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RICHARD STEINBERG
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very item on Warburg Realty broker Richard Steinberg’s desk is specifically arranged according to feng shui guidelines. The “chi,” or “universal energy balance,” appears to serve him well, judging by the string of multi-milliondollar deals — including the recent sale of a $24 million property at 15 Central Park West — that the 20-year industry veteran has under his belt. Steinberg said he always had a passion for architecture, and he bought and flipped homes as a hobby during his 10 years as a practicing podiatrist. He switched careers in 1985, joining the now-defunct brokerage William B. May in 1991, then French firm Jean Marc Levet in 1993 and Warburg in 1995. He discovered feng shui in 1989, when he sold a house for feng shui master Carole Shashona. The Springfield, N.J., native said the ancient Chinese system, which aims to harmonize material items with the surrounding environment, resonated with his natural spirituality. Last month, he showed TRD how the harmony is his office influences his real estate brokerage business. By Julie Strickland
SKIING Steinberg’s been skiing for 30 years, and has had a place in Aspen, Colo., for over 20 years. “All my friends are skiing less and less, and I don’t do bumps anymore, but I still ski black runs,” he said. He spent spring break in Aspen with his family, which now numbers 11,
SAGE
WOODEN TURTLE
After he lights his candle, Steinberg takes a bundle of
This turtle was a gift from feng shui expert
sage and “cleanses” his office, including the area where
Shashona, in 2011. The turtle, one of the four
his team member Matthew Slosar sits, and the desk
Celestial Animals in feng shui, is considered
of his daughter-in-law Jill Steinberg, who along with
a guardian of good feng shui energy
Tammy Prunty is also a team member. “I burn it and
that is used as a protection and
wave it around, and there’s actually a blessing I
energy-strengthening cure.
say,” Steinberg explained. “The blessing changes
The turtle should have
month to month, and I say that every morning
its head facing
to get my day started. I’m a little OCD.”
south,
is associated
counting his wife, children and
with
five grandchildren.
THEATER The first Broadway show Steinberg ever saw was “Mame,” when he was 12 years old. “And I could not believe it.” A few weeks ago, he went to the Cirque du Soleil– inspired interactive show “Queen of the Night,” the Randy Weiner creation at Aby Rosen’s Paramount Hotel. “It was one of the most remarkable things I’ve
HAMPTONS FILM FESTIVAL International Film Festival. In October, he takes off time to attend, watching five films a day for four days. “It’s great, because you get to see them before they come out in the mainstream.”
24 May 2014 www.TheRealDeal.com
money
and success.
IVORY NECKLACE This ivory necklace, which belonged to Steinberg’s mother, who died about 10 years ago, is very old and fragile. “You’re always supposed to stay in touch with past generations,” Steinberg noted, “so I keep that at my desk because it makes me feel that she’s always around me, advising me.”
seen in quite a while,” he said.
A film buff, Steinberg is a supporter of the Hamptons
and
CANDLES His desk sports two candles, one for empowerment, and the other for purity. “I pretty much light the purity candle every day,” Steinberg said. “And then if things seem to be going well or I’m working on a new deal, rather than the purity candle, I light the
GREEN AND YELLOW FOLDERS Steinberg’s desk is arranged with green and yellow folders. Green, he noted, is symbol of prosperity, while yellow is strength and sunlight. On the left side of his upper desk are files and documents pertaining to customers he is presently working on or his exclusive listings, while the right side is completed deals, or those in contract or waiting to close. “I don’t know why, but I guess it has something to do with my being a lefty,” he said. “The work flow is left to right on the desk.”
empowerment candle.”
PARIS “I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t something about Paris,” Steinberg noted, adding, “with my work schedule, the perfect vacation lasts five days, from a Wednesday to a Sunday.” That’s not enough time for a trip to India or a safari in Africa. So Steinberg and his wife frequently jaunt to Paris, staying at the Hotel Montalembert on the Left Bank and spending their time going to museums and restaurants.
PHOTOGRAPH OF RICHARD STEINBERG FOR THE REAL DEAL BY JEREMY WILLIAMS