2024 Power Players in Real Estate

Judith Goldiner is the attorney-in-charge of the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society where she manages a staff of 18 and all Civil Practice-related legislative and impact litigation work. Some of Judith’s biggest accomplishments include working on the passage of the NYC Source of Income Discrimination Law of 2008, the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, the Safe Harbor Law of 2020 and the Emergency Rental Protection Act of 2021.

Is there a project you are excited to work on or see completed in 2024?
New York’s housing crisis only continues to grow, and with rents rising to unprecedented levels and evictions increasing as well, I look forward to working with Albany lawmakers to finally secure passage of “Good Cause” eviction legislation to ensure that New Yorkers have basic tenant protections and more tools to help keep them housed.

What is your favorite part of working in real estate?
I enjoy working on housing issues to help lend a voice to low-income New Yorkers who, unlike the real estate industry, do not have bottomless pockets and outsized influence.

What qualities do you believe make up a successful real estate professional?
For my job, the ability to listen, to be compassionate and to be persuasive are critical qualities, as well as keeping a laser focus on the need to house the homeless and low-income New Yorkers.

As CEO, Lisa brings nearly three decades of experience in real estate and finance to the nationally recognized affordable housing developer – charting their ambitious growth strategy, while also overseeing day-to-day operations and construction and property management subsidiaries. Lisa is also chair of the NYS Dormitory Authority, a member of the Apollo Theater real estate committee, and served on a range of boards, including the NYC Planning Commission and the NYS Association for Affordable Housing.

Is there a project you are excited to work on or see completed in 2024?
I’m especially excited about completing two transformative projects – Bronx Point and The National Urban League Empowerment Center. Bronx Point includes 542 units of permanently affordable housing and will soon be home to The Hip Hop Museum. The National Urban League Empowerment Center will feature the pre-eminent civil rights group, its museum and 170 units of affordable housing, including homes for more than 50 youth aging out of foster care.

What is your favorite part of working in real estate?
I love that real estate is part art, part science. It uses both the left and right parts of your brain – it’s creative, analytical and presents new challenges every day. I work with great people and am passionate about helping underrepresented groups find their paths into the industry. Breaking down the barriers to entry makes our sector a better, more interesting field to work in.

What qualities do you believe make up a successful real estate professional?
A successful real estate professional is someone who is tenacious and curious – and importantly, a really fantastic multitasker. You have to understand that no matter your perspective, it is important to work as part of a team to achieve a goal. Real estate draws people from many different backgrounds and experiences, which is really cool. 

Teresa is a partner at Bolton-St. Johns, and co-founder of DalyGonzalez, an M/WBE boutique lobbying firm, and Evolution Strategies, a Latina-owned strategic advising firm. Under Mayor Bloomberg, Teresa was chief of staff at the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, and press secretary at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. She’s on the boards of the New York Immigration Coalition, The New Majority NYC, the New York Women’s Foundation, ABNY Foundation and 5 Borough Institute.

Is there a project you are excited to work on or see completed in 2024?
All of my projects are exciting!

What is your favorite part of working in real estate?
Centering community and the many voices that make up those impacted by development.

What qualities do you believe make up a successful real estate professional?
The ability to see the big picture when it comes to any project. This includes community impacts and engagement, which is a measure that leads my thinking in every project with which I am engaged.

Rick Gropper has nearly two decades of experience in real estate development throughout the five boroughs of New York City. At Camber, Rick focuses on sourcing and structuring transactions using his deep relationships with various partners including investors, lenders, the community and the government. Under Rick’s guidance, the firm has amassed a portfolio of nearly 10,000 units totaling upwards of $2.5 billion in market value since it was founded in 2016.

Is there a project you are excited to work on or see completed in 2024?
We just broke ground on Phase 1 of Stevenson Square, a $1 billion mixed-use one hundred percent affordable housing development in the Soundview section of The Bronx, utilizing underused land on the existing Stevenson Commons campus. This project will bring new affordable senior units, as well as affordable homeownership opportunities, to a traditionally underserved community. We’ve had tremendous buy-in from local leaders and our neighbors and we are excited to begin work in earnest.

What is your favorite part of working in real estate?
Every day is different and it’s always fast-paced. One day can involve a meeting with residents of a building that we’re preserving and renovating, an institutional investor on a new transaction and our construction team on a new building coming out of the ground. It’s all about solving problems to create more housing for New Yorkers who need it the most.

What qualities do you believe make up a successful real estate professional?
We always look for passionate problem solvers who are willing to obsess over the details until they bring the task at hand to a successful completion. You have to care about the work you do and the people you serve. You can teach real estate concepts, but you can’t teach passion, drive and curiosity.

Jeffrey Gural is chairman of GFP Real Estate LLC (formerly Newmark Holdings and Newmark Knight Frank). GFP Real Estate LLC has an ownership interest in more than 50 properties, most of which are located in New York City. Mr. Gural, together with his son Eric Gural and nephew Brian Steinwurtzel, are responsible for all future acquisitions and the managing and leasing of the over 13 million square feet in which they have an ownership interest.

Is there a project you are excited to work on or see completed in 2024?
GFP has several projects under development that we are really excited about, including 25 Water Street in FiDi – one of the largest office-to-residential conversions in the country – as well as a new, ground-up rental building in Jersey City. Both are being led by my nephew, Brian Steinwurtzel, co-CEO of GFP. We are also converting The Flatiron Building into condominiums, which is being led by our partner The Brodsky Organization.

