2019 Ones to Watch: Michael Bertini, Savills

Name: Michael Bertini

Title: Assistant Director

Company Name: Savills

Address: 399 Park Avenue, 11th Fl, New York, NY

Who are some leaders that you admire and why? ?
At 23 years old, after receiving my degree from St. John’s University, I earned an interview at Savills and joined the firm as an associate under the direction of top-producers vice chairman John Mambrino and senior managing director Nicholas Farmakis. These guys are at the top of their games and among the most notable brokers in the industry. They’ve taken a hands-on approach to mentoring me, which has truly paid off. In fact, it was working with this team that I completed my largest deal to date. I supported John Mambrino with the Associated Press’ relocation from 450 West 33^rd St. to Brookfield Place (170,000 s/f) and talent agency William Morris Endeavor’s 70,000 s/f move to 11 Madison Ave. in Midtown South.

How have your life experiences impacted who you are professionally?
Growing up, I quickly learned the importance of feeling comfortable around high-profile people. In college, I established the Entrepreneurial Society, which was a club for young moguls in the making. The group would regularly hear from business executives representing various industries. Ultimately, these experiences gave me the confidence to meet with esteemed clients and provide strong, strategic counsel in matters of commercial real estate.

What was your favorite thing to do when you were a kid?
I spent a lot of time skateboarding as a kid. I loved long boarding, especially with friends. While it seemed like childhood fun then, I look back and see the lessons I learned: How to make new friends and engage with old ones; how to discipline oneself to learn new tricks and stunts; and that how far and fast you go is entirely up to you and the effort you invest.

What do you consider to be your greatest success in the past 12 months?
Within the last 12 months, I was on the team that brought ticketing technology provider SeatGeek from their 27,000 s/f space at 400 Lafayette St. in NoHo to 902 Broadway in the Flatiron District, where the firm more than doubled its office space to 72,800 s/f. During that process, I also helped SeatGeek sublease up to 40,000 s/f of its old space across Manhattan. In total, I have completed over 100,000 s/f of transactions with the company over the last year. In addition to my work with SeatGeek, I played a role in several of the firm’s most prominent transactions, including the 80,000 s/f lease restructuring/renewal for law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips at Times Square Tower, and the 60,000 s/f relocation for technology law firm Gunderson Dettmer at 1250 Broadway.