Brooklyn State of the Market

Michael Rudin is the Co-CEO at Rudin Management Company. He has been with the firm since 2008, and together with his sister Samantha represents the fourth generation to work at the family business. Michael focuses on multiple areas within the company including new developments, capital markets, commercial and retail leasing, sustainability, and technology. Michael also helps lead the family’s venture capital business, Rudin Ventures, which focuses on early-stage startups in the real estate technology sector. Michael holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Design and Planning with an emphasis in Real Estate from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Master’s of Science in Sustainable Real Estate Development from New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate. Michael is also Managing Partner of Rudin West Development, based in Aspen, Colorado. Rudin West Development has built two mixed-use projects totaling 50,000 square feet. Recent projects in New York include The Greenwich Lane and Dock72, a 675,000-square foot class A office building in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Michael is a member of a number of industry-related organizations that include The Real Estate Board of New York Real Estate Technology Committee, The Real Estate Round Table Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee, the WiredScore Advisory Board, the NYU Furman Center Advisory Board, and the Urban Land Institute. Michael serves on the board of the three Rudin Family foundations as well as The First Tee of Metropolitan New York, the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, Friends of the BQX, and the Aspen Art Museum. Michael lives in Manhattan with his wife Sabrina, their sons Lukas and Dylan, and their dog Hoppy.

Kathe Kramer Chase has three decades of New York City centric commercial real estate experience and has played major roles in world renowned projects such as Chelsea Market, the Historic Falchi and Factory Buildings and now Industry City. Kathe received her undergraduate degree, with a concentration in business, from Northwestern University. After graduating, Kathe worked with developer Irwin Cohen after leaving Time Equities to assist in the renovation and leasing of 2mm square feet in Long Island City, and later in the purchase, redevelopment, and lease-up of what is now known as Chelsea Market. As an integral part of the Chelsea Market team, Kathe helped shape the identity of the Meat Packing District as an international destination. In 2014 Kathe left retirement to join Industry City as the Director. Over the course of her career Kathe has been on the forefront of real estate trends, and has pioneered development and leasing concepts that distinguish her in the industry, while leasing millions of square feet of commercial real estate in New York City, valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Jason T. Greenstein joined Newmark Knight Frank in 2001 at the firm's Manhattan headquarters. As a member of the President of the New York Tri-State Region David A. Falk's team, Mr. Greenstein is focused on providing strategic real estate advisory services to both tenants and owners worldwide. As a broker focusing predominantly on tenant representation, Mr. Greenstein has met the real estate needs of numerous prominent corporations, including Havas Worldwide (460,000 SF at 200 Hudson and 200 Madison Avenue), Fifth & Pacific Companies (formerly Liz Claiborne; multiple leases totaling 220,000 RSF), Merkle (multiple global leases totaling over 200,000 SF) aQuantive, Inc. (multiple leases totaling over 150,000 SF), Galvanize (multiple domestic offices over 100,000 SF), Kate Spade (96,000 SF at 2 Park Avenue), AVON at One Liberty Plaza (95,000 SF), The Jackie Robinson Foundation (32,000 SF at 75 Varick Street), Whitney Museum of American Art (40,000 SF at 300 and 440 Park Avenue South), Under Armour at 601 West 26th Street (16,000 SF) and TZP Group LLC (8,500 SF at 7 Times Square). In addition, Mr. Greenstein handles the leasing for an array of buildings, including 149 Fifth Avenue, The Puck Building at 295 Lafayette Street, 15 Little West 12th Street, 315 Hudson Street, 25 Kent Avenue (Williamsburg) and 817 Broadway. Mr. Greenstein was also involved in the leasing of the entire building at 200 Lafayette Street to JC Penney for 110,000 RSF and 837 Washington Street to Samsung for 45,000 RSF. Prior to joining Newmark Knight Frank, Mr. Greenstein worked in the asset management division for Salomon Smith Barney Inc. Mr. Greenstein is a licensed real estate salesperson in the state of New York and holds membership in the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). He is also an active board member of the Young Leadership Committee of YRFDarca. In 2011, Mr. Greenstein was appointed to Newmark Knight Frank's Young Leadership Council, an honor that was extended based on extraordinary achievement and contribution to the firm's success. As a member of the Young Leadership Council, Mr. Greenstein mentors junior brokers, leads business development programs and advises the firm's executive operating committee on brokerage initiatives. Mr. Greenstein holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Arizona State University. He resides in Westchester with his wife and two sons.

