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Tom Cooper, a 56-year-old broker with Douglas Elliman in New York City, died Tuesday morning in Manhattan. The cause of death has been ruled a suicide, according to news reports.
The New York Post reported that police believe Cooper jumped from the top floor of the four-story apartment building on East 67th Street where he was a resident. Cooper left a suicide note and his body was discovered at 7:19 am before being brought to Weill Cornell Medical Center by emergency responders where he was pronounced dead.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our dear friend and colleague,” Douglas Elliman CEO and President Scott Durkin said in a statement to The Real Deal.
Cooper launched his real estate career with Douglas Elliman in 2002 after working as the director of marketing for a financial technology firm, according to a Q&A with Cooper published by Douglas Elliman in January. He later worked for Sotheby’s International, Corcoran and Compass before returning to Elliman in 2022.
A California native, one of the things that drew Cooper to real estate was his love of Manhattan’s architecture.
“I love how the chaos of diverse architectural styles somehow works on this crowded island,” he said in the January interview. “I personally lean toward pre-war (and pre-war-war-war-war—the older the better)! But I admire, too, the way sleek new condos (some more than others, admittedly) have fit in and added to the liveliness of their respective neighborhoods.”
Cooper held a number of high-profile listings in the New York luxury market and was ranked No. 2 in New York City sales for Douglas Elliman agents in October, according to an Instagram post. Some notable deals of his were the recent $18,500,000 sale of 24 West 10th Street in the West Village for which he represented the buyer, the $3,150,000 sale of 195 N. 5th Street in Williamsburg for which he worked with the seller, and the $11,o00,000 sale of 146 Central Park West, No. 16F, for which he worked with the buyer, according to StreetEasy.
Friends of Coopers gathered virtually in his Instagram comments to express their disbelief at his passing.
“We have lost a beautiful person. Rest in peace, Tom Cooper,” Douglas Elliman agent Michelle Larsen wrote. “I will miss you terribly and will carry your kindness with me.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis or emotional distress, reach out 24/7 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at 988lifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor. You can also get crisis text support through the National Alliance on Mental Illness by texting NAMI to 741741.
