By Sarah Trefethen
Halstead Property is beefing up its top ranks with the announcement earlier this month that Diane Ramirez has taken on the role of CEO, and James Gricar has stepped into her former role as president of the firm.
Richard Grossman, meanwhile, has been promoted to managing director.
“It’s really what we believe was best for the future of the company and our strength was to enhance our corporate structure at the top,” Ramirez told Brokers Weekly, adding, “we’re always looking to strategically expand the company.”
Halstead has 28 offices in the tri-state area, and more than 1,000 brokers.
Ramirez’s leadership role will not change much, she said, and she will continue to guide the vision of the company. Gricar, meanwhile, will be taking a close look at the firm’s overall branding.
Grossman will continue to focus on the two Downtown offices, Ramirez said, while also working to build up a program which pairs buildings managed by Halstead Property management with individual brokers who develop an expertise in the building.
Technology is a focus of the company, according to the new CEO, who pointed to Halstead’s “ProperTV” website, which offers hundreds of online videos, from tours of individual properties to broker profiles and market reports.
In another innovation well-suited to the city that never sleeps, 26 of the 28 offices are storefronts, and some are equipped with touch screen video players that face out onto the street, where passers-by can look up listings at all hours of the day or night.
Developing mobile capacity is an important priority, Ramirez said. “We look to where is our industry going,” she said. Ramirez was one of the founders of Halstead, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year. When she started, she said, brokers kept listings on index cards.
“It’s mind-boggling where our industry has gone,” she said. “Now it’s all out there and we are now the consultants. We are the ones with knowledge, not just information. We’ve come a long way, and it’s all very good.
