The Laureate has been one of the quietest successes of the real estate boom, in no small part because everyone buys anonymously and no one will talk about them. Unlike more heralded homes--15 Central Park West, the Rushmore, 100 11th Avenue--the most famous resident of the faux prewar beauty is the creator of Dora the Explorer.

That has not stopped the project from notching one blockbuster sale after another. It does not hurt that most units start at 3 bedrooms and six is not uncommon and the average price is $6 million. The building has just picked up its biggest sale yet, a double combo of the three apartments on the 11th floor. The price was $17.07 million, besting the previous record of only two weeks ago , when penthouse 1A sold for $15.59 million.

This absolute sprawl may not have the same views or terraces, but it was a deal by comparison. Combining a four-bedroom 3.5-bath, 2,876-square-foot A-line unit at the prow of the building with the already combined B- and C- line unit that features 6 bedrooms and 6 baths spread across 4,221 square feet, 11ABC is a true behemoth of a home, an Upper East Side mansion in the sky.

“Grand combination of over 7,000 square-feet,” BHS Select director Shlomi Reuveni told The Observer over email. “Buyer needed a large, elegant and well-appointed home, complimented by Laureate’s long list of amenities and services.”

Is there a discount for buying bulk in bulk? “We do not offer discounts,” Mr. Reuveni wrote. And indeed, the asking price for the two apartments was $8.4 million for 11A, which features a juliette balcony, and $8.8 million for 11BC, meaning the buyer got a middling $130,000 off--not much when you consider that is less than one percent of the purchase price.

And who might that buyer be? Mr. Reuveni, as always, refused to divulge even the profession or nationality of his client.

Whoever the buyer is, he or she may not hold the Laureate’s crown (laurels?) for long--the same day this combination was taken off the market, so too was an offering for an $18.64 million combo penthouse, a head-spinning duplex with 10 bedrooms and nine baths. And the saga continues. How long before someone jumps on the $22 million penthouse?

mchaban [at] observer.com | @MC_NYC

Indeed, the five-bedroom, 4.5-bath home practically achieves the pre-war prestige it so aspires to emulate. Spanning 4,105 square feet, the pad features a private roof terrace with a hot tub, a gas burning fireplace (so nouveau riche!), a breakfast room, a washer-dryer, two walk-in-closets and "art deco inspired faucets" in the master bath, according to  a listing from Brown Harris Stevens Select broker extraordinaire Shlomi Reuveni. In the world of post-war real estate, this is about as good as it gets.

The home was purchased by G. Peter and Marguerite D'Aloia. Mr.  D'Aloia works in the chemical industry and is currently a managing director at Ascend Performance Materials. According to city records, the couple currently owns a penthouse at the Coronado, for which they paid $3.35 million in 2007. Upgrade!

eknutsen@observer.com

From the former Tiffany's building 15USW to Tribeca's Reade57, Mr. Reuveni and his team at BHS Select are involved in some of the hottest new developments in town. Mr. Reuveni took us on a tour, and now it is your turn.

eknutsen@observer.com

Shlomi Reuveni

It was a clear fall day on the Upper West Side as Shlomi Reuveni walked briskly down Broadway. Rising on either side were the Art Deco and Gothic buildings with their enduring cornices and hand-laid bricks, the quintessence of Uptown living.

Mr. Reuveni was headed for the Laureate, a recently completed condo building that has been quietly commanding some of the top prices in the neighborhood, thanks largely to his efforts as the building’s broker. High profile notwithstanding, The Observer almost walked right past the place. It may have been Mr. Reuveni’s broad stride that distracted us from the entrance on 76th Street. Or perhaps it was the luxury building’s understated glory. The Laureate is camouflaged, almost theatrically so, to match its surroundings. The faux prewar detail is impressively comprehensive, from the painted iron balconies to the granite and limestone facade.

“Hey Shlomi!” the man at the front desk called out. “Hello!” Mr. Reuveni responded, beaming brighter than the lights of the lobby’s artificial Christmas tree.

