Halstead Property

Cici Cao goes above and beyond to provide extra service to her real estate clients and to enrich their lives with her genuine caring and positive attitude. As a homeowner, she understands the search and transaction processes in NYC’s unique market, so can empathize with the excitement and concerns this major task involves. Cici will work closely with you to show you neighborhoods, buildings and community offerings until you find what’s right for you.

Focused on the Chelsea and Midtown areas, Yuan is honest, funny, organized and highly detail oriented. She honed these qualities, as well as her seasoned sales, customer service and negotiating skills, during her extensive career in retail. Cici worked for such top-notch establishments as Calvin Klein, Escada and Barneys New York; she also served as sales associate for International Direct Group and as vice president at a home textile company in China.

Originally from China, Cici came to New York to attend Columbia University where she earned her BA degree in Economics, and has not left since. She also studied textile development and marketing at Fashion Institute of Technology. Cici is fluent in English and Chinese plus speaks some Spanish and Japanese. She is adept at dealing with people of all backgrounds, providing utmost attention to their unique wants and needs.

Outside of her passion for real estate, Yuan is a travel agent with a global travel company where she also uses her talent to find great deals for the best value. She is a Notary Public officer, and a yoga/dance enthusiast who hopes to open her own studio soon.

“Cici helped me tremendously with every perspective of getting and settling down in my current apartment. She is very nice, patient, professional, and reliable. Would highly recommend.” – Emma W.

"Cici recently represented me for the sale of my condo in Battery Park City. As I had already moved and travel a lot, Cici had to do, or arrange, everything and she did! Staging, cleaning, negotiating, obtaining information from the condo association, etc., etc. She was terrific!" – Richard E.

"I found Cici when I responded to a listing and she was the seller's agent. Cici was friendly, but not pushy, and was proactive and offered a list of apartments based on the informal conversation we had during the showing.

We then proceeded to do an exhaustive search of apartments within my requirements. There were a lot of ups and downs as a first time home buyer, but she never made it seem as if I was ridiculous or indecisive. Cici was helpful, available at all times, flexible, and easy to converse with. She had recommendations for people to work with and also provided her professional and personal insight when asked. I enjoyed working with Cici and am now a new home owner!" – T.L.

“Cici was extremely helpful and a pleasure to work with. Her patience and promptness with answering all our numerous questions was superb. She went beyond the call of duty by consistently following up with the different parties involved to make the process of buying our first home smooth. We highly recommend Cici! “ - Tammy L.

“Cici was really fantastic as my real estate agent when I looked to purchase in early 2012. She definitely made the process as simple and stress-free as possible. She has great insight on the real estate market all across Manhattan and was extremely helpful throughout the entire process. She was instrumental in helping me find the perfect apartment, negotiate an excellent price, and sort out all the bumps from mortgagee, to board packet, to closing. She worked extremely hard, was available when I called her no matter how late, and worked tirelessly to make sure I was completely happy and satisfied with the purchase. More importantly, she also provided the best advice that I can rely on that really put my interests first. I would definitely recommend her to anyone that looks for a place in a Manhattan and without a doubt, I would hire her services again if I ever needed.” – Jeffrey Y.

"We gave Cici very specific ideas about what we were looking for in an apartment, and she was detail-oriented and efficient throughout the process of buying an apartment. She's someone you want to have on your side when you're in the market, and I would highly recommend her!" – Eliza B.

“In early 2012, Cici helped me with my search to buy an apartment in the Manhattan/Brooklyn area. My initial search started by reaching out to several agents, but Cici stood head and shoulders above the group. I then worked exclusively with her and she helped me find a variety of great apartments that fit the exact criteria I had initially set out. Her advice and help was outstanding throughout the process. Her contacts within the industry were also a great benefit (real estate agents, lenders, attorneys).

To name a few, things I was most impressed with Cici included:

1) extremely timely and organized, getting back to me very quickly with any questions I had.
2) listening skills and ability to read my reactions - she'd know which apartments I'd like without even asking and was always willing to provide thoughtful advice.
3) a great negotiator, always putting my interests first.
4) expert knowledge of her profession, including ways to save on taxes, how to think about the benefits of buying vs renting, how to get the best rate on a mortgage, knowledge of various neighborhoods, and many others.

Above all, I value her opinion greatly and have the utmost trust in her to look out for my best interests. She has a wonderful personality and I look forward to keeping in touch with her going forward. I'd highly recommend Cici to anyone that is looking to buy or rent an apartment anywhere in the area, or really, for anything else as well!” - Hersh K., CPA, CFA

“Cici was a calming presence in the hectic apartment hunting process. She was patient, accommodating, and always eager to explain the intricacies of the real-estate market to a first-timer like myself. I would definitely recommend her services for anyone in the real-estate market.” – Michael Y.

"Cici was amazing. She not only worked for me to negotiate the best price, but also fought out three other buyers, while still getting me a great deal. She was extremely knowledgeable and helpful through all the applications, condo board approval and finally dealing with the lawyers. I highly recommend anyone looking for a new place in New York to talk with Cici. She made the hardest thing a smooth and simple process." - Benjamin G.

Halstead Property, LLC