Two Veteran Westchester Realtors Form New ‘LifeNY’ Brokerage Firm
John Jordan | June 7, 2018
WHITE PLAINS—Two veteran residential brokers and “Rising Stars”—Chirag Shah and Jason Wilson—have ventured out on their own and formed a new boutique brokerage firm here called “LifeNY.”
The two Realtors, who both have been heavily engaged in the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, say their new firm will have “a laser focus on client services and productive agents,” and will look to establish what they hope will be a “joyful culture.”
“We love Westchester and built our careers here,” explains co-founder and principal broker Shah. “That’s why we felt uniquely qualified to launch a new kind of brokerage. We wanted to build the company we’ve always wanted to work for: small, focused on quality and service, and staffed with experienced agents who simply do more.”
LifeNY has scheduled an opening in July of its offices at the 333 Westchester Ave. office building in White Plains. The firm will begin operations with eight licensed agents and has plans to hire more in the future.
Shah and Wilson bring a formidable background to the new company. Both were recognized by the Business Council of Westchester as Rising Stars on the influential “40 under 40” list (Wilson in 2008 and Shah in 2018). They are also well-regarded teachers and coaches, and between them have helped agents at their previous companies achieve more than $1 billion in transaction volume.
“We know what works to motivate agents,” says Wilson. “And while we know that great training is a piece of bringing great agents to the next level, we also realize that there is an opportunity to build a tight-knit culture of joy and genuine care into the real estate brokerage.”
Shah and Wilson believe that joy is a concept that is often overlooked in real estate.
“There are two parts to joy,” Shah says. “The first part is taking pride and finding meaning in your work. As real estate brokers, we know that helping people find the right home is a joyful experience. But the counterpart comes when you work with colleagues who enrich your career every day through collaboration and a shared vision to be the best. That’s why we’re focused on agents who share our view that joy ought to be an integral piece of how business is done.”
LifeNY’s joyful culture will be fueled by an intense focus white glove service to clients as well as agents, they stressed. “We’re investing in making our agents superstars,” Wilson explained. That’s why LifeNY has built its own media production studio in its new office in White Plains and will handle all of its agents’ marketing, from property preparation to social advertising.
“For us, it’s about showcasing agents’ inner creativity and outward professionalism,” Wilson added. Whether agents need help with podcasting, video production or property preparation, Wilson and Shah say they are ready to help.
They’re also able to leverage their ownership stake in Lifestyle Westchester, a community-focused media company that profiles Westchester. Since its inception in 2016, Lifestyle Westchester has quickly become a destination for all things Westchester, in part due to Shah’s social media acumen and in-depth expertise in quality video content. Lifestyle Westchester boasts a social media following of more than 20,000 people, between followers on Facebook and Instagram.
“We want to put our social footprint and expertise in getting eyeballs to properties to work for our agents,” explains Shah. “Most people know us as instructors, but we don’t just teach. We actually do.”
They note that every property LifeNY markets will come with a social-heavy marketing plan that will push traffic to it and focus attention on the home’s story. Wilson and Shah say that their role at the new company will be as the ultimate trainers and coaches, so that their agents simply can’t fail to grow and thrive.
“LifeNY is built on joy, responsibility and success,” Shah concludes. “We know it’s the brokerage of the future, because we’re going to make agents and clients ridiculously happy.”
Editor, Real Estate In-Depth