Front Section

Sales lessons from the top selling sales book in America - by Rod Santomassimo

On October 1st, I launched my new book, “Knowing Isn’t Doing.” And it became the number one bestselling book on Amazon.com for sales books, surpassing, if for only a few days, top sales authors like Jeb Blount and Grant Cardone! How? I could tell you it’s a great book, but looking back, I recognized that I applied the same exact approach to this book, as I applied to growing my company, and that I share with our clients to growing theirs.

Question of the Month: Where is distressed CRE going post-COVID-19? - by David Goldwasser

The distressed commercial real estate market is all hyperbole.  Tenants are not paying rent–mainly retailers–as well as some office occupants. People are not running in the streets to sell their properties at a discount or at a loss.

Edison Properties and Gottesman R.E. secure two leases totaling 59,000 s/f

Manhattan, NY According to Edison Properties and Gottesman Real Estate Partners, Quantcast, a leader in machine learning technology and its application for brands, agencies and publishers, has signed a five-year, 23,000 s/f lease, and BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the British Broadcasting Corp., has renewed a five-year 36,000 s/f lease, both with The Hippodrome (1120 Avenue of the Americas). After previously subleasing a portion of BBC Studios’ space, Quantcast has made its own direct lease. These deals comprise the entire fifth floor.

Transwestern facilitates $7.5m for Sheltering Arms

Manhattan, NY Transwestern Real Estate Services (TRS) announces it represented Sheltering Arms Children and Family Services in the $7.5 million sale of a condominium at 305 Seventh Ave. in Midtown Manhattan to the American Guild of Music Artists (AGMA). The 9,476 s/f condominium comprises the entire second floor of the building, which formerly served as Sheltering Arms’ local foster care program headquarters.

Madison Cap., Salmar Props. expand Prime Clerk lease

Brooklyn, NY Madison Capital and Salmar Properties completed the lease expansion of Prime Clerk at Liberty Bklyn in Sunset Park. Prime Clerk, a division of Duff & Phelps, provides third-party legal administrative services and expanded from its current 18,940 s/f space on the fourth floor to an additional and adjacent 11,761 s/f unit on the same floor and 21,000 s/f on the third floor, which will be used for commercial printing and mailing. 

Polsinelli of Compass sells Manhattan property for $7.5 million

New York, NY Adelaide Polsinelli, vice chair of Compass has sold 207 East 32nd St., the beaux-arts headquarters of celebrated graphic artist, Milton Glaser. The property is located between 2nd and 3rd Aves. It is a 9,000 s/f boutique office building, which was the clubhouse for Tammany Hall Central Association in 1920, and later became the home of New York Magazine.  

Meridian Cap. and Silver Eagle launch partnership

New York, NY Meridian Capital Group and Silver Eagle Advisory Group, a newly formed commercial real estate advisory firm, have launched an advisory practice to provide a range of workout and restructuring services to clients. The partnership will bring together the experienced industry leaders at Meridian and Silver Eagle to serve clients coping with challenges in the commercial real estate industry.

Lupo of Friedman-Roth brokers sales totaling $9.775m

Manhattan, NY Friedman-Roth Realty Services has completed the following: • The sale of an Upper East Side apartment building at 319 East 75th St. The six-story elevator building, located between First and Second Aves., contains 20 apartments and 2 retail stores. The 25 ft. wide building contains a total of 11,105 s/f and was constructed in 1910. This is the first sale of this property in over 40 years and the selling price for this transaction was $5.25 million.

Is the ground lease a COVID-19 savior? - by Daniel Shirazi

The declining retail market coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic has left many real estate investors in limbo. Buyers are uncertain what the future may bring and are thus not inclined to buy in this market. This leaves cash strapped owners no other option but to continue to let their property “bleed” or alternatively for owners who want to sell to keep their properties since they cannot find a replacement property via a 1031 transaction. Ground leases may prove to be a valuable alternative to a sale of the property.

TerraCRG sells development site in Brooklyn for $750,000

Brooklyn, NY TerraCRG has closed on the sale of the development site at 348 Van Brunt St. for $750,000. Peter Matheos and Mike Rafter exclusively represented the seller. 348 Van Brunt St. is a residential development site in the Red Hook neighborhood. The property is zoned R5/C1-3 which is well-suited for a user or investor looking to develop a condo or townhouse project in one of the city’s fastest growing submarkets.