By Alexander Powers, BHS Content Team
Brown Harris Stevens Agent Jesse Rosenthal’s journey from small-town Idaho to becoming one of America’s Best Agents by Real Trends is nothing short of inspiring. In this Q&A, the top-performing real estate star shares his insights on forging your own path, the opportunities that drew him to New York City, and a few fun surprises you might not expect from one of the nation’s leading Agents.
As a Rising Star in this industry achieving levels of success as one of America’s Best Agents by Real Trends, share with us a secret to success that is important to you.
Do what makes sense to YOU. Listen to your own voice as much as possible and ignore the noise of the world telling you things have to be done a certain way. The most successful people I know always live and work according to their own terms, so trust yourself. And pave your own path, whatever that looks like.
As someone who grew up in a small town in Idaho, what do you love most about NYC?
Opportunity! To be whoever you want, to enjoy anything you could possibly enjoy, to achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. This city has so much range, something my small town of Emmett, Idaho did not have. Growing up, we used to say, “Emmett—two ‘e’s, two ‘m’s, two ‘t’s, and two stop lights” because that’s how many stop lights we had in town, when we first moved there. Just a small example of how big NYC really is and how much opportunity there is here compared to most other places in the US.
What is your favorite place to take a client for dinner in NYC and why? What are you ordering?
Well, this really depends on the client and what makes them tick... I always choose the restaurant based on my clients’ personality. If I’m going fancy, then something like Kappo Masa on the Upper East Side. If I’m going unique and hip, then I do something like Bernie’s in Greenpoint. If I’m going more for comfort and upscale, chill vibes, then I do something like Mamo in Soho.
What is your opinion of the current state of the Manhattan real estate market based on your recent experiences?=
Awkward! It’s moving at different rates and paces depending on many factors. So, it’s particularly difficult to summarize the entire market in one statement. However, there are deals out there… it’s just taking a lot to get anything over the finish line. Patience is particularly key right now in this market. Patience and flexibility.
Share something that few know about you.
As a teenager, I decided to forego sports and I tried my hand at clogging instead! There I was, around 13 or 14, the only boy in the beginning clogging class with a bunch of girls under 10. But I set my mind to it, did it, and worked hard to get good. It was a good lesson in just doing what you feel drawn to, regardless of peoples’ opinions. Optically it probably wasn’t great for my social life as a teenage boy in rural Idaho… ha!
Oh but speaking of opportunity… the only reason I did it was because I wanted to dance and that was the only form of dance where I grew up. In New York, I could’ve actually become Michael Flatley like I really wanted to be! I had the VHS of his Riverdance and I was mesmerized.
