Realtors Say They're Already Seeing the 'Mamdani Effect' in Action: 'It's Not Good'

The ink is barely dry on New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s victory, and already, the city’s wealthy are packing their bags — fast.

While Mamdani prepares to usher in his radical brand of socialism, those who were supposed to foot the bill for his “free” promises are quietly slipping out the back door.

The winners? Real estate agents outside the five boroughs.
The losers? New York City’s tax base — and anyone hoping to live in a safe, functioning metropolis.

According to The New York Post, “[r]ealtors in leafy Greenwich said their open houses have been packed and that selling prices are going through the roof after Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral win in New York City sparked fears over everything from unsafe city buses to an economic meltdown.”

“Every lot is desirable in Greenwich now,” said Berkshire Hathaway broker Mary Ann Heaven. “Greenwich is extremely stable, and people are confident that the winds of change that are happening down there [in New York City] are not happening up here.”

Heaven added that interest has exploded: “50 or 60 parties” showed up for a single colonial home — triple the usual number.

Her husband, realtor Marshall Heaven, confirmed the trend: “They’re not the ultra-rich that are going to keep their apartments in Manhattan and just buy another place here and another place there. These are people that are selling their apartments in New York City and moving their families to Greenwich, Connecticut.”

One recent sale proved his point — a house listed at $2 million went for $2.5 million, half a million over asking.

In nearby Cos Cob, interior designer Dimitry Melnikov said the exodus is driving an overheated market. “The [local housing] market is screaming, it’s hot. Places are selling for much more than they are worth,” he told the outlet. “My friend put a house up last Friday. Within 12 hours, by Monday morning, he had 90 offers. I don’t think it’s normal. I don’t think it’s good. I know it’s not good for New York City.”

Melnikov added a chilling warning: “I grew up in Belarus; I’m familiar with socialism. It’s not going to work in New York City. To lay socialism on top of capitalism? That’s not going to work.”

It’s not just Connecticut feeling the “Mamdani Effect.” Florida real estate agent Kourtney Pulitzer reported similar surges in interest in Palm Beach — another refuge for those fleeing Mamdani’s economic “transformation.”

And that transformation isn’t theoretical. On election night, Mamdani opened his victory speech with a quote from socialist firebrand Eugene Debs — a not-so-subtle nod to the ideology he plans to impose on the nation’s largest city.

“Our greatness will be anything but abstract,” Mamdani declared. “It will be felt by every rent-stabilized tenant who wakes up on the first of every month knowing the amount they’re going to pay hasn’t soared since the month before… Together, New York, we’re going to freeze the rent together, New York, we’re going to make buses fast and free together, New York, we’re going to deliver universal childcare.”

Translation: Free everything — except freedom from the bill.

Manhattan real estate broker John Antretter predicted one simple policy could drive even more families away: “I think the major thing that will affect people would be something as simple as free bus tickets, as bad as that sounds. If people feel unsafe sending their kids across town on the bus every day or if they have to switch to private car services or Ubers or the parents driving them … that’ll be the No. 1 driving force.”

So, unsafe streets, crumbling services, and sky-high taxes — all in exchange for “free” buses. Sounds like a fair trade, right?

Don’t say conservatives didn’t warn you, Gotham. When you elect a socialist, you get socialism — and all the consequences that come with it.