Hurricane Sandy has made at least one indelible mark on the New York real estate market. Streeteasy has added storm zones to their building pages, allowing buyers and renters to easily determine what zone a property is in.
The company decided to start posting the information in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The move is consistent with the company’s interest in promoting transparency in real estate, manager Jared Kleinstein told The Observer.
Mr. Kleinstein said that company had considered adding the information before and finally decided to make the change in response to demand from users.
“We also really thought it was something people should know,” said Mr. Kleinstein, noting that the company also posted data on school zones and boundaries. Storm zones are information that buyers and renters might want or need when they’re considering buying or renting a property.
The company will also use the data to measure traffic to listings in the different zones. He said that so far, the response, from those who have noticed the change, has been mostly positive. After all, potential buyers don’t have to puzzle out storm zone boundaries for every building they’re considering buying into. However, a few building owners have complained about the inclusion of the date.
Mr. Kleinstein said that the company deliberately decided not to include the zones in individual listings to avoid the appearance that they were issuing any kind of warning. The building pages also include data about the building’s construction date, size and amenities. Additionally, users can find data on taxes and maintenance costs, as well as DOB permits and tax liens for individual units.
kvelsey@observer.com
