Brown Harris Stevens

ELLEN DEVENS, New York Residential Specialist (NYRS):

Since 2002, Ellen’s real estate practice has been built on creative marketing, diligence and real-time guidance of pricing and marketplace economics. Her seasoned negotiation skills, in-depth knowledge of product and inventory, across neighborhoods along with a business approach to quality process ensures a smooth transaction during all phases of the purchasing and selling cycle. Ellen views residential property as a home but equally important as equity in a portfolio and is zealous in her buyer and seller representation. As a listing agent, Ellen’s ability to creatively market, package and posture a property benefits the sellers because it helps the buyers understand the space in textural way. When working with purchasers, Ellen’s instinctively aligns the creativity and functionality of a property with the purchasers wants and needs.

Ellen’s clients, for which she has bought and sold multiple properties, will tell you that she has an amazing eye, makes the process of selling or buying seem effortless and is diligent on their behalf. Trained in the Five Mindfulness Trainings she brings her clients an awareness and clarity of the marketplace and shepherds them calmly through the phases of buying and selling from planning, analysis and negotiation to impeccable board package preparation and closing. Timing can be critical. Her comprehensive knowledge of marketplace economics and daily monitoring of pricing and property status, results in the real-time guidance and precision pricing she is able to offer clients during the negotiation process.

A third-generation New Yorker Ellen knows virtually every building and street in Manhattan. Raised in recording studios her father, George Devens was a highly revered and talented studio percussionist. Ellen’s business acumen is from her Mother, Scotti Devens, the founder of Save the Greyhound Dogs responsible for passing legislation that ended Greyhound racing.

A graduate of CUNY with 9 credits towards her Masters, her mixed media work has earned her membership in the Textile Study Group of NY. Her work has been shown in New York and South Korea. She is an active participant with her local elected officials, synagogue, community board and her Upper West Side cooperative, where she resides with her daughter and their Yorkshire Terrier. Ellen was the 2018 Chair of The Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine (LACMM) at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and teaches a weekly collage and mixed media art class for the elderly on the Upper West Side.

As a Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker at Brown Harris Stevens, she represents clients nationally and internationally. Ellen has a wide network of resources from international tax attorneys, board presidents and mortgage bankers to contractors, resident managers and architects.

TESTIMONIALS

RESILIENCE DURING COVID

"I met Ellen Devens at an Open House many years ago when I first began a search for a larger apartment. My wants were unexceptional, except that I insisted on having room for a great many books, and a set-back terrace large enough to create a garden. This was more difficult to find than I had imagined. Ellen stayed in touch, and whenever an appropriate property came on the market, she notified me. Together we saw many almost-good-enough apartments.

Neither Ellen nor I was discouraged, and her patience and diligence paid off at last. We found a large terrace that was fortunately attached to a lovely pre-war apartment with great natural light and space for books. She provided valuable insight into the costs of bringing the unit into the 21st century. She gave me a realistic idea of how long it would take to update the place because, alas, this desirable home didn’t come my way till 2020. If you think buying a coop apartment in New York is complicated, try doing it in the middle of a pandemic.

Though the lockdown was easing, even the simplest tasks had become virtual and difficult. Ellen’s experience was essential to navigating this new landscape. Especially with the moving of money, documents, and the virtual closing, I found the process aggravating in the extreme. I like to see people before I hand them money. Without Ellen’s guidance and patience, I might have given up, waiting until the pandemic ended before venturing into the market again.

Now that work on my new home is nearly complete, I’m looking forward to working with Ellen as I ready my old apartment for sale. I know I’ll be in good hands." – Clarice, NYC

"Ellen navigated the quirky NYC real-estate market like a true professional. She helped our family to secure a beautiful, appropriately priced condominium for our son who recently graduated from college. Living over 1,500 miles away, she was always available via telephone or email to respond to questions, offer feedback and at times, just hold my hand. Importantly, she was a great listener and found properties that met our parameters. I had worked with a broker from another agency before and felt I was talking to a wall. When my husband and I traveled to NYC she filled our day with appropriate properties to see. She valued our time. We were thrilled with the outcome. Ellen functioned as a consummate realtor, mother to my son and savvy negotiator. I would recommend her to my friends and intend to ask her to help us when we resettle in NYC." - Jacqui, Florida

"Ellen is fantastic and a pleasure to work with. She went "above and beyond" to quickly find us our dream pied-a-terre. We are from out of town and she found the perfect apartment for us. Her awareness of pricing was invaluable. Ellen made the experience smooth and easy. Shortly after she helped us, Ellen helped our son buy his apartment. That was a very complex situation that required knowledge, patience, professionalism, finesse and years of experience. She came through for him too! I highly recommend her.” – Sue and Art

"Ellen Devens is the consummate Real Estate professional. Her professionalism is exemplified by the fact that she understands the extremely unique New York market and the distinctions among the city's various neighborhoods. She brings exceptional creativity to the marketing of an apartment. She is also able to instantly understand what a customer seeks. All of this results in the quick sale of a listed apartment or the quick hunt for a purchase. Ellen painlessly sold my unit during a down market, and then worked tirelessly with me in a search for a new apartment.” - Susan Benton, NYC

"Ellen is an honest and a meticulous broker. My husband and I met Ellen at the Open House. They were two apartments next to each other owned by two different sellers and she had the listing for both the apartments. We felt so comfortable with her that we decided to retain her as our broker. It was a complex transaction as it involved simultaneous closings and she worked with all parties to ensure that it went smoothly. She was responsive and on top of things at all times.” - Priya H. NYC

“I live on the West Coast and wanted to sell my NYC apartment. As an out-of-towner, I needed to trust that my broker would give me accurate guidance about timing, pricing, and marketing. Ellen did all that, and more. I knew that I could count on her to understand my concerns and educate me about the nuances in the real estate market, but even more important, I knew that Ellen represented my interests as a seller--every step of the way. She also did a superb job ensuring that the transaction met the high standards of the co-op board. I couldn't be happier with her diligence, her professionalism, and our result.” - Margaret, California