This is one show I am super excited about. It's all the things we love about real estate -- voyeurism, the dramz of making deals, kooky buyers and inflated sellers -- except pumped up big, on New York City money. Premiering tomorrow night at 9pm ET, the cameras follow two of New York City's high-end real estate agencies, CORE
and Gumley Haft Kleier, as their top performing agents usher our
eyeballs through the city's most incredible residences (the kind we only
imagined behind the closed shutters of SoHo and the dapper awnings of
the Upper East Side.)
And the agents! The Agents... While I know that New Yorkers are just people, they do seem to live life more intensely. Shopping/lunching/schmoozing with smart phones glued to their well-quaffed heads, they're impeccably put together and ALWAYS on (it's true, you'll see.) And economic slump wha? By the looks of what they're moving -- and how -- you'd never know it.
In any case, I've made it a personal mission to max out for you exclusive accesses to some of the star agents featured on the show! Along with tomorrow night's premiere, the Kleiers -- the mother-and-daughters team of Gumley Haft Kleier -- will be joining us in a Live Blog right here on on Style Sheet!! This means you can actually ask the agents questions while you watch the show, and to help you get to know them a bit, I've asked them a few questions of my own....
Samantha Kleier Forbes (left) and Sabrina Kleier Morgenstern
HGTV: How is it working for/with your mother?
Samantha & Sabrina: A perfect excuse to spend all of our time together. Luckily we are soul mates!
HGTV: You ladies – most people, for that matter, in New York City -- are always dressed to the nines – how do you run around in heels all day and maintain all your beauty appointments with your crazy schedules? There’s such pressure to look amazing every second of the day in NYC!
S&S: It sure makes for a full day and some tired feet! modern technology has
made us totally mobile (you will always see us clutching our cell
phones and blackberries!) So whether we are getting a blow-out at the
famed Valery Joseph salon (as we are in episode 3, btw) or shopping at our
favorite neighborhood boutique, Edit, (as you will see later this
season), we are always working.
Our mother taught us to be queens of
multitasking, and that you never meet a potential client sitting at your
desk!
HGTV: Do you think New Yorkers are any different as clients than people in other cities? How? (Some of the characters!)
S&S: New Yorkers are on a level all to themselves: more sophisticated, more
demanding, more savvy, and usually fabulous. We have some real New York
"characters" on the show, such as the amazing fashion designer Indashio -
a diva with a heart of gold!
HGTV: What would you say is the most coveted and/or hard to find feature in New York apartments?
S&S: Private outdoor space and private elevator landings. If you haven't guessed already, New Yorkers like privacy!
HGTV: What decor style sells/shows the best?
S&S: Classic never goes out of style.
HGTV: What are your favourite areas in NYC?
S&S: Carnegie Hill on Manhattan's upper east side is where we grew up and
still live, all within three blocks of each other - so that is our "no
place like home." (You will see Carnegie Hill in the show's premiere.) But, each area of Manhattan has its own magical charm -- whether it is
the cobblestone streets of the West Village, or the cool lofts in Soho
and Tribeca, or the exquisite prewar buildings on the Upper West Side. We love all of New York! Each of our episodes showcases an exciting
piece of NYC, whether it’s Annie Liebowitz's former apartment, or Michael Strahan's Tribeca loft, or a $25-million townhouse with a
swimming pool, or the ultimate NYC trophy apt: the 28.5 million
penthouse at the legendary Stanhope hotel.
HGTV: What do you enjoy most about your jobs?
S&S: Being with our family every day, and finding clients their dream homes.
Stay tuned! Tomorrow on Style Sheet, my questions for the matriarch, Michele Kleier, and the Live Blogging details for the premiere of Selling New York!
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