Husband and wife team offer service with 'Hart.'

Real Estate Weekly,  Dec 3, 1997  by Eric R. Gerard

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Hart of New York Real Estate Company and Hart Management Associates are run by the husband and wife team of Peter and Angela Hart, and with the same flair of Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers, they offer a no-nonsense approach to uncovering the best office space for their customers.

Instead of the usual drudgery, relaxed customers of the pair find themselves in an uncomplicated business environment of simplicity and fun. As Mrs. Hart says, "So much time is spent looking at space together, the customer might as well enjoy it. With Peter's personality, there is always an element of spontaneity."

Underneath this is a genuine concern for the needs of the customer, versus what can sometimes be an impersonal approach with some larger organizations. This was evident recently when Hart of New York closed nine deals at Rockefeller Center. Among those tenants were a group of dentists some more seasoned and ready to retire and the others younger, "eager to expand" professionals who wanted the deal to close as soon as possible.

"It was like pulling teeth," Peter jokes. But in the end, all were satisfied and the renewal lease negotiations were brought to a successful close with the landlord.

In addition to representing renewal tenants in Rockefeller Center, Hart of New York has been very active negotiating leases for numerous tenants in other areas of town.

"What makes this business so interesting is the opportunity we are given to work with such a diverse clientele," Peter says, adding, "Some of the deals we have brokered were for computer-related companies, nonprofits, law firms, diamond traders and financial investment groups, among many others."

Just as Hart and Hart share an exclusive relationship, their relationship with their customers is always on an exclusive basis. "Since we focus on a few tenants at a time, we are very devoted to their needs and will not walk away until we have satisfied them,' Peter says. "A lot of brokers work on what we call a 'lottery system' - showing space to many tenants at a time, hoping one will hit. We don't agree with that philosophy. We won't spread ourselves out too thin because we pay attention to the details of each tenant's unique requirement."

By bringing to the table 13 years of leasing experience with Rockefeller Center Management Corporation and Helmsley-Spear Inc., (as well as two years in residential sales) Angela Hart possesses unique expertise in various nuances of negotiating tactics. Some of the transactions she has negotiated on behalf of landlords were leases with Multimedia Entertainment Corporation, DG Bank and Fonawin Corporation.

Peter Hart compliments the team with his own 15 years' experience as a former senior vice president with several major Wall Street investment firms. In addition to financial consulting to international corporations and individual investors, Peter was responsible for raising funds for venture capital firms.

He says that he raised the limits even higher and became "upwardly mobile" recently, as a licensed commercial pilot and an aviation enthusiast!

In conjunction with Hart of New York Real Estate, Peter also heads Hart Management Associates, an insurance brokerage company. Since the brokerage company specializes in corporate health care plans, there is a synergy of service to the customer.

As Dr. Spalten (one if the dentists represented in the dentist's renewal deal) says, "The Harts offer one-stop shopping. We not only had our real estate requirements met, but also receive excellent advice and service for our health insurance plan from people we have come to know and trust."

After working on the real estate transaction, the tenant had a good sense of the Harts work style and focused attention to detail that saved them money and time. The customer knew that the servicing of their health plan would be just as thorough - and at no cost to them.

"We hired a great team," Dr. Spalten says, "with Angela knowing what to get and Peter knowing how to get it."

Hart of New York is also very involved in the real estate community. They work a lot with brokers on a referral basis and give the referring broker 50 percent of the commission. "This is a little unusual in this business," Angela says. "However, we have a lot of friends and contacts who appreciate the unique service we offer. Although we do all the work, we believe in splitting the deal in half. These brokers are people with whom we have long-standing relationships."

The Harts also serve on the Rental Conditions Committee of the Real Estate Board of New York for the Grand Central Office Building District.

With respect to ethics and integrity, another very important aspect of the real estate business, The Harts believe very strongly in being completely up-front and communicative with tenants throughout the relocation process.

"We never want any surprises appearing in a deal that the tenant hadn't expected before hand," Angela says. "We want them to know what to expect from the very beginning. This is especially important for startup companies, since these companies often require adherence to strict budgets in order to survive the first few years in business."