In this column, real estate agents across the nation share stories of the lessons they’ve learned during their time in the industry.
New York City associate broker Burt F. Savitsky is an award-winning real estate professional specializing in condominiums and co-ops. Despite being a 30-plus year resident of the city’s Upper East Side, he’s also a die-hard Boston sports fan. Savitsky is a lover of classic sports cars, and when asked what goal he hasn’t accomplished yet, he says that he’d love to try stand-up comedy.
Find out how this real estate standout helps clients navigate the complexities of the co-op board approval process while leaning into his own inimitable style to stay connected.
Name: Burt F. Savitsky
Title: Licensed associate real estate broker
Experience: I have been licensed since 1985 and have been with Brown Harris Stevens since 1998.
Location: New York, New York
Brokerage name: Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales
Rankings: Top 1.5 percent of all agents nationwide according to RealTrends
Team: I work with my daughter, Jessica Savitsky.
2022 sales volume: Approximately $20,000,000
Awards: Ranked top 1,000 agents in New York State, 2019 and 2022
BHS Broker Specialist of the Year, 2010 and 2012
Awarded second prize for Deal of the Year, 2013
What’s one big lesson you’ve learned in real estate?
Early on, I was frustrated at not being as successful as some of my fellow brokers. I learned that the best way to stand out was to be myself and play to my individual strengths.
What is the best advice you ever got from a mentor or colleague?
Be professional at all times. That’s the best way to stand out. Real estate brokerage can sometimes be a very unprofessional business.
What would you tell a new agent before they start out in the business?
Be involved in as many organizations and charities as possible.
First, giving back is its own reward. Second, there is no better way to build a base and a network.
What do clients need to know before they begin a real estate transaction?
Specifically for New York City: Co-op ownership has been, is and always will be, a part of the fabric of the residential New York real estate world.
So if you want to live in a cooperative, the thing you must be – above all else – is cooperative. That means providing everything that is asked of you.
If you could do anything other than real estate, what would it be and why?
Be an architect. I love how space and design can come together to express a person’s style.
Christy Murdock is a freelance writer, coach and consultant and the owner of Writing Real Estate. Connect with Writing Real Estate on Instagram and subscribe to the weekly roundup, The Ketchup.