By: KeyCrew Media
There is a chapter near the end of Adventures of a Real Estate Broker that most readers remember long after they have finished the book. It is about a man named Andrew who is 95 years old, has no family who will help him, was removed from his apartment by a building that wanted the unit, and ended up living in a hotel for three years while his home sat empty.
The agent who helped him is Daniel M. Berger, a Licensed Broker/Owner at RE/MAX Prestige Properties licensed in New York and Connecticut and focused on Westchester County, NY, and Fairfield County, CT. What he did for Andrew went well past anything in a standard listing agreement.
How It Started
Andrew’s building had effectively pushed him out of his apartment. The building wanted to acquire the unit cheaply, fix it up, and resell it. Instead of connecting Andrew with protective services, which could have helped him far sooner, they moved him into a hotel. He stayed there for three years, surviving largely on one meal a day, spending mornings in the lobby for human contact.
When Berger became involved, the property had been foreclosed. The building was moving to sell it at a courthouse auction, which would have left Andrew with nothing.
Berger showed up at the county courthouse.
“I went on the court steps in the county of Westchester, arguing with the person who was selling it,” he said. “They tried to get me kicked out. They brought the bailiff over, who listened to what I was saying, and said no, he can stay.”
The auction proceeded. Berger’s team immediately filed an appeal with the judge and got the foreclosure sale overturned. That freed the property to be sold properly, with Andrew receiving the proceeds.
What Came Next
Selling the apartment was not the end of it. Andrew needed somewhere to live. Berger began researching senior living facilities in New York and Connecticut, visiting locations, and working through the logistics of moving an elderly man with significant health challenges from a hotel room to a permanent home.
Andrew was not happy about Connecticut. “I’m a New Yorker,” he told Berger repeatedly. There is a photograph in the book of the two of them, along with Andrew’s attorney Barry, holding a sign that says exactly that.
Andrew ended up in Connecticut, at a facility that Berger says is taking good care of him. His birthday was a few months ago. He is still alive at 95.
Berger is still managing his affairs.
“I get texts and emails,” he said. “He needs more of this, more of that. I order things for him and send them to him. I put him in accounts. I found money he didn’t know he had, in the state of New York treasury, and we got that for him.”
Berger brought Andrew Five Guys burgers when he visited. He arranged Meals on Wheels, brought food and put it away in the apartment, and is working on getting Andrew into physical therapy.
“It’s shocking that he didn’t have anyone,” Berger said. “He knows I’ve got his back. And that’s just been great.”
Why This Story Made It Into the Book
Berger’s book, Adventures of a Real Estate Broker, is organized around real clients and real situations. Almost no names were changed. The people in it consented to their chapters and showed up at the book launch party proud of their stories.
The Andrew chapter anchors the final pages not because it is the most dramatic story in the collection, but because it is the clearest illustration of what Berger means when he talks about why he does this work.
He did not have a legal obligation to attend a courthouse auction. He did not have a contractual responsibility to research senior facilities, handle banking, or coordinate grocery deliveries. Those things were not in the listing agreement. They were what the situation required from someone who was willing to see it through.
“The book is really not about houses,” Berger said. “It’s about people.”
What It Says About How He Runs His Practice
For buyers and sellers evaluating real estate professionals in Westchester County and Fairfield County, the Andrew story is a signal about something specific: the difference between an agent who closes the file when the deal closes and one who considers the relationship ongoing.
Berger has worked with some clients through 10 or more transactions. He answers texts at 4 a.m. He puts the for-sale sign on the lawn himself. He joined one of his investor clients as a 25 percent partner on the purchase and renovation of a Beacon, New York, firehouse because he believed in the project.
None of that is typical. Most of it is not technically part of the job. But it is consistent with a practice built around the idea that clients come first, and that the relationship following a transaction is worth more than any single deal.
If you are buying or selling property in Westchester County or Fairfield County, you can learn more about working with Berger at RE/MAX Prestige Properties.
Andrew’s story is the last chapter. It is probably the right place to end.
Daniel M. Berger is a Licensed Broker/Owner at RE/MAX Prestige Properties, licensed in New York and Connecticut and focused on Westchester County, NY, and Fairfield County, CT. He is the author of Adventures of a Real Estate Broker and hosts a weekly real estate podcast.
Disclaimer: This article is based on information provided by the expert source cited above. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or real estate advice. Readers should conduct their own research and consult qualified professionals before making any real estate or financial decisions.
