The Bisnow 2013 SuperBroker 50 #41-50

This is a list of some of the most creative and successful dealmakers in America (and the teams they represent). We'd order them alphabetically, but our readers clamor for rankings. How do we decide? Not square feet or dollars, nor lifetime achievement, but our sense of buzz and impact today. Sure, that's seriously unscientific, but we hope it makes the list more provocative, debatable, and fun. Of course, things change quickly, so the next list may be very different.

41) Brian Ezratty, Vice Chairman, Eastern Consolidated.

Nutshell: $11B lifetime sales machine who started out with loft and apartment buildings.
Recent: Sold Barney's warehouse at 245 and 249 W 17th for Atlas Capital to Savanna for $120M; South Street development site to Extell for $103M; 509 Fifth for Murray Hill Properties to Chabad Lubovitch for $42M; 170k SF 311 W 43rd for Zuberry to Atlas; 422 W 15th St to a group that'll convert it into office; and under-99-year net lease of Meatpacking garage.
Place in history: Sold CBS the office building that houses the Ed Sullivan Theater, which helped revive Times Square and kept Letterman in NY.
PS: Took up golf in his mid-20s, has a nine handicap, and just got his second hole-in-one, on a par 3 at Fenway (his first was at Vegas' Cascata with Lloyd Goldman on Lloyd's 50th birthday); not bad for a Wharton grad.

42) Brad Gerla, Executive Vice President, CBRE; John Wheeler, Managing Director, JLL.

Nutshell: Doyens of Downtown leasing. Though from different firms, these guys have been two of the neighborhood's biggest boosters since the '80s, showing faith and foresight, and it's paying off.
Recent: Brad: Repped Retirement Systems of Alabama's 55 Water St in getting Liberty Mutual for 130k SF and Health and Hospitals Corp for 240k, and 14 Wall St in winning Amerigroup for 200k; exclusive agent for 11 Madison's 2M SF. John: Took over the JLL office last year and grew brokers from four to 10, repping likes of Wells Fargo and NY Magazine and stepping up agency activity, too.
Place in history: Brad helped lease 1.7M feet at 7 WTC; John helped dispose of 1.5M SF for Wachovia at 1 NY and 1 Seaport Plaza, plus did master lease with City for 450k SF at 180 Water.
PS: Brad: SUNY Cortland midfielder now plays on lacrosse grandmasters team called Elder Statesmen for 50s and over that's won Vail Classic five years in a row. John: Avid family skier at Beaver Creek, Vail, and Snowbird, and just as avidly eyes fine wine apres ski, like a Caymus Cabernet.

43) Michael Goldman, Executive Managing Director, Studley (pictured); and David Goldstein, Executive Vice President and Member of the Board, Studley.

Nutshell: Masters of Midtown tenant rep.
Recent: Michael: Relocated Sumitomo Corp of America to 300 Madison for 98k SF; repped Sirius XM in HQ renewal at 1221 Ave of the Americas and 86k SF expansion in 1290 A of A; and relocated Rothschild for 70k SF within 1251 A of A. David: Brought Institute of Culinary Education to Brookfield Place for 71k feet.
Place in history: Michael: $3B in transactions, maybe the steadiest broker alive (see next section re: bus-riding habits). David: High-profile relocations of Ann Taylor and Burberry in ways that changed neighborhoods.
PS: Still humble, Michael has commuted on the bus from NJ for 27 years and counting. David's a University of Colorado grad devoted to his daughters and, of course, skiing.

44) Rob Martin, Vice Chairman and Head of Tri-State Brokerage, JLL.

Nutshell: Problem-solving leasing broker whose skills are a match even for Google.
Recent: Renewed Continuum Health Partners (Beth Israel Medical Center) for 100k SF at 111 Eighth (despite Google's own expansion needs), and NY Media for 80k SF at Trinity's One Hudson Square at below-market rates; advised Perry Ellis on 100k SF lease at 1120 Ave of the Americas; and sold 300k SF 635-641 A of A to SL Green for $180M.
Place in history: HQ deals for Jones Group, NYC Housing Authority, RBS, and Reed Elsevier.
PS: Major bike trip every year, last few to Pyrenees in Spain and Croatia, chases snow to ski out West, golfs, does yoga, and plays guitar (not all at the same time).

45) Mike Tepedino, Senior Managing Director, HFF.

Nutshell: Financial guru to big institutionals for large and complex deals.
Recent: Closed $4B since January 2012, including several deals over $500M.
Place in history: Rapidly grown NY presence for heavyweight Texas firm since taking leadership of office in 2008.
PS: As coach for all sports for four kids 5 to 13, his Saturdays and Sundays are spoken for.

46) Joanne Podell, Vice Chairman, Cushman & Wakefield.

