The dealmakers behind New York City’s top commercial real estate sales, lease, and finance transactions of 2017 are vying for the title, “Most Ingenious Deal of the Year,” through the Real Estate Board of New York’s (REBNY) 74th annual competition.
The industry’s highest honors, recognizing ingenuity and outstanding professionalism in commercial real estate dealmaking, will be presented at the REBNY Sales Brokers Committee’s Cocktail Party to be held on Tuesday, April 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Club 101 (101 Park Avenue). Awards will be given to the first-, second-, and third-place winners selected by a panel of real estate industry leaders.
“Each year we witness great achievements by our commercial real estate brokers in their work to further New York City’s business community, and this past year was no exception,” said Woody Heller, co-chair of REBNY’s Sales Brokers Committee and co-head of Savills Studley’s Capital Markets Group. “The 2017 deals in the running for these coveted awards stand out for their innovative solutions and expert negotiation.”
“The complexities of navigating successful commercial real estate transactions are immense and require great skill, depth of experience, and market knowledge,” said John H. Banks, REBNY’s president. “The dealmakers that we honor at our Ingenious Deal of the Year Awards are dedicated professionals who work on these important transactions that allow businesses to grow, thrive, and support New York City’s economy.”
The 14 sale, lease, and finance transactions submitted for the 2017 competition are:
SALE
– “Assembling An Icon – How One Broker’s Tenacity and Vision Made 45 East 22nd Street Possible” – 45 East 22nd Street, New York, NY
Broker: Geoffrey Newman of Newmark Knight Frank
– “Putting Humpty Together Again…and Again” – 30-36 East 29th Street, New York, NY

Broker: Brian Ezratty of Eastern Consolidated Properties, Inc.
– “Repurposing a New Building While Addressing Manhattan’s Dearth of Dormitory Space” – One West End Avenue also known as 625 West 59th Street, New York, NY
Brokers: Mark Weiss and Richard Bernstein of Cushman & Wakefield
– “Miracle on 85th Street: A win for the seller, a win for the buyer, a win for the City, and a win for Cushman & Wakefield’s Not-for-Profit team!” – 340 West 85th Street, New York, NY
Broker: David Lebenstein of Cushman & Wakefield
– “1100 Avenue of the Americas: Planting Future Growth in a Former Apple Orchard” – 1100 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
Brokers: Darcy Stacom, William Shanahan, and Eric Negrin of CBRE
LEASE
– “A Flawlessly Executed Master Planned Office Community” – Manhattan West located between 31st & 33rd Streets and 9th & 10th Avenues

Brokers: Bruce Mosler, Josh Kuriloff, and Rob Lowe of Cushman & Wakefield, Inc.
– “The Case of the Three Vacant Floors” – 1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
Brokers: Mitch Arkin, Josh Kuriloff, and Ethan Silverstein of Cushman & Wakefield
– “OVA Restaurant Components & Dinex Group” – One Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY
Broker: Lori Shabtai, Town Commercial
– “A one-of-a-kind solution for the New York City Housing Authority” – 24-02 49th Avenue, Long Island City, NY
Brokers: Peter Hennessy and Rob Lowe of Cushman & Wakefield
– “A Union of Rivals: CBRE and C&W Find 1199 a Home” – 498 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY
Brokers: Mary Ann Tighe and Ken Meyerson of CBRE; Jonathan Serko of Cushman & Wakefield
– “Makeover on Madison: Shiseido Transforms a City Block” – 390 Madison Avenue, New York, NY
Brokers: Lauren Crowley, Michael Geoghegan, and Ralph Giordano of CBRE
– “Estee Lauder Companies: Home Makeover” – 767 Fifth Avenue & 110 East 59th Street, New York, NY
Brokers: Greg Tosko, Stephen Siegel, and Lewis Miller of CBRE
FINANCE
– “5Pointz Construction Financing” – 22-44 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, NY
Brokers: Andrew Singer and Kathleen McSharry of The Singer & Bassuk Organization LLC
– “Against All Odds: The Financing of 77 Greenwich Street” – 77 Greenwich Street
Brokers: Mark Fisher and Shawn Rosenthal of CBRE