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The Real Deal has named Bob Knakal one of its “Top 100 Real Estate Titans of the Year,” recognizing his enduring impact on New York City investment sales and his continued leadership as one of the most accomplished commercial real estate brokers in the country.

BKREA is highlighting New York City’s newly introduced Expedited Land Use Review Procedure , a policy change designed to significantly shorten development approval timelines. The reform could reshape how developers, landowners, and investors evaluate entitlement risk, capital deployment, and project feasibility across the city.

The commercial real estate industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by data, analytics, and intelligent systems. At the center of this evolution is Bob Knakal, founder and leader of BKREA, one of the most respected commercial real estate advisory firms in the United States.

Knakal got into real estate by accident. He supposedly applied for a summer internship at Coldwell Banker in 1981, thinking it was a bank. Whether that’s apocryphal or not, Knakal is now one of the city’s top investment sales brokers.

For decades, the massive Kingsbridge Armory in the Bronx has stood empty — a cavernous structure occupying an entire city block in a borough that has long struggled with some of the highest unemployment rates in New York City and the nation. Few development failures better illustrate the consequences of public policy divorced from economic reality than the armory.

In an era defined by rapid technological change, economic uncertainty, and evolving leadership expectations, very few business leaders stand out for the right reasons. Fewer still earn trust across generations while continuing to innovate at the highest level.

I’ve loved James Bond movies since I was a boy. Everything about them — the music, the cars, the villains, the confidence, the sense that one person, armed with better intelligence, could outmaneuver everyone else.

For decades, commercial real estate investment sales brokerage has relied heavily on memory, relationships and anecdotal experience. Brokers would say things like, “He’s a good buyer,” or “They always retrade,” or “That group is aggressive.” Sometimes those assessments were accurate. Sometimes they were not. But they were rarely quantified.

BKREA, the New York City investment sales firm founded by Bob Knakal, has introduced an AI-powered Developer Ranking System that transforms decades of transaction history into a data-driven framework, giving property owners unprecedented insight into buyer behavior, execution reliability, and negotiating leverage.

BKREA’s February market update spotlights the Long Island City rezoning as a pivotal development shaping New York City’s next real estate cycle. Chairman Bob Knakal notes the initiative signals renewed momentum for development sites and underscores shifting investor focus across the metropolitan market.

BKREA Senior Vice President of Transactions Ryan Candel recently joined Ithaca College's Real Estate Club Career Connections series, sharing insights on his brokerage career and strategies students can use to build relationships and launch successful careers in commercial real estate.

There is an old rule in real estate: When the math stops working, everything else eventually follows.

For over four decades, Bob Knakal has stood out in commercial real estate not just for extraordinary production, but for sustained excellence, strategic innovation, and culture-building.

The world’s largest firms proudly position themselves as “full-service” platforms, offering investment sales, leasing, financing, equity placement, property management and advisory services under one roof. On the surface, this appears to benefit clients. More services suggest more capability, more reach and more resources.

The NAIOP New York City Metro Chapter congratulates chapter member and Developing Leaders Chair Genessy Jaramillo on being named a 2026 NAIOP and Prologis Inclusion in CRE Scholarship recipient, recognizing her as one of fifteen emerging professionals selected nationwide this year.

Bob Knakal, Chairman & CEO of BKREA and one of the most respected voices in commercial real estate, recently led a Lunch & Learn session with brokers at Lee & Associates, focused on broker best practices, professional development, and strategies for maximizing long-term success.

Some leaders don’t just follow markets, they understand cycles, people, and timing. They believe that doing the right thing for clients never goes out of style, and that excellence only comes from going all-in, every single time. Over decades, this philosophy has reshaped how relationships are built, how information is valued, and how firms grow from the inside out.

Bob Knakal, Chairman & CEO of BKREA, spoke with Lehigh University students during the school’s professional speaker series, sharing insights on his career, the importance of relationships in commercial real estate, and practical guidance for students pursuing industry careers.

For decades, New York City has relied on tax incentives to produce rental housing. Without them, the math simply does not work. Construction costs, land costs, financing costs and regulatory costs all add up to numbers that private capital cannot justify without a program that closes the gap.

