R
eal estate agents in New York City are bracing for a potential exodus of high-end buyers following Zohran Mamdani's Democratic nomination. Ryan Serhant, a celebrity broker, reported a surge in calls from clients looking to walk away from deals and invest elsewhere.

    Serhant predicts his number one job will be relocating people from New York to Florida, citing the uncertainty surrounding Mamdani's mayoralty. One client immediately put her apartment search on hold after Mamdani's nomination, while another tech founder began exploring options in Uruguay and Palm Beach.

    Florida real estate agents are already seeing a significant increase in interest, with one broker noting that lifelong New Yorkers are texting him about moving to the state. Nathan Zeder of the Jills Zeder Group expects a "COVID level" of interest over the next few months, driven by people who can afford to relocate easily.

    Serhant remains optimistic that incumbent Mayor Eric Adams will win re-election and is already seeing support from the pro-business community. However, he acknowledges that his clients are holding off on investments in New York City until there's more clarity on the mayoral election outcome.

    As a result, agents in the Sun Belt region, including Florida, Arizona, and Texas, have been busier than usual since Mamdani's nomination. While this could create a "Mamdani discount" in the real estate market, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.