Ask a broker: Corcoran's Williamsburg specialist Tom Le
Before he was handling multimillion-dollar deals (check out the
Q: Highest sale in the last 12 months?
If an individual listing - I sold a 3 family townhouse in
Q: What's your next hottest nabe in NYC?
While I love
Q: Craziest showing story?
We listed a mixed use multi-family property in Bushwick. The word just got out that Bushwick is the next “it” neighborhood. A customer contacted us to view the property and insisted that she must see it within the day because she was only in town for 2 days from
She was driven to the property and arrived with her face full of new bandages and wraps and the ointment on her face was still fresh as if she just got out of a doctor’s appointment right before our appointment.
Q: What's your top tip for pricing a home?
When possible, price the property just a hair below the market to create a sense of value and urgency. When buyers see value, they will bid, in turn, create desirability. Then, sellers have options to choose their buyer/best bid instead of having buyers choose their property amongst myriad of competitors if the property is priced too high. Also, if the property is priced too high to “leave room for negotiation”, it will languish on the market and become “shop worn.”
Q: What's the biggest mistake buyers make when looking for a home?
The biggest challenge for buyers is to have realistic expectations. I always say if one has unlimited budget and unlimited time, then anything is possible. But most buyers are not in this category. Even if buyers are, perfection is in the eye of the beholder thus no seller’s home will be perfect for the buyer until the buyer makes this home theirs.
Q: What was your first big sell?
If an individual property – I sold a 4 unit townhouse on
Q: What'd you buy yourself after?
Honestly, I don’t remember. I probably worked on the next deal and went out to a nice dinner.
Q: What did you do before you became a broker?
Before I became a broker, I was studying medicine. I then found my heart in the arts, modern dance choreography to be specific, when I was in college. I was dancing and choreographing for 10 years before real estate found me. Being an artist – juggling work, manage expectation, being flexible with life's persistent challenges and personal time – was a perfect training ground to becoming a real estate broker. The main focus is always present throughout these paths – the passion, the love and the creativity in solving problems.
Q: Personal motto or favorite saying?
Be compassionate but firm. Try to picture myself in the client’s shoes.
Q: Favorite room in your own house?
When I am home, which is rare since I often find myself at work, I am splitting my time between the garden and the living room. The garden is my oasis in the midst of urban chaos. I have a 70 year old sugar maple tree in the backyard surrounded by perennials like azaleas and rhododendrons. Once in a while, I love to lie down on the ground and look up at the sky through the filtering leaves of the sugar maple tree. I feel completely at peace as if I were in the middle of the woods in the
Q: Person dead or alive you most admire?
Siddhartha Gautama – who gave up all worldly possession and riches to find the way to end life’s sufferings and to teach others same.
Q: What part of business do you love the most?
I love the human interaction and the minuet relationship involved in every transaction.
Q: Neighborhood in
I truly enjoy every neighborhood of NY. I especially love neighborhoods that thrive on diversity which makes NYC a place of strength and attraction. I have lived in many places in the world and I am happy to say NYC, in particular
Q: In which era in NYC history would you want to be selling or living?
The here and now is really exciting especially the historic time we just witnessed the last 2 years. It confirms my love for NYC which has demonstrated its resilience and strength with grace.
Q: If you could be any building in NYC, which would you be?
It really depends on the day. Now, it happens to be the