He showed us around the model apartment and an unfinished penthouse, introducing the building with the pride of a new father. Having worked on the concept of the Laureate since the site was still an Avis parking garage, Mr. Reuveni personally oversaw every stage of the project, coordinating with the developer, designers, marketers and agents, taking the building from blueprints to move-in.

Currently enjoying impressive success in sales, the Laureate has benefited from its broker’s dedication. Since late August, Mr. Reuveni and his team at Brown Harris Stevens Select have sold 46 apartments totaling $239,376,708. This does not count the four other developments he is responsible for, with dozens of more deals in each. Mr. Reuveni may well have become the top-selling agent in the city.

Tour the Domain of Shlomi Reuveni >>

Mr. Reuveni has found himself riding high in New York’s top-end real estate market, a fact manifest in his upright strut as he toured around the newly minted edifice, rubbing the walls, detailing the kitchens, his arms spread wide admiring the views through floor-to-ceiling windows. The lingering construction crews, putting the final cosmetic touches on the building, all greeted Mr. Reuveni with wide smiles beneath their battered hard hats.

In his buildings, everyone knows Mr. Reuveni. But in the broader world of New York City real estate, he has remained something of an enigma.

Despite his success, Mr. Reuveni is by and large a closed book, often appearing wary and vigilant to others in the industry. “He seems suspicious, like cautious and suspicious,” one broker said. “But I guess you have to be in this business. You never know who’s running behind you with a knife in their hand.”

Other brokers offered almost the exact refrain: I know of him but I don’t know him.

The Observer met Mr. Reuveni at an Upper West Side Italian place for lunch before our tour of the Laureate. When we arrived, he was already sitting at the bar waiting, checking email on his BlackBerry. Sharing his biography over a chicken paillard, Mr. Reuveni chose his words carefully, peering through his transition lenses without blinking for long periods of time as he spoke.

Originally from Tel Aviv, Mr. Reuveni immigrated to the U.S. at 15 and attended high school in Queens. In his youth, Mr. Reuveni was a vigorous athlete. “I used to do gymnastics in high school. I fenced as well. I was always very athletic,” he said.

And what of his love of karate?

“I normally don’t talk about that,” Mr. Reuveni said, almost imperceptibly caught off-guard, his discomfort belied by a sole blink. Mr. Reuveni momentarily forgot he had casually mentioned his passion for karate on an earlier occasion, and was surprised when asked about it anew. Instantly regaining his characteristic sang-froid, he began to explain his interest in the sport.

When he was 26, Mr. Reuveni sat mesmerized as a martial artist demonstrated a series of moves. “There’s a very high level of perfectionism with the sport,” he said “which I always liked. It was an outlet for me, both mental and physical, and I think it definitely did help me in my professional life. I think that discipline, that sense of order, that sense of purpose … the structure of how to get results,” he said.

Initially finding his stride in international relocations, Mr. Reuveni handpicked luxe lofts for globe-trotting executives, often working with large banks and law firms. He developed his understanding of nouveau riche corporate buyers, all the while spinning a web of connections among developers and brokers throughout the city.

Taking a job at Corcoran in 1995, Mr. Reuveni soon found himself working on new developments catering to the dot-com-era clientele. The newly monied classes had little interest in the aging Park Avenue progenitors of New York’s luxury real estate market, and were looking instead for gleaming new establishments to complement their gleaming new social standing. It was a new generation of buyers, less interested in a building’s pedigree than its amenities and family friendliness.

After 12 years at Corcoran, Mr. Reuveni was offered the helm of Brown Harris Stevens Select, a full-service marketing and sales division focusing entirely on new developments and conversions. Mr. Reuveni and his team help developers select sites for new buildings, work with architects to design layouts, select interior designers to outfit the luxury spaces, and aggressively market the properties—ultimately selling the condos to buyers flush with ambition, assets and that new-money smell.

Mr. Reuveni’s group is behind buzzy buildings like 15 Union Square West, Reade57 in Tribeca and the Merritt House on East 82nd Street. Mr. Reuveni’s star began to rise in 2008 with the completion of 15 USW, the former Tiffany’s building that has been reclad entirely in black metal and glass. Despite some initial hiccups, the project is now 82 percent sold out. Among its residents is Caroline Wozniacki, the No. 1 ranked women’s tennis player in the world, who took a pied-à-terre there. But it was the Laureate’s blow-out sales in a tough economic climate that solidified Mr. Reuveni as one of New York’s topmost brokers.

