Adam Modlin sells top New York City homes to world's eliteBY JASON SHEFTELL DAILY NEWS REAL ESTATE CORRESPONDENT

Friday, April 4th 2008, 4:00 AM

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When real estate agent Adam Modlin shows New York City property, he often ends up dealing with paparazzi, negative and positive press, angry fans and swarms of autograph- seekers running down the streets with cell phone cameras and pads of paper.

The top producing broker linked to Alex Rodriguez, Britney Spears, Usher, Christy Turlington, Will Smith, Billy Joel and many of the world's leading CEOs says one of the most important things he does, however, is keep a secret. When you sell $10 million-to-$50 million Manhattan homes, as Modlin does, your business and client relationships depend on it.

"There has to be an understanding when a high-pro�le client enters a home that they can be brutally honest about how they perceive their lifestyle and personal needs �tting into that space," says Modlin, 35, who did more than $200 million in transactions last year. "It's a sacred space for them and the beginning of where a very big deal can happen. If another broker or a home owner repeats what is said in that space by the famous client, not only can it damage the deal but it's as unethical as breaking attorney-client privileges."

Also, you have to be quiet about what you see in the homes.

"At this end of the market, the art blows away the value of the property," says Modlin. "One painting can be worth the entire price of the property."

In the past year, the Modlin Group, founded by Adam almost 10 years ago, has handled a $35 million transaction for a Fifth Ave. townhouse designed by the same architect who built Grant's Tomb, a $20 million apartment in the Plaza Hotel, two units in the Time Warner Center totaling $16 million, a $10 million Tribeca penthouse owned by a supermodel and a $10 million-plus modern townhouse on Leroy St. that wasn't even o�cially on the real estate market.

"There are properties that can be bought that are not on the market," says Modlin, partly referring to homes owned by the world's most famous people who may not want their house toured by agents or nonbuyers looking to view the property for voyeuristic purposes. "That's why you need to have good relationships with other top brokers. If they have a client who wants to very quietly sell their home, they know that they can call me because I might have a buyer who can a�ord it. Also, I may know about a special property that isn't listed for the public. There are only about 10 brokers who work within this framework and have these kinds of homes and clients."

The Leroy St. townhouse is an example. When Modlin's client purchased the $35 million home at 8 E. 62nd St., they decided to stay in the Leroy St. house while they refurbished the uptown property. They took their $12 million downtown home o� the market. A short time later, Modlin got a call from top Corcoran broker Julie Pham who had a client interested in Leroy St. Modlin's client said if they want to buy the home for more than $12 million, they could have it. Modlin and Pham, working together for the �rst time, agreed on an amount that is somewhat higher.

Adam Modlin on the roof 8 E.62nd Street, where he brokered a $35 million deal.

Pool and bathtub at the $17.5 million Sky Studios on lower Broadway Modlin repped the seller.

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Another example of the o�-market working in Modlin's favor occurred when Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez �ew into New York City on New Year's Eve. After press reported that A-Rod looked at a home on the upper West Side, Modlin got calls for two months from agents and apart-ment owners o�ering unique spaces not o�cially for sale. A-Rod, who currently resides on Park Ave. in a Trump building, looked at some of the properties.

"I used to cringe when any press came out about one of my clients looking at a house," says Modlin, afraid that negative publicity would impact his ability to protect his client. "But we forget that these people are written about everyday by hundreds of publications. To them, looking at a house somewhere is usually not a big deal. Still, it's important I strategize with clients how to handle publicity regarding a home sale."

Modlin is a strategy and preparation pro. Before taking out any client, he spends time considering their tastes. Going from home to home in a gray Range Rover with tinted windows, Modlin plays music and serves snacks the client prefers. If they like �at water, he serves it. If they are earthy, he'll have natural foods.

"The real estate transaction will take care of itself," says Modlin, whose own musical tastes tend toward hip hop, something he developed showing music executives homes in the late 1990s. "I'm not able to make a client fall so in love with a space they want to buy it. I'm not able to make a house double in size. I can, however, create an ambiance and comfort level."

Once a client trust level is established and Modlin has used his relationships with other brokers to provide his client access to the city's top properties, Modlin can focus on what he calls the most important part of the business: clos-ing deals. At this level, where mortgages or money isn't as much of an issue as it is with most normal real estate transactions, deal-closing often has to do with how brokers and clients relate to each other.

"You have no idea how important it is to be respected by and connected with other brokers," says Modlin. "The client is important, but the broker is how you get access to high-end properties before others and who you negoti-ate with."

Modlin, who grew up on the upper East Side and resides there with his wife and two children, surrounds himself with long-term relationships. He married his high school sweetheart and his brother, Avery, runs the �nancial-services sector of the Modlin Group.

"Loyalties develop into long-term relationships," he says. "That's how I built my business. I consider myself more in the people business than the real estate business."

Modlin, a former fashion stylist at Bergdorf's who dressed high-end male clients, knows how to dress the part. On a casual Sunday, he's wearing True Religion jeans, a pink cashmere sweater, and a Jacob the Jeweler watch. (Jacob and Modlin have become friends.)

When we leave the interview at the Carlyle Hotel, he gets e-mails from two New York Yankees on his cell phone. One is regarding tickets to opening day; the other is help getting into a nightclub for a player's friend.

"I'm humbled everyday that I get to work with these people," says Modlin. "They deserve any help I can give them."