What the Heck Is Going On in Carroll Gardens?
This is getting weird. Despite a softening market all around, there’s been a rash of new listings in Carroll Gardens that have defied all logic and precedent. Starting with 44 1st Place (which in retrospect is probably the best deal of the lot) for $3,842,500, they’ve just kept coming: A 3,100-square-foot house at 78 3rd…
This is getting weird. Despite a softening market all around, there’s been a rash of new listings in Carroll Gardens that have defied all logic and precedent. Starting with 44 1st Place (which in retrospect is probably the best deal of the lot) for $3,842,500, they’ve just kept coming: A 3,100-square-foot house at 78 3rd Place for $3,495,000? A 16-foot-wide one at 40 2nd Place for $2,800,000? And now a three-story house at 329 President Street for a $3,600,000? What is going on here? One common denominator: Corcoran is the listing agent on all these places except for 1st Place. Coincidence or conspiracy?
329 President Street [Corcoran] GMAP
HOTD: 40 2nd Place [Brownstoner]
HOTD: 78 3rd Place [Brownstoner]
HOTD: 44 1st Place [Brownstoner]
People should not use Corcoran because too many of their listings stink, not because their CG houses are priced too high. Many of the Corcoran brokers never invest in a professional photographer, for all the money they are making off the commission, and some don’t even pay for a floorplan. I’ve also encountered a lot of newbie amateurs at Corcoran open houses. And once had a Corcoran broker simply not show up for an open house. Didn’t leave a note, nothing. It seems they were letting just about anybody join their firm for a while there. The other big realty firms use professional photographers and pay for a floorplan. It’s what the broker offers you, that should be the reason you choose them.
11:42 am:
I admit I don’t immediately know where 164 Smith St. is, but I’d guess it is the Starbucks at Bergen St. and Smith. And no, that’s really not Carroll Gardens, in fact, it’s a subway stop away.
11:43- That’s Boerum Hill.
Judging from your misspellings, poor grammar and run on sentence, 11:43, you might want to take a stab at PS. 58 yourself for a couple years for an English 101 brush-up course.
Putnam – I thought sites like Streeteasy basically served the same function as an MLS.
Decent point otherwise. I agree that individual brokers can’t really fix the market, though I’ve always kind of suspected that the larger brokers (Corcoran, Elliman, BHS, Halstead) have de facto colluded – look on Streeteasy and their listings invariably seem more aggressively priced than comps at the smaller local Brooklyn brokers so you wonder if they don’t all suggest prices to sellers based on what the other big brokers are listing. It’s kind of a self reinforcing phenomenon though – higher priced listings draw more sellers.
However, here Corcoran has basically left even the other large brokers in the dust. Gotta wonder why when it makes them look so bad….
“Brooklyn used to pride itself on its diversity and liberal values. Remember those days?”
Are you kidding? The old school Brooklynites I’ve met are among the most conservative and close-minded people I have ever met.
The owner of 329 owns and lives in one of the nicest houses on that block. He bought 329 for his daughter to live in. He probably got around DOB because he knew what he was doing because he is in the real estate business – not a broker or agent. I consider him an old timer but not an elderly old timer.
Not a Broker here i must say the area is top of the line Nabe and maybe some prices may be asking a little much the area does command a high price in terms of Location. The school is just wonderful PS58 amd the people make the nabe wonderful.
11:36:
So this isn’t Carroll Gardens????
Starbucks
164 Smith St, Bklyn
Brooklyn, NY 11231
718-422-0178
And you’ve got a McD’s on the way to Smith very soon.