As we continue our spotlights on New York real estate brokers, we turn to Gabriele Sewtz and her team at Compass.
Compass is a new kind of real estate company that says it’s an “innovative residential real estate firm” combining talent with technology. The Gabriele Sewtz team is part of that talent with expertise in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Gabriele first came to New York from Germany in 1999 without any U.S. credit history. She found it almost impossible to rent an apartment, and brokers wouldn’t even talk to her! Her real estate adventures didn’t end with her first rental. When she bought her first apartment — a parlor floor co-op in Park Slope — the sale which was “for sale by owner” ran into many problems that continued even after closing.
| Factoids: Born: Hamburg, Germany Lives: Park Slope, Brooklyn Education: MBA from the University of Hamburg, with five majors in Industrial Organization, Logistics, Economics, Industrial Production, and Business Administration Likes: Spending time with my family and Golden Retriever puppy Jadan, photography and reading Dislikes: When people are not on time Book: Thriller, mystery Film: “The Rock” with Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage Music: My playlist consists of songs that represent milestones of my life, but if I were to put a label on it, it would be Folk Rock. Life ambition: If I wasn’t doing this I would be: A photographer. |
Gabriele’s real estate experiences led her to becoming a broker. She wanted to help others to avoid the same challenges she faced. Her mission is to make real estate transactions easier for her client and does this through her perseverance and her ability to relate. As a client once said, “when you work with Gabriele, you feel as if you’re the only client in the room.”
If you are looking at buying real estate this year, Gabriele says it’s too soon to predict the impact of the new tax law, but she also knows that there will always be demand for housing in New York City. Buyers, she points out, should remember that interest rates are going up and delaying home ownership might end up costing more in the long run.
Gabriele, true to the technology focus of Compass, wishes that the industry could use more modern technology and not waste the huge amount of paper — like the 400 page co-op application copied 8 times for each board member — to help save the environment. She also talks up the technology at Compass, which allows for real-time data for her clients to make informed decisions on what will probably be their biggest purchase.
Right now, Gabriele is excited about 1612 10th Avenue, an impeccably Windsor Terrace townhouse which fits right into an Architectural Digest spread.
I think I have heard about Compass. Yeah, it is great real estate company. This is a great information about Gabriele. She is so impressive lady. I ‘ll definitely contact her team.