The Problem In the past five years the New York City multifamily market has experienced tremendous fluctuations. The passing of HSTPA in June of 2019 was the starting point of a transformative marketplace.  COVID ushered in new regulations and record low interest rates. This was quickly replaced with rapid rates hikes causing valuations to drop precipitously. Minimal rental increases for rent stabilized properties combined with upwards pressure on costs have created a distressed situation for both borrowers and lenders. Cash flow constraints, depressed valuations, and rates doubling when loans roll…

Despite being in the commercial real estate business and not the residential market there is a surprising amount of emotion involved in my day to day. Many of the clients our team has represented in 2024 have been selling long-held family heirlooms disguised as rent stabilized apartment buildings. My goal is to clarify the underwriting norms for rent-regulated buildings in 2024, easing emotions and setting realistic expectations from the onset. How We Got Here New York is different than the rest of the country. Vacant buildings can often be more…

My team and I often get asked: who are the buyers and sellers, and are deals actually getting done? Transactions are happening but there are more obstacles than ever before. Our team has taken on a record amount of new inventory and the pace seems to be increasing each month. The motivation behind new inventory is driven by maturing or rollover debt, sellers not seeing a path to profitability, inability to complete or pay for compliance mandates, and general management fatigue. Rent stabilized buildings aren’t selling themselves. The broker, as…

People decide to sell real estate to solve a problem, capitalize on an opportunity, or realize a profit.  Management fatigue is also motivating people to transact. Our team receives countless requests for opinions of value and often the client says, “I can’t sell at that price.” What I’ve noticed is that the people who are contemplating selling are looking for a mathematical reason why it makes sense. The math doesn’t look great, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sell. We continue to sell rent stabilized buildings at negative leverage on…

Listen to an audio narration of this article I’ve been helping clients sell apartment buildings and buy triple net leases for almost 15 years. In almost every scenario the client is initially hesitant to get into something new. After all, the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. With the challenges facing property owners in New York, this sentiment has started to shift. Private clients are starting to look for the exit ramp but don’t know exactly where to go or how to get there.  I wrote…

Multifamily operators today are finding themselves playing defense more than offense. They wake up each morning thinking about which fire to put out first rather than how to grow their business. A rising market allowed mistakes to go unnoticed or erased with a refinance or a sale. As Warren Buffett said: it’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who has been swimming naked. This article offers a roadmap of how to prioritize the important items related to expiring debt today. Until the laws change to allow rent…

There are 60,000 vacant stabilized apartments in NYC (not including 4,800 from NYCHA), yet we have rents hitting all-time highs and people living on the street. Something has to give. The city is running out of resources and eventually it will have no choice but to incentivize the private sector by cutting the red tape. If you believe something has to give, then this is a great reason to buy multifamily buildings in New York. Do I Own Rent Stabilized Or Affordable Housing? Right now, prewar buildings are not inherently…

In today’s market we have two types of sellers: proactive and reactive. Or as the results would indicate: successful and unsuccessful. Market dynamics change and as a result what is required of you as a seller will also change. Here are 10 pieces of advice for sellers to set yourself up for a successful transaction. 1. Know your numbers and set goals You would be shocked how many owners don’t know how much income they earn from their property. Whenever I meet with a client about selling, I ask them:…