Buyer representation · New York · Miami
Buying with the full picture
The right purchase is usually decided before the first offer: by what you choose to look at, what you check, and what you understand about the building, the street and the true cost of owning. Raphael represents buyers in Manhattan and Miami, and works for you alone.
Why representation matters
The listing agent works for the seller
Advice for you alone
A buyer's agent owes you the advice, the questions and the negotiation. Raphael tells you plainly when a home is not worth its price.
Judgment on the building
In both cities, the building often matters as much as the apartment: its finances, its rules and its upcoming projects.
Experience on both sides
Years of selling significant properties show how sellers price, what they will accept and where an offer has room.
Selection, due diligence, negotiation
From brief to keys
Define the brief
How you will use the home, for how long, how you will finance it, and what you will not compromise on. For second homes and investment purchases, the exit is discussed at the start.
Search with discipline
Listed inventory, new developments and, where they exist, properties that owners may consider selling quietly. Each candidate is compared on price per square foot, condition, light, building quality and resale appeal.
Check the building
For condominiums: budgets, reserves, structural inspections and reserve studies in Florida, pending assessments, litigation, insurance, rental and pet rules. For co-ops: financials, underlying mortgage, flip tax and board requirements. For houses: inspection, permits, flood zone and, on the water, seawall and dock condition.
Price the offer
An offer built on recent closed sales and the seller's situation as far as it can be understood, with terms that make the offer stronger without adding risk for you.
Negotiate and close
Raphael negotiates on your behalf only, coordinates with your attorney and lender, prepares the board package where needed, and manages the timeline to closing.
Two markets
Buying in Manhattan is not buying in Miami
The board, the attorney, the building
Most apartments are co-ops, where a board approves the buyer and often sets the down payment and post-closing liquidity. Condominiums offer lighter approval at a premium. Each side has an attorney, and the contract is negotiated before signing. Manhattan · How co-op boards shape a sale.
The association, the water, the insurance
Condominium reserves, milestone inspections and assessments; for houses, flood zone, seawall and dock; and wind and flood insurance for both. New development adds deposits and timelines. Miami · Miami new construction · Aventura · Bay Harbor Islands.
Buyer representation
Recent purchases for clients
Two Miami homes bought for clients: a house in Miami Beach and a home on gated Keystone Island.
Miami BeachSingle-family home · 4 bedrooms
3726 Prairie Avenue
A four-bedroom single-family home in Miami Beach, purchased in July 2025 for $4,150,000 with Raphael representing the buyer.
Keystone IslandSingle-family home · 5 bedrooms
12490 Keystone Island Drive
A five-bedroom home on Keystone Island, the gated enclave of Keystone Point in North Miami, purchased in October 2024 for $3.9 million with Raphael representing the buyer.
Cost of ownership
The price is only the first number
Two homes at the same price can cost very different amounts to own. Before you commit, Raphael sets out the recurring and one-time costs that apply to the specific property, so that comparisons are honest.
- Recurring: common charges or maintenance, property taxes, insurance (including flood and wind coverage in Florida), and any active special assessment.
- At purchase: transfer and mortgage taxes where they apply, title, legal and lender fees, and in New York the mansion tax on purchases of $1 million and above.
- Building-level risk: upcoming capital projects, reserve levels and insurance renewals that could change what you pay in future years.
Tax and legal questions should be confirmed with your own attorney and accountant. Raphael works alongside them and can introduce professionals in New York and Florida.
Related
Services and guides for buyers
Moving between New York and Miami
Selling in one city and buying in the other, planned as one move.
Luxury rentalsRenting before buying
A lease while you learn the neighborhoods, with representation on the tenant's side.
International clientsBuying from abroad
The US purchase process for French and European buyers.
Private consultation
Begin with the brief.
Share the city and neighborhoods you are considering, the kind of home, your budget and your timing. Raphael replies personally, in English or in French.