News: Spotlight Content

NYSCAR Nov. 2025 president’s message: upcoming education course and Southern Tier Developers Summit - by Robert Strell

Robert Strell

The New York State Commercial Association of Realtors has one great course remaining this fall (free of charge for NYSCAR members). We hope you are able to join us: (nyscar.org/tools/professional development)

Workforce Housing & Infrastructure - Southern Tier Developers Summit

Hosted by Southern Tier 8

Date: November 18, 2025

Time: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Location: DoubleTree by Hilton, 225 Water St., Binghamton

Registration: $75 and includes all sessions, meals and refreshments.

Speakers scheduled at the event will include:

• Stacey Duncan, CEO, Broome County Leadership Alliance

• Ed Flynn, vice president and director of planning, LaBella Associates

• Beth Lucas, regional planning director, Southern Tier 8 Regional Board

• Tom Seguljic, PE, principal, HRP Associates

• Jacqlene Rose, president, NYS Association of Realtors

• Brad Walters, Builders Exchange of the Southern Tier

• Frank Stento, president, Binghamton-Oneonta Building Trades Council

• Kimberly Baptiste, principal associate, Colliers Engineering & Design

• Gabe Regan, vice president, Regan Development

• Marty Meaney, mayor, Village of Johnson City

• Rob Lewis, SHIFT Capital

• Sarah Barden, SHIFT Capital

• Melissa Suchodolski, USC Builds

• Kurt Anderson, Ithaca Area Economic Development

• Julie Pacette, Schoharie Economic Enterprise Corp.

• Kate de la Garza, executive director, Ithaca Neighborhood Housing 

• Beth Lucas, regional planning director, Southern Tier 8 Regional Board 

• Evan Maslin, regional director for congressman Josh Riley, 19th U.S. Congressional District.

The Southern Tier Developers Summit will bring together public and private sector leaders to explore how aligning community needs with development opportunities can benefit residents, attract a skilled workforce, and support successful projects for developers. It will showcase impact development (workforce housing, brownfields, and infrastructure investments) as a tool to transform local challenges into catalysts for regional community growth. Participants will gain insights, tools, and perspectives on community, investment, partnerships, emerging opportunities and the future of development in the Southern Tier.

Course: “Discrimination Issues in Commercial Real Estate” 

Date: November 20, 2025

Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 noon via Zoom

Instructor: Edward Smith, Jr.

CE: fulfills three-hours of “fair housing/discrimination” needed for license renewal).

Robert Strell is president of NYSCAR, Albany, N.Y.

MORE FROM Spotlight Content

The commercial classroom: 1031 tax-deferred exchanges - by Edwad Smith Jr.

The sale of real estate may trigger capital gains taxes on the net profits of that sale. These taxes may be deferred by participating in a 1031 tax exchange, in essence, by purchasing property(s) to replace the
READ ON THE GO
DIGITAL EDITIONS
Subscribe
Columns and Thought Leadership
2026 Developing Long Island: ERG Commercial Real Estate launches its new Retail Leasing division

2026 Developing Long Island: ERG Commercial Real Estate launches its new Retail Leasing division

North Hempstead, NY ERG Retail Leasing is the dedicated leasing division of ERG Commercial Real Estate, an established full-service commercial real estate brokerage for over 35 years. 
From vacancy to vitality: How adaptive reuse is reshaping Long Island’s CRE landscape - by Andrea Tsoukalas Curto

From vacancy to vitality: How adaptive reuse is reshaping Long Island’s CRE landscape - by Andrea Tsoukalas Curto

Adaptive reuse has become one of the most important conversations in commercial real estate today. Long Island has a large inventory of aging retail, office and industrial
2026 Developing Queens: Long Island Board of Realtors  advances commercial growth and advocacy in Queens

2026 Developing Queens: Long Island Board of Realtors advances commercial growth and advocacy in Queens

The Long Island Board of Realtors (LIBOR) Commercial Network continues to play a key role in advancing opportunities and strengthening the commercial real estate landscape across Queens. Through targeted programming and global outreach
CRE Guide Featured Company: Merritt Environmental Consulting Corp.

CRE Guide Featured Company: Merritt Environmental Consulting Corp.

Merritt Environmental Consulting Corp. (MECC) was established in June of 2009 after being part of a larger engineering firm for almost 20 years. The focus of the company is to assist lending institutions, attorneys, real estate investors, and property owners with environmental concerns. Today, MECC has offices in New York, Florida, and Vermont and has grown into a regional consulting firm serving clients along the East Coast.