The Birch Group, a privately-held commercial real estate investor, owner and operator, today announced the hire of Mike Lyberatos as vice president of property management and construction. Lyberatos joins the firm at a period of immense growth and activity, as The Birch Group leased almost 200,000 square-feet to tenants across its portfolio throughout 2021. The announcement follows the company’s major portfolio purchases in Jericho, N.Y. and Short Hills, N.J, and its strategic focus to acquire prime office assets across the Tri-state area.
In his new role, Lyberatos will oversee property management and construction across the company’s portfolio of top-tier assets, leading capital improvements and tailoring each individual property and build-out to create the optimal tenant experience. Prior to this position, Lyberatos was with Onyx Equities LLC as director of operations, overseeing property management of the firm’s Bergen County portfolio, in addition to managing company-wide residential and commercial office development. He has over 20 years of experience in commercial real estate, including serving as senior director of property management at Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, where he oversaw all of the company’s management and leasing activities across its New York and New Jersey portfolio, encompassing nearly 10 million square feet of commercial office, residential, flex and warehouse spaces.
The Birch Group currently boasts a nearly 90% occupancy rate on its core assets and continues its strong leasing activity across its entire portfolio. New leases and renewals were signed at the following properties in The Birch Group’s portfolio: 150 JFK Parkway & 51 JFK Parkway in Short Hills, N.J., 119 Cherry Hill Road, 4 Gatehall Drive, and 7 & 9 Campus Drive in Parsippany, N.J., 1979 and 1985 Marcus Avenue in Lake Success, N.Y., 1200 Mt. Kemble Avenue and 60 Columbia Road in Morristown, N.J., 55 Challenger Road in Ridgefield, N.J., 500 International Drive in Budd Lake, N.J. and 325 Columbia Turnpike in Florham Park, N.J. The 13 properties are located in areas within the markets The Birch Group has identified as prime targets in their growth strategy, and the company’s deliberate acquisitions and hands-on approach to property management has resulted in high deal volume, including large, long-term leases across the firm’s assets.
“Mike’s expansive experience in property management will be a huge benefit to the firm in supporting our continued growth. The momentum we’re seeing across our portfolio is a direct result of The Birch Group’s strategy to provide prospective tenants with unique spaces and environments that go above and beyond their needs and expectations. We have entered the new year as the largest private office landlord in New Jersey and continue to expand our reach in the Tri-State area to meet tenant demand for trophy quality, institutional assets,” said Mark Meisner, president and founder of The Birch Group. “We expect leasing activity will remain strong in targeted submarkets in the coming months, as companies mull the return to the office and search for top-tier environments for their workforce. With Mike on board, we’re confident that his deep expertise and knowledge will help us to exceed their expectations.”
Some highlights of prominent deals in 2021 included:
- 51 JFK Parkway, with a new 11-year lease for 19,791 square-feet to tenant Blue Owl Capital
- 1200 Mt. Kemble, with a new 11-year lease for 7,626 square-feet to tenant Cary Street Partners
- 7 Campus, with a 5-year renewal for 10,752 square-feet to tenant Ohaus Corporation
- 9 Campus, with a 7-year renewal for 11,999 square-feet to tenant Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan, LLP
Lyberatos added: “With my extensive experience in the industry, I have honed my skills in commercial real estate, and am uniquely equipped with the necessary skill set to elevate The Birch Group’s property management and construction tactics to new heights. I’m looking forward to a successful partnership with the Birch team and will work alongside Mark to fulfill tenant needs and facilitate the best possible experiences across the portfolio.”
The Birch Group recently set a record for Long Island’s largest office deal in the past decade with its $212-million acquisition of a premier two-building portfolio in Jericho, N.Y., and the largest office transaction in the first quarter of last year for the $255-million acquisition of a prominent four-building portfolio in Short Hills, N.J.
For more information about The Birch Group, please visit: https://birchgroupllc.com/.
