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Name: Greg Berger
Job Title: President
Company Name: Robert Martin Company, LLC
What was your greatest professional accomplishment or most notable project, deal, or transaction in 2021?
The sale of 3 Executive Blvd. and 3 Odell Plaza in Yonkers—over 130,000 s/f of office space—for $36.6 million, which represented a new record price for suburban Westchester County office sales at $280 per s/f. Seizing upon emerging business opportunities that enhance the value of the company’s overall portfolio is Robert Martin’s formula for success. I am also immensely proud of our firm being an award recipient from BOMA Westchester and NAIOP Connecticut and Suburban New York, which truly reflects the respect we receive from industry colleagues for Robert Martin’s long-held, professional and ethical approach to conducting business.
What was the biggest lesson you learned while working during the pandemic?
The biggest lesson was more a reinforcement of something I already knew to be true—hire smart, competent people and give them the tools they need to succeed no matter what conditions prevail. Even though the pandemic has been an historic-level challenge for everyone, Robert Martin Company successfully navigated through this tumultuous period by heavily relying on each other’s core competencies, implementing a comprehensive internal and external communications plan, and maintaining health and safety as the top priority for all our stakeholders.
How has your working environment changed over the last year?
From the beginning of the pandemic, strict COVID protocols were instituted so we could bring employees safely back to the office, as we have 300 tenants—many of whom were designated as essential businesses—that needed to keep their workspaces open. Remote work is clearly not a preferred option in real estate management, as you need to remain as hands-on and responsive to tenants’ needs as possible, however, the company instituted a remote work protocol (when needed) as part of our comprehensive COVID workplace plan.
What are your predictions for your industry in 2022?
With the last-mile delivery of goods and services rapidly accelerating, there will continue to be a rising need for industrial spaces located near dense population centers. This rising tide will equally lift the value of well-positioned industrial/flex property portfolios that can seize upon the many ways in which e-commerce is transforming the global economy. Fortunately, the strong majority of Robert Martin’s properties are in this asset class, which we anticipate will remain among the highest-valued real estate along with the vibrant multifamily sector.
What is the best advice you received in 2021, and who was it from?
Oddly enough, the best advice I received came from an old Robert Martin press clipping from the New York Times I re-read recently that featured a quote from my father, and co-founder of our company, Martin Berger. It was the late 1990s, and the company had just concluded a major transaction. When the reporter asked my father about the future, he happily said, “We’re very content today, but there’s plenty more to do tomorrow.” That was 25 years ago, but it still rings true today. We are proud of how we have navigated through the pandemic, and excited about the opportunities ahead, as we have more to accomplish in the coming years.
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