When asked about the perceived mystery of his persona, Mr. Reuveni seemed surprised. He preferred to describe himself as a perfectionist professional who works hard to keep his private life private. “I’m very businesslike,” Mr. Reuveni said. “I associate with many brokers, but I do keep my personal life separate from my business.”

But why the bifurcation in such a clubby profession? “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll talk to a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and they’ll tell me. It’s always been the way that I do business,” he explained. “I’m here as a professional, not necessarily to make friends.”

If Mr. Reuveni is mysterious, so are his buyers. Of those whose identities are known, the Laureate’s newest residents include financiers, horse-breeders, Southerners and cartoon creators. The Plaza had Eloise, the Laureate has Dora the Explorer.

Yet the vast majority have purchased anonymously, dropping millions of dollars through limited liability corporations hidden under reams of legal and financial documents. Although Mr. Reuveni categorically refuses to share any details about his buyers—he considers his discretion a hallmark of the firm—he frequently alludes to foreign investors when discussing the luxury real estate market, and it seems safe to assume that some out-of-towners are behind the recent sales. What does this seemingly disparate group have in common? Cash, and lots of it.

Mr. Reuveni constantly and seemingly unconsciously oscillates from the use of the first person singular to the first person plural when referring to his work at BHS Select. Although the group consists of brokers, a marketing team, a project team and an economist, it is clear that Mr. Reuveni has assumed an acute sense of responsibility for the division, seeing it in some ways as an extension of himself.

“I think that if we take on a project, if we take on a challenge, my relationship with developers, I think, I would like to think, goes beyond a business relationship,” Mr. Reuveni said. “You know if they call at 3:00 in the morning I’m going to pick up the phone. If there’s an issue, if there’s a problem, I’m the one who resolves it. So I’d like to think that every project that we take on, every challenge we take on, we give it 100 percent.”

Other top brokers in New York have taken notice of Mr. Reuveni’s methodology, particularly in light of the Laureate’s success. “I think at the really high end people are able to see through BS pretty quickly, and he doesn’t conduct himself that way,” said Raphael De Niro, the rising star at Prudential Douglas Elliman and son of the actor Robert De Niro.

“I think he’s really smart and hardworking and, you know, a straight shooter,” said Corcoran senior vice president Robby Browne, who deemed the Laureate “one of the truly great new buildings in New York.”

While never boasting about his accomplishments, Mr. Reuveni was comfortable discussing his strengths. “At the end of the day I can be a very good salesperson,” he said. Particularly priding himself on his ability to communicate effectively with both buyers and developers, Mr. Reuveni feels that he is able to bridge the gap between production and sale.

Issac Herra of BCRE, the development company behind 15 Union Square West, gushed about Mr. Reuveni in an email. “Shlomi brings to the table a rare combination of qualities which include professionalism, dedication and integrity. … The only thing that matters to Shlomi is what is in the best interest of the project.”

Some, however, find his intensity and unwavering focus on his projects off-putting. “He may be a tad bit overly aggressive,” one luxury broker suggested. The development market tends to foster a hawkish sales strategy, the broker said. “I think that in the new development there’s this hardcore sell, sell, sell, spin, spin, spin because they’re selling one can of beans and one can of beans only. I would find it highly boring.” The broker admitted that for what it’s worth, Mr. Reuveni seems to have mastered the art of selling his chosen variety of beans.

As for his clients, at least one who recently purchased a unit in one of Mr. Reuveni’s buildings felt that he was overbearing. “I think he’s a control freak,” the buyer said. “Too much of a control freak. It just was not a pleasant experience.” He claimed Mr. Reuveni gave preferential treatment to the buyers interested in the most expensive properties.

