Esquire Realty Ciaramella & Co. is a premier real estate brokerage proudly rooted in Howard Beach and Ozone Park, Queens. Led by Brina Ciaramella Esq., an award winning and top-producing broker and local real estate attorney ranked in the top 3.5% of Realtors in Queens, our team combines legal expertise, deep neighborhood knowledge, and innovative marketing to deliver exceptional results. Trusted by buyers, sellers, and investors, we specialize in residential sales, luxury listings, and strategic negotiations. Known for community impact and award-winning service, Esquire Realty Ciaramella & Co. is dedicated to elevating the neighborhoods we serve.
One of the most misunderstood parts of real estate is the difference between:
โข a buyer being represented by the listing agent, and
โข a buyer simply working directly with the listing agent while remaining unrepresented.
A lot of consumers think these are the same thing. They are not.For example, a buyer may walk into an open house without their own agent and begin dealing directly with the listing agent. That does NOT automatically mean the listing agent now represents the buyer.
Unless the buyer formally enters into an agency relationship with that agent, the listing agent still represents the seller only. The buyer is considered a customer, not a client. The listing agent must still treat the buyer fairly and honestly, but their fiduciary duty remains with the seller.
Dual agency is different.
That occurs when an agent actually represents BOTH the buyer and seller in the same transaction. For example, if an agent is already signed with a buyer and later matches them with one of their own listings. In New York, dual agency must be disclosed and agreed to in writing by all parties.
This distinction matters more than ever in todayโs market because many buyers mistakenly believe that speaking directly with the listing agent automatically gives them representation. It often does not.
A 1031 exchange is something that everyone talks about, and many people don’t really understand correctly. It only applies to income producing properties. And yes, even some agents still get that wrong.
What it is, is a tax deferral strategy. You sell one qualifying property, reinvest the proceeds into another, and push the capital gains taxes down the road. You have to have a qualified intermediary. Usually your real estate attorney will have a relationship with one, so they can guide you- but if you look it up, there are plenty of them out there.
There are also strict timelines. From the day you sell, you have 45 days to identify your replacement property, and 180 days total to close on it. Miss either of those windows and the whole thing falls apart.
You have to remember that it’s not really making the taxes go away, exactly. Technically, itโs a deferral. But in reality, if you keep exchanging and hold the final property until you die “swap til’ you drop”, there can be a step up in basis that wipes out the deferred gain. So, in the right scenario, those taxes may never actually get paid.
I personally think that some people get caught up in the idea of this “hack” to eliminate taxes, when it’s not always the best choice for their lives. I’ve seen so many landlords who are ready to be done with the grind of investment properties just keep rolling into new properties to chase that deferred tax outcome. My advice is that a certain point, itโs okay to say, โIโve had a great run, Iโm cashing outโ- but hey, that’s just my opinion.
As with anything real estate or just in life, you need to really think about your own personal situation and what best fits your goals.
Price it right. Keep it accessible. Respond quickly when I need you to. If those three things stay intact, the deal has a better chance of moving forward favorably.
My job is not to take sides (although I will sit and listen if you need to vent!). My job is to keep things moving, keep things organized, and make sure the decisions that actually impact the outcome donโt get lost in everything else.
Decisions still need to be made, and they need to be made clearly. Price changes, offer responses, repairs, closing timelines. If those get delayed or inconsistent, buyers feel it immediately and start to pull back.
Itโs not uncommon to have two separate or a neutral third party closing attorney. I can help guide that process and connect you with people who deal with these situations regularly so things stay clean and focused.I also act as a buffer. Not everything needs to be a direct conversation.
I can coordinate showings, manage access, keep communication structured, and make sure nothing stalls out over avoidable friction.
Getting the property ready has to be straightforward. Cleaning, staging, small repairs. If that turns into a point of conflict, it delays everything and shows in how the property presents.
If you’re living in the home, the showings can feel invasive, and then on top of that, people are rude. Last minute requests, time changes, cancellations, and even no shows. Sometimes I get people with smelly feet, show up juggling ten coffees and a chihuahua in a bag, or have their loudmouth uncle with them who hates your wallpaper. They all might buy your house, so let’s just get through it together.
Vacant homes are easier to show and sell but there are plenty of annoying elements as well. Lights get left on, heat or AC gets adjusted, and despite signs, notes, and instructions everywhere, not everyone follows my rules. Is it an inconvenience? Yes. Is it preventable? Not entirely. Itโs just part of the process.
Every showing is an opportunity, and the more access you allow, and the more you say #namaste ๐ง๐ผโโ๏ธ and just relax, the more opportunities you create. Thatโs what actually gets homes sold. Limiting access because itโs annoying might make your day easier, but it usually makes your sale harder.
Weโre trading a little inconvenience now for a successful sale. And that trade is always worth it!
Open houses can go one of two ways. Smooth and controlled, or chaotic and uncomfortable for everyone involved. The difference usually comes down to planning and knowing how to read the room before the first buyer even walks in.
๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ต๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐บ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐. I look at how many people have viewed and saved the property, and I pay attention to how many agents are opening my promotional emails. That data tells me what kind of traffic I am realistically preparing for.
Two weeks ago, I had a property with extremely high interest. I knew it was going to be busy, so I staffed it accordingly. ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฝ๐น๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐. In situations like that, I actually prefer keeping agents stationary in key allowing buyers to walk through more freely. It keeps things flowing and avoids bottlenecks.But not every open house is a crowd.
