A new establishment is taking shape amidst the elegant shops and high-priced pads of the Upper East Side: on the corner of Madison and 61st Street, boutique real estate agency CORE is opening its gorgeous new flagship office. Last night, in the swanky downstairs party room of Rouge Tomate, The New York Observer teamed up with CORE to celebrate the launch of the real estate brand’s exciting expansion.
Habanero-infused tequila cocktail in hand (made peach-colored, in honor of The Observer), we mingled among CORE’s jubilant team-members and some of the city’s biggest names in real estate.
“The [new] office is gorgeous, and it is perfectly located—you can’t miss it,” enthused Reba Miller, CORE’s director of sales. “Anybody who has any interest in real estate is going to stop by … It’s professional, with that edge that you want in today’s times.”
We asked Shaun Osher, CORE’s studly South African founder and CEO, what the Madison Avenue expansion means to him. “It means going into a market that we’ve sold a lot of real estate in, and I’m looking forward to selling more real estate in,” he said. “[It’s] a prime location that reflects our brand, and a location that can really cater to the needs of our clients on the Upper East Side.”
So what does the future hold for CORE? “Really establishing ourselves as a force in the luxury market on the Upper East Side,” Mr. Osher said.
CORE’s expansion wasn’t the only cause for excitement at Rouge Tomate. In the spirit of luxury living, The Observer was also celebrating the launch of its new lifestyle section, NYO.
“Jack and I have never felt so short in our lives,” joked Mr. Osher, as he and CORE co-founder Jack Cayre stood next to Jared Kushner and Joseph Meyer.
“We’re especially excited to be a part of NYO, the lifestyle section that launched today, because real estate is a part of everyone’s lives, and we look at CORE as a company that caters to everyone’s lifestyle,” Mr. Osher said in a speech to the room.
After helping ourselves to a cracker topped with a petite pile of arctic char, we chatted with Jack Cayre, whose family has been partnered with Mr. Osher from the beginning. “I’ve been looking forward to coming to the Upper East Side for a while. We’re looking to really jump in to the area with both feet,” Mr. Cayre said.
Yet, Mr. Cayre confessed that he himself couldn’t lay claim to any Central Park views. “I live in Brooklyn,” he confided. “Not the nice part.”
Near the bar, CORE agents Lee Frankel and Jeffrey Smith were mingling with brand new hire Keri Chambers, who had signed her contract a mere 24 hours ago.
“I think it’s really important for CORE to have a presence on the Upper East Side, because the brand of the company, it’s a higher end company and it’s deserving of the Upper East Side,” said Mr. Smith, a UES resident who knows the neighborhood like the back of his hand. Where’s his favorite street, we inquired, should we fall in to a sudden windfall? Should we be putting down roots on 81st street, like our favorite material girl?
“I’m partial to Carnegie Hill because that’s where I live, so I would say 91st street between 5th and Madison,” he said.
As the launch party neared its end, waiters circled the room with trays of delicate desserts. We nibbled on rich chocolate truffles and peppery coconut macaroons and washed everything down with more swigs of spicy tequila.
If there’s one thing we’re certain of when it comes to CORE and The Observer, it’s that these two New York institutions truly know the meaning of luxury.