Introducing the Brick Report: A building snapshot to help buyers and renters avoid unwanted surprises

Savvy buyers and renters who want to minimize surprises now have a new tool to find out as much as possible about an address before making an offer or signing a lease.

Brick Underground, the New York City real estate news site, announced today the launch of the Brick Report, a comprehensive snapshot of residential building information. If you’re looking to move, you can find out whether the location you are considering has been issued violations for pests, plumbing, or heating problems. You’ll also be able to confirm when the building was constructed and access information about recent construction permit requests as well as energy ratings and usage.

The report also provides neighborhood information, such as demographics, crime reports, overviews of restaurants and grocery stores, nearby schools and government institutions. 

Pulling it all together

New York City has a wealth of real estate data available to consumers but it exists in separate databases that are not user friendly, said Justin DeMaris, advisor and minority owner of Brick Underground.

“When my wife and I were looking to buy our first apartment in NYC in 2018, I was surprised at how much information I had to pull together on my own. I knew that this data existed because I worked for a technology company that used it, but it was a lot of effort to pull all the information we needed for each place we were considering. Even the real estate agents we worked with didn’t have it all,” DeMaris said.

“I strongly believe that an informed consumer is a better consumer, so making this information accessible aligns with Brick Underground’s mission to educate and inform,” DeMaris added.

How buyers and renters can use this info?

Before finalizing your decision to rent or buy, you can pull a report by submitting an address. This way you can find out in advance if there was a pest infestation that wasn’t mentioned or permits that have been pulled for a nearby construction project that could disturb your quality of life.

If you are buying, knowing a building’s energy rating can indicate whether a co-op board has a handle on building maintenance or if you will face hefty assessments for upgrades in the future.

Where the data comes from

Brick Report draws data from New York City’s Open Data portal and combines data sets from Housing and Preservation & Development, Department of Buildings, Department of Finance, 311, New York City Police Department, as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Census Bureau, and Open Street Maps.

Other companies may offer you similar reports, but only after you commit to a rental or purchase, DeMaris said.

“Brick Report is part of our mission to remain unbiased and provide New Yorkers and prospective New Yorkers with advice on how to navigate the real estate market based on all of the data available,” he said.

Why do I have to provide my email address?

Brick Underground securely stores your email address so we can send you the report you requested. We may also contact you in the future if we find errors in the data that was used to generate your report.

Brick Underground may use this information to email you about relevant offers from Brick Underground or our sponsors in the future. Brick does not publish this information, nor share this information with any of our sponsorship partners.

Brick Underground is not currently charging for Brick Report. You can try out the report for free to learn about where you live now or about places where you are considering moving. For questions, feedback, or sponsorship opportunities, reach out to info@brickunderground.com.

About Brick Underground 
Brick Underground reaches two million unique readers a year who are making a critical decision about renting, buying, selling, or renovating in New York City, one of the priciest and most complex real estate markets in the world. The site, which was founded by former New York Times real estate writer Teri Karush Rogers, has published more than 10,000 original articles in its 15-year history.