Holiday Bash 2017

As a recruiter for Nooklyn, one of the first things I tell someone coming to us from another company is how much of an amazing, one of a kind family we are. Nooklyn is one of the only real estate companies where roughly 40% of our deals are cobrokered between agents working together. The camaraderie amongst our team is unlike anything I have ever seen. We work hard together, play hard together, and together, have taken NYC by storm.

This year’s holiday party was no different. That morning, our agents brought in 9 deposits, ensuring all our last minute clients have their dream homes before the holidays. The offices were bustling, leases were being signed, last minute files were being submitted, and our Nooklyn coat drive was thriving.

We’ve had a great year of growth in all departments. We nearly doubled agents, opened Nooklyn Manhatthan, expanded our tech, photography, and HR teams. Not to mention, we destroyed our numbers from last year. With roughly 300 amazing employees, I knew our party was going to be one to remember.

Heather Yampolsky, a long-time Nooklyn agent and her husband Erik Green were generous enough to lend us the amazing Bar Matchless, which Erik owns. Bar Matchless has been a Greenpoint staple for 13 years and a home base for many of the musicians and music lovers of the Nooklyn family (and everyone else for that matter). Luckily for those of you who aren’t in New York, you can see it on your screens in countless films and TV shows (Younger anyone?!?!) Sadly it will soon be closing due to the building being sold.

I spoke to Heather about her time with Matchless and Nooklyn and she said “I ended up at Nooklyn partly because the Greenpoint office is directly across the street from Matchless. That area has always been our home base to mine. I used to change my son's diapers on the pool table when the bar first opened 13 years ago. There wasn't much in the neighborhood back then. To see the neighborhood change the way it has over the years is bitter-sweet for me. It's been good getting to know the newcomers. As an agent I feel like a bridge between the old and the new. I'm sad that Matchless, an institution in Greenpoint, is coming to an end, But it's great to see Nooklyn continuing to grow and thrive. It was perfect that Nooklyn had its holiday party at Matchless . Seeing everyone out having a great time in a place close to my heart is a nice way to end an era.”

With us having the perfect venue, I was able to expand our entertainment for the holiday party this year. I hired several other local businesses, starting with the

Andy Lin is a National Geographic Traveler award-winning photographer who created SPP in 2009.

The Self Portrait Project is a photo-based, interactive archive project whose mission is to empower people in the creation and curation of their own images. Each project kiosk utilizes a two-way mirror, with a camera shooting through the transparent side and the participant located on the reflective side. Using a remote trigger, the participant chooses how and when to capture themself. By letting the model be the photographer, the dynamic changes.

The SPP has permanent kiosks located at some of your favorite local spots including Do Or Dive in Bedstuy, Donna in Williamsburg, Artist and Fleas in Soho, and Black Crescent in the East Village. Do yourself a favor, download the app and go check them out (seriously, like today!).

I also had the privilege of booking the Brooklyn-based Kings Of Karaoke and my favorite Karaoke DJ, DJ Tigerlily. She took a night off from her Tuesday residency at Pine Box Rock Shop to come join us and we couldn’t have been happier. When she isn’t rocking out for Nooklyn or spending her Tuesdays at Pine Box, you can catch her every Friday and Saturday at one of my favorite bars, The Cobra Club in Bushwick. One of best things about The Kings of Karaoke is that no matter how old, new or obscure the song is, I guarantee they have it!

With the entertainment, amazing venue, food and endless cocktails (thank you again Bar Matchless), our holiday party truly was one for the books. Watching old agents mixing with new agents, groups upon groups singing together, all of them cramming, trying to fit 5-6 people into the frame of a single picture to remember that moment, made me so happy to be a part of the family.

We finished up 2017 with a bang, I am so proud of my Nooklyn family for all that we accomplished this year. I’ve had the privilege to sit down with Harley Courts recently and talk about what’s in store for Nooklyn 2018 and I cannot wait! I know that our team is going to be even bigger, stronger and more successful than anyone can imagine. 2018 is indeed going to be one fantastic voyage.