A Look At Brooklyn's Newest Boutique Condo, The Symon

Sarah Finkel

The Symon, Brooklyn Height’s newest ground-up, full-service boutique luxury condominium, is slated to open in the fall, boasting private outdoor spaces and three penthouses in a mix of one-to-four bedroom homes. Offering contemporary residences with an elevated design sensibility and an acute attention to detail, the historic and tasteful 12-story building with 59 residences is destined to grace the picturesque streets and beautiful townhouse blocks of the borough.

It’s located at 76 Schermerhorn Street between Court Street and Boerum Place, near Downtown Brooklyn's numerous educational institutions, 13 subway lines, premiere retailers and a plethora of culinary and nightlife options.

Steeped in history, The Symon is a nod to the patriarch of the Schermerhorn family, whose aristocratic mercantile legacy dates back to the 1600s. The family is known for their sense of civic duty and philanthropy as a patron of the arts and of the educational institutions of New York, namely Columbia University. Thus, The Symon celebrates the confluence of both history and culture, and commerce and education.

Studio DB, the New York-based design firm led by husband and wife Damian and Britt Zunino, known for their custom home portfolio and high-end interiors work, has been tapped to design The Symon's interiors (including amenities) and its captivating facade. Lonicera Partners, Orange Management and The Davis Companies are handling its development, while Stribling Marketing Associates is exclusively handling sales and marketing for the building. Pricing has yet to be revealed.

Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

FXCollaborative’s 77 Greenwich Tops Out in the Financial District

Credit: Will Femia

77 Greenwich, the new residential tower designed by a “Who’s Who” of local design talent, including FXCollaborative, the architecture firm behind the new Statue of Liberty Museum, and Deborah Berke Partners, the lauded design firm that crafted the interiors at 432 Park Avenue, has officially topped out. We’ve just received a new set of photography illustrating the progress of the tower, which is bringing 90 condominium residences with show-stopping water views, prime retail space and a new public elementary school to the heart of Lower Manhattan. 

Topping out at 500 feet, the 42-story building features a pleated glass curtain wall façade (which as you can see in the photos, is beginning to take shape) that provides sprawling water views from each of the homes—which begin on the 15th floor located nearly 150 feet above street level—and rises from a cast stone base that nods to its historic neighbors and location. 77 Greenwich also includes the preservation and restoration of the neighboring Robert & Anne Dickey House, a historic landmark built in 1810 that is one of the last remaining Federal-style buildings in New York City, which will be seamlessly incorporated into a new elementary school. 

The building, which recently launched sales this spring, features 90 residences ranging from one to four bedrooms and a suite of amenities designed by Deborah Berke Partners. Headlined by a penthouse-level club known as Cloud Club 77, every resident is afforded a penthouse view via spaces including an art-filled lounge with a fireplace, a private dining room with catering kitchen, a children’s playroom, and a double-height fitness center programmed by celebrity personal trainer Jay Wright. The building also offers expansive outdoor space designed by Future Green Studio, which includes a 3,600-square-foot rooftop garden and a 2,350-square-foot lower floor terrace featuring pergolas and a dog run. 

Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Tips For Selling Homes To Millennials, The Debt Generation

Despite what you may have heard in one of the million “Millennials are killing [insert industry here]” articles, young people are buying homes. Millennials and Gen Yers made up about 34% of home buyers in 2017, a number that’s only increased in the past two years. Millennials make up a fair amount of first-time buyers nowadays, so it's important to know some of the best ways to market your real estate to this demographic.

Use these tips to help draw in more Millennial house hunters to your property and get better offers in the long-run.

Millennials Are Obsessed With Location, Location, Location

We know you’ve heard the saying about location, location, location. That’s because a great location is key no matter who you're selling real estate to. However, Millennials may have certain requirements when evaluating a neighborhood. Because many Millennials are childless, they may not be as concerned with school districts as previous generations. Instead, they may be more concerned with proximity to public transportation, the cost of living, and whether or not the neighborhood is “cool”.

Obviously, you can’t pick up and relocate your property, but it's important to know how to talk about your home's area in a way that will appeal to a younger, more adventurous demographic. As many as 69% of Millennials consider themselves to be adventurous, so if your potential buyer seems like the type, talk about some of the activities in the surrounding area that can cater to this preference.

Consider The Community

When a buyer is looking at your property, they're not just looking at the house itself; they're also looking at the surrounding community. Your neighborhood could potentially be damaging your chances of finding a buyer, even if it's a fairly nice area. How? Community association fees could be driving up the long-term cost of living at your location. The employment of real estate and community association managers is predicted to grow by 10% between 2016 and 2026, meaning the costs are only likely to increase. Be sure to factor that into your pricing negotiations, especially since Millennials tend to be fairly careful with their money.

Remember Your Repairs

While Millennials are often looking for a well-priced home, that can sometimes come at another cost. Younger generations tend to be more likely to look for fixer-uppers for the sake of a lower price on the property. While this means you can likely get away with leaving some types of repairs for the buyers to take care of, there are a few that will still be deal breakers. Check for major issues, particularly with electricity or plumbing. Hard water, for example, might not be readily apparent to buyers but will become an issue upon inspection. A whole 85% of American homes have hard water – water that contains high levels of calcium and magnesium. Install a water softener or find other ways to repair necessary plumbing before listing your property. Don't worry as much about a wall that needs new paint; most buyers are willing to look past that.

Taking On Technology

If there's one quality that the majority of Millennials and Gen Yers share, it's that most are fairly tech-savvy. Because these generations have grown up surrounded by technological innovation, it's become a must-have for many home buyers. Look for ways to integrate smart technology into your property, such as programmable thermostats and other smart appliances. While it might seem like a fairly frivolous add-on, these extras can make the difference if a potential buyer is torn between your property and someone else's.

While many people still fall for the stereotype that Millennials aren't looking to buy homes, that couldn't be further from the truth. Plenty of Millennial buyers are out there just looking for the right place to call home. If you want to increase your property's chances of a higher offer, use these tips to market to this particular demographic.