Halstead Property

Diane M. Ramirez
President
dramirez@halstead.com
(212) 381-3203

Charles Urstadt
Park Avenue Flagship
Tel: (212) 381-3204
curstadt@halstead.com

The Natural

For Halstead’s Charles D. Urstadt, the real estate business has proven irresistible.  Having grown up hearing about real estate from his grandmother, father, and uncle, it’s no surprise that Urstadt has wound up in the thick of the business.

And even though he left real estate after years of success to receive a graduate degree in journalism and embark on a freelance writing career in Miami, he was lured back to lead Halstead’s flagship office on the Upper East Side where he now manages a team of 125 brokers.  Urstadt began his real estate career as
a managing agent with Sulzberger-Rolfe, Inc. after graduating from New York University. He then joined Pearce, Urstadt, Mayer & Greer, Inc., a national real estate brokerage company. Starting in the commercial sales and mortgage division, he eventually became responsible for the firm’s 30-agent Manhattan residential sales division.

When that company was sold in 1989, Urstadt joined Brown Harris Stevens, where he thrived as a residential sales broker. In 1997, when the firm opened new office on Manhattan’s West Side, they turned to Urstadt to create and lead
it. Soon, the office grew to over 45 agents and became one of the West Side’s hottest real estate offices.

The early 1990s were not a particularly auspicious time to launch a residential real estate career, but Urstadt credits the slow market with teaching him how to market a property. Urstadt found the residential side of the business to be a good fit. “So much of the residential real estate business is about gut reactions,” says Urstadt.  “Emotion is much more a part of it since we are dealing with our clients’ homes—in commercial real estate the transactions are more about numbers.”

After his academic sojourn to Miami, Urstadt was courted by Halstead for its key Upper East Side office.  Returning to the East Side after several years was no problem for Urstadt.

“Traditionally, there were brokers who stuck to one part of town, but today there is a lot of fluidity between the East and West Sides, downtown and Brooklyn. The Upper East Side has a great infrastructure, with schools, stores, institutions and transportation—younger people are discovering that there is a lot of value here, especially between Third Avenue and the East River.”  Urstadt has found Halstead to be distinctive in its quest for innovation and progressive marketing strategies. “Halstead’s owners are in the local real estate business, and their sensitivity to the New York market is critical,” explains Urstadt. 

“Halstead really gives agents the feeling of creativity and ability to grow their own business.” He cites Halstead’s impressive marketing materials and establishment of the Luxury Portfolio Collection, which is part of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, as examples of Halstead’s marketing advantages.  Where Halstead has made its mark is its investment in internet technology. For brokers like Urstadt, the wealth of information on the web has created the challenge of having very well-informed clients.

“We don’t spend as much time educating our clients.” claims Urstadt. “But you can only wade through so much information before it becomes overwhelming. The broker must be an expert who can guide clients through the information and present it in a comprehensible way."

“With his impressive 27-year career in the real estate arena, Urstadt is a proven leader who exemplifies our commitment to further growing our business in order to provide the best to our agents and clients,” says Diane Ramirez, President of Halstead Property.

Part of fulfilling that mission is Urstadt’s charge to “find the next real estate stars.”  Urstadt has had great success in finding people who are ready to make the leap to the next level. “People from all different backgrounds have become standouts, but persistence, openness to new approaches, and an ability to work closely with people are key elements,” says Urstadt, who dismisses the “ladies who lunch” stereotype of Upper East Side brokers.

“Connections help,” he admits, “but it is a full-time job and successful brokers are dedicated to ongoing professional development.”  Urstadt’s longtime interest in architectural restoration has led him to work with the New York Board for Historic Preservation and the Preservation League of New York. He has also worked with the Real Estate Board of New York, served on several co-op boards, and has been a member of the board of directors of the Friends of Channel 13. He currently is a director of Urstadt Biddle Properties, Inc., a real estate investment trust.  Urstadt is enthusiastic about his role at Halstead.

“Working with Diane and the wonderful agents of Halstead Property’s East Side office is an honor that I’ll be forever grateful for,” Urstadt said. “Whether it’s helping on a complicated transaction or just offering some words of encouragement, it’s my job to be there for Halstead Property’s buyers, sellers, and agents 24 hours a day. And I love every minute of it.”

Saturday, September 01, 2007