Bob Knakal, one of New York City’s most accomplished commercial real estate brokers, delivered a dynamic talk at Pace University, sharing hard-earned lessons on entrepreneurship, prospecting, and discipline—offering students a candid roadmap for building meaningful, long-term careers in competitive industries.

In commercial real estate investment sales brokerage, scale is often marketed as strength. The largest global brokerage firms routinely point to their offices in London, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and dozens of other cities as a supposed competitive advantage.

The traditional volume-driven brokerage model is becoming obsolete, according to Bob Knakal, whose career includes the sale of 2,391 properties totaling approximately $24.1 billion in transaction volume.

Bob Knakal: 2026 Emerging Icon & Most Impactful Leader in Commercial Real Estate

For more than four decades, Bob Knakal built his career as a generalist in New York City commercial real estate. Over that time, he’s brokered the sale of 2,388 buildings across virtually every asset class imaginable — office, retail, multifamily, industrial, medical, parking, development sites, mixed-use properties, and everything in between.

New York City’s rent-regulated housing system is approaching a breaking point, not because of a single policy, but because of a compounding mismatch between political decisions, economic reality and simple mathematics.

BKREA announced it has been exclusively retained to arrange the sale of 150 West 85th Street, a vacant six‑story, 38,838 SF building on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, offering investors and users a rare opportunity for conversion or redevelopment in a prime location.

On February 5, 2026, Bob Knakal, Chairman & CEO of BKREA, moderated Offit Kurman’s Women’s Commercial Real Estate Panel, uniting distinguished leaders across lending, law, environment, accounting, brokerage, and title to share actionable strategies for navigating uncertainty and uncovering opportunity in today’s shifting market.

Industry leaders Bob Knakal and Ryan Serhant hosted an exclusive fireside chat inside 35 East 62nd Street, an iconic Upper East Side townhouse offered at $49.9 million, gathering top brokers, investors, and industry professionals for an intimate market discussion.

At its most recent meeting, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady. At the same time, markets have been focused on the announcement that when Jerome Powell’s term as Chair expires later this year, he will be succeeded by Kevin Warsh—a former Federal Reserve governor who has been openly critical of Powell’s approach to monetary policy.

The Prescott Foundation for Children and Youth, one of New York City’s longest-standing charitable organizations, has formally concluded operations after 163 years of service, closing a historic chapter defined by advancing educational opportunity and community support for underserved children and families.

New York City’s housing crisis is not theoretical. It is visible in rising rents, declining affordability, and — most starkly — in the crumbling conditions of the city’s public housing stock.

The New York real estate industry exuded upbeat energy not only about returning to the newly restored art deco Waldorf Astoria hotel for its biggest night of the year.

Selling or managing a property is rarely simple, especially when the market is uncertain and reliable advice is hard to find.

Success in commercial real estate isn't only about buying and selling. It's about strategy, positioning, and execution. In Selling Buildings, legendary New York City broker Bob Knakal and premier industry broker coach Rod Santomassimo reveal the proven methods that have led to billions of dollars in transactions and countless career breakthroughs.

Bob Knakal CEO of BK Real Estate Advisors (BKREA) has announced a landmark 41-year Manhattan Land Index, examining 2,444 development site transactions dating back to 1984.

BKREA released a 41-year Manhattan Land Index analyzing 2,444 development site transactions since 1984. The dataset segments sales by property type and uses AI-driven analysis to identify macroeconomic factors influencing land values across market cycles.

Manhattan land is not a normal market. Scarcity drives the pricing and competition drives the pace. Developers often “find land” by targeting older, underutilized buildings that later become development sites.

Bob Knakal, Chairman and CEO of BKREA, has announced the recent release of The Knakal Land Index, a 41 year study of land sales in Manhattan, going back to 1984, the year in which Knakal started his illustrious career.

In a city where commercial real estate is measured not only in square feet but in foresight, resilience, and timing, Bob Knakal stands as one of New York City’s most enduring and influential figures.

