2024 Ones to Watch - Innovators in CRE: Jac Zadrima, Genesis Realty Group LLC

Jac Zadrima’s firm, Genesis Realty Group, currently manages approximately 2000 multifamily units throughout the NY Metropolitan area with the help of his 15 person operation. He also has holdings throughout the Hudson Valley and capital regions of New York. Genesis specializes in both market, rent stabilized, and affordable properties in the Bronx, Upper Manhattan, and Westchester for which it proudly utilizes its extensive expertise in all related housing regulation compliance. Zadrima’s experience ranges from overseeing Genesis’ asset and property management operations, project management and development, long-term capital planning, financing, acquisitions, and forging and maintaining relationships with various private institutions and government agencies.

Innovative Solution:

Owning and managing CRE under one roof became obsolete overnight, crippling many small, immigrant-owned offices that have dedicated their lives to providing quality affordable housing to New Yorkers. We realized that asset management had become overshadowed by compliance and without innovative changes to both our operation and the properties themselves, the survival of the communities we serve would be at risk. Through strategic partnerships, we’ve engaged in sharing resources and galvanizing our asset management. We are also undertaking major infrastructure upgrades that incorporate both public and private capital to reduce expenses at a time where income is capped. The challenges persist but we feel that we’ve taken thoughtful action to best protect our place in the industry and those that call our properties home.

Innovative Outlook:

Insurance costs have eclipsed other vital expenses, and so, by embracing innovation, we’ve taken the next step in adding AI to our pre-existing surveillance camera systems to proactively track anomalies in the live activity recorded. We are now able to better protect our residents and mitigate costs and liabilities with the newfound ability to identify potentially dangerous activities in real time. We have also been able to utilize this innovation in conversations with legislators to defend both the insurance industry and CRE ownership as a whole. In working toward bipartisan solutions for CRE to take back its relationship with insurance we can incentivize responsible investors and operators who take appropriate measures to protect their assets and the communities that house New York.

“Jac Zadrima, a generational owner and forward-thinking investor, prioritizes long-term strategies to enhance property value. In 2011, he anticipated energy regulations, investing heavily in efficient hydronic heating systems across 40+ buildings before incentives vanished and compliance fines began. His foresight yielded improved heating, increased property value, and reduced costs. In 2024, Jac piloted AI-integrated surveillance to detect risks in real time, lowering insurance premiums and mitigating litigation risks. His proactive approach exemplifies innovation in NYC.” - Emily Addington, HUB International.