2023 Ones to Watch Rising Stars: Gabriella Schwalbe, Besen Partners

Number of years at firm: 1 year 

One thing on my bucket list: Visit every continent!

When I am not working, I am: Teaching community hot yoga classes at Bode NYC. I recently obtained my Hot Yoga 26+2 certification and hope to be part of their regular class schedule soon. On the weekends, you will find me walking all around New York City looking at properties. 

What recent project, transaction or accomplishment are you most proud of? I’m proud of a recent transaction involving a retail property in South Brooklyn. It was a sale that evolved into a sale-leaseback, which required creativity and resourcefulness. I drew upon my prior experience as an attorney for the Department of Buildings. The key issue we encountered was a major discrepancy in reported square footage, whereby we believed that the accurate amount was 60% greater than what all other public sources were showing. The certificate of occupancy on the DOB website was actually for a different building and illegible, necessitating that we obtain the correct 1931 CO from the DOB vaults to substantiate the true square footage of the building. Proving the higher amount of square footage enabled us to achieve a higher price for the seller.

What makes this nominee a RISING STAR?

“With a legal background and time spent resolving claims and disputes at NYC’s DOB, Gabby is well equipped to contend with many thorny issues that arise in our dealings with commercial real estate. She is affectionately known as “The Violations Queen” in our office! Gabby is conscientious and diligent in everything she does, and her efforts are appreciated buy our team as well as clients” - Ron Cohen, Chief Sales Officer at Besen Partners