We are constantly posting the latest news in the real estate world on dailyDEEDS so we are always excited to learn more from brokers and relators about the ever-changing market. In our latest interview, we had the chance to speak with Nadine Adamson, an agent at Brown Harris Stevens who sold the Brooklyn townhouse Michelle Williams shared with Heath Ledger and has represented other celebrity clients such as Lake Bell and Mamie Gummer.
Read on to learn more about her, including her passion for renovations.
Tell us about how you got into real estate?
I started early. Sort of. One chore I had as a teenager was to post ads for my family’s TriBeCa rental properties.
At the end of each ad, I would write “no brokers, no thanks.” If a broker would even call, I would say something snarky and hang up. When I was 20, I even had a boyfriend’s father say I wasn’t a good fit for his son because I was “obsessed with real estate.” But like a thoroughbred that refuses to run, I stubbornly denied that it was a potential career.
Instead, I went off and studied acting, started my doctorate in anthropology, and had two kids. A decade later, the mother of a childhood friend became my broker in the purchase of a Brooklyn townhouse. I think I must have impressed her in my search and negotiating tactics, because she kept pushing me to become a broker and join her team. I kept pushing back.
Finally, she said, “Nadine, brokers can be good!” Obviously, she eventually wore me down. I am forever flattered that she believed I could run fast enough in this real estate race.
What makes a property “hot” in NYC?
A lower than expected price definitively gets blood in the water, and buyers are sharks right now.
What are some real estate trends you are seeing now?
Lobster roll canapés are making a real comeback at brokers’ open houses.
We loved hearing that you have a passion for renovation. How did that come about?
Renovation and real estate are in my blood. My father is an architect, and my mother is a shark. I was always around construction sites. Out of date floorplans were my coloring books, and quality time with my parents usually involved a hardhat or the property auction room at City Hall.
When I’m in a new space, my mind naturally goes toward reimagining finishes and layouts. I go through several permutations in a few minutes, and that’s a huge advantage for my clients. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but that’s how my brain works.
Tell us about your Tribeca penthouse.
It’s actually the apartment where I grew up. My mother bought the building (an old cheese factory) in 1981 with a partner, and they hardly fixed anything for the last 35 years. Old school Tribeca. I decided that this new reimagined loft would be centered around a glorious master suite and two giant terraces. It took four years, and nearly pancaked me financially and emotionally.
Unfortunately, my new family won’t be the first residents of the renovated penthouse. That distinction belongs to four chickens and six guinea hens who bamboozled me into doing a home-swap for their “residence” in Quogue this month.
Fortunately, though, the hot tub on the roof wasn’t installed yet, so at least I will be christening that one myself.
Anything else you would like to add?
Don’t rent to chickens. Or guinea hens, for that matter. Seriously, I am grateful to all my clients, Karesse Grenier (the agent who pushed me into this business), and most of all my business partner, the incredibly brilliant and ravishingly handsome Kelsey Hall.