Interested parties in New York with enough money, powers of persuasion and impressive social connections have been enjoying rides to the top of under-construction, high profile projects like One57 or One World Trade Center.

Extell and Durst have broken tradition and granted tours to a number of billionaires, in order to advertise breathtaking views of the city. The exhilaration of the vistas and bustling construction activity apparently goes a long way to persuade a buyer left cold by renderings.

"Since One57 topped out in June, Extell’s Gary Barnett has made some exceptions to the no-visits rule, inviting a few billionaire buyers to ride up the construction elevators and take a sneak peek at the building’s fabled penthouse views," The Real Deal reports.

Read The Real Deal's story here.