Closed! NYC's Real Estate Podcast

This week, we are joined by Rebecca Tushnet, Faculty Co-Director and Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Law School, to discuss one of the biggest cases in real estate — CoStar Group v. Zillow. CoStar is alleging that Zillow used nearly 47,000 of CoStar's copyrighted real estate images without license, so we asked Rebecca to help us break down the facts of the case, given her immense experience in Intellectual Property. Lee, Mike and Rebecca discusses the strength of CoStar's case as well as the strategies each party might use.If you are are in the real estate sector, this case is one to watch as it has the possibility to set precedent in New York and potentially across the country. Catch up on the facts now!You can find more of Rebecca's excellent legal analysis on her blog at tushnet.blogspot.com.And as always, you can find Lee, Mike and the BFKP team at bfkplaw.com.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Closed!, we take an analytical look at how the first days of the FARE Act are going, and how the New York City rental market has adjusted to the new law. To help us examine the early effects, Lee is joined by the Co-Founder of UrbanDigs, John Walkup! John goes through the data he is seeing(or not seeing, in some cases) in New York City apartment listings following the transferral of broker fees to the hirer under the FARE act. If you've been following the FARE act, this is your chance to get the data about how it may be affecting your apartment search!Check out UrbanDigs at https://www.urbandigs.com/ and John's podcast about Manhattan real estate, Talking Manhattan, at https://www.talkingmanhattan.com/.As always, you can find Lee and the rest of the BFKP team at https://www.bfkplaw.com/.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Closed! Mike is joined by the Managing Director of Gensler, Amanda Carroll. Amanda has led the charge in designing some of the most innovative and human-centric designs in New York City commercial real estate, from Google's new Hudson Square headquarters to Etsy's Brooklyn office. Amanda shares how she and her team captures a company's wants and culture in their design while also taking into account how individuals will interact with these spaces. If you are interested in where office design is headed, you won't find a better source than this podcast!To learn more about Gensler and check out some of their amazing work, you can visit their website at https://www.gensler.com/ or you can visit their Instagram @gensler_design.You can find Mike and the BFKP team at https://www.bfkplaw.com. To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Closed!, Lee Bergstein sits down with Brian Steinwurtzel, co-CEO of GFP Real Estate, to discuss one of New York City’s most ambitious office-to-residential conversions to date: 25 Water Street. They unpack the challenges of converting a commercial tower into housing—from financing and zoning to adding modern amenities that meet today’s tenant demands. Brian shares how GFP Real Estate is addressing affordable housing needs, incorporating community feedback, and helping transform the Financial District into a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood, and how this increasing trend of commercial to residential conversions will be impacted by the upcoming mayoral election. Whether you're in real estate, housing policy, or just curious about how NYC is reinventing its urban core, this conversation offers a firsthand look at the future of adaptive reuse.Learn more about SOMA and GFP’s work:SOMA: somanyc.comGFP Real Estate: gfpre.comInstagram: instagram.com/gfprealestateTwitter: twitter.com/GFPRealEstateAnd as always, for more from Lee and the team at BFKP, visit: bfkplaw.com.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Democratic primary approaches and early voting has begun, we thought it would be a great time to do a deep dive into the candidates for New York City Mayor and their respective policies around housing. We asked Holly Pretsky to join us as we break down what these candidates have promised and what their track record is in their previous positions. Holly Pretsky is a journalist and editor, currently serving as City Editor at City & State New York, where she leads coverage on the city’s political landscape, from housing to mayoral campaigns. Prior to joining City & State, Holly reported for outlets including NPR and the Vineyard Gazette, bringing a nuanced perspective to the challenges shaping New York City.If you want to more about the candidates still in the running for mayor, this is the episode to listen to!If you want to check out Holly's reporting, you can find her at https://www.cityandstateny.com/voices/holly-pretsky/17256/.And as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting bfkplaw.com.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To close out two incredible weeks of episodes live from The Real Deal Forum on Closed!, we’re ending on a high note with one of New York City’s real estate titans—Bob Knakal.Lee Bergstein and Bradley Pollina sit down with legendary broker Bob Knakal to discuss the lessons he’s learned from over 40 years in New York City real estate.Bob reflects on how mentorship, mistakes, and meaningful relationships shaped his career. From staying top-of-mind with clients to the role of authenticity in modern marketing, this episode goes beyond real estate, offering timeless insights for anyone in sales or service.If you've ever wanted to learn from someone who's closed over 2,300 deals—this one’s not to be missed.To learn more about Bob, visit bobknakal.com, and to order his book Selling Buildings, head to Amazon. And as always, to learn more about Brad, Lee and BFKP, visit bfkplaw.com.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next up in our special Closed! series from The Real Deal Forum:Bradley Pollina and Michael Flynn sit down with Ben Friedland, a leading real estate advisor in New York’s alternative investments sector at CBRE, to explore how hedge funds, private equity firms, and other major players are shaping the future of office leasing.Ben shares how specialization has become essential in a competitive market and why understanding client needs is the foundation of successful long-term relationships. From the post-COVID evolution of office space to the collaborative shift in brokerage, this episode offers a deep dive into the strategies that define today’s real estate landscape.You can connect with ben at ben.friedland@cbre.com and as always to get in touch with Brad or Mike, visit bfkplaw.com.