Member Reviews
I loved this book!!! ? Wonderful look into the real estate business and the goings on it it. To me, it felt like a bird's eye view of being involved in real estate in NY. I also loved the stories but how the author's gave us glimpses into their personal lives also. The book is tastefully written and I must say I was sorry to see it end. Thanks to NetGalley, the authors and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.
I am of two minds on this book. I was interested in understanding the very particular New York real estate market and this book did a great job of doing that - a little too great actually, as at times, it felt as though there was way too much detail -we didn't need that much.
For me, what really works here are the anecdotes - I found those informative and very interesting and added a lot to the book.
Real estate in New York City is 100% bonkers and I think you need to be a special kind of crazy to work in this world. The Renna siblings and their cousin Michael seem to fit that bill.
I loved this for the same reason I like shows like Selling New York: while the real estate is completely not something I'll ever have access to I love the inside look at that world. I really like how Joanne and Alfred mixed their families' personal histories in with their work experience to showcase the full story. At the same time, this is a real estate book so I like that they didn't spend too much time on family history when it wasn't relevant to the larger narrative.
I also liked that it was a behind the scenes without being a tell all, the book doesn't rely on scandalous buyers and sellers to keep you reading. It's a super engaging, funny and quick read. My only wish is that there was more time spent on their NYC vs. their Hamptons properties, but I guess that makes sense as the ties between the two are strong.
Negotiating New York is a intricate look at the complicated nuances of the real estate rat race in New York City. They provided explanations for different buyers, the types of housing available, and the complex co-op boards. The authors' provided amusing stories interspersed with their own personal anecdotes.
Wanted to love this book. This was both about real estate and family, but I just didn't think it connected. Liked the real estate side of it only because we just sold our house now moving to our new one. Not a big fan unfortunately.
I know absolutely nothing about the New York real estate business. Reading Joanne's book made me feel like I could hack it.
She tells personal stories about having a real estate business with her family, the death of her husband, finding love again, negotiating deals, dealing with difficult neighbours and much more.
Rating: 3.5/5
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