By Saleem Mubarak
The Internet Changed Everything—Except the Real Estate Agents of New York.
Everyone today has a “digital presence” just to stay ahead of the curve–everyone except, apparently, a certain species: the New York real estate agent.
The Vanishing Digital Presence of New York Realtors
Thanks to social media’s 24/7 blessings, you can find your childhood friend on LinkedIn, your barber on Instagram, and even your cunning cat on TikTok. But try finding a kind-hearted, greed-free local real estate agent online– and you will need a search party and a mortgage.
Once upon a time, back when even the thirsty crow hadn’t been invented, real estate agents guided people without demanding a suitcase full of cash (loose change accepted). Now they charge consultation fees as if sharing an opinion without a price tag might crash the market.
Also Read: Realtor Golden Rule: Sell the Dream, Not the House
From Private Lives to Public Posts
People once preferred to hide their personal lives. Now they post them online– mostly to prove to real estate agents that they can find a place to live without professional help. You can now detect who’s dating, divorcing, dieting, and dying—except anything about the qualities of real estate professionals of New York.
Social media still suffers from one glaring deficiency: it hasn’t yet caught up with the “updated approaches” of realtors. It may have to call in artificial intelligence just to update its database.
The Price of Advice and the Humor in Hustle
It’s no secret that these are the same people who can sell you a 300-square-foot “luxury studio” with exposed brick and a window (a rare source of direct light and ventilation)– that faces another brick wall. The brick and the window together can work as a perfect mobile- signal jammer, restricting your exposure to the outside world for the foreseeable future.
Thursday was a frightful day for me. I talked to a few real estate agents of New York, hoping to get insights on emerging market trends. What I got instead was an invoice.
Read More: 10 Funny Realtor Phrases That Buyers Should Know
Two realtors categorically said that they could tell me what’s happening in the housing market. However, they will charge for this.
Another one smiled mysteriously after hearing my quick question and said, “Everything’s for sale.” Including, I assume, the conversation we were having.
I contacted them to ask about how rising rents are affecting tenants of New York. “That depends,” one replied. “Are you looking to rent this question or buy it?”
Apparently, in New York real estate, you will find that even knowledge has a listing price.
Social Media: The Haunted House for Realtors
You’d think that in 2025, when teenagers are running YouTube channels and every grandmother hosts a podcast without needing a real estate agent’s help. Thanks to those real estate agents who spared time to create a Facebook page–at least something free has been given by them.
But most agents treat social media like a haunted house: it gives them nothing but a place to scream and have fun.
Also Read: New York Real Estate Scams: The Truth Behind Virtual Penthouses
My biggest mistake was once I suggested to an experienced agent, “Why don’t you share tips online to help first-time buyers?”
He snubbed me, saying I’d asked him to donate a kidney.
“Educate buyers? For free? Then how would they know they need me?”
There it was. He categorically said that the sacred rule of real estate across the country is to keep the mystery alive. “Never tell anyone what the square footage really means,” he proudly said.
Why New York Realtors Still Avoid the Digital Age?
These agents are under the strong impression that exposure is for listings, not for themselves. I have observed that they believe business is done with whispered deals, folded flyers, and phone calls that begin with, “So what’s your budget?” and end with, “You’ll need a guarantor, your landlord’s blessing and maybe your soul.”
They support technology unconditionally; they just think Wi-Fi is what you pay extra for in an apartment.
You have to accept the fact that these are people working tirelessly in shaping New York’s skyline, one overpriced broom closet at a time.
By staying offline, away from cell phones, they remain mysterious, untouchable—like Bigfoot, or affordable rent.
They know how to remain tight-lipped, stubborn and slightly smug when everyone is shouting into the digital void.
Social media and digital presence may have changed how people do business amid technological advancements, but New York real estate agents remain gloriously analog. They still follow the old-fashioned way—proof that some jobs never fear inflation, recession or even an update.
“Bring your wallet if you want to know what’s really going on in the market—and make an appointment,” an agent advised me.
Author Profile
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The writer is a real estate journalist specializing in all types of New York City properties, including luxury residences, commercial spaces, and homes.
He also writes humorous articles about real estate, investors, and realtors.
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