Top investment property agent in Manhattan

Posted by Wei Min Tan on August 25, 2025

What does it take to be a top investment property agent in Manhattan?  About 20 years ago, as a full-time property investor (after leaving Corporate America), I worked with a lot of investment property agents.  Never expected to be a property agent in Manhattan, but that experience was invaluable in understanding firsthand what a buyer client looks for in an investment property agent.

Finding a property agent is a very stressful process.  Many investors buying residential property in a different country are doing it for the first time.  The residential property investor wants someone who can guide them to the right decision and through the complex buying process, not someone who just wants to close a sale.

The key lessons I’ve learned and adopted in my own business are as follows.  These should be attributes of any top property agent, especially when representing investor buyers.

Read about Wei Min’s style in Best Manhattan property agents and Role of a buyer’s broker.

Specialize in a market – for us, it’s high-end Manhattan condos

A residential investment property agent needs to know the entire inventory of property for sale in his market.  For example, I focus on high-end Manhattan residential condominiums and know every such building in Manhattan.  Reason for needing to know the entire inventory is that an investor buyer wants the agent to tell them what is a good buy out of everything out there, not merely to open doors to different apartments, which anyone can do.  This means specializing, not trying to cover everything.

Financial analysis – is this a good investment?

An investment property is an income producing asset.  Hence, knowing the financials and ultimately, the return to the investor is absolutely critical.  Our investor clients have so many options – property in different global cities, private equity, the stock market etc.  Ultimately it boils down to why should an investor buy this high-end Manhattan condo with a yield of only X and appreciation of Y when other options that are more liquid are providing a higher return?

Deal example:  Investor client’s 2 bedroom condo at 111 Murray Street.

Wei Min’s article:  Manhattan Condo Historical Price Trend

Coordinate the team

Identifying the right buy is only one part of the process.  There are other players involved with a property transaction, and the other key members of an investor’s team are the attorney and the banker.  Coordinating, following up and making sure dates are met becomes an unofficial role of the investment property agent.

Our niche, high-end Manhattan residential apartments, is simple and understandable to global investors.  It’s no different from buying a condominium or house in Singapore or Dubai.  While the product is simple, the process of identifying and doing the deal is a lot harder, especially when you are not local.  Our global investor clients need someone who knows his stuff and can help them with the right investment.

Deal example:  Client’s 4 bedroom at Four Seasons Downtown, 30 Park Place.  Purchased at a good discount, renovated and then rented in 2 weeks.  

What We Do

We focus on global investors buying Manhattan condos for portfolio diversification and long term return-on-investment.
1) Identify the right buy based on objectives
2) Manage the buy process
3) Rent out the property
4) Manage tenants
5) Market the property at the eventual sale