There are over 80,000 licensed real estate agents in New York City. Let me say that again: eighty thousand. And maybe 200 of them have any business handling a $5M+ transaction. The rest are guessing. You don’t want a guesser when your family’s wealth is on the table.
I’ve been in this business for 18 years. I’ve taught at Baruch College. I coach agents through SERHANT.’s SELL IT program. I’ve been on Netflix. And still, the most important thing I do is show up for my clients like it’s my first deal every single time. That’s the standard. Here’s how to find an agent who meets it.
What Should I Look for in a Luxury Real Estate Agent?
Three things matter more than anything else: track record, access, and communication.
Track record means closed transactions at the price point you’re buying or selling at. Not listings — closings. Anyone can get a listing. Not everyone can close it. Ask for specific comparable sales. Ask what they sold in the last 12 months and at what price relative to asking. If they can’t answer that instantly, walk away.
Access means relationships with other top brokers, developers, and building management. In the ultra-luxury market, the best deals never hit the MLS. They happen through whisper listings and pocket deals between brokers who trust each other. My team’s network spans every supertall on Billionaires’ Row — One57, Central Park Tower, 220 Central Park South, 432 Park, 111 West 57th — because we’ve closed in all of them.
Communication means you should never have to chase your broker. Ever. I tell my clients: if I don’t return your call within two hours, something is wrong. Your time is your most valuable asset, and any broker who doesn’t respect that doesn’t deserve your business.
Does It Matter What Brokerage My Agent Works For?
More than most people realize. The brokerage determines your marketing infrastructure, your global reach, and the quality of agents who will cooperate on showing your property. I’m at SERHANT. for a reason — it’s the only content-to-commerce real estate firm in the world. We have an in-house film studio, a branding team, and a marketing engine that turns every listing into a media event.
After Season 1 of Owning Manhattan aired on Netflix, SERHANT. saw a 1,915% increase in website traffic and a 285% increase in listing inquiries. That’s the power of a media-forward brokerage. Your listing doesn’t just go on a website — it goes everywhere.
How Do I Know If My Agent Is Actually Good or Just Famous?
This is a great question, and I’ll be honest — fame and competence don’t always overlap. Here’s the test: ask them to walk you through their last three deals. Not the highlights — the problems. What went wrong? How did they solve it? What would they do differently?
A good agent will be transparent about challenges because every deal has them. A bad agent will give you a polished pitch with no substance. Real estate at the luxury level is high-stakes negotiation, complex financing, co-op board politics, developer relationships, and timing. You need a surgeon, not a salesperson.
“I am the prize. And so is my client. I walk into every deal knowing that the other side needs us as much as we need them. That energy changes everything.” — Nile Lundgren, NAHREP North New Jersey
Should I Use the Same Agent to Buy and Sell?
In most cases, yes. When your agent understands both sides of your transaction, they can coordinate timing, leverage information, and negotiate from a position of total knowledge. I’ve managed simultaneous buy-sell transactions for clients where the timing of one closing funded the other — that requires a level of coordination that two separate agents simply can’t match.
The Lundgren Team is built for this. We have nine agents across three markets — NYC, Miami, and Dubai — speaking six languages. If you’re selling a penthouse on Park Avenue and buying a waterfront condo in Miami Beach, we handle the entire journey under one roof.
What Questions Should I Ask Before Hiring a Luxury Agent?
I teach this at Baruch College. Here are the five questions every buyer or seller should ask:
1. How many transactions have you closed above my price point in the last 24 months?
2. What is your average sale-to-list price ratio? (The answer should be 95% or higher.)
3. Walk me through your marketing plan for my property — specifically.
4. Who is on your team, and who will I actually be communicating with?
5. Can you provide three references from clients at my price point?
If they hesitate on any of these, that tells you everything.
READY TO MAKE YOUR MOVE?
Work with the Lundgren Team at SERHANT. — $500M+ in luxury sales across NYC, Miami & Dubai.
Follow @nilelundgren | Visit nilelundgren.com | Call (917) 453-4526 | Need Coaching?
As Seen on Netflix’s Owning Manhattan | Fox Business | Vogue | NY Post | The Real Deal
