In the world of New York City real estate, The Schaffer Cella Team brings a new standard of service excellence.

With 20 years of combined experience and over $125M in sales transactions, Lauren Schaffer and Heather Cella deliver extensive market knowledge, unwavering work ethic, and utmost commitment to each and every client they serve. They understand that every buyer and seller has unique needs, and therefore take an intentional & curated approach to each transaction.

With a proven sales record across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, The Schaffer Cella Team is your trusted strategic advisor on all things process, positioning, pricing, and negotiation, and delivers a white glove approach to the ever-evolving market landscape. The team looks forward to helping you reach your real estate goals.

The Team's Areas of Expertise

Licensed in the great state of New York, The Schaffer Cella Team proudly offers their professional support in the following areas (and beyond):

  • Buying, Selling, Renting, Leasing – in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens – across all building types and at every price point
  • Condos, Co-ops, Townhomes (Single Family + Multi Family)
  • Primary Homes, Pied-a-terres, Investment Properties
  • Broker referrals across the tri-state area and countrywide

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    Lauren Schaffer

    Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
    lauren.schaffer@theagencyre.com
    847.682.3303

    Lauren is a natural entrepreneur, bringing high energy and a positive spirit to everything she does. She is known amongst her peers as a masterful connector, project manager, and problem solver, always thinking 10 steps ahead and streamlining the customer experience along the way. This innate drive, coupled with a keen eye for style and a love of people, is what fuels her passion for luxury real estate sales in New York City.

    Lauren’s real estate business spans across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens where she enthusiastically partners with her clients to buy, sell, and rent homes. Her knowledge of New York City’s complex and evolving real estate market is extensive. Above all else, Lauren brings a warmth and ease to the process that makes those around her feel comfortable in any high-stress scenario.

    Lauren is a proud graduate of Vanderbilt University. Prior to real estate, she kick-started her career as an HR Manager within the niche start-up markets. She worked in fast-paced industries such as entertainment, digital media, and technology, where she built “people programs” aimed at maximizing employee potential. No matter the task at hand, her primary goals remained the same: put the client’s needs first, identify creative solutions to difficult problems, and build trusted relationships through action. Lauren proudly brings the same client-centric approach to her work in real estate.

    In her spare time, Lauren loves attending Broadway shows, biking around the city with her husband, relaxing at her family’s cabin in New Hampshire, and taking her miniature schnauzer on long romantic walks. As a Chicago native, Lauren always knew she was destined to call New York City her home, but that doesn’t stop her from showcasing a healthy dose of Midwestern charm along the way!

    HEATHER CELLA

    Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker
    heather.cella@theagencyre.com
    845.641.7790

    Heather is a native New Yorker and seasoned real estate veteran, with almost 9 years of experience under her belt. With a proven track record representing buyers, sellers, and renters across Manhattan and Brooklyn, she is consistently known for her “no challenge is too small” attitude, humility, and positive work ethic. She prides herself in her commitment to her clients, extensive knowledge of the market, and her ability to cultivate long term relationships.

    Heather is notoriously known for her positive attitude and considers herself an eternal optimist and creative problem solver, both qualities that are critical to ensuring a stress-free real estate transaction. As every client is unique, Heather takes a customized and curated approach to each and every single transaction, and services a diverse range of clientele. Whether you are a first time home buyer navigating the complexities of the condo and co-op market, seasoned investor exploring new construction opportunities, or seller looking for a smooth transition, consider her your strategic partner for a seamless, stress-free real estate experience. 

    Prior to real estate, Heather worked in Corporate America for several years, which has allowed her to apply a unique standard of customer service and professionalism in an incredibly nuanced and competitive market. She previously worked in Human Resources at a private wealth management firm for several years, and also worked in the fast paced tech start up sector prior to shifting her career to real estate. Heather has also worked for a family business in the camping industry, which has served thousands of children from NYC from the Upper East Side and Upper West Side for years. Therefore, she brings a special perspective to the industry and is intimately aware of the needs of parents and children living in Manhattan.

    When she is not selling real estate, she is an avid health and wellness advocate (healthy treats are her specialty!) animal lover, a-cappella music aficionado, and enjoys spending time in her current neighborhood of Murray Hill with her husband, John (whom she met through real estate!).

    RAE MCKEE

    Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
    rae.mckee@theagencyre.com
    605.593.2513

    Rae has specialized in high-level sales for the past eight years. Her trajectory first began with recruiting new students at Cedarville University and rapidly evolved to working in luxury real estate in NYC since 2017.