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next up in our special Closed! series from The Real Deal Forum:Bradley Pollina and Emily Ashe sit down with Paul Krug, founder of Glazed, a teriyaki restaurant franchise, to explore how his fast-casual Asian concept became a standout in New York’s competitive dining scene. From co-tenancy strategies to location choices, Paul shares the behind-the-scenes decisions that shape expansion in a post-pandemic hospitality market.Paul explains his process from co-tenancy strategies, to location choices, to design choices that elevate customer experience. With plans to scale to 12–15 locations, this episode offers a compelling look at growing a restaurant brand that stays true to its flavor.If you’ve ever wondered what goes into picking the perfect place to eat—don’t miss this one.To learn more about Glazed Teriyaki, visit glazednyc.comAnd as always, you can reach out to Brad and Emily at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting bfkplaw.comTo find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next up in our special Closed! series from The Real Deal Forum:Lee Bergstein sits down with Allia Mohamed, CEO and co-founder of OpenIgloo, the platform reshaping the way renters navigate the New York City housing market. Born out of her own frustrations as a tenant, OpenIgloo has grown into a powerful tool for transparency—connecting renters and helping New Yorkers make informed decisions.In this episode, Allia and Lee explore what tenants really care about today, from responsive management to the simple but crucial amenities that make or break a rental. They also break down how OpenIgloo is giving a voice to tenants while building bridges with landlords—and what’s next for the platform as it considers scaling beyond NYC.If you’ve ever wanted a Yelp for apartment hunting in The Big Apple, this one’s for you.To learn more about Open Igloo, visit openigloo.com/ And as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting bfkplaw.com.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next up in our Real Deal Forum podcast series is Dan Marks, CEO of TerraCRG and one of the most insightful voices on Brooklyn’s real estate scene.Dan joins Closed! to break down the latest investment trends shaping Brooklyn’s multifamily and commercial markets. From the impact of the 2019 rent stabilization laws to how upcoming elections may influence development, this conversation dives deep into the policy and market forces driving investor behavior across the borough. If you’re looking to understand what’s happening on the ground in Brooklyn real estate, this episode is a must-listen.To learn more about TerraCRG, visit terracrg.comAnd as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting bfkplaw.com.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next up in our Real Deal Forum podcast series is Danny Pearlstein, Policy and Communications Director at Riders Alliance—and a lawyer himself.Danny returns to Closed! to help us unpack the latest developments in NYC’s Congestion Pricing. Now that the policy is officially active across Manhattan, how is it shaping New York City? Danny breaks the early effects to commutes, certain neighborhoods, and the future of transit. We also touch on recent pushback, especially from the Trump administration. If you're curious about how congestion pricing is affecting the city, here is your chance to get caught up!To learn more about congestion pricing visit ridersalliance.orgAnd as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting https://www.bfkplaw.com/.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re kicking off our special Closed! Podcast series with returning guest Erik Engquist, recorded live at The Real Deal Forum! Erik is the Senior Managing Editor at The Real Deal and joined us at our booth to talk about the upcoming NYC mayoral race and what it could mean for housing and real estate policy across the city. Lee and Erik break down the policies of all the top dogs in the race — Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander and Eric Adams. You can check out more of Erik’s reporting at https://therealdeal.com/And as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting https://www.bfkplaw.com/.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We invited Associate Professor of Economics at Georgetown University Ferdinando Monte to join us on this episode of Closed! to discuss the hot button topic of tariffs. Lee and Ferdinando discuss the myriad of ways tariffs could influence the real estate market in New York.  Ferdinando Monte breaks down how tariffs can cause material shortages for developers, supply chain issues for commercial retail tenants and an increase in cost for consumers. If you're still trying to figure out how tariffs work and who they affect (like many of us are), then this episode is for you!You can check out more from Ferdinando Monte by visiting his website: https://www.ferdinandomonte.com/.And as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting https://www.bfkplaw.com/.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Closed! Lee speaks with New York City Councilwoman Carmen De La Rosa. The Councilwoman currently represents District 10, which includes Washington Heights, Inwood and Marble Hill. Before she was a Councilwoman, Ms. De La Rosa was a member of the State Assembly. Carmen in a fierce advocate for criminal justice reform, workers’ rights, affordable housing, LGBTIA rights and a number of other important social justice causes.We asked Councilwoman De La Rosa to join us to discuss her new bill, the Construction Justice Act. Councilwoman De La Rosa explains what the act is, how it is supposed to work and who this act benefits. Notably, she also addresses some of her biggest critics and detractors of the bill.If you are keeping up with New York real estate, this bill will change the way in which development works, so don't miss this interview!You can find more information on Councilwoman Carmen De La Rosa here: https://council.nyc.gov/carmen-de-la-rosa/As always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting https://www.bfkplaw.com/.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Closed!, we are honored to be joined by two real estate titans, Bob Knakal and Gabe Marans. Bob is the Chairman and CEO of BKREA and Gabe is the Vice Chairman of Savills. Bob has brokered the sale of over $22 Billion in real estate. Gabe has negotiated lease transactions for 6 Million square feet of commercial space. Lee and Mike spoke with these two about their techniques to marketing in the real estate sector.Bob and Gabe break down their journey on how they began on social media and what drew them to sites like LinkedIn. We get into how their content creation process has evolved over time (especially during covid) and how that has put their businesses into overdrive. Notably, Bob and Gabe leave the audience with what they think the social media landscape will look like in the next few years and their tips on how to navigate it.If you are in the real sector or consider yourself an entrepreneur, this is THE podcast you absolutely can not miss.You can find Bob Knakal at https://www.bobknakal.com or on his social media. You can find Bob's current projects at https://www.bkrea.com/You can find Gabe Marans at https://www.gabemarans.com/ and on his social media. And as always, you can reach out to Lee and Mike at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting https://www.bfkplaw.com/.To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.