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Agent selling Trump Tower apartment is promoting this hot ‘new amenity’ — and you’re paying for it
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Agent selling Trump Tower apartment is promoting this hot ‘new amenity’ — and you’re paying for it

One Manhattan reality company marketing an apartment in Trump Tower is hoping clients will see the U.S. Secret Service as a selling point. In fact, they're advertising it as one.

Just days after President-elect Donald Trump beat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, the prominent real estate agency Douglas Elliman started promoting the Secret Service presence, according to Politico, writing an email with the subject line: "Fifth Avenue Buyers Interested in Secret Service Protection?"

"The New Aminity [sic] – The United States Secret Service," the flier sent in a Nov. 13 email read, calling attention to a $2.1 million, one-bedroom apartment on the 31st floor.

Brokers Ariel Sassoon and Devin Leahy went on to describe the 1,052-square-foot residence as "The Best Value in the Most Secure Building in Manhattan."

But despite Trump's name being on the building, most of the 263 units in the 58-story tower are not owned by the billionaire businessman:

Trump was the developer and sponsor of the Trump Tower when it was built 33 years ago, but most of the 263 units are individually owned. Trump Tower does not retain a portion of the sales but since the building is managed by Trump Corporation, they retain a processing fee for unit sales which is about $2,000 per application plus $250 per additional adult dweller, as part of their service as managers of the building.

The condominium collects the common charge, but Trump manages the garage and vendors in the building like the bar and restaurant.

Since becoming president-elect, Trump has used the Manhattan skyscraper as his transition headquarters, inviting many high-profile politicians and business executives to meet him there to discuss potential Cabinet opportunities.

Trump's decision to stay in New York City to form his administration has — and is — really burning a whole in the city's budget. According to CNN Money, it is costing the Big Apple more than $1 million a day to keep the president-elect and his family protected.

"This is a very substantial undertaking. It will take substantial resources," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a press conference last month. "We will begin the conversation with the federal government shortly on reimbursement for the NYPD for some of the costs that we are incurring."

De Blasio is sending a $35 million bill to the White House to help cover the cost of keeping Trump Tower secure. The mayor said he also spoke with Steve Mnuchin, Trump's treasury secretary pick, about the issue. "He's a native New Yorker, so I think that is a helpful reality," de Blasio said.

In addition to the security costs, Trump's presence has created quite a headache regarding traffic on Fifth Avenue. Some nearby businesses, to include Tiffany and Co., have complained that their sales have been negatively impacted by his being there.

As far as how Trump plans to handle his own businesses when he takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, the president-elect has vowed to hand his ownership stakes over to his children — Ivanka, Eric and Donald Jr. — instead of placing them in a blind trust.

However, to date, Trump has taken little to no action to separate himself from his lengthy list of business interests.

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