We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michael B. Chadwick. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michael B. below.
Michael B., thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about one of the craziest things you’ve experienced in your journey so far.
In the 15 years that I’ve been a real estate agent in NYC I’ve had my share of crazy experiences. In 2018 I was a contestant on a dating reality show on ABC called “The Proposal”. All expenses paid, the network flew me from NYC to LA , put me up in a hotel, I was treated like a rock star. After being booted off the show in the 1st of 4 rounds, I eventually became friends with the particular Bachelorette of our show Celine Thum and was asked to represent her on the purchase of her first apartment in NYC! I got a buyer from being on a reality show !:)
I once had a sale that took 6 months from contract signing to closing because the sellers were getting divorced and every single decision had to go through two sets of lawyers . There were delays after delays . Finally when the day came , the wife sat at one end of the table, the husband sat at the other end of the table, and there was so much tension you could cut with a knife .. My buyer was sweet and in good spirits , we just rolled with it . The bank attorney was 45 minutes late to the closing, and then we realized she forgot THE check, the payoff check.. the whole reason we were all there in that room – so we couldn’t close until we waited another 90 minutes for her to go back to her office and get the check. Finally we closed , and anticipating some drama like this could happen I brought some hotel sized miniature liquor bottles with me and we did shots at the lawyer’s office right after. This buyer and I became really good friends and I continued to be included in other life events through the years . I was invited to her housewarming party, to her baby shower, and then approximately 5 years later she relocated for work and I sold the apartment for her as well.
One of the craziest things that ever happened was when I rented an apartment to Paul Doucette from the hit band “Match Box 20”. He contacted my teammate Mariam Gobechia through our website, we setup a call. I had no idea who he was just by hearing his name, and he was totally cool, he just said he worked in Music. We showed a variety of apartments and then he sent us a link for one particular building he wanted to be in. When I initially reached out to the listing agents through their website, they didn’t respond. Now one of my skills is that I’m really good with languages . I know a few words and phrases in over a dozen languages, and it helps me to build rapport and make customers who speak something other than English to feel more comfortable and build trust . I learned this from when I worked as a bartender and waiter early in my career before things took off in real estate. Often if I could speak just a few words of their language I’d make them laugh and ultimately get a better tip. Back to Paul- I’ve done extensive business with members of the Chinese community and I became aware that these listing agents were Chinese . So I looked them up with a Chinese messaging app called “Wechat” , finally got them to respond, we got our customer into the apartment and rented it! Matchbox 20 was performing soon and Paul graciously got me some VIP tickets towards the front and then backstage passes after. The lead singer of Matchbox 20 Rob Thomas comes out and says “Where is this amazing broker I’ve heard so much about? ” Then we all got some photos together. What a night!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’m originally from Rochester, NY. I have two college degrees – an A.A.S in Business Administration from Monroe Community College and a BA in Theater from the University at Buffalo. The original goal moving to NYC was to become a movie star, but after about a year of catering and bartending I knew that I wanted a better life than foodservice. A friend invited me to a Passover Seder at his home in Armonk where I was introduced to his sister , a top real estate broker in Manhattan. I joined her team for about a year and then started my own. The rest is as they say “history” . About a year after starting my own team I was able to pass my last crabcake , and now the only time I handle an hors d’oeuvres at a party it’s when I’m eating it as a guest at the party. .
I continued to act and model for a while and even appeared on 3 reality shows- Million Dollar Listing on Bravo, the Proposal on ABC, and Sweet Home Alabama on CMT. The first buyer I ever worked with was a makeup artist I met on a TV show. I’m still hoping one of these days I’ll get a role on Law and Order , or as Tom Cruise’s long lost kid in a Mission Impossible sequel. Though it sounds like that ship is sailing.
I took classes in Improv from the People’s Improv Theater and also studied standup at the Manhattan Comedy School. I’m no comedian, but I have a great sense of humor and I think making my customers laugh and feel comfortable is a real asset.
My team helps people that are going through a life change. Whether it’s starting a new job, a promotion, a new relationship, uncoupling, we help solve your real estate problems with grace and give 100% to help you get settled ASAP.
I’d like to say I was an expert in one particular neighborhood, but the truth is I’ve walked about every square foot of NYC. One of my favorite areas is Columbus Circle. I worked at a boutique brokerage on west 57th and Broadway for 7 years and the area just has a lot of nostalgia for me.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
In 2018 I received a phone call from a woman with a lovely Irish accent. She owned a co-op in the West Village and was able to rent it out, but it had become vacant and she needed to find a tenant ASAP. She and her husband had moved back to Ireland and the broker they were working with in the past had left the business. Searching online she came across my exceptional reviews and thought she’d reach out. She listed the apartment with me, I rented it quickly at a good price. Then in March 2020 the world seemed to go on fire with the onset of the Pandemic . Over 350,000 people left NYC quickly and created a dire situation in the housing market. When the tenant’s lease came up for renewal he was not making it easy to get access to show the apartment, and no matter how much we lowered the price we could not rent it. So I had a conversation with the owners about selling ,and they decided to list the apartment with me for sale. We had a lot of showings but the fact it was on the 1st floor was an issue for many buyers. Finally a cash buyer came around who loved the location and the convenience of a lower level and we sold it. To this day I’ve never met the sellers and we’ve conducted two transactions together. I did however send them a beautiful bouquet of flowers to their home in Ireland and I think of them often whenever I pass the building, and she wrote me a lovely review Zillow that I have featured on my Instagram to this day. I stuck with my customer through a global pandemic and helped them begin their retirement with no more ties to NYC. Another beautiful after effect of this story is that 2 other buyers that did not care for this apartment still decided to continue looking with me as their agent and bought apartments from me, and 1 of them ended up selling the apartment they bought a few years later and buying something else. Then word got out at their building I did 3 other sales in the building they initially bought in. 8 sales total from 1 listing- and from being resilient in the face of seemingly insurmountable circumstances.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill is one of the most timeless and useful books that I would recommend to any sales professional. I still remember quotes like “If it’s to be, it’s up to me” and ” Thoughts are things” . Zig Zigler once said something similar “Your attitude will determine your altitude” . New agents often are looking for that secret short cut that will make them get rich quick but they end up getting broke fast. You got to have a strong foundation and build up your mind like a fortress. Having a positive attitude is a huge factor in manifesting an abundant life. I’d also highly recommend ” How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie. My parents divorced when I was very young and I’ve had to overcome a lot of baggage from circumstances outside my control. I learned early that there were things in life you actually can control, and to focus on that, as you can’t change what you can’t change. I used to joke that before I read Dale Carnegie’s book I could have written the opposite “How to Lose Friends And Scare Away People” :) His words encouraging us to “Never criticize, condemn or complain” are a welcome reminder that pops up in my mind when I need it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.corcoran.com/real-estate-agents/detail/michael-chadwick/21699/regionId/1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelbchadwick
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mbchadwick
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michadwick
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mchadwick1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/michaelbchadwick24
