As the President of GFI Realty Services, Michael Weiser manages the day to day Investment Sales and commercial mortgage divisions. Mr. Weiser leads a 25-person team whose primary focus is the NYC multifamily market. The team was honored as CoStar's Power Broker for the NYC market in 2016 and 2017 and Crains 2017 Best Places to Work NYC. He also plays a major role in overseeing GFI Capital's own national real estate investment portfolio as the firm's managing director of acquisitions and dispositions. In that capacity Mr. Weiser has handled the acquisition and disposition of over 35,000 multifamily units across the country - from New York to Kansas City, Mo., and from the suburbs of Dallas to Savannah, Ga. In his various roles Michael has handled billions of dollars of successful transactions.

Known in the industry for his strong analytical skills, keen insight and negotiation expertise, Mr. Weiser is able to channel his broad knowledge into successful closings for GFI Realty's clients.

Mr. Weiser received his BS in accounting from Brooklyn College. He currently resides in Brooklyn with wife and children.

 

 

 

Daniel Lerer is a Director of Investment Sales and Finance at GFI Realty Services, Inc. HHis love for history and his firm belief that real estate is a bearer of New York City's history first attracted him to the industry. He enjoys challenging the status quo, and his goal is to help shape GFI Realty Services, Inc. into a leading capital advisory firm by stringently upholding its core values.

Mr. Lerer specializes in recasting debt for greatest risk mitigation and tax efficiency and treats his clients with the highest level of honesty and integrity. He has financed an excess of $100,000,000 during his career.

Originally from Upstate NY, he currently resides in Brooklyn with his wife and their two children whom he tries to instill the joy of experiencing new things and trying the unknown.

 

Will Watkins is the Director of Real Estate Finance for GFI Realty Services, Inc. Watkins joined the firm in 2004 and specializes in multifamily, office, retail, & hospitality debt placement. He brings over ten years of commercial financing experience to his position where he is primarily responsible for arranging permanent, interim and development loans as well as other structured finance transactions with banks, CMBS lenders, and life insurance companies. During the course of his career, he has completed in excess of $2 billion in commercial real estate transactions.

Mr. Watkins received his B.A. in Business Economics & Accounting from Randolph-Macon College.

 

Ohad Babo joined GFI Realty Services, LLC in January 2012 and has since transacted approximately $175MM in investment sales. He specializes in mixed-use, residential, and retail properties in Upper Manhattan and Brooklyn. Already in his career he has transacted numerous high profile deals including the sale of 3750 Broadway, a corner mixed-use building located in Upper Manhattan, which set a record for price per square foot at the time of the transaction. Additionally, Mr. Babo represented both sides in the sale and the financing of 35 Journal Square, a landmark office building in Jersey City, NJ. He is currently the training manager at GFI Realty. His past experience as a staff sergeant in the Israeli Defense Forces and as a professional basketball player has helped shape his strong work ethic and given him the ability to adjust to different clients and the changing market. Mr. Babo is committed to providing customized solutions to each of his clients. Each deal demonstrates his acute understanding the current marketplace conditions and his ability to expertly negotiate deals. He graduated from Yeshiva University in 2012 with a BA in International Business and Management. He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and currently resides in the Upper East Side.

 

Notable Transactions

Upper Manhattan Portfolio (13 Buildings) Sold For $98,000,000

Harlem Eight Building Package New York, NY Sold For $37,000,000

Upper Manhattan 125-Unit Package New York, NY Sold For $23,400,000

Notable Transactions

390 Wadsworth Avenue New York, NY Sold For $12,500,000

218-220 Park Place Brooklyn, NY Sold For $6,600,000

237, 245 & 247 Kent Street Brooklyn, NY Sold For $5,000,000

250 Sherman Avenue New York, NY Sold For $4,300,000

352 McGuinness Boulevard Brooklyn, NY Sold For $2,250,000

Notable Transactions

23-02 49th Avenue Queens, NY Sold For $195,000,000

247 North 7th Street Brooklyn, NY Sold For $125,000,000

385 & 395 Fort Washington New York, NY Sold For $40,100,000

1125 Banner Avenue Brooklyn, NY Sold For $40,000,000

 

Mr. Sparks has successfully negotiated over $1 billion of real estate sales transactions over his 20-year career. He is widely known in New York real estate circles as a powerful negotiator and off-market specialist for high profile clients.

Focusing on the sale and purchase of all property types throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Mr. Sparks has an impressive track record of skillfully analyzing the financial angles of prospective deals on behalf of his clients.

Some of Mr. Sparks' recent noteworthy transactions include the $63 million sale of the 13-building Inwood Portfolio; $61.5 million sale of a three-building multifamily portfolio in Morningside Heights; $58 million sale of a portfolio of 14 Upper Manhattan multifamily properties; $52 million sale of a 63unit luxury apartment building at 341 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; $51 million sale of four elevator buildings at 60-68 West 107th Street; $41 million sale of a 167-unit multifamily property at 94-25 57th Avenue in Elmhurst, Queens; and $25 million sale of two, six-story multifamily buildings at 560-570 Lefferts Avenue in Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn.

Mr. Sparks studied accounting and finance at SUNY Old Westbury and is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY).

SELECT TRANSACTIONS:
- $63 million sale of the 13-building Inwood Portfolio comprised of 359 residential apartments and two retail stores.
- $61.5 million sale of a three-building, 130-unit, 113,200-square-foot multifamily portfolio in Morningside Heights.
- $58 million sale of 14 Upper Manhattan properties with 176 residential units and eight retail stores.
- $52 million sale of an eight-story, 63-unit luxury apartment building with ground floor retail at 341 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
- $51 million sale of four contiguous, six-story elevator buildings with 100 apartments at 6068 West 107th Street.
- $41 million sale of a 167-unit, 187,800-square-foot multifamily property at 94-25 57th Avenue in Elmhurst, Queens.
- $25 