Jeff joined Rubenstein Partners in 2014. As Director of Investments, he is responsible for ensuring underwriting consistency and best practices across all regions. Additionally, he plays a direct role in New York investment and asset management activities. Prior to Rubenstein Partners, Jeff worked at Merrill Lynch and Ernst & Young. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and International Relations.

Partner and Team Leader, Dan Marks, has over a decade of commercial real estate sales and leasing experience, handling over a billion dollars’ worth of transactions since joining TerraCRG. Dan joined the firm at the start of 2012 as Vice President to grow the firms’ strong foothold in the Brooklyn commercial real estate market, with a focus on industrial and office properties. Dan continues to grow TerraCRG’s market presence while maintaining a vast knowledge of Brooklyn’s many diverse and integral commercially-zoned enclaves. He serves Brooklyn property owners as a market expert while providing advisory and exclusive representation in the sale of all types of investment properties. Currently, Dan is the Team Leader of the firms’ leading investment sales team. Dan’s sales team is comprised of six agents and specializes in the sale of exclusively Brooklyn commercial assets, with a focus on investment sales of industrial, office and development throughout the borough. Dan has also successfully advised a number of non-profit organizations including SCO Family of Services, League Education & Treatment Center, Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, and the Brooklyn Arts Council. Since joining TerraCRG. Dan and his team have closed over $1.4B in transactions. Prior to joining TerraCRG, Dan was a partner at Emerald Real Estate Group, a premier commercial real estate management and brokerage firm located in Boulder, Colorado. During his seven-year practice with Emerald, Dan worked on over 1,100 commercial transactions with experience as a property manager, leasing agent, seller’s agent, buyer’s agent, landlord representative and tenant representative. Prior to working with Emerald, Dan spent four years as a corporate sales representative in Chicago for the Tribune Company as well as Turner Broadcasting. During his time in Chicago, Dan worked on national accounts including Southwest Airlines, Best Buy, International Trucks and Miller Brewing Company. Dan received his BA degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI and holds an MBA degree from The Leeds School of Business at The University of Colorado. Outside of the office, Dan loves spending his time in Brooklyn with his wife and two sons. He also enjoys running, tennis and watching live sporting and music events. Dan has run several marathons including New York, Chicago, Marine Corps, Boulder, Big Sur, Philadelphia, and Atlantic City. Dan is also actively involved in the community supporting a number of Brooklyn based non-profit organizations while also serving as Board Vice Chairman of Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT) and Executive Committee Board Member of the Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).

Susi Yu is a Managing Director and the Head of Development at L&L MAG. She is responsible for overseeing and executing the development and investment strategy. Previously, Susi served as Executive Vice President of Development for Forest City Ratner Companies, leading the Residential Development team on execution of Pacific Park Brooklyn, the $4.9 billion, 22- acre mixed-use development in the heart of Brooklyn. At Forest City, Susi also oversaw the development of large scale, mixed-use urban projects including New York by Gehry, an 896-unit residential building designed by Frank Gehry. Susi started at Forest City in 2001 and worked there until 2018, except for a 20-month stint from 2013-2015 with the Howard Hughes Corporation as Senior Vice President of Development. Trained as an architect at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, Susi previously worked for ten years in that field, most recently as a Project Architect for Robert A.M. Stern. She is a graduate of Columbia University’s Master’s of Science in Real Estate Development Program and is a registered architect in New York State. Susi emigrated from Seoul, Korea to Richmond, Virginia at the age of ten. Susi serves on an advisory board of the Goldman Family and is a director of Apple Bank.

