Executive of the Month: Schanzer, president and CEO of Friedland Realty Advisors: New leader brings innovation and business acumen to commercial real estate firm; Goal of enhancing Friedland's technical infrastructure and attracting new talent

Friedland Realty Advisors has a new and transformational leader at its helms. Ayall Schanzer has joined the recently rejuvenated commercial real estate firm (formerly NAI Friedland) with the goal of enhancing Friedland's technical infrastructure, growing its geographical footprint and attracting new talent to its already-strong roster of brokers across the tri-state area. Known for his business acumen and ability to turn companies around, Schanzer aims to enliven the 40-plus-year-old company with innovative strategies and a forward-thinking approach to business development. Schanzer is a visionary by nature, who places a high value on positive corporate culture and relationship-building, but is also an astutely analytical and results-oriented leader. Schanzer began his impressive career as an assistant district attorney for Manhattan, after graduating with a JD from Yeshiva University. "Working under Manhattan's former district attorney Robert Morgenthau was a distinct privilege and an honor," said Schanzer. "The skills that I gained as an assistant district attorney continue to serve me well to this day." Schanzer went on to work as an attorney in a private practice, primarily serving clients in the financial services sector for several years, before deciding to give into his entrepreneurial spirit and making a career change to focus on helping start-ups and assisting with corporate turn-arounds. Committed to being at the top of his game in this new career venture, he went back to Cornell University to get an MBA with the goal of rounding out his quantitative reasoning skills. Now with more than a decade of business leadership under his belt, Schanzer has taken on top leadership roles as chief executive officer, chief operational officer, president, director and chief strategy officer for a number of companies, including Patria M2 Capital, Salient Corp., Profit Scout, Creative Cost Management, MBG Expense Management and UtiliSave. Aligning Talents with Friedland Realty Advisors Schanzer has carved out a reputation as an entrepreneurial, high-energy and results-driven leader with a keen focus on communication, negotiation, deal-making, team-building and interpersonal skills. The decision to join Friedland just so happened to align with the public announcement of a few marquee-name deals for the company: the relocation of tenants from Citi Field to a redevelopment area in Queens and the leasing of Citizen Watch Company's first global flagship store in Times Sq. Schanzer is thrilled to lead Friedland's winning team, though the decision to join Friedland was not taken lightly - Schanzer spent a great deal of time evaluating the opportunity at Friedland to ensure that he was the right man for the job. Schanzer started his assessment with an in-depth look at the corporate culture at Friedland. "First and foremost, I look at the people within the organization," Schanzer said. He found a team of experienced, knowledgeable, and passionate brokers at Friedland. "It became abundantly clear to me after meeting (chairman) Bob Friedland that the company had great people, a great reputation and a 44-year track record upon which to build." Schanzer did some additional research in industry dynamics, macro trends and Friedland's competitive edge to gauge the company's growth potential. He looked at the potential for leveraging technology to improve operating efficiencies, improve profit margins and provide a better customer experience. He evaluated the company's brand equity and began to devise potential growth strategies. At the end of the day, Schanzer knew he was making the right decision. "It didn't take me long to realize that I was all in." Bob Friedland echoed Schanzer's enthusiasm in the opportunity to work together: "Ayall is the ideal leader to take Friedland to the next level. His acumen and business intelligence are already charting a successful new course for our team of expert brokers." Envisioning a Revitalized Future for Friedland Schanzer has already taken steps to refresh the company's image, with a focus on retaining its strong brand reputation, enhancing existing relationships and broadening its business scope. The company has just launched a new website (www.friedlandrealty.com), bearing its new name (Friedland Realty Advisors, as opposed to NAI Friedland), new logo and pointing to its recently launched social media channels, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. "The manner in which people consume and interact with data is rapidly changing. The real estate industry has been relatively slow to adapt to these changes," said Schanzer. Plans are already underway to upgrade Friedland's technology assets through various channels to better showcase its properties and aid the tenants, landlord and investors as well as broader communities Friedland services. One example of this innovative thinking is in building a Google+ and YouTube presence to offer virtual tours of Friedland's various industrial, retail and office properties in the metro New York and tri-state area. Under Schanzer's leadership, Friedland has also begun actively recruiting top talent to support expansion and the overall success of the company. The company is implementing a new, innovative training program for new brokers, which will dramatically improve motivated individuals' abilities to succeed in commercial real estate. "As we bring in new talent and reinforce our value, vision and mission, it is our corporate culture that will set us apart from the pack," said Schanzer. "We are migrating from a broker-driven environment to a more transparent, team-oriented and collaborative culture." Schanzer also expects to expand Friedland's geographical footprint in the coming years - a pivotal move which will help the company grow and continue to thrive as it anticipates changes in the marketplace. Schanzer sees a great deal of value in Friedland's roots, with existing offices in Manhattan and Westchester, but also plans to extend its reach regionally with eventual plans for offices in all five boroughs, as well as Conn. and N.J. Applying his analytical skills and visionary approach to the current market, Schanzer anticipates that the astronomical prices in Brooklyn and Queens will persuade businesses to look elsewhere. This will lead to more interest in commercial real estate opportunities in the Bronx - the "last frontier" within the five boroughs that still has some relatively affordable inventory. Schanzer sees much promise in the commercial real estate market, with retail rent increases, new job creation and continually low interest rates. While a great deal of change is afoot at Friedland, Schanzer is certain that one thing won't change under his watch: the company's commitment to its customers. "The one thing that won't change is our obsessive focus on delivering the best possible result for our clients while providing them with a great experience."