Staten Island’s Real Estate Market Sees Spike in Interest as Suburbs Lure City Dwellers

Like those in countless other industries, real estate transactions were ground to a halt when New York was forced to hit pause to slow the spread of Coronavirus. For Tom Crimmins, the owner of Tom Crimmins Realty, Ltd., selling homes presented challenges without face to face interaction to help drive deals.

“We were unemployed, in essence. There were attempts at virtual real estate and showing homes, but, nobody is going to make the biggest investment of their life through looking at a video,” he said.

When restrictions were eased, the market came roaring back on Staten Island, in part, according to Crimmins, because thousands of City dwellers have renewed interest in the suburbs.

“For three months, they saw, ‘Oh, my God, I don’t have a backyard, I’m in this congested building and I need my space,'” he shared. “It is busy, busy, busy. Beyond what I thought it would be. It’s better than it was prior to the pandemic.”

His advice for those looking to move onto the Island: Take advantage of historically low interest rates and contact realtors who are experts in the neighborhoods you want to call home.

Photo courtesy of @enterthedronezone on Instagram.