As a principal of Property Markets Group, Richard Lam has overseen the acquisition, development and disposition of over $2.0 billion of real estate throughout the East Coast including luxury condominiums in Manhattan, top-rated golf course communities in Florida and mixed-use land development in South Carolina. Currently, Richard is spearheading the rezoning of a portfolio of assets in New York City with the potential to build out over two million square feet. The mix of residential and commercial buildings are located along the soon-to-be reimagined vibrant Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. Richard began his career at real estate investment firm of S.R. Morgan & Co. where he handled acquisitions for the firm's own account, as well as for third party investors totaling over 2.5 million square feet. Since joining PMG in 2000, Richard has played a key role in adding commercial, residential and hospitality properties to the firm's extensive portfolio.

Sean R. Kelly, Esq. holds the title of Partner at Ariel Property Advisors. In addition to originating and executing exclusive listing sales, he is responsible for leading business development and networking initiatives in Brooklyn, with a particular focus on Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, Park Slope, Gowanus, Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. Prior to joining Ariel Property Advisors, Mr. Kelly served as a Managing Director at CPEX Real Estate, where he led a team of dedicated sales professionals in selling and ground leasing development and conversion sites. In this role, Mr. Kelly managed all projects within his business line by maintaining client relationships, developing custom marketing campaigns, and leading the negotiation process. Since entering the New York City market, Mr. Kelly has successfully brokered more than 120 transactions, consisting of more than 6 million square feet with an aggregate value of over $800 million. His accomplishments earned him recognition as a CoStar “Power Broker,” and the Home Reporter and Brooklyn Spectator both named him a “Rising Star.” Mr. Kelly is licensed to practice law in New York and New Jersey. His professional affiliations and licenses include the following: New York Real Estate Associate Broker License, St. John’s University School of Law Alumni Association, St. John’s University Loughlin Society, University of South Carolina Alumni Association – President’s Club, The Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York County Lawyers Association, the New York State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He received his Juris Doctorate from Saint John’s University School of Law, and his Bachelors of Science in Finance and Small Business Entrepreneurship from the University of South Carolina. He also worked as a journey-man Ironworker on 4 Times Square, 383 Madison Avenue, and several of the New York City bridges. Mr. Kelly currently resides in Staten Island, NY, with his wife and two daughters and can be reached at 212.544.9500 or via email at srkelly@arielpa.com

Mr. Velotta is a Managing Director with Meridian Investment Sales focused on the sale of multifamily, mixed-use, retail, and development properties throughout New York City. Prior to joining Meridian Investment Sales, he was a Director of Sales at Cushman & Wakefield (formerly Massey Knakal Realty Services) with a specialization in the Brooklyn market. Mr. Velotta has been involved in the sale of properties with an aggregate value in excess of $500,000,000 and was recognized in October 2017 by the Commercial Observer in its 30 Under 30: The Best and the Brightest of NYC Real Estate. Recently of note, Mr. Velotta has closed on the sale of 35-01 36th Street, a 50,000 square foot office and retail building in Queens for $24,000,000, 162-168 East 82nd Street, a 38-unit walk-up apartment building in Manhattan for $19,400,000, and 292 Midwood Street, a 46 unit mixed-use building in Brooklyn for $10,460,000. Mr. Velotta graduated from Bates College with a B.A. in Economics and was an NCAA baseball player. He is an avid runner, golfer, and currently resides in Brooklyn Heights.

