Michael Graves brings passion, integrity and a commitment to excellence to every client and sales opportunity. His keen marketing and negotiating skills have been championed by a lifetime of experience in business, academics, hospitality and the fine arts. Michael is known in real estate circles worldwide as an innovator, record-breaker and consummate professional. He is a consistent figure in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Brokers Weekly and The Real Deal and has been recognized for his success while starring on HGTV’s hit television series Selling New York.  Michael is highly sought after by investors, developers and homeowners for his creativity, integrity and superior ability to communicate ideas and deliver results.

Michael’s greatest passion is selling unique, high-end and complex properties intelligently and creatively through innovative marketing and razor sharp presentation. In the past 12 months, Michael has recorded more than 36 million dollars in sales. Recently, he broke records in the West Village townhouse market, the DUMBO penthouse market and at premier buildings including 240 Park Avenue South, where he sold a penthouse for more than $2,500 per square foot. Michael has only increased this pace, closing on more than 20 million dollars in sales in the first two quarters of 2011.

Before entering into real estate, Michael played a key role in helping build his family’s boutique luxury hotel development company, Graves Hospitality. As Sales and Marketing Executive Director he formed strong and lasting corporate relationships with major clients along the Eastern Seaboard. Under Michael’s direction, the company received top accolades ranging from Travel+Leisure’s World’s Best Hotels, ESNY Lumen Award, Gold Reserve of Top Hotels by Condé Nast Traveler, three Gold Key awards from Interior Design and Hospitality Design, Platinum Status with Marriott Hotels, President’s Circle with Carlson Hospitality and many other esteemed recognitions.

Among many of Michael’s talents and interests, he is an accomplished classical guitarist and composer of film and concert music. Michael’s music has received rave reviews and has been heard around the world including world premiere performances at the Ebisu Museum Concert Hall, City Center, Tokyo and Carnegie Hall. Michael graduated  Summa Cum Laude from New York University where he received a B.M. and Master’s degrees in Composition & Theory and Scoring for Film & Multimedia. He is the laureate of several distinguished awards including the American Music Center’s CAP award, New York University’s Honor Scholar Award and The Founder’s Day Award.