Nutshell: Retail broker who's in it for the long haul.
Recent: Location advice and negotiations for TD Bank expansion (10 NYC branches this year); Launched Nike's Running Door in Flatiron and UES; for W&H, terminated Billabong at 112 W 34th and replaced with Swatch's Hour Passion for street's highest per SF rents. Colleagues Gene Spiegelman and Bob Gibson have also been major producers for Cushman.
Place in history: Reps retailers and landlords long-term so she's ready to go when clients want to ramp up: Kay Jewelers (first deal 10 years ago), Ann Taylor (15 years), Ethan Allen (eg, flagship relocation from West End Avenue to Third Avenue), W&H (now Empire State Realty Trust).
PS: Hangs with two grandchildren every weekend; big advocate for Ann Tisch-founded Young Women's Leadership Network that provides professional training and college counseling for girls from difficult backgrounds.

47) Andy Singer, CEO, The Singer & Bassuk Organization.

Nutshell: Finance maven for famous families (and lots of others).
Recent: $300M construction loan to convert former AIG building at 70 Pine into 700 apartments; near closing on $450M loan on Worldwide Holdings and Starwood's 60-story condo and rental project at Second and 57th; and $1.1B for TF Cornerstone LIC projects, from folks who twice refinanced Kaufman Organization's 2M SF and Elghanayans' Carnegie Hall Tower.
Place in history: Founded firm 17 years ago that's repped the Elghanayans, Resnicks, Musses, and other family empires; won REBNY's Ingenious Deal four times, and now son and business partner Scott has nabbed a fifth.
PS: Keeps fit travelling Mideast and Asia, boating, hiking, and running (pictured with 10-year-old granddaughter Kayla after doing a 5k together).

48) Neal Golden, Vice Chairman, NGKF.

Nutshell: Broker to high-profile brands from HQs to retail.
Recent: Guides Starwood Hotels on office leases, back offices, and call centers around country; repped Capital One in consolidating HQ on Park Ave; bringing tenants in to huge Harbor Point redevelopment in Stamford; reps Barneys and DunkinBrands; oversees national brokers in hospitality, retail, and franchises; helping lease 100k feet around emerging hotel project in NoMad.
Place in history: Relocated Starwood's 300k HQ from Westchester to Stamford two years ago; involved in 10 transactions of the year from various bestowers.
PS: Dotes on three daughters ages 21, 19, and 12 at Vanderbilt, Michigan, and local soccer field.

49) Shimon Shkury, President, Ariel Property Advisors (second from right).

Nutshell: Rapidly rising new entrant in multifamily sales.
Recent: Q3 '12 through Q2 '13, he and partners sold 128 properties totaling $294M; lately has repped institutional investors and sold three portfolios totaling 623 units in Queens, Long Island, and Upper Manhattan for $73.6M.
Place in history: Ariel started in '11 with focus on complementary divisions, investment sales and investment research, has grown to 40 employees and repped 100 clients.
PS: Spends time with wife, son, and daughter and supports local nonprofits like Legal Outreach, Bronx Manhattan North Association of Realtors, UJA Federation, State of Israel Bonds Committee, Open University of Israel, and American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

50) J.D. Parker, First Vice President, Marcus & Millichap (second from left).

Nutshell: Up-and-coming leader in investment sales for smaller and mid-market private-client properties.
Recent: Runs tri-state's five offices and financing teams, expecting more than 200 closings in five boroughs (vs. 126 last year) and 500 in region; added 45 brokers for total of 140; expanded Manhattan office by 6,000 SF at Madison and 39th and relocated and expanded Westchester office, which he opened last year.
Place in history: Opened Brooklyn office in '07, took over Manhattan and Connecticut operations four years ago, and two years ago, Manhattan office became most successful of all M&M's 80 nationwide.
PS: Certified dive master; lived in Thailand for a year doing it; this year been at it in Belize and Turks & Caicos.

And one to grow on:

51) Eric Anton & Ron Solarz, Managing Partners, Brookfield Financial.

Nutshell: Investment sales team on leading edge recruiting foreign buyers.
Recent: Traveled China, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Korea to meet scores of investors interested in US. Sold site at Leroy and West streets overlooking Hudson River to Ian Schrager et al and 10-building Washington Heights portfolio to Alma Realty; recapped AIG at 70 Pine.
Place in history: Raised equity for American Girl building at Fifth and 49th and sold to Jeff Sutton and Blackstone.
PS: Ron: Striper fisherman in Montauk (and sometimes East River) and cyclist around Brooklyn when he's not busy with his 2, 8, and 11-year-olds. Eric: The father of 5 and 9-year-olds was a Brown University champion swimmer (best event: 100-yard freestyle), kickboxes, and reads military history (seems appropriate for aspiring superbroker).