What You Don’t Know About Aaron Jungreis
Title: President, Rosewood Realty Group
Photo: In his office at 29th and Park (note two phones behind him—remember for later in the story)
Nutshell: Founded 2007, over $6B in mid-market investment sales of multifamily, office, retail, and development sites. We ranked him No. 31 SuperBroker in NYC last year, calling him a "multifamily sales machine."
Age: 44 ("Sometimes I round up to 45 to sound older.")
Grew up: Canarsie, on the South Shore of Brooklyn
Memories: Playing stickball at PS 276
How he started in sales: Sold ads for The Jewish Press in Brooklyn, then life insurance. Realized he liked talking to people.
First baseball game: Yankees vs. A’s in 1980, the days of Oscar Gamble and Rick Cerone
Parents: Mother was teacher, father was orthodox rabbi
Dad's background: Born in Hungary, sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at age five with parents and older sister and brother. Miraculously, all survived because they were on “Kastner's train”—1,685 Jews whose freedom was bought by Swiss government. His aunt, Esther Jungreis, gives 250 speeches each year about her life story and lessons.
Effect on Aaron: “We feel like we have to make a mark.”
Why two landlines and two cell phones: Can start dialing next call while winding down current call or leaving message
First real estate job: Cousin had brokerage in Manhattan, hired as a broker in '93, given a book, and told to start calling and find leads
What the old days were like: Used fax, sometimes would take train and hand deliver deal docs
Secret to success: Noticed everyone specialized in a particular borough, so decided he'd learn them all—would lead to way more buy/sell options. Every Sunday around 4 or 5am, would get in car and look at buildings everywhere.
Company growth: Just five or so brokers five years ago, now 15; aims to stay at 15 to 18 to be effective. Values nimble size and independence. Maybe expand expertise a bit more to Westchester and Long Island.
Deal flow: Last year did 120 deals; hopes to hit 130 this year. Average size $15M to $20M but has done one for more than $200M.
Recent examples: West 15th Street elevator building for $80M; package in Harlem for $30M; building at First and 50th for $40.6M; and one in Astoria for $51M
Photo: Checking out news after quick breakfast next door at Gansevoort Park Avenue
Favorite music: Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," but with four daughters (19, 17, 14, and 11) knows hip hop, too
Recent concerts: Has seen Drake twice with kids
Favorite movie: The Fugitive
Favorite vacation: Tries to go to Israel every year, loves Old City
Hobbies: Played basketball until he tore his ACL, now plays tennis on court at home in Lawrence, LI. Works out three times a week with trainer.
Favorite restaurant: Hummus Kitchen at 444 Third Ave
Bucket list: Drive across country, see Grand Canyon, Utah, Colorado. "I'd be happy to drive a camper—just not sure my family would go with me."
Startling fact: Sports trivia buff who can recite the number of home runs of top baseball players going back to Rogers Hornsby and Tris Speaker