What is your favorite part of working in real estate?
The human connection. I enjoy meeting our tenants, many of whom start small but go on to become major companies. It’s refreshing, and the tenants like getting to know their landlord.  Working with smaller tenants and taking risks with startups adds an exciting dynamic to our work. I also enjoy meeting with bankers – many of whom we have developed long-standing relationships with over the years. I always learn something new from them.

What qualities do you believe make up a successful real estate professional?
Building a good reputation within the industry is paramount. People who have developed a solid reputation and consistently demonstrate trustworthiness and reliability tend to thrive – even in challenging times. Being seen as dependable not only fosters positive relationships within the brokerage community but also instills confidence in financial institutions, which will be more willing to work with you.

Mr. Holliday joined SL Green in 1998, becoming CEO in 2004, with over 25 years of tenure. Under his leadership, SL Green became NYC’s largest commercial property owner. He drives initiatives for premium office experiences with elevated food and beverage, fully-wired conference facilities, elegant event spaces, and unique features like experiential observation decks and rooftops. SL Green’s diversification includes retail and residential developments, and debt and preferred equity investments, enhancing liquidity in the commercial market.

Is there a project you are excited to work on or see completed in 2024?
I am excited to fully unveil One Madison Avenue after completion three months ahead of schedule last year. We sought to build upon our success at One Vanderbilt Avenue and bring another globally renowned, beautifully designed tower that further pushes the boundaries of workplace innovation. We can’t wait to welcome tenants into their new offices and experience health-driven features and unparalleled amenities including a David Rockwell-designed rooftop pavilion and new steakhouse by Chef Daniel Boulud.

Ninve James oversees REBNY’s residential brokerage division, supporting 12,000 members and 590 member firms across New York City. This includes oversight of REBNY’s Residential Listing Service (RLS) and over a dozen residential committees and boards. She also manages residential brokerage professional development, where annually over 6,500 virtual and in-person NYS continuing education courses are administered and/or processed by her team. Before joining REBNY, Ninve served in leadership roles at Realtor.com and Trulia.

Is there a project you are excited to work on or see completed in 2024?
As co-chair of the building sub-group of the Real Estate Standards Organization, I’m collaborating with industry stakeholders to standardize building data. This initiative aims to establish a universal language for building data making the data easier to consume by technology providers. Such standardization promises clarity of data as it relates to units and building amenities, streamlines data entry processes for real estate professionals and ultimately enhances the overall consumer experience.

What is your favorite part of working in real estate?
In my 20-year tenure in the real estate industry, I have gained insights from various aspects of the business. The evolution of technological offerings in real estate keeps me on my toes. Currently overseeing Residential Brokerage at REBNY, my role involves constantly adapting and evolving our member offerings. This commands me to stay agile to meet challenges and changes that arise year by year.

What qualities do you believe make up a successful real estate professional?
I’m not a real estate professional but have had the privilege to work alongside real estate professionals in my 21 years in the business. Regardless of profession, success hinges on essential qualities like knowledge, commitment, and professionalism. A deep understanding of the subject matter is essential, coupled with an unwavering commitment and dedication to consistently providing clients with the highest standards of service. 

James is the president and CEO of BHHSNYP. In addition to fronting a myriad of the area’s most substantial listings/sales, his oversight includes mentoring and supporting agents to reach the next level in their careers. Along with supervising the NYC offices, his reach extends to strategic growth and acquisition opportunities. Prior to BHHSNYP, James served as executive director of brokerage development for HomeServices of America and president and CEO of Douglas Elliman’s NYC brokerage and director of sales.

Is there a project you are excited to work on or see completed in 2024?
We are looking to grow our roster of top agents here in NYC in 2024. Our goal is to be very selective in hiring agents with experience, expertise, and high ethical standards.

What is your favorite part of working in real estate?
It’s the people that I love working with, especially the agents – problem-solving, being a sounding board for them, and helping to grow their business to new levels, all of which, in turn, make our company better.

What qualities do you believe make up a successful real estate professional?
Self-discipline, the ability to stay the course, a positive attitude, and expertise – these are all qualities that make an agent great and even greater over time, leading to new levels of success.

Suri Kasirer founded Kasirer in 1997 now the #1 lobbying firm in New York City. She and her team have established an unparalleled record of success on behalf of clients who are leaders in a wide range of industries, from corporate to not-for-profit, real estate to technology, hospitality to health care. Year after year, Suri is recognized by Crain’s New York Business and City & State and serves on various boards for organizations.

Senator Brian Kavanagh represents more than 330,000 residents in New York’s Senate District 27. As chair of the Senate Committee on Housing, Construction, and Community Development, Brian has built on his decades of advocating for access to high quality, safe, affordable housing for all New Yorkers. In 2019, he led the Senate effort to enact the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA), which gave New York the strongest tenant protections in the nation. 

Is there a project you are excited to work on or see completed in 2024?
I will continue to push for the Housing Access Voucher Program which would provide rental assistance, prevent evictions and homelessness, and bring about the housing stability that families need to thrive.

What qualities do you believe make up a successful real estate professional?
Compassionate leadership