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Troy laughed. “You will soon enough. Got to get that license first.” He glanced at her stack of books and made a face. “It’s a necessary evil, but we all had to do it. Get it over with and take the test right away while it’s still fresh. Don’t panic if you don’t pass it the first time. Some of us need two tries.”
Sophie nodded. “I’m starting the course next week.” She was determined to pass the test on her first try.
Troy’s phone rang and he turned around and took the call. Sophie focused her attention back to her lunch. A few minutes before one, she closed the book she was reading, and headed to Rick’s office.
When she reached his door, it was ajar, and she could see that he was on the phone. He looked up and saw her and waved for her to come in. She did and sat in the chair across from his desk while he finished his call.
“Ted, we’ve got this. We’ll schedule a broker’s open house this week and get as many eyes as possible on the property and then we’ll do our thing. I’ll keep you posted and thanks again. We appreciate your business.”
He ended the call and pumped his fist in the air. “We just got an incredible new listing. A forty million dollar penthouse condo. Want to see what a forty million penthouse looks like? It’s on Fifth Avenue right across from the Met. Fantastic location. I need to kill a little time before a showing.”
Sophie smiled. She didn’t mention that her apartment was nearby. “I’d love to see it.”
They headed out and rode in Rick’s private car which was always parked just outside the office. He had a driver, Evan, who was semi-retired and shared the job with another driver. Evan worked afternoons and Jose worked mornings.
“It works out great for everyone,” Rick said as Evan pulled into the traffic. “By having a driver, I can still get work done while I’m sitting in traffic. And it’s a write-off.” He grinned and then his phone dinged, and he read and replied to a text message. For the rest of the drive, Rick took several calls and replied to emails and text messages.
Traffic was light and they arrived at the new listing a short time later. Rick led the way into the building which was beautifully maintained and had a doorman and marble floors in the lobby. They took the elevator to the top floor and when they stepped directly into the apartment from the elevator, Sophie gasped.
The entry way to the apartment had sleek black marble floors and opened into the living room which was expansive and overlooked Central Park and the Met and Fifth Avenue below. The ceilings were very high.
“Eleven or twelve feet, I need to double-check that, but isn’t this awesome? I love high ceilings like this,” Rick said. The rest of the apartment was stunning, too. The kitchen would make any chef happy as it had all high-end appliances and there was more marble on the counters and oversized island that had six chairs along one side.
“Too bad the owner never used the kitchen. His wife doesn’t cook, and they mostly ate out or got takeout. But for someone who likes to cook, this is chef’s kiss.” Rick made a kissing motion with his hands to his lips and Sophie laughed. He was a big personality and he reminded her of a kid with his childlike wonder and high energy. Everything about the apartment was ‘amazing’ to Rick, though Sophie had to agree it was impressive.
There were five bedrooms and eight thousand square feet over two floors. The library was so beautiful with custom-built bookshelves and a ladder that was attached. There was also a big bay window that looked out over the street and window seat cushioned in ivory velvet. There was a gas fireplace and two oversized mahogany-colored leather club chairs—perfect for curling up and reading by the glow of the fireplace.
“What do you think?” Rick asked as they finished the tour and waited by the elevator.
“It’s incredible.” This unit was slightly more than twice the size of Sophie’s apartment, which felt huge. She wondered who would buy such an expensive apartment. “How do you find someone who can afford this?” she asked.
The elevator opened and they stepped inside. “There are many people who can easily buy something in this price range. There’s a lot of money in Manhattan. Could be old family money, or someone that hit it big in the tech market or hedge funds or a celebrity—especially musicians. When they go on tour the money is insane. And they value their privacy—a building like this could be perfect.” He grinned. “Do you know any celebrities, Sophie?”
“Just one. He’s an author, Max Bennett, and he has a supermodel girlfriend. I don’t think Max makes that kind of money though. He’s my neighbor,” she added.
Rick looked interested though. “No kidding? Where do you live?”
“A few blocks from here actually. I was staying with my aunt, and she left the apartment to me.”
Rick whistled softly. “That’s a hell of an inheritance. That could be your first listing if you are planning to sell.”
But she shook her head. “I’m not. Not any time soon. I love it there. And I just signed one year lease agreements with Tessa and Caroline. They’re my roommates now.”
Rick nodded. “That’s smart. Their rent might cover some of your monthly maintenance fees.”
“It covers most of it. It’s an older building and the fees aren’t too high. Though it’s all high, really.”
“The monthly fees and taxes are crazy in Manhattan, but anyone that can afford to pay the asking prices for these apartments can handle the fees,” Rick said matter-of-factly.
Evan was waiting out front and they climbed into the car and headed to their next stop.
“I have a showing in Brooklyn. It’s a gorgeous brownstone and if these buyers take it, it will be the third house I’ve sold to them in ten years,” Rick said proudly. “First it was a studio apartment, then a two bedroom and now they’re expecting twins and need more room, both inside and out. This townhouse has a great back yard and small garden. It’s a gem.” Rick paused for a moment, and then added, “If you treat people right, they come back and they refer their friends and family. And that’s how you get your income to the next level.”
Sophie nodded and felt a moment of discouragement as she really had no friends or family to speak of in the city.
“How did you start out, before you knew a lot of people?” she asked.
“It was hard at first. I’m not going to lie. I almost gave up a bunch of times,” Rick admitted. “But I’m stubborn and I was determined to make this work. I saw other people doing it and I figured why not me? I didn’t know many people then, but I knew I had the work ethic. That’s key. I made sure that everyone I met knew that I sold real estate. It’s all timing. If you talk to enough people, eventually you’ll bump into someone who is ready to buy or sell.”
