“Manhattan is only a little over 22 square miles of land and home to tens of thousands of real estate professionals. To get your foot in the door, you need a whole lot of determination, humility, and some XL cojones,” Abigail said. 

Part of the hustle, of course, is looking the part of a high-end real estate agent, and Abigail’s morning routine starts early. “I am a major girly-girl and love to take my time getting ready — gua sha and coffee in hand, listening to music or catching up on my fave reality shows,” she said.

Born in Israel and raised in downtown Manhattan, Eleonora is a lifelong New Yorker who describes herself as having an “encyclopedic-like knowledge of the city’s inventory.” She has worked on projects such as Gramercy Square, The Beekman Hotel and Residences, and The Belnord. In 2023, Eleonora earned the firm’s top sale of the year when she closed on a $75 million-plus deal. She manages her own team of agents at Douglas Elliman.

“I always wake up at 5 a.m. and find an hour for the gym,” Eleonora said of her daily routine. “If it’s an office day I’ll go right in, but if I have clients I need about an hour for glam. I am all or nothing — either looking like a messy slob or ultra glamorous.”

Gisselle describes the NYC real estate competition as “a high-stakes chess game in stilettos; it’s fast, fierce, and always evolving, and there’s no room for amateurs. You’ve got to hustle while looking fabulous.” The one thing she recommends everyone do at least once in New York is to “take a sunrise walk through Central Park after a night out. It’s peaceful, surreal, and a great way to remind yourself that this city never truly sleeps — it just pauses for coffee.”

“The reality behind the New York City real estate world is there are almost 20,000 agents in the city, but only a very small percentage of agents who actually do the majority of the deals,” Jade said. “It’s a very competitive battleground for the agents who are trying to get to the top.” Jade currently manages a portfolio of over $2 billion of New Development inventory for Douglas Elliman.

When she’s not selling luxury abodes, Jade enjoys focusing on her own home: “My current apartment has an industrial aesthetic, but I do like a modern aesthetic with a twist of mid-century furniture.”

Jordyn Taylor, who moved to New York City by way of Los Angeles, says that what sets the real estate market in the Big Apple apart is that New Yorkers know real estate exceptionally well. “My local barista knows the tea on the new Naftali development on 77th,” she said. “As agents, this means we have to be incredibly well-informed at all times. There’s no room for laziness at our level.”

“The New York City real estate market is not for the weak-minded. You must have a strong desire to hustle. We actually show our listings — there’s no key lockbox for access,” Justin said. And when it comes to the city’s steak houses, Justin recommends everyone should “hit up Peter Luger” at least once.

“The NYC real estate market is dynamic, fast-paced, and [it’s] big stakes. As a broker, you can sign up properties with six- to seven-figure valuations, or sign on developments with sellouts in the billions. The commissions tied to those paydays can get huge, too. Naturally, there is fierce competition,” Steve said.

When it comes to renovating the homes he’s selling, Steve’s goal is to “preserve and enhance the bones while layering in contemporary and minimal, wabi-sabi elements. It can look simple to the untrained eye, but the execution is incredibly detailed,” he said.

Taylor is a star agent at Douglas Elliman in the luxury sector — she’s closed on more than $500 million in sales in her time there — and has been described as “one to watch” by executive chairman Howard Lorber. Her clients range from CEOs to celebrities.

But Taylor takes her self-care almost as seriously as her job. “Mornings are my little window of Zen before the madness of the workday takes over,” she said. “I love enjoying my coffee in my pajamas, getting centered, and working out before doing my skin care, makeup, hair, and picking out my outfit in peace. Once I’m dressed and ready to go, I work feverishly until my head hits the pillow at night.”