Lee & Associates forms Lee & Associates BQ|LI; Headed by Koukou and Diamond

The New York office of Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services (Lee NYC), a privately-held national commercial real estate firm, has formed a new affiliate company, Lee & Associates BQ|LI, LLC to service the Queens and Nassau and Suffolk County office, retail, and industrial markets. Kelly Koukou is executive managing director of the new company and one of its principal owners. Bradley Diamond also joined the new company and serves as a managing director. "The commercial market in Queens and Nassau is about 325 million s/f," said Koukou. "I've been active in that market for about 20 years and have seen it grow and attract more and more New York City firms that want offices outside the city either as satellites or to move their operations and save on rent as they improve their facilities to more modern buildings, with infrastructure capable of handling their high-tech needs." James Wacht, president of the Lee & Associates New York office, Lee NYC, was instrumental in the organization and expansion of Lee & Associates beyond Manhattan. "The new office is synergistic with our Manhattan brokerage business. Many of the retailers we represent in Manhattan want locations in the outer boroughs and Long Island. And many of the landlords we represent in Manhattan own buildings on Long Island. The opportunity to increase our business base in both directions could not be passed up," said Wacht. Koukou and Diamond were hired together and began with Lee & Associates mid-July. Koukou came from CBRE, where he was a senior vice president in its Long Island office for 13 years. Diamond joined from Coldwell Banker Commercial, where he worked on office, retail, and industrial transactions for seven years. Diamond said, "We both are excited about the opportunity Lee offers for us to help enhance its brand in a market where it's less well known, but in a market Kelly and I know very well. The transition has been seamless."