Press

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.

The solution to New York’s housing crisis is squarely on the supply side. You don’t even have to be a believer in economics to reach that conclusion.

Empire Management has offloaded a 22-story Midtown office building it has owned since 2000, according to city records made public Wednesday. Gateway Realty, an affiliate of Empire, sold the property at 363 Seventh Avenue for $21.3 million to the Sioni Group, which used the entity 363 7th, records show.

Bob Knakal, winner of Best Multifamily Broker for 2023, has been a staple of the NYC multifamily world since 1984. In 2024, Bob went out on his own and assembled an exceptional team of experts to open BKREA, Bob Knakal Real Estate Advisors. Known for his "Knakal Map Room", their approach has revolutionized the NYC real estate scene and is considered amongst the top firms in the nation.

The property asset involved is an office building located at 363 7th Avenue in Chelsea, Manhattan. The property was sold for a total of $21,340,000, encompassing a total square footage of 83,642 and a price per square foot of $255.

BKREA has been retained to market for sale the legendary Friars Club Building at 57 East 55th Street. A cornerstone of New York’s entertainment history, the iconic mansion has hosted some of the greatest comedians and entertainers, including Frank Sinatra, Johnny Carson, and Robin Williams.

BKREA is exclusively marketing a prime full-block development site at 1584 White Plains Road, Parkchester, Bronx. This shovel-ready, mixed-use site spans 67,947 SF with R8 (C2-4 equivalent) zoning, allowing 606,232 GSF. Adjacent to the future Parkchester Metro-North Station, opening in 2027.

A prime Midtown Manhattan development site at 136-140 West 44th Street is now on the market. Spanning 5,021 SF, the site allows up to 74,270 SF of development with cantilevering opportunities. Located near Times Square, it’s ideal for residential, hospitality, or commercial use.

Avdoo & Partners Development has finalized its $52 million acquisition of five buildings on the Upper East Side that have been slated for demolition since late January.

In Proof Stacking, marketing strategist Edward Winslow reveals how real estate and business professionals turn proof into powerful marketing assets. Featuring insights from NYC real estate icon Bob Knakal, the book introduces a strategic framework using credibility to attract high-value clients and dominate competitive markets.

Avdoo & Partners Development paid $52 million for five buildings on the Upper East Side, where it plans to build its first residential project in the neighborhood. The firm, headed by Shlomi Avdoo, closed the deal for the Second Avenue and East 71st Street properties on Tuesday, the developer told The Real Deal. The purchase was backed by $32.2 million in financing from Valley National Bank.

While residential real estate agents upload photo carousels to hashtag-laden Instagram grids, commercial brokers are starting to hone their social media strategies. A small but serious new crop of brokers believes that LinkedIn is the place to network and build online brands. They are reaching wide audiences of the very people who might sign new office leases or consider an investment property with hopefully viral takes on the market and sleek videos from inside some of Manhattan’s premier office towers.

The Wharton Club of New York hosted a panel discussion, "The City of Yes - 80,000+ New Homes for New Yorkers," featuring key figures in urban planning and real estate. Industry experts Bob Knakal and Dan Garodnick delved into zoning shaping NYC's housing landscape.

Five buildings on the Upper East Side, containing more than 50 apartments and three former restaurants, are slated for the wrecking ball, records show.

Bob Knakal, Chairman & CEO of BKREA has launched a groundbreaking guide featuring 45 case studies of property conversions. Released to align with “City of YES” zoning reforms, this guide highlights Knakal’s visionary expertise in maximizing property values through strategic adaptations in an evolving market..

Bob Knakal climbed to the top of the commercial real estate sales business by focusing not on billion-dollar Manhattan skyscrapers, but on the tens of thousands of ordinary apartment buildings and land sites across New York City. Now, the 62-year-old sales executive is adding a new approach by using artificial intelligence. He says his new sales firm, BKREA, will harness property data and market observations that he has meticulously collected since the mid-1980s and couple it with the blooming powers of AI.

In New York City’s commercial real estate world, few names carry as much weight as Bob Knakal. Having personally brokered the sale of over 2,300 buildings valued at more than $22 billion, Knakal has been a dominant force in the market for four decades.

Bob Knakal has been awarded the prestigious SIOR (Society of Industrial and Office Realtors) designation, a global benchmark of excellence in the industry. This honor recognizes Knakal’s contributions to commercial real estate with over 2,341 building sales in NYC totaling more than $22 billion.

CIBS W, the women’s division of the Commercial and Industrial Brokers Society of Long Island, will host a discussion about the use of artificial intelligence in commercial real estate.

He’s king of the Big Apple’s commercial real estate scene. Now Bob Knakal’s spacious Park Avenue digs — last asking $13.45 million — is now in contract, just one month after a broker swap.

2 Oak Street in Brooklyn NY is a rare waterfront development site currently available by Bob Knakal Real Estate Advisors known as BKREA.

BKREA announces Genessy Jaramillo has joined the firm as a Land Sales Specialist in Manhattan, working alongside Chairman & CEO Bob Knakal. With a strong background in real estate and a commitment to client success, Genessy brings both experience and innovation to BKREA’s growing team.

Bob Knakal creator of the Knakal Map Room and BKREA a real estate investment property brokerage firm in NYC is transforming the way CRE brokerages produce with industry changing ai and data strategies.

Bob Knakal’s new brokerage firm, BKREA, is off to a remarkable start, closing $51 million in deals, securing a $52 million development site under contract, and being retained to sell 20 properties worth $1.2 billion in just six months.

Bob Knakal and the BKREA team successfully completed the $27 million sale of a 10-story office building at 37 East 18th Street in NYC's Flatiron District. The historic property offers significant lease-up potential and user-occupancy opportunities in a prime Manhattan submarket near Union Square.