D
ina Goldentayer, a leading Douglas Elliman broker in Miami, recently launched a Times Square billboard urging New Yorkers to relocate to the Magic City. The ad, paired with a video on her Instagram where she pretends to call her partner from a private jet, capitalizes on the real‑estate sector’s anxiety over Zohran Mamdani’s potential victory in the New York mayoral race. “Honey, I called the jet. We’re moving to Miami,” she says in the clip.
Luxury agents across the city have echoed similar warnings. After Mamdani won the Democratic primary, real‑estate mogul Ryan Serhant told the New York Post that his top priority would be moving clients from New York to Florida, noting that the election results would likely delay any major investments in the city. Whether a Mamdani win will trigger a mass exodus of affluent New Yorkers who already spend half the year in the South remains uncertain, but the market is visibly nervous.
The industry’s political leanings have swung between former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Eric Adams, with major donors backing both candidates. Rumors surfaced that the Trump administration was considering offering Adams an ambassadorship to Saudi Arabia, a move that could consolidate opposition to Mamdani and bolster a potential Cuomo comeback in the general election. Adams denied any formal discussions, stating that no offers had been made and that he remains in the race.
If the ambassadorship rumors prove true, Goldentayer may need to reassess her billboard strategy. Meanwhile, data from RentCafe shows that millionaire renters in the U.S. nearly tripled between 2019 and 2023, outpacing the rise in millionaire homeowners. New York City led with about 5,600 millionaire households renting, raising questions about where these high‑net‑worth renters are choosing to live.
In other real‑estate news, the Robinson brothers—Keith and Bruce—own 100,000 acres of land between Kauai and the private island of Niihau, a tract larger than Larry Ellison’s 90,000‑acre property on Lanai and 40 times the size of Mark Zuckerberg’s controversial Kauai compound. Their holdings, purchased from the Hawaiian monarchy in the 1800s, cover almost seven Manhattan blocks.
Politically, Zohran Mamdani has brought two former Bill de Blasio associates onto his campaign team. Political strategist Elana Leopold will serve as senior adviser, while Louise Yeung, who previously worked for de Blasio’s Department of Transportation and as chief climate officer for Comptroller Brad Lander, will be policy director.
In a quirky protest, Cranford, New Jersey, town council candidate Will Thilly broke into a town hall meeting to dance, using break‑dance moves to draw attention to proposed property‑tax increases. He paused to ask questions, then resumed his routine, even attempting a backspin.
Recent real‑estate transactions include a $4.1 million sale of a 3,000‑sq‑ft duplex condo at 140 East 63rd Street (13/14D) in Lenox Hill, listed by Nathalie Wang, Nicole Hechter, and Asaf Bar‑Lev of the Corcoran Group. The top commercial deal closed at $16.5 million for a 31,300‑sq‑ft, three‑story Hillcrest healthcare center at 78‑10 164th Street. The most expensive new listing hit the market at $33 million for a 5,600‑sq‑ft co‑op unit at 912 5th Avenue (Unit 10), handled by Brown Harris Stevens.
A major new construction permit was filed for a 434,890‑sq‑ft, 14‑story residential tower at 54‑09 100th Street in Queens, with Ariel Aufgang of Aufgang Architects as the applicant.
These developments illustrate how political shifts, market anxieties, and high‑profile real‑estate moves intertwine, shaping both the city’s skyline and its demographic landscape.
