THE STAR – NORTHWEST
Baltimore’s Fastest Growing Community Newspaper
Vol. X, No. 36

Nine days and $2 mil,
And he’d just begunNo one in town knew – and few had ever heard of – Jack Studnicky when he arrived in Baltimore on June 7th, seventeen days later maybe a handful have heard of him.
But, in just nine days Jack and his associates have sold $2,000,000 worth of condominium apartments at 7 Slade Avenue.
The handsome high-rise complex, know as Suburban Oaks, has been in a state of turmoil for over a year. The building had been converted from a rental property to a condominium with virtually no success.
Many of the tenants of the luxury building refused to buy their apartments and had, in fact, tied up the developer’s efforts to convert to a condominium for almost a year. There was widespread dissatisfaction with the developer among renters and owners.
After many months of complicated legal wrangling, New York’s Chase Manhattan Bank, the – holder of the mortgage, assigned Mr. Studnicky to sell the remaining 60 units in the building.
Who is Jack Studnicky? He refers to himself as being involved in “sales psychology, communication and human motivation.” And, he can point to an impressive list of companies which have called on his talents – everything from real estate to lock nuts.
In fact, Mr. Studnicky admits, if it weren’t for his tongue, he doesn’t know where he’d be.
In any event, he arrived in Baltimore on Monday June 7. That evening he met with the condominium’s Board of Directors, listened to their complaints and problems and, probably more important, asked their advice. Two nights later, with the permission of the board, he met with all the people living in the building. Again, he listened to their gripes, ideas and proposals for the building.
It took until Friday afternoon, June 11, for new sales contracts to arrive from the printer. That’s when Mr. Studnicky and his salesmen began selling condominium apartments in the building.
By late Sunday afternoon – two days later – they had sold 22. Last Monday the count stood at 40 sold with just 20 to go.
What’s even more incredible, and certainly something the advertising world hopes never catches on, is that he did it without a nickel spent in advertising.
But, this sort of success – selling 22 units in 38 hours – is really nothing new to this easterner who gained his earliest successes as a salesman in Southern California. He has been “saving” problem real estate properties for quite a number of his not-yet-fortyish years.
Perhaps his most spectacular recent triumph took place in Ocean City last year. In just 3 weeks – again for Chase Manhattan – Studnicky and his salesmen completely sold out the 164 unit high-rise condominium known as 9400 Ocean Highway. The previous owners had sold exactly 11 units in three years.
Spokesmen at Chase Manhattan Mortgage Realty Trust have called his Ocean City operation “nothing short of a miracle.” They are equally pleased with his work in Pikesville and amazed at its “instant success.”
“I like to think it is important to note that I don’t take on just any project. I like money as much as the next fellow, but people are more important,” Mr. Studnicky says, sounding like the epitome of the silver-tongued salesman. “Suburban Oaks is a fine building with fine people involved. It’s a source of genuine satisfaction to help them fill up the building with their friends and other equally interesting folks.”
“This fellow worked wonders,” said Ben Rosenblom, a resident who could be listed among the “oldest inhabitants” of the eight-year-old structure.
“I’ve never seen so many people so completely fed up with the developers of a place in my life, but Studnicky came in here and turned things completely around as close to overnight as you can get.”

There were several “secrets” to Mr. Studnicky’s success. The first was to get the residents, owners and renters, on his side. This he seems to have done and the owners became “salesmen” for their own condominium. This was his “Tell-A-Friend” campaign.

Owners, and renters alike, were given $1,000 discount certificates which could be used toward the purchase of a unit. Owners gave them to friends, renters could use them themselves if they decided to buy and stay in the building. Secondly, a “Re-Hab” discount of $1,000 was given renters who bought.
“I would have to spend $2,000 to renovate an apartment if the tenant decided to move out,” Mr. Studnicky explains candidly. “It was just good sense to pass that amount on to anyone who decided to stay in their rented unit as is.”
When the last 20 units at Suburban Oaks are sold, Jack Studnickyw ill be looking for other worlds to conquer, other problems to solve. They’ll find him.