Michael Feinstein joined Rosenberg & Estis in 1994 and has been a member since 1998. Mr. Feinstein is a smart and insightful attorney, whose strong level of commitment and focus on the big picture and business practicalities has earned him a highly successful record of achievement in the firm's Supreme Court and appellate practices. Over the years, he has successfully handled all facets of real estate litigation, including landlord-tenant disputes, breach of contract actions, corporation, partnership and limited liability company disputes, brokerage disputes and co-op/condo matters. Mr. Feinstein also has extensive experience in mortgage and cooperative loan foreclosures, representing both lenders and borrowers. In addition, Mr. Feinstein has successfully represented claimants in condemnation proceedings. Mr. Feinstein is also an accomplished appellate advocate, who has successfully briefed and argued numerous appeals in the New York State courts. Mr. Feinstein has been an active member of various bar association sections and committees, including the Real Property Law Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the Real Property Law Section of the New York State Bar Association, and the Supreme Court Practice Committee of the New York County Lawyers' Association. Since February 2012, Mr. Feinstein has co-authored the Landlord/Tenant Law column in the New York Law Journal.

Gabriel Boyar is a Managing Director at Amherst Capital Management, responsible for origination of first mortgage floating rate debt on all types of commercial real estate. He has over 20 years of experience in real estate finance and investment. Amherst Capital is a middle market lender, providing floating rate first mortgages of up to $75 million in the top 30 markets in the United States. Prior to joining Amherst Capital, Gabe was the owner and Managing Principal of Columbia River Capital Advisors. At Columbia River, he served as the full time exclusive advisor to a prominent NYC family that owns a substantial real estate portfolio. At Columbia River, Mr. Boyar provided advisory services related to sales, acquisitions, financings and 1031 exchange opportunities. Transactions included the acquisition, refinance and ultimate joint venture development of 25 Kent in Brooklyn. Prior to starting Columbia River, Gabe was the leading revenue producer in New York City for CapitalSource. Representative transactions included pre–construction financing on numerous development parcels in New York City, construction financing on all property types and first mortgage financing on properties that required significant capital infusion to re-establish themselves in their respective marketplaces. Gabe started his career as an attorney at Weil, Gotshal & Manges and left the law to work on the business side of real estate with Nomura Securities and UBS. Gabe holds an MS in Real Estate from New York University, a JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School at Yeshiva University and a BS from Cornell University. He is an avid soccer fan and, as such, is a board member of the West Side Soccer League in Manhattan. Gabe also serves as a class officer for Cornell University.

Sean is responsible for sourcing, negotiating and structuring transactions focusing on the northeastern U.S. Prior to joining Square Mile in 2016, Sean served as a Director in the CMBS group at Cantor Commercial Real Estate where he originated senior mortgages on all property types across the U.S. Sean received his B.S. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan.

As the CEO of GuardHill Financial Corp., Alan Rosenbaum ranks among the foremost mortgage specialists in the country. Headquartered in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, Alan founded GuardHill Financial in 1992, and he has since developed the company into one of the top mortgage banks in America. Alan supervises an annual operation of over one billion dollars in mortgage originations. Alan and his firm have worked with clients throughout the country. With over 80 dedicated employees, Alan is perpetually searching for new opportunities for expansion and has recently established an overseas presence by creating a prominent international mortgage division. Alan presently resides in Long Island, New York with his wife and three daughters, and their two Labradors.

Keith Kurland is a Managing Director in the Real Estate Investment Banking practice at Jones Lang LaSalle, in New York, where he raises debt and equity for institutional and private property owners, sells loans on behalf of financial institutions and special servicers, and is part of a team providing strategic advisory services for lending institutions and borrowers. Mr. Kurland has over 12 years of commercial real estate experience, having directly executed on more than $14 Billion of debt and equity transactions. Prior to joining Jones Lang LaSalle in 2014, Keith was a Senior Vice President with Meridian Capital where he played a key role structuring debt and equity transactions for clients nationwide. Mr. Kurland was named to the Commercial Observer’s Top 25 Debt Brokers and Lenders under 35 in Commercial Real Estate Finance in 2016 and 50 Most Powerful People in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He was also runner-up for JLL’s MVP award in 2017.