Aside from the visible pride with which Mr. Reuveni identified the minute details of the Laureate on our spirited tour, we saw him express genuine passion on one other occasion: in our discussion of martial arts, Mr. Reuveni revealed that for years he had taught adult classes, but had recently been forced to hang up his belt due to time constraints. What he missed, he said, was watching his students develop.

“What I really liked was the stage of starting with someone who may or may not know anything,” he remembered, “and just taking them through the stages and making them understand, you know, physically, mentally, psychologically how everything works and how to put it together.” It was witnessing his students “progress throughout the process” that made him the most proud.

It seems he may no longer need the competition of the dojo, however. These days, he exercises his disciplined approach to his profession, at the upper reaches of the city’s residential market.

eknutsen@observer.com

Naturally, the oldest and grandest buildings in New York are identified by address only: the likes of 740 Park and 834 Fifth don't need sobriquets to advertise their gilded distinction. But for the slew of new luxury buildings popping up around the city, however, a clever or at least affected name helps a new edifice gain credence and recognition.

"It’s Branding 101,” said Allen P. Adamson, a managing director of Landor, a corporate identity consultant. “A name tells a story, and a good name can tell a very strong story.

From Superior Ink to the Laureate (which technically is just Laureate, article free in all its grandiose wonder), a building's name means a lot these days. Aside from the obvious conceit, baptizing a building has more practical consequences.

The digital age is putting additional demands on those involved in naming buildings. “You have to think about the URL,” said Mr. Kliegerman of Halstead. “You need to think about whether the name can be shortened for a Web or e-mail address.

“What happens when you Google the projected name?” he continued. “You want to make sure it’s sufficiently unique that it’s going to be optimized in a search. Fifteen years ago you wouldn’t have had to think of that.”

The tradition of naming buildings is by no means new, however. The El Dorado, for example, has been a titled symbol of money and power for decades (its reputation only slightly dampened by the recent presence of Alec Baldwin).

But in New York's real estate market today, all new buildings are being christened to give them a little extra flavor. Will you go with the olde English pretension (the Brompton) or the in-the-know Manhattan-centric affectation (MiMa)?

The Laureate (StreetEasy)

Maurice Mann knows a thing or two about luxury real estate. A developer himself, Mr. Mann was involved in the purchase of the Apthorp, and while that venture has hit one or two road bumps, Mr. Mann has found his way into another luxury building. After selling his place at The Eldorado for $3 million in September, Mr. Mann has finally settled on a new abode. Like so many of his uptown peers, he has purchased a penthouse at the Laureate.

Mr. Mann told The Observer that he looked long and hard for the perfect place, as all good developers do. He explained that he'd done "a lot of comparison shopping," although he declined to detail which other buildings he had considered before settling on the Laureate.

What in particular drew him to the tony new development? "I liked the views and the layout and I liked the fact that it was a blend of traditional and contemporary," he told The Observer over the phone this afternoon.

We asked how he would compare the Laureate to another luxury residential building on the West Side like, say maybe.... the Apthorp? "They're two different buildings," he said. Would he elaborate? "They're just two different buildings."

The Observer could not help but wonder whether it was the Laureate's substantial amenity package appealed to him. The gym? Perhaps the noise-proof music room? Or the subterranean parking garage? "I mean to me they were pretty standard, the gym and whatever else they had there," he said. Clearly the amenities don't make Mr. Mann move. Duly noted.

What does?  Again, those views, which he seems to know a thing or two about. "I had spectacular views when I was at The Eldorado, priceless views," Mr. Mann said.

If only the deal had been as clear as those views. Mr. Mann said that it had taken many months to complete the negotiations for his purchase. Originally listed for $7.7 million, Mr. Mann ended up paying $7.3 million for the three-bedroom, 3.5-bath space.

eknutsen@observer.com

Everyone's favorite building! (StreetEasy)

What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and The Laureate is the sun!

The Upper West Side condo building has outshined the competition in the luxury market this week yet again, with two significant sales coming through.

Another of the building's penthouses has sold, which in its self is not terribly remarkable as it boasts some 13 "penthouses." This particular unit, 1B, encompasses "3,017 SF of grand living space," according to a listing from Shlomi Reuveni of Brown Harris Stevens Select.  With "expansive views over Broadway," the great room features a balcony where residents can breathe in the sweet smog of rush hour traffic.

