August 27, 2025
What Up Family?!
Welcome to The Edit with Aaron Seawood, a lifestyle letter serving a weekly dose of real estate, culture, and wisdom—all in three minutes or less. Let’s dive in.
Real Estate Remix
From Showing to Stay: The New Luxury Play
In today’s market, a 30-minute walk-through just doesn’t cut it anymore…especially not when you’re wiring eight figures!! Today’s buyers want the full experience before they commit. Think: overnight stays, live-in trial runs so they can have a preview of what life in that home actually feels like.
The WSJ just reported on a Newport Coast estate listed at $60.2M whose potential-buyers locked in a two-month “test drive” at $250K per month. It’s fully furnished, with staff and a Range Rover in the driveway. And when it comes to the sellers, offering this experience isn’t just good hospitality, it’s a damn good selling strategy.
These aren’t just homes. They’re people’s lives! And for buyers, emotional connection and “trying before you buy” can be what makes or breaks the deal.
My take? The open house is evolving. And it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out in the future—across any price point.
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In case you missed it, I just created one of the most comprehensive guides to buying a Townhouse in NYC. This is the same guide I give to my private clients, and now you can download it for free.
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NYC Insider: What’s Happening This Week
Labor Day in Brooklyn is a full-body experience, and the West Indian Day Parade is the heartbeat. From 10am-6pm, Eastern Parkway turns into a moving ocean of color: feathered mas bands, jeweled headpieces, flags from every island, steel pan and soca shaking the avenue from Utica Ave to Grand Army Plaza. Follow your nose: jerk on the grill, doubles on the corner, sorrel on ice; grandma recipes, no shortcuts. The fashion is loud, the joy is louder, and the culture is the point. Pull up early, take the train, bring cash, and move with respect, this is celebration and ceremony. If you’ve never felt Brooklyn glow in broad daylight, this is your chance.
Weekly Gem 💎
Upgrade Your Questions
You don’t always need a new plan. You need a better prompt.
The question you ask is the GPS your life follows. Ask small, get small. Ask sharp, get signal.
This week, swap the default questions for power ones:
- Instead of “How do I make this work?” → “What would make this effortless?”
- Instead of “What should I do next?” → “What’s the one move that makes the rest easier or irrelevant?”
- Instead of “How do I do it all?” → “Who already does this better, and how do I partner, delegate, or learn?”
- Instead of “Why is this so hard?” → “What constraint is pointing to the real problem?”
Pick one area: health, money, relationships, craft. Ask better.
Then move. Answers love motion.
The quality of your questions is the quality of your life.
The Best Home on the Market This Week
Here’s a special listing that caught my eye that I think you should consider if you’re in the market. I’m prioritizing quality, soul, and a space that truly speaks.
Listed by Steven Cohen and Gregory Williamson
535 West End Avenue, PH
$18,995,000 6 Beds / 6.5 Baths UWS
At this Penthouse, scale meets sophistication: 6,500 SF inside, 1,900 SF outside. Private elevator landing, oversized arched windows, and Hudson River views set the tone. The primary suite is its own wing, dressing room, marble six-fixture bath, and sitting room included. The chef’s kitchen runs double everything: two islands, two stoves, two sinks, two dishwashers plus a breakfast bar with river views. Upstairs, a landscaped roof terrace with full outdoor kitchen and fireplace makes this penthouse as rare as it is refined.
🔑 Best Features
- Private elevator entry + dramatic foyer
- Corner great room with fireplace & dining
- Dual-workstation chef’s kitchen
- Primary suite with dressing room + marble spa bath
- Landscaped roof terrace with outdoor kitchen + fireplace
Before you go…
🚳 NYC’s quirkiest fest lands at Pier 76 this weekend.
🖼️ In case you missed it, The Met gave the Rockefeller Wing a serious refresh and this one’s worth the trip uptown.
📺 Who needs Netflix when the Met is screening Puccini on the plaza?
🪘Good vibes, big beats, late night…AFROJAM is the Labor Day move.
🍽️ Before summer signs off, Brooklyn’s got one more feast in it. Here’s the hit list.
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Looking to Buy, Sell, or Rent? Let’s talk.
Like I ask GOD every day, who can we help next?