From the NY Times:It’s one of the oldest tricks in real estate: pretend that a property is in a more desirable neighborhood and demand more rent or a higher sale price. In other words, advertise that an apartment is in, say, Prospect Heights rather than Crown Heights.
When brokers cannot do that, some make up a whole new name, like ProCro for the area between Prospect Heights and Crown Heights. Or they rename places like the South Bronx “SoBro” and South Harlem “SoHa.”
Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn Democrat, has little patience for this kind of broker babble. He said he would introduce a bill next week to require a series of approvals for new neighborhood names — from the community board, the City Council and the mayor.
His bill would also punish real estate brokers who promoted property with an unofficial, made-up name. The bill calls for fines and the possible suspension or revocation of brokers’ licenses.
He said he was simply trying to bring order to the chaos out there.
You're gonna have a tough time with that one, Hakeem. It's nice to want to defend neighborhood identity but your proposal violates the first amendment and there are more effective ways to embarrass realtors besides legislation.
12 comments:
This story was covered on tv as well.
The issue as I see is not free speech -it is truth in advertising (however oxymoronic that seems).
Almost anyone who has looked for a house or apt has had some bottom feeding broker send them to someplace that isn't really where they portray it.
When I was considering co-ops in Forest Hills I routinely got addresses in ReGo Park. One broker said "oh that's Forest Hills West"! What did she think, because I'am from Manhattan I still can't read a map?
The story on tv clearly showed that one major broker, Cochran, was clearly attempting to use these cutesy acronyms to portray an area well outside the actual neighborhood's boundaries.
The idea is not far removed from classic blockbusting in that they hoped to expand the expensive area (and their commission) into a lower cost one.
Typical...and no, I don't think it will pass in Bloombag's New York.
I think Hakeem Jeffrey 's proposal is a good one. I hate the idea of brokers changing the name of a neighborhood. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
SpaHa, SoBro, WaHi, FiDi, NoHi, etc. It sounds stupid. Brokers are trying to erase entire neighborhoods, along with its identity and the people who already live there.
All neighborhood names are made up. What a jerk this assembly member is. Buyer (or renter) beware!
SpaHa, SoBro, WaHi, FiDi, NoHi, etc. It sounds stupid. Brokers are trying to erase entire neighborhoods, along with its identity and the people who already live there.
Like developers are not taking taxpapyers money, as in LIC, to erase an entire neighborhood?
... or what about erasing neighborhoods with changing demographics is happened to Flushing of a generation ago, or Jamaica even further back (something that historians, trumpeting the change in good Party fashion, give at best a glancing notice)
SpaHa, SoBro, WaHi, FiDi, NoHi and Caveat Emptor.
Real Estate Brokers Suck!
and there are more effective ways to embarrass realtors besides legislation.
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yeah, like telling them that they are an obsolete profession.
How 'bout LIC-AS?
"How 'bout LIC-AS?"
Crappy needs to go all FaceBook and get install a "like" button.
Is it any wonder I'm not a criminal.
Is it any wonder I'm not in jail.
Is it any wonder I've got too much time on my hands.
It's ticking away with my sanity
Hakeem Jeffries probably knows that his bill is dead on arrival, but if it raised a public discussion, it achieved its goal.
I only wish that local community boards would be consulted on stupid things like the RFK Bridge and Ed Koch Bridge renamings.
Then again how 'bout AS-LIC?
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