Get to Know the Broker: Jonathan Stein of Douglas Elliman – Commercial Observer
For Jonathan Stein, the best is yet to come.
Stein, 43, joined the real estate game in 2015 after spending time in the private equity space and then going on the road with his best friend’s rock band, Phantogram, as the tour manager. Now, he runs the Jonathan Stein Team at Douglas Elliman.
Stein oversees a group of eight brokers at the firm, which has worked on deals ranging from $1 million to over $15 million.
When former New York Mets and current Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler needed to sell his SoHo penthouse at 73 Wooster Street, Stein and team member Gavin Shiminski stepped in, helping the major leaguer sell the unit for $26 million. It was one of the five largest sales in New York City in July.
The road to such a successful real estate career wasn’t easy, but Stein said real estate is an amalgamation of his favorite things: design, architecture, mixing different personalities, and working well with people.
“I got into real estate the old fashioned way — my life blew up and I needed a new career,” he said. “I was waiting tables at a buddy’s restaurant looking for what was going to come next. A friend suggested real estate and I loved the idea.”
Commercial Observer caught up with Stein in August for “Get to Know the Broker,” a series where we connect with residential brokers to learn more about what makes them tick.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Commercial Observer: What has been the biggest deal of your career?
Jonathan Stein: I haven’t done it yet. Check back next year.
What is your career Everest?
Doing my own development project!
What’s something you think people would be surprised to learn about you?
I grew up on a farm in a town of 170 people. We raised cattle and pigs, and I showed pigs in 4-H as a kid to help earn money for college.
What’s your go-to takeout order?
Sushi from my neighborhood omakase spot.
What TV show are you currently binging?
“All Creatures Great and Small.”
What is your silliest pet peeve?
When someone says, “I’m five minutes away,” and they are anything but.
What’s on your Spotify playlist?
Some `90s country, classical and the Beastie Boys.
Who is your favorite architect/interior designer?
Casey Kenyon, Person Place Thing Architecture.
What’s your most entertaining deal story?
I closed on a waterfront property in Sag Harbor on Aug. 18 that my friend bought, sight unseen, while he was climbing Denali in Alaska. We were communicating via satellite text while I was with friends in Cap d’Antibes, France. He summited the mountain the day his team signed the contract for him. He came straight from the mountain to the Hamptons and fell in love with the property.
Amanda Schiavo can be reached at aschiavo@commercialobserver.com.
