Esteban Gomez featuring the Lia chair
Published on 28 Apr 2020
Esteban Gomez is not your average real estate agent. He's lived in NYC for 14 years, the majority of which was spent in fashion. This is zero percent surprising when you first meet him. He greeted us on the well-manicured stoop of his Chelsea townhouse in a pair of draped navy trousers, a black fur hat and a sweater emblazoned with a bold red flame. Working in fashion introduced Esteban to a ton of New York's creatives across the board (from publishing, art, design and architecture to entertainment). Eventually, he realized his most spirited conversations revolved around real estate, which he compares, in this city, to sports or politics. This prompted his latest venture, The Creatives Agent, which takes up most of his professional energy these days.
We caught up with Esteban over (really, really good) coffee in his living room, which features our Lia chair in Mustard Cord Velvet.
Q: How has your Orior Lia chair been integrated in your home?
A: It’s funny — this chair seems as if it was always meant to be in our home. It’s become the centerpiece of the living room floor, really. It’s the first thing you notice as you come in the door, and it just calls you to sit down. It’s incredibly cozy and comfortable.
Q: How did you get into the real estate business?
A: Living in NYC you can’t escape some level of daily interaction with it — it’s everywhere. At business meetings or dinner parties, eventually a portion of my conversations would always circle back to property, real estate, and how the city is continuously changing. These conversations tend to be some of the most animated — people love to talk about real estate, it's almost akin to sports or politics.
Q: What is the concept behind The Creatives Agent?
A: Simply phrased — TCA is the property advisor to NYC’s creative industry leaders.
TCA (@TheCreativesAgent) was born out of a white space I noticed in the real estate industry. So just as some real estate companies or groups might specialize in certain parts of the city, TCA is a service that specifically aims toward helping creatives with all of their property needs (purchasing, selling, leasing).
Q: How is that a different approach from other real estate professionals?
A: People in creative fields are often more specific in what they’re looking for, and in their aesthetic appreciations. We speak their language, we understand their lifestyle. I connect my clients to a wide variety of the exact industry professionals they need after moving into their new space — interior designers, furniture designers, architects, landscape design firms, and even general contractors.
It’s a compelling package, as it truly changes the perception of my role. I’m really excited about the direction — the aim is to redefine the current antiquated mold of a real estate advisor, and build an army of soft-skilled lifestyle property experts across all different markets.
Q: What do you do on weekends?
A: Mainly, I love visiting the art galleries around my neighborhood (West Chelsea), the Lower East Side and the East Village. An all-time favorite of mine is Karma Gallery and their book shop.
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Below, Esteban visits with his friend / neighbor, jewelry designer Courtney Crangi, and her pup Zero. They're surrounded by objects Esteban has brought home over the years from his travels to Mexico.
This interview was conducted in December 2019.
