Name: Joseph Isa

Company: Isa Realty Group, LLC

What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2019?
Isa Realty Group (IRG) celebrated its five-year anniversary in August and, thankfully, we are thriving and we are growing, so every year that we continue to be successful as a company is our greatest accomplishment. It takes time to build a commercial brokerage and we have been fortunate to have good people work for us and with us. We have recently hired two new retail brokers and we are looking for another retail broker for Manhattan and one for Queens.

What are your predictions for commercial real estate in 2020?
We are really in a very dynamic, volatile atmosphere and I don’t think anyone can really predict where we will be in a year, let alone six months from now. With that said, keep your eyes East. We are inundated with retailers from Asia that have the experience, finances and gumption, and they are looking to open physical stores in NYC. If they can woo the U.S. consumer, this is where I see untapped potential in the near future.

What was your most notable project, deal, or transaction in 2019?
Helping to bring Pastis, the hottest restaurant in the city, back to NYC. We were able to bring Stephen Starr together with 52 Gansevoort St. ownership and a legend has been reborn.