Props to Craig
Aug 25th, 2006 at 7:45 am by Susie
The Times has an article about the cutthroat NYC housing market this morning, and I noticed this interesting bit:
CRAIG NEWMARK, the founder of Craigslist (and a San Francisco resident), said last week that monitoring the site’s New York City housing section is “my biggest single project, actually. When you are in a situation where you feel everyone else is cheating,†he said, “a lot of people feel a moral sanction that they can cheat, too.â€
“Over the years we’ve been telling brokers that’s not O.K., and over the years the less ethical behavior is slowing down,†he said. “On the other hand, there are some persistent bad guys, and the worst of them I’ve reported to New York State’s Department of State. Real estate in New York is a blood sport. It’s not like anywhere else.â€
Mr. Newmark has taken to dropping in on real estate agencies unannounced when he is in Manhattan. “I’m letting them know I am really committed and that I really exist. I’ve had a few cases, specifically three, where people have reported problems getting a fee back, and in each case I’ve talked to the agent and gotten it back.â€
