Great Neck is a real estate town, known for our luxury homes and lifestyles, high-end co-ops and condos. And more recently, giving rise to future-gentrification concerns and debate about new construction and development across the peninsula.
Short story long, the home-buying process in Great Neck is not for the faint of heart, much like finding a parking spot in Great Neck Plaza. Location, location, location!
If you’re seeking to buy, good luck! You will likely get a low-key crash course in competition and stamina. Ask anyone, amid the “Seller’s Market”, bidding wars and all-cash deals, motivated buyers may need to lunge when they find their “perfect” match in Saddle Rock or Harbor Hills.
As any seasoned homeowner will caution, you simply cannot be delulu and play it cool. It’s somewhat like finding a tak khastegar (A+ suitor) when you’re an experienced Persian dater, or more likely, when a well-intentioned Ameh (aunt) who insists they found the “One” for you. If your heart’s desire is to buy, You. Must. Take. Action! Shidduch, anyone?
If you’re a new resident reading this, welcome, and congratulations!! No doubt, any trauma you experienced will be a distant memory, as you slowly build equity. Yas.
Isn’t That Special?
What makes our town unique also makes the real estate game especially challenging, if not daunting. Many of our families, particularly those from the Mashadi subset of the Persian community, plan to stay in Great Neck for multiple generations.
Although frowned upon, “pocket listings” are par for the course, with many homes not appearing on the radar of the general populace or the OneKey MLS.
Rather, they are scooped up and sealed into a contract at warp speed. Inventory can be tight as a result and families can literally be priced out of the market with few options. And for those who are seeking to “downsize” from larger homes to smaller accommodations, where large extended families can still gather, vaveyla and bon chance!
Buyer, Beware.
A word to the wise: Get thee to an experienced broker.
Typically, a real estate agent is hired to take a listing, market and sell a property, thereby advancing the interests of seller-clients. Any unwitting buyers of that same broker are called “customers’ and often are not aware that the broker’s duty of loyalty is to the seller.
Today, more than ever, a serious buyer should consider hiring their own advocate—a “Buyer’s broker” who is a licensed agent who owes a fiduciary duty to the purchaser. In that scenario, the broker “owns” the buyer, for a specific term, much like a seller’s agent owns a listing. Yes, it’s confusing.
Realtors: Understand the Assignment
The best agents know- It’s best to know your audience in Great Neck. We are a discerning crowd seeking to lay down roots, on an urgent basis, and live our best lives in the best town this side of Northern Boulevard.
Many of us will admit, we can be a bit “extra” when it comes to the power of the purse, whether on the buy or sell side. “Million Dollar Listing- Great Neck,” a reality show in the making, could be an entertaining expose, but really, no one is laughing. This is serious business.
By all accounts, working as a realtor in Great Neck can be highly rewarding financially, professionally, even socially. To thrive, though and make a livelihood, it requires patience, sophistication, and a real flair for premium, concierge service.
Realtors must simultaneously manage savvy, well-informed (read: demanding) clients’ expectations and deeply understand interest rates and constant market fluctuations.
All the while, busy agents must navigate complex deals, undermined by a certain, err, fickleness. Buyer- customers are not the most loyal lot as they search for competing brokers’ “exclusives”. Essentially, buyers want a move-in-ready home, at a fire sale, but also insist on a moat… 6‑7, yet ambitious.
Here’s My Card / QR Code
With so many agents per capita in our town, it seems everyone and their mother has a license to sell, and on their way to an open house. Competition for listings and buyers is fierce!
What’s a budding, future top agent to do? Psst- hone your negotiation skills and network! Reputation, community involvement, and visibility on social platforms, local schools, houses of worship and social clubs make a big difference in getting your brand out. Not so much, free pens.
As for the buying and selling public, there’s an array of well-established brokerages to choose from. Douglas Elliman Real Estate, founded in 1911, is a national/NYC luxury brokerage.
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty, founded in 1922, is an affiliate of the global Sotheby’s International Realty network. Compass is a national technology-forward brokerage, as is Keller Williams.
Laffey Real Estate is a family-owned, independent brokerage with many offices on Long Island. (shout out to June Shapiro, back in the day) There are also many non-franchise brands that enjoy a huge market share, including (but not limited to) Edna Mashaal Realty, Soheila Sharf Realty, Lin Pan Realty, Magic of Great Neck Realty Inc., Janet Etessami Realty, Turn Key Real Estate, and others, which have been operating in Great Neck for many decades.
The Realtor Life
If you’ve ever cruised down Middle Neck Road and spotted a resident juggling two phone calls, a latte, and a warm hello to passersby — chances are, it was Aaron Zucker.
After years of hustle and success, this entrepreneur recently launched his own real estate brokerage – the A to Z Team at EXP Realty. “Professionally, I want to raise the bar. Personally, I want my kids to see that community leadership is about kindness, generosity, and showing up.”
Zucker’s Great Neck in three words? “Vibrant. Welcoming. Evolving. I’ve always believed Great Neck deserves a real estate experience that matches its sophistication and its heart.”
Our housing market is a magnet for young professional families, city escapees craving more space, and multigenerational households. About that, “people aren’t just buying square footage,” he said. “They’re buying into a community.
Ask an expert like Aaron—he can offer a cheat code to the Great Neck Starter Pack. “Shoshaku for sushi, Marie Blachère for coffee, and Allenwood Park to cross paths with neighbors.”
Learn more about Aaron Zucker at
| Destination: Great Neck Ltd., a 501 (c) (3) community organization, was founded by Janet Nina Esagoff in 2021, and aims to fortify and celebrate our town. @greatneckbiz. Esagoff Law Group PC was launched in 2017 and recently relocated to Middle Neck Road. Prior to her law career, Janet designed special–occasion wear for girls and teens at her Bond Street boutique, Party Girl. |
