I ended my last post by saying the day would have to end well because it was a Thursday, which meant that a new episode of "Selling New York" was going to be on HGTV that evening.
HGTV is one of my four go-to channels. The complete list is ESPN (no explanation needed), The Big Ten Network (particularly during football season), Discovery ID (re-runs of Dateline plus original broadcasting like "Who the $#%! Did I Marry?" and "I Almost Got Away With It"), and HGTV.
On HGTV, nothing beats "Selling New York." On the show, you follow 3 different NYC real estate firms (CORE, Gumley Haft Kleier, and Warburg) as they work with clients looking to buy or sell properties in metro NYC. The properties range from homes in the Hamptons, to townhomes in the Village, to multi-million dollar apartments in Manhattan. Everything is over the top. The clients are highly unlikable. The realtors are completely full of themselves. I don't like any of them -- except for the Kleier's. I just love them. It's hard to explain why but I find them irresistible.
Michele Kleier is the matriarch and founder of Gumley Haft Kleier. She is perpetually tanned, made up beyond belief, and appears to be about 4'10". I'm no fashion maven but her clothes seem one size too small. Her hairstyles always leave something to be desired. But, enough with the negatives. Michele pulls no punches with her clients. She knows what's right and is not afraid to tell her clients when they're making the wrong move (in fact, I think she enjoys it). She works, works, works, works, works. I would not want to be on the wrong side of an argument with her.
Then you have Michele's two daughters: Samantha Kleier-Forbes and Sabrina Kleier-Morganstern. One's a brunette and one's a blond. Other than that, I can't tell the difference and, you know what, who cares? All I know for sure is that they're Michele's daughters, they love real estate, they're amazing friends with all their clients (you think?), and they both appear to never show a house without popping open a bottle of wine to celebrate.
Anyway, the show is awesome. Super-rich clients. Hyperactive real estate agents. Apartments with 1,500 square foot outdoor terraces. The promise of huge commissions. Is it Thursday yet?
http://www.ghkrealty.com/
This is where the magic happens.