The 305-square-foot  master suite, however, has its own balcony which overlooks Central Park. With an "L" shaped walk-in-closet and double sink vanity in the master bath, life in this penthouse doesn't seem all bad. And you won't see any clothes lines hanging from those balconies: the four-bedroom, 3.5-bath comes complete with a washer and dryer.

The buyers, who paid $8.5 million for the apartment, purchased anonymously through an LLC. However, they weren't the only ones making moves in the building, city records show.

A smaller three-bedroom on the 11th floor has been snatched up, apparently by some out-of-towners. The 1,727-square-foot apartment was purchased for $3.3 million by Richard and Kathleen Taddonio, otherwise call a McMansion outside Charlotte, N.C., home, according to public records. A Richard Taddonio, also of Charlotte, has posted several times on the online bulletin Ferarichat.com, occasionally referencing his beloved Testarossa. He'll be burning up Broadway in no time, no doubt.

eknutsen@observer.com

The Laureate (Photo from StreetEasy)

Everybody's favorite uptown development The Laureate is at it again. Last week a $12.5 million deal came through, the largest so far at the new Upper Broadway building, and this week another penthouse has sold, this one for $10 million.

Although the buyers purchased through an LLC,  The Observer traced their Marlboro, NJ address to Tamar and Gary Tolchin. Mr. Tolchin keeps himself busy in investing while the couple divide their time between philanthropy, horse-breeding and The Mill, an upscale New Jersey restaurant they co-purchased in 2001.

Although no sprawling New Jersey estate, the Tolchins will be quite comfortable in their new five-bedroom, 4.5-bath Manhattan hideaway. The 3,500-square-foot apartment has a long entrance gallery which leads to what the brokers like to refer to as the great room, a heavily windowed 524-square-foot living space.

While perhaps not as impressive as their new neighbors' expansive terrace, the Tolchins' new place features a full 816 square feet of outdoor space. One of the apartment's two decks is accessible from the library and a spare bedroom, while the other is off the master suite and the breakfast room.

Speaking of the master suite, Tolchins will enjoy a walk-in-closet and a large master bath with "custom designed 5-fixture bathroom with radiant heat floors, a deep soaking tub with separate shower, double sink vanity with Bianco marble walls and an Orion Blue marble wainscot." Sounds OK by us!

The property hit the market last February with a $10.7 asking price.

eknutsen@observer.com

The Laureate (Photo from StreetEasy)

Is The Laureate New York's new It building? After a series of pricey sales over the summer, it yet another blockbuster sale has just closed in the building, for one of the massive penthouses.

One of the two top-floor penthouses—there are, inexplicably, at least six "penthouses" in the building—sold last month, according to city records. The developer asked $13 million for the place and ultimately fell just short: the 3,558-square-foot condo sold for $12.5 million, a new record for the building.

According to a listing from Shlomi Reuveni of Brown Harris Stevens Select, the new owners will be living in the lap of newly developed luxury. The unit, one of several penthouses on sale in the building, is on the 20th floor and features Hudson River views.

Although Mr. Reuveni claims that "The large entrance gallery sets the tone for the home," The Observer begs to differ. How about the 1,964-square-foot roof deck which comes complete with a jacuzzi? It bespeaks quite a different tone than even the loftiest of galleries. (That said, the glorified roof, which has no rooms on it beyond the stairwell, is used to sell the space as a duplex, which we are not really buying.)

The five-bedroom, 4.5-bath boasts a 146-square-foot master bedroom with a private balcony. The other four bedrooms are designed with a "serene palette of natural stones and materials," the listing notes.

The listing calls the place a duplex, but The Observer remains dubious as the upper level consists solely of the terrace and hot tub. Unless the new owners are planning on adding a maids quarters to the roof, this unit is a simple simplex, albeit a particularly expansive one.

The buyers are Michael Conboy, a hedge fund manager at Luxor Capital, and his wife Lizbeth.

mchaban [at] observer.com | @MC_NYC