    In college, she quickly worked her way up through the ranks while fulfilling a role within the admissions team and by her senior year, was the Lead Assistant Admissions Counselor leading a team of over thirty students in recruitment. Working with high school students and their families on one of their largest financial investments made her transition to the world of real estate feel seamless and the next logical step.

    Rae came to New York City immediately upon graduation to join an Inside Sales Team at a boutique luxury residential real estate firm and quickly proved to be one of the top producers. Rae developed efficient methods for the team to create a better client and agent experience, all while pursuing her own career as an agent. After several years in the real estate industry, Rae has navigated through a multitude of different New York City real estate markets demonstrating her pliancy and creativity to help each individual client achieve their goal.

    Rae is thrilled to offer her expertise and help you reach your real estate goals!

    Will Apicella

    Licensed Real Estate Salesperson
    (Licensed as William Giovanni Apicella)
    will.apicella@theagencyre.com
    862.812.7893

    Growing up in and around New York City, Will Apicella brings a local perspective and knowledge of the city’s dynamic real estate market. He grew up in the world of New York City tourism and hospitality, where he learned how to communicate, listen, and perform in fast-paced environments. Combining that upbringing with longtime experience as a New York renter himself, Will understands how daunting the process can be. He strives to make the home finding process quick, cogent, and fun!

    Will has had a wide range of experience: he’s worked in high-end furniture design, wine sales, hospitality, and even dog walking. For many years he was the lead bartender/mixologist at Azalea, a popular theater district restaurant. There he learned if you can handle a Saturday night working solo behind a Midtown bar, you can handle anything. In addition, Will is a consummate classical actor—he is a member of Actor’s Equity Association and has performed at many domestic and international venues (highlights including Hartford Stage Company and the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh).

    Coming from a bilingual household, Will speaks fluent English and Italian along with some basic Spanish. He loves to travel, having visited 24 countries and 3 continents. Will’s dual citizenship (American and Italian) allowed him to earn his degree from the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, validated by King’s College, London. When he’s not darting around the city on a Citi Bike, Will calls Brooklyn home, where he lives in Prospect Lefferts Gardens.

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    SALES

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    Testimonials

    Lauren and Heather share their knowledge and experience in the fascinating world of New York City real estate in their ongoing video series, Bright Lights in the Big City! New episodes drop on Instagram and YouTube biannually.

    Visit us here for a full repository of episodes.

    The Team's Featured Listings

    51 Farmstead Road


    Short Hills, NJ 07078

    Contact us for more details

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      Intro Guides

      The Agency Buyer's Guide

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      The Agency Renter's Checklist

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      YOU DESERVE MORE

      Real estate should be frictionless and empowering. With pre-market access, personalized service, and smarter results, The Schaffer Cella Team and The Agency deliver the experience you need – and deserve.

      OUR ADVANTAGE

      The Agency anticipates and capitalizes on future market activity, and matches prospective buyers, sellers, and renters.

      INCREASED ACCESS

      Make better real estate decisions by accessing our inventory of pre-market properties.

      1,112 Properties researched

      26 Properties matched

      4 Showings

      1 Offer


      Accepted Offer: $1.99M
      Search Days: 14

      Meet Ben, a Brooklyn-based Investor.

      Ben was looking for a building that he could rent out, but was frustrated with the limited inventory on the market.

      When Ben moved from another brokerage to The Agency, he saw a difference immediately. In just 14 days we identified and presented 26 quality pre-market properties. After viewing 6 properties with The Agency team, Ben purchased the first building he was shown as it perfectly matched his criteria. We negotiated his offer from the seller’s original asking price of $2.15M to $1.99M.

      “I had a fantastic experience with The Agency. They found just what I wanted, for just the right price. Best of all, I barely did any legwork. Thank you The Agency!”

      Search Listings

      SMARTER RESULTS

      Use data and predictive analytics to anticipate the market and deliver your best match.

      16,941 Member profiles analyzed

      770 Total profile matches

      25 Introductions

      7 Showings

      1 Offer


      Accepted Offer: $2.55M
      Days On Market: 13

      Meet Kelly, an Opportunistic Marketer.

      Hoping to find the most qualified buyers, Kelly turned to The Agency to sell her home.

      Kelly, a published author and marketing executive, was selling her home at a time when the demand for Upper West Side apartments with outdoor space exceeded the supply.

      We used our pre-marketing strategy to capitalize on the pent-up demand. Seven pre-launch showings and a full first open house led to a bidding war between numerous parties. The apartment was sold for $2,550,000, a price record for the building and $355,000 above the asking price. Needless to say, Kelly was delighted by the results.

      SELL MY APARTMENT