The development site located at 144-28 Northern Boulevard in Flushing has been sold for $16,000,000.

Over the course of his 42-year career, Bob Knakal has shaped New York City’s commercial real estate landscape, closing more than 2,361 building sales transactions representing over $23 billion in volume. Those numbers, while remarkable, only hint at the true measure of his work: an unwavering focus on serving clients with insight, precision, and dedication.

When JLL acquired HFF in 2019, comments like “It’s a young man’s game” attempted to reduce a lifetime of commercial real estate excellence to a retirement countdown.

Real estate executives said they are trying to find the best steps forward under a new political reality: Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, is now mayor-elect of New York City.

So the question before us now is whether Zohran Mamdani can be the first person in the history of human civilization to make price-fixing work?

Bob Knakal of BKREA is marketing dozens of land sites in Manhattan as well as 17 air rights transfers.

Over 300 leaders gathered at Club 101 NYC for the 13th RED Residential Awards celebrating innovation and excellence in real estate.

For the first time, eleven of the industry’s top producers will unite at The Massimo Group’s Global CRE Broker Virtual Summit on November 19, 2025, to share the strategies, habits, and client approaches that have driven their long-term success in commercial real estate.

In a city where ambition defines the skyline, few figures embody the essence of relentless drive, innovation, and integrity as profoundly as Bob Knakal. His name has become synonymous with excellence in New York’s commercial real estate world, not merely because of the 2,351 buildings he has sold or the $22 billion in transactions he has completed, but because of how he has reimagined what true leadership and expertise look like in an industry that often rewards speed over substance.

The final panel of Forbes Business Bridges 2025 brought together leading voices from both the American and Romanian real estate industries for a forward-looking discussion about the future of investment, sustainability, and urban innovation.

The Massimo Group will host the Global CRE Broker Virtual Summit November 19, 2025, bringing together top-performing commercial real estate brokers from around the world. The live, one-day online event features real-time translation, billion-dollar expertise & strategies brokers can immediately use to win more business.

BKREA CEO Bob Knakal announced the addition of Anahis Barrie, a seasoned New York real estate professional with a decade of luxury and commercial experience. With engineering and MBA credentials, Barrie strengthens BKREA’s mission to deliver innovative, market-leading investment sales solutions.

Many New York City co-op and condo boards are unaware that their buildings are sitting under a gold mine. In this case, the gold is made of air.

Finding success in commercial real estate, regardless of the market, requires a myriad of skills—but it starts with defining who you want to be and how you’re going to get there.

In my last Concrete Thoughts column, I was very critical of our policymakers, who have let down New Yorkers in a big way by continuing to exacerbate the unaffordability of our city by constricting our housing supply, which exerts upward pressure on rents and makes living here less affordable.

JEMB Realty recently ended a legal nightmare with ASA College at a building in Herald Center. The saga began in 2020 when ASA missed rent payments, leading JEMB to sue the school and its owner, Alex Shchegol.

Manhattan Country School, a progressive private school on the Upper West Side, has shut down and its building is now poised to go on the market.

Understanding sacrifice and the balance between risk and reward is key. In most CRE roles, success and even stability rarely come quickly.

Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani is but the latest in a long line of politicians afraid to take real action on bringing down housing costs

BKREA, led by CEO Bob Knakal, announces the $16,220,000 sale of 10 West 17th Street, a rare Flatiron residential development site. This marks Knakal’s 2,352nd building sale, underscoring BKREA’s unmatched expertise in New York City’s investment sales market.

The glamorous 34,436-square-foot commercial condominium that once housed Core Club at 66 East 55th Street is being marketed by Rudder Property Group and BK Real Estate Advisors (BKREA) for $40 million on behalf of RFR Holding, Commercial Observer has learned.

Reimagining Real Estate Brokerage with Precision, Purpose, and Proven Leadership

Bob Knakal, Chairman and CEO of BKREA, introduces The Ultimate Guide to Selling Walk-Up Apartment Buildings in NYC—a comprehensive resource designed to help property owners maximize value and navigate today’s evolving market for these highly resilient, in-demand assets.

