Kenneth Breslin and Jayson Siano, once mentor and mentee, now are back together - this time as partners.
Breslin, until recently the president of Breslin Realty - the brokerage arm of Breslin Realty Development Corp., and Siano, until recently co-director of the retail services group at CB Richard Ellis Inc. in Woodbury, have launched a new brokerage that they say will combine the best of both small and large firms. The new firm is called Sabre Real Estate LLC.
For Breslin, who in 1986 began working for his father, real estate icon Wilbur Breslin, the time had come to regenerate the brokerage firm founded 58 years ago. In an industry that had become increasingly competitive, Breslin says it was time to disassociate the Breslin third-party space brokerage from the Breslin development and management firm. Clients perceived the brokerage might favor Breslin properties, he said. "That's not a problem anymore."

Meanwhile, Siano, 34, who trained under Breslin a decade ago and who has became a dynamo among retail real estate brokers on Long Island for his prolific deal making -- he was Breslin's top dealmaker, left Breslin five years ago for CB Richard Ellis. The lure: an unheard of package that included a signing bonus, health benefits and an expense account. Siano came to be well-respected in the industry and chalked up a number of major deals including assisting Starbucks to open nearly 50 stores on the Island between 2004 and 2007 and brought such chains to Long Island as Chipotle, Panda Express, Play & Trade, Massage Envy and Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza. Nevertheless, he decided that retail brokers needed a different environment than the one provided by big national brokerages.

The relationships among brokers specializing in office and industrial space didn't work for Siano, he said, noting that he generated 98 percent of the business for which he was responsible. And deals from national retailers, he said, didn't trickle down to the local office. It was time, he said, to "get back to my roots."

The pair's concerns led them to talk about a year ago and earlier this year Sabre was born.

Now, Breslin and Siano are molding Sabre to offer the resources and professionalism of a national corporate brokerage with the creativity, personal service and agility typical of a boutique business. A smaller firm, says Siano, allows deals to be completed more swiftly. "You can get agreements drafted and executed quickly. There's no red tape," Siano said. "The retail business is creative and we have personality. National brokerage companies outside of Manhattan lend themselves more to the office brokerage world."

The new firm's offerings besides the usual tenant and landlord representation include a group to assist restaurants and an ability to assist franchisors and franchises grow their businesses.

Breslin said there's no one better to lead the new firm than Siano, a cofounder the 1,000-member networking group, The Retail Network. "The brokerage business requires young leadership," he said, "You need the energy of a younger person, who brings new ideas to the way we conduct business, to make the business function at a higher level."
Sabre Real Estate, unlike other real estate start-ups, has essentially been a plug-and-play business. It started out with a staff of 12 brokers, half of them former Breslin staffers, Jeb Bellsey, Doug Bomzer, Jordan Domroe, Amanda Gordon, Russel Helbling and Beth Lamport. Also on board are Ed Czarniak from Brown Harris Stevens, Stu Fagen from the Fagen Group; Fran Picone from Exchange Solutions; Anthony Russo from NAI Long Island; and Todd SanGiovanni from New York Commercial Real Estate.
And, they've got a ready-made stable of clients that includes retailers, restaurant chains and shopping center owners such as Kabro Associates, Brixmor Property Group (formerly Centro Properties), G&S Investors and others. Now, dozens of available stores -- from Astoria to the Hamptons -- are Sabre listings and a number of deals already have come to fruition in the firm's brief lifespan.
Siano sees the current market offers great potential in the flight to quality among retailers previously shut out of the region by a lack of available good locations and high rents as well as the opportunity for existing businesses to upgrade their real estate. Shopping center owners, meanwhile, want quality tenants -- to ensure their rents are paid and that their banks will finance their properties.
The new firm's principals have lofty aspirations. "We're positioning ourselves for the future," said Siano. "We want to be a leading brokerage company in the New York metropolitan area." Tags: