Before Listing a Manhattan Condo, Check These Public Records
What should you check before listing a Manhattan condo? Start with the records a buyer, lender, or attorney may review: the unit's recorded documents and the building's Department of Buildings history. Then compare what you find with your own files and the information from management. This early review can help you answer questions accurately and give your attorney time to resolve discrepancies.
Public records are a starting point, not a complete picture of an apartment or a substitute for legal review. Here is a practical way to use them before your condo goes on the market.
Find the unit's recorded documents in ACRIS
New York City's ACRIS lets you search Manhattan property records and view document images, including deeds and other recorded documents. Search by the condo unit's address or borough, block, and lot, then compare the results with the deed and closing papers you kept when you bought.
Make a short list of anything you cannot explain, such as an unfamiliar document or a difference in the way an owner or unit is identified. Send the document, rather than a guess about its meaning, to your real estate attorney. The City itself cautions that looking through public records is not the same as a title search.
Check DOB NOW and BIS for building history
The Department of Buildings has two public systems worth checking: DOB NOW's Public Portal and the Buildings Information System, or BIS. The agency says DOB NOW shows its own filings, while BIS still holds filings made through earlier channels. It also says some violations and complaints appear in BIS rather than DOB NOW. A search of only one system can therefore miss relevant information.
Look at the property profile, certificate of occupancy information, jobs, permits, complaints, and violations that the systems make available. A record may concern the whole building rather than your unit. An open item also needs context: ask the managing agent or the appropriate professional what it means and whether it affects the proposed sale. Avoid turning a database label into a marketing claim without checking it.
Compare public records with what you plan to advertise
Before photography and listing copy are finalized, compare your deed, floor plan, renovation records, and management documents with the description you want buyers to see. If you have changed a layout, combined rooms, or made other alterations, gather the approvals and permits you have. Ask your attorney and, where appropriate, an architect or expeditor to review any mismatch. Do not assume that an old floor plan or a public database entry proves the present legal use of a space.
Your agent can then describe the apartment with supportable details. This is especially useful when a feature is central to the asking price. If the documentation is incomplete, it is better to resolve the question before a buyer's diligence than to improvise an answer after an offer arrives.
Get the private building information too
Public records do not replace the current information held by your condominium. Ask the managing agent what buyers typically receive and what the building requires for a sale. Gather current common charges, any assessment information, house rules, alteration materials, and available building financial documents. Confirm which items may be shared with buyers and whether any figures or policies have changed.
Keep a single folder for your attorney and listing team. Separate documents you have verified from questions still awaiting an answer. That makes it easier to respond consistently when buyers ask about the unit, the building, or the timing of a closing.
A simple pre-listing sequence
Pull the unit's ACRIS record and compare it with your ownership documents.
Search both DOB NOW and BIS for the building and note items that need explanation.
Collect your floor plan, alteration paperwork, and current building information.
Ask your attorney and managing agent to resolve discrepancies before you rely on them in listing copy.
Give your agent a verified set of facts for marketing and buyer questions.
Nick Athanail and Spencer Cutler of AREA at Corcoran can help you organize that pre-listing review and position your Manhattan condo with clear, defensible information. Your attorney should handle title and legal questions. To discuss a sale, contact us at NickTeam@corcoran.com or 917-268-8083.