This is especially true outside of Class A space — and with tech tenants — as economic uncertainty and AI impact the market

Commercial real estate is evolving at a record pace, and the digital landscape is at the center of this transformation. Nowhere is this more evident than on X, where industry leaders are shaping the conversation, sharing expertise, and connecting professionals across the globe.

Vanbarton Group is testing the waters for its site at 3 West 29th Street in Nomad, which it acquired via foreclosure in 2021, marketing it to potential buyers. CBRE and Bob Knakal’s BKREA are actively shopping the site to some of the city’s biggest developers, sources told The Real Deal.

In a landmark move for New York City real estate, Bob Knakal, Chairman and CEO of BKREA, has unveiled The Ultimate Guide to Investment Properties Sold for Use Conversion, empowering owners, investors, and developers to unlock value through creative property repositioning.

Navigating the complexities of selling an elevator apartment building in New York City requires a specialized approach. Bob Knakal’s new guide delivers actionable insights, market data, and proven strategies for owners looking to maximize value in today’s evolving multifamily market.

Before City of Yes, Bob Knakal would rarely work on air rights deals. When he did, it was one at a time. Now the chairman and CEO of BK Real Estate Advisors has 17 in the works.

Bob Knakal, Chairman and CEO of BKREA, has released a comprehensive new guide revealing why vacant buildings in Manhattan often sell for more than leased ones—offering strategies, data, and insights for sellers looking to achieve premium prices from user buyers.

It’s a big roster, but each of these young pros have come to play.

In a major move for New York City’s commercial real estate market, Bob Knakal, Chairman and CEO of BKREA, has unveiled “The Ultimate Guide to Selling a Development Site for a Premium Price,” offering sellers a comprehensive blueprint to maximize value and achieve record-setting results.

Bob Knakal, Chairman and CEO of BKREA and one of the most accomplished investment sales brokers in U.S. history, proudly announces the launch of Sterling Property Group by Adam Hess—marking the 32nd firm founded by a Massey Knakal-trained alum.

As some of you may know, I recently published my best-selling book, Selling Buildings. Book sales launched May 20, and copies sold out in five hours.

ocial media meets the skyline. Bob Knakal, Chairman and CEO of BKREA, unveils Knakal Knetworking — a new hybrid strategy turning online engagement into real-world commercial real estate deals. The movement is redefining how CRE professionals connect, build, and close.

BKREA has announced 144-28/36 Northern Boulevard Queens NY, a premier development opportunity in the heart of Flushing, Queens is now available. This rare, high-exposure site offers flexible zoning, expansion potential, and significant upside in a rapidly growing corridor.

BKREA proudly announces the 1,000th visitor to the Knakal Map Room, a groundbreaking resource for real estate professionals. Created by industry legend Bob Knakal, the Map Room has become a global destination for market intelligence, research, and development insights.

Bob Knakal, Chairman and CEO of BK Real Estate Advisors (BKREA), is an icon in the New York City commercial real estate business. He has also been honored as the “Top Leading Inspirational Leader in Real Estate of 2025” by CToday Awards.

Bob Knakal, CEO of BKREA, will be honored with the prestigious Ground Breaker Award at Fordham Real Estate Institute’s Third Annual Building Futures Scholarship Gala on June 9, 2025, recognizing his lasting impact on New York City’s real estate landscape.

Bob Knakal’s career is rewriting the standards for commercial real estate brokerage in New York City. With over 2,351 buildings sold and a generation of industry leaders mentored, his legacy cements him as one of the industry’s most influential figures.

David Bistricer’s Clipper Equity will pay more than $50 million for a roughly 36,000-square-foot vacant plot of land in Harlem.

The development site at 1800 Park Avenue, located in Harlem, Manhattan, has been sold for $50 million. This vacant plot spans 36,000 square feet with a price per square foot of $1,389. It is noteworthy for its potential, featuring over 680,000 buildable square feet and a history of stalled development.

