By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer
CRANBURY One local company isn’t just preaching, but proving it’s a buyer’s market.
Henderson Sotheby’s International Realty plans to relocate one door over after purchasing the former Hannah and Mason’s restaurant.
”We’re in the process of renovating it,” said Anne Setzer, a sales associate with Sotheby’s, of her company’s new 39 N. Main St. location.
Some of the major changes to the property include the dismantling of the former restaurant’s kitchen as well as opening up the space, she said.
Sotheby’s had simply outgrown its 37 N. Main St. location, which it leases, and was looking to upgrade to a more accommodating building, Ms. Setzer said.
Gordon Stults, owner of the business’s current Main Street digs, said he doesn’t foresee any problem renting out his property once Sotheby’s moves out.
”I’m not fussy. I just want a good person and a good tenant,” he said.
Sotheby’s wants what Ms. Setzer describes as a “functioning real estate office” the community feels comfortable stopping by to chat or share a cup of coffee.
”We want it to be a welcoming space,” she said.
Sotheby’s opened its office in April when Cranbury’s small-town charm appealed to company representatives, said Susan Norman, manager of the office.
”It’s a great opportunity to open a full-service real estate company,” she said. “We just love Cranbury, and we’re thrilled to be here. We’ve received a very nice reception, and people are just happy to see us here and flourishing.”
While many real estate companies have been struggling in the rough economy, Henderson Sotheby’s unusual success hasn’t been accidental, Ms. Norman said.
”We have extraordinary people working for a company with extraordinary services,” she said. “That’s why we are doing so well.”
Hannah and Mason’s shut down in February 2009, a little more than a year after celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay featured the establishment on his restaurant makeover show, “Kitchen Nightmares.”
