Thru the Lens: Prudential Douglas Elliman

As the heat wave blazed in the area, two real estate agents rushed to provide cool comfort to their neighbors in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. Prudential Douglas Elliman's Misha Chiporukha and Louis Esposito rented a hand-pushed ices cart, equipped it with signage and an umbrella, donned aprons, and proceeded to cruise their neighborhood in the afternoons, serving free ices to children and their parents at playgrounds and streets. The word of a simple scoop of cold relief spread with lighting speed and Brooklynites both young and old flocked to Chiporukha's and Esposito's cart. On the very first day, the agents handed out hundreds of ices and more than 500 business cards to parents and other frozen treat loving grown-up residents. They continued on the following scorching afternoons and were soon greeted by friendly cheers and pats on the back within minutes of appearing near parks, bus stops and subway station exits. Their grateful neighbors have paid back the goodwill gesture almost immediately. Within days, the pair, which has recently established a residential sales and rental team at Prudential's Brooklyn office at 664 Fulton St. in Fort Greene, received numerous leads from new contacts, both property owners considering selling and renters looking for new apartments. Chiporukha and Esposito followed up the charitable treats with a postcard campaign featuring a retro-stylized, black and white photo of themselves next to their cart, and a slogan "Get the Scoop," inviting Brooklyn residents to inquire about their property values, the rental market, and new listings. Esposito's and Chiporukha's neighborly spirit, ability to quickly seize the marketing opportunity, and creative business development tactics, have positioned them well to take advantage of the improving market conditions in New York City's most populous borough. Currently an agent at the Fort Greene, Brooklyn office of Prudential Douglas Elliman, Chiporukha is an experienced real estate professional with sales experience spanning more than 20 years. A resident of Brooklyn, he is intimately familiar with the borough's neighborhoods, real estate market, landlords, pricing and trends. Chiporukha is a bicycle road racing competitor on the Hudson Furniture Racing Team and a recognized architectural, portrait and fashion photographer with an extensive portfolio of editorial work. Chiporukha's current assignments include a selection of townhouses, condominiums, co-ops, and mixed-use properties in Fort Greene, Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy, and other sections of Brooklyn. These include a high-end, eight-unit condominium development currently under construction at 474 Grand Avenue in Brooklyn, scheduled for completion in early 2012. He may be contacted at 917.319.7858 or [email protected]. Esposito's experience combines a successful track record in real estate sales and rentals with a career as a New York State bank-certified real estate appraiser. In addition to serving as a real estate agent at Prudential Douglas Elliman's Fort Greene office, for the past 10 years Louis has owned and operated Metropolitan Appraisal Service, Inc., performing evaluations for various types of properties in all five boroughs of New York City. His experience in the appraising field benefits clients through a uniquely knowledgeable, unbiased, and independent perspective on real estate. Born in Brooklyn, where he still resides, Louis appreciates and enjoys the character, culture, and diversity of each of the borough's neighborhoods. Outside of work, Louis is an avid supporter of many community causes and charities, including Making Strides for Breast Cancer, The Susan G. Komen Foundation, and Autism Speaks. He is also a team member of the Douglas Elliman Softball Team and several other outdoor sports teams. He may be contacted at 718.781.8310 or [email protected].