The third annual Real Estate Gala, held on the 101st floor of Hudson Yards, brought together 300 commercial real estate professionals who have been actively engaging on platforms like LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and others. The invite-only black-tie event reflects a growing shift in the industry: a move from online networking to in-person relationship building that leads to measurable business results.

Commercial real estate legends Bob Knakal and Rod Santomassimo have teamed up to release Selling Buildings—a powerful new book packed with proven strategies, real-world deal stories, and timeless lessons for brokers and owners serious about maximizing profits and legacy.

Commercial real estate influencers are turning social media visibility into high-value deal flow. At a recent black-tie event atop Hudson Yards, CRE leaders including Bob Knakal and Don Tepman demonstrated how online engagement is reshaping real-world networking—and driving over $100 million in new assignments.

Veteran New York City sales broker shows how year's largest retail real estate show is used to boost business

Bob Knakal, Founder and Chairman of BKREA, has been named to the Commercial Observer’s 2025 Power 100 List, marking a key industry milestone as New York City’s commercial real estate sector adapts to a rapidly changing landscape.

Bob Knakal and Rod Santomassimo have released Selling Buildings — a no-fluff, strategy-packed guide for commercial real estate brokers and owners who want to close bigger deals, build wealth, and leave a legacy.

Trepp Connect is hosting a Fireside Chat featuring Bob Knakal CEO of BKREA at Rockefeller Center on May 14.

It’s been a little over a year since Robert Knakal exited JLL abruptly in the wake of a favorable New York Times profile and decided to strike out on his own with a new firm called BKREA. While the blip in his resume made Knakal lose his nearly continuous spot on this list last year, he came back in full swing.

In May, for one night only, the future of commercial real estate will walk the red carpet in what is being dubbed a “Global Commercial Real Estate Networking Event”.

Bob, Knakal, recognized as the Top Commercial Real Estate Broker in NYC, discusses the 485x Multi Family Tax Abatement Program with key facts detailing the affect on Housing in New York.

Bob Knakal, founder and principal of BK Real Estate Advisors, was ranked the top LinkedIn influencer in commercial real estate this year as measured by Commercial Real Estate Influencers, or CREi.

Bob Knakal has announced the 1 Year Anniversary of BKREA, a cutting edge, Ai Driven, next generation commercial real estate brokerage. The new firm specializes in development sites and conversion properties throughout NYC.

One of the most challenging aspects of my role is balancing the execution of multiple deals, especially while working alongside an industry legend like Bob Knakal, while also carving out time to cultivate my business within the firm. In 2025, I set a goal to prioritize daily prospecting, whether through calls, targeted outreach, or canvassing. Since then, I’ve generated several promising leads for the firm and secured an exceptional development site that I’m excited to share soon.

That might seem like a strange question, but the answer depends upon whether that building is subject to New York State’s rent regulation system.

The Commercial Real Estate (RED) Awards third annual black-tie gala took place at The James NoMad Hotel to honor the visionary minds and groundbreaking projects shaping the future of NYC’s commercial real estate landscape. Founded by Selman Yalcin, President of RED Connect, the evening celebrates operators, top property developers, owners, and brokers and is the sole independent real estate awards organization that receives hundreds of nominations.

Whenever you’re looking at bringing a development site to the market, there are several things that you always want to do to maximize the site’s value. They include investigating possession issues, having a zoning and massing study prepared, having an environmental report prepared, and looking for expansion possibilities to increase the land parcel or the density of the site. Generally, the larger the land parcel and the more buildable density you have, the greater the value of the site.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, April 7, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On April 3, 2025, New York’s real estate elite gathered at The James NoMad Hotel for a sold-out night of celebration at the 3rd Annual RED Commercial Awards. The event, part of the broader 12th RED Awards Series, spotlighted the most influential leaders across the commercial real estate landscape — from iconic developers to emerging innovators.

My inbox was flooded last week in response to my column slamming the 485x tax abatement program in New York. The main response around: Well, if not 485x, then what? I’ll get to that in a bit.

Bob Knakal has been a broker in New York City since 1984. Over that time, he has brokered the sale of over 2,339 buildings having a market value of approximately $22 billion.