2016 Year in Review: Joseph Moinian, The Moinian Group

Joseph Moinian, The Moinian Group

Name & Title: Joseph Moinian

Company Name: The Moinian Group

What was your most notable project, deal, transaction or professional achievement in 2016?

Our most notable accomplishment in 2016 has been the opening of Sky – Manhattan’s largest residential building located at 605 West 42nd Street in Manhattan. Through the use of a virtual system called Aeon which enables clients to truly envision themselves living at Sky, we were able to prelease 20% of the property before residents had even stepped foot in their apartment. Additionally, Life Time Fitness established their first ever New York City location as Life Time Athletic at Sky.

We have also started a lending platform aimed at doing deals where the life companies, banks and CMBS markets cannot execute. So far, we have originated over $200M of loans and always looking at new, exciting projects where we can help achieve success - whether it be on the debt and/or equity side. Borrowers enjoy the benefit of leveraging our decades of real estate experience in making sure that the project gets completed smoothly.

What project, transaction, market trend or product had the greatest impact on your industry this year?

It’s hard to select just one project or trend, but I think the activity taking place on the Far West Side as a whole has by far had the greatest impact on the industry this year. The buildings that are rising are creating a completely new neighborhood within New York City, something that hasn’t been done in a very long time. In addition to re-shaping the skyline, these buildings are redefining the office market and setting new standards for design and construction.

How will you be supercharging your productivity in 2017? 

Continuing to set new, higher-than-ever standards is what will supercharge our productivity in 2017. We’ll channel this productivity toward seizing opportunities that vary in strategy and returns within the commercial, residential, retail and hotel sectors across the U.S.

What emerging trends will drive investment and development in 2017? 

At Moinian, we’ve found incredible value in investing in opportunities that bridge together our real estate portfolio and cutting edge technology. Given the fact that technology is playing such a vital role in the modernization of our existing systems, I think that these types of investments will be hugely successful in 2017. It’s important for developers to explore how they can incorporate technology into their buildings and amenity packages. By partnering and investing in tech companies such as Paintzen – an online painting and supply company that streamlines the process of painting your home or office – we’ll be able to stay ahead of the curve and not only partner with, but help shape, some of the most innovative companies coming to the market.