๐ง๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ.The property was large, four full floors of living space, but the interest level did not suggest a heavy turnout. That creates a different kind of challenge.๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐ฎ ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ฒ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ. So I adjusted.
๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐ฎ๐๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ผ๐ป. It created a natural pause point, allowed me to stay in control of the showing, and made sure every group got proper attention without others roaming the house. It is a small move, but it makes a big difference.
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ต๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ.This can matter even more when a property is tenant occupied. Tenants already feel like their privacy is being interrupted. The last thing you want is strangers walking through their space without any structure or supervision.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with hiring a real estate agent who is competitively priced. You should be thoughtful about fees. This is a business decision.
But thereโs a big difference between competitive and Bargain Bin Bobby.
The truth is, the difference between a great agent and a cheap one is rarely the fee. Itโs what you net and whether you actually make it to the closing table.
So yes, be smart. Interview agents. Understand their fee structure. Make sure it makes sense. But if your entire selection process is โwhoโs cheapest,โ youโre not being savvy at all.
Shop for experience. Shop for strategy. Shop for someone who can actually get you to the closing table with the strongest possible outcome.
Thereโs a pattern right now. Homes hit the market, sit with no real interest, and quickly go stale.
Some agents miss the details that actually drive value. And in this market, those details matter.
Not all properties trade the same just because they share a location. Pricing them like theyโre interchangeable is a mistake.
Thereโs also no such thing as a legal โmother-daughterโ designation in NYC. Many homes are legally one-family, and if you donโt understand the Certificate of Occupancy, youโre pricing wrong from day one.
Flood zones and elevation matter. A buyer factoring in thousands per year in insurance is looking at your price very differently.
Lot size matters too. Even on the same block, the difference can be significant, and that directly impacts value.
And one of the biggest mistakes: pricing based on whatโs listed instead of whatโs sold. A group of overpriced listings doesnโt support your price. It shows what isnโt selling.
You get one real window when your home hits the market. That first wave of attention is everything.
Local knowledge isnโt a buzzword. Itโs the difference between selling and sitting.
A property isnโt truly โvacantโ just because you plan for it to be. If thereโs a tenant in place, your sale comes with an extra layer of risk.
Not every tenant needs to be served notice immediately. Some are cooperative and helpful. But you have to be realistic. A tenantโs behavior can change quickly once photos are taken, showings begin, and the reality of moving sets in.
As agents, we are not working against tenants. In many cases, we can actually help them transition, whether that means finding a new rental, negotiating a lease that works for them, or even guiding them through a purchase of their own. When handled properly, this process can be a shift, not just a disruption. However-
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐น๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐น๐ฎ๐ด๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ. Resistance to photography. Delayed responses about access. Making showings difficult. These are small signs that often turn into bigger problems.
Serving notice starts the clock. If you wait until you have a buyer ready to close, you are already behind. What could have been handled months earlier can turn into significant delays and even lost buyers.Even if your tenant is being polite and cooperative, serving notice can still be the right move. It can be explained as part of the process when a property is being sold.
Your sale price is the starting point. Your net is whatโs left after everything comes off the top. And those numbers add up quickly.
๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐จ๐ช๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ฉ๐๐๐๐/ ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ค๐๐. If you have a loan, it gets paid in full at closing including your balance, interest through the day of closing, and any bank fees. For most sellers, this is the biggest deduction.
๐๐๐ญ๐ฉ ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ข๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ. You will pay your listing agent based on your agreement, and depending on how the deal is structured, you will likely also be paying a buyerโs agent. This is negotiable, but cutting corners here can cost you far more than it saves. The way your property is marketed, exposed, and negotiated will directly impact your bottom line.
๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐๐จ. State tax is 0.4 percent, and in NYC it ranges from 1 percent to 1.425 percent depending on the price. These are standard closing costs that come straight off the top.
๐ผ๐๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐จ. New York is an attorney state, and your attorney is responsible for the contract, clearing title issues, and getting you to closing. This is a protective role, not an optional one.
๐๐ค๐ช ๐ข๐๐ฎ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ค ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐จ that need to be resolved before you get paid. That can include satisfaction fees, old liens, or judgments. Some properties are clean. Others take work.
๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ.Property taxes, water, and sometimes fuel are prorated as of the day of closing. You may also see ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐จ ๐ค๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ -๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐๐จ ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฎ ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐จ๐ช๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐ค๐ง ๐จ๐๐๐ช๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐จ๐๐๐ง๐จ. Smaller fees are involved for preparation and recording of your transfer documents indeed, as well as paying the title closer at the table.
๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ก๐ฎ, ๐๐จ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฌ๐จ. It is common for attorneys to hold money back for items like a final water bill or minor unresolved issues. That money is not handed to you at closing. It is released later once everything is cleared.At the end of the day, two properties can sell for the same price and result in very different net proceeds depending on how these numbers stack up.
If you are thinking about selling, you should know your net before you list, not when you are sitting at the closing table.
One of the biggest misconceptions I see when pricing homes is the belief that every dollar spent on renovations automatically increases the value of the property. It doesn’t work that way.
Some improvements consistently help resale value. Others were wonderful for your own enjoyment but do very little for the market. But here’s the truth-
If you installed something very specific because it made you happy, that is perfectly fine. Homes are meant to be lived in and enjoyed. Just think of those choices as lifestyle upgrades, not necessarily financial investments.
Esquire Realty Ciaramella & Co. 