17 23rd avenue
Astoria NY 11105
(718) 545-9700
Perfect Strangers of NYC - Astoria
There's no doubt about it. In a field where it is really difficult to differentiate one realtor from another, "Perfect Strangers of NYC" stands head and shoulders far above the crowd. It's certainly not hyperbole to say that there's no real estate office, quite like Perfect Strangers of NYC anywhere in the city. And there seems to be at least one realtor's office on every block, no matter where you go. But none of them come even close to the kind of highly specialized, personal service that Perfect Strangers of NYC offers their clients.
The sad fact of life is that in New York City, it is almost impossible for one person with one job to be able to afford the rent for a one-bedroom. Sharing the cost of a nice two-or three-bedroom apartment with roommates has become increasingly popular. Problem is, where can you find roommates who are nice and normal like you are? And once they've passed the sanity test, wouldn't it be nice if they were compatible with your values and lifestyle? The things that are important to you, as far as living with a roommate, should be of concern to your realtor as well. If you currently live upstate or even clear across country, that makes the job (and it is almost a full-time job) of moving to the city that much harder. Thanks to the efforts of CEO and Founder Sarah Beth Hill and her team at Perfect Strangers of NYC, a problem that once appeared to be insurmountable now seems quite doable after all.
Perfect Stranger's specialty is matchmaking recent college grad and young professionals with a perfectly compatible roommate and apartment situation. They have a huge amount of inventory to choose from and Sarah and her team carefully screen each roommate. One of Sarah's personable and dedicated roommate matchmakers will introduce you to potential roommates in the neighborhood of your choice. When you feel comfortable, it's a "go" and not until then. Unlike many realtors who have extremely limited inventory in only one section of a borough, Perfect Strangers has attractive apartments all over the city, from Brooklyn and Manhattan to, of course, desirable neighborhoods in Queens, like Astoria and LIC. Sarah Hill, by the way, is a longtime resident of Astoria. After moving to the city from her hometown of Rochester, New York, Sarah just fell in love with the neighborhood and has been here ever since. Everybody likes to have options in life, especially when it comes to finding your happy place to live. That's exactly what Perfect Strangers of NYC is all about.
Location
269 West 25th Street (Chelsea)
New York NY
www.psofnyc.com
(585) 474-5836
Modern Spaces - NY
Modern Spaces energetic and innovative founder Eric Benaim seems to have the ability to be in many different places all at once. But that illusion could be attributed to the very real fact that his company, Modern Spaces, is opening offices all over the city almost at the speed of light. At one time a strictly Long Island City-based company, Modern Spaces has expanded its presence throughout the city, from LIC and Astoria to Williamsburg. Things are happening very fast indeed for this company that was founded just a few short years ago in 2008. Much of Modern Spaces success can be attributed to Eric's vision and willingness to take chances.
After making a career change from marketing and owning a live event company, Eric dove head-first into real estate. He decided to take a gamble on the neighborhood of Long Island City, at a time when most young realtors were focusing on luxury buildings in Manhattan. In 2006, Eric sold over 50 apartments in the up-and-coming community of LIC. A resident of LIC since 2006, Eric had the honor of being named as one of the Forty under forty rising stars of Queens by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Some of the company's new developments include The Jackson, at 13-33 Jackson Avenue in LIC, the Baker House at 41-07 Crescent Street and The Grove, which is located at 30-40 21st Street in Astoria. These luxury buildings have a great many amenities and unparalleled views of the surrounding neighborhood and the Manhattan skyline.
One of the places, however, where Modern Spaces does seem to fall a bit short is in their accessibility. Many times local residents have been unable to visit with a broker or sales agent because the office was closed during normal business hours. For a company that has a proven track record of successful development and rebranding communities, as well as an uber-talented management team, it's not a good idea to be so inaccessible to the neighborhoods that they are trying to serve. But that having been said, the sky can only be the limit for Eric and the forward-thinking visionaries that make up the team at Modern Spaces. And be assured of one thing. If you buy or rent from Modern Spaces, you will absolutely Love Your Place !
Location
Astoria-Ditmars
29-20 23rd Avenue
Astoria NY
(718) 777-2232
LIC - Vernon
47-42 Vernon Blvd.
LIC NY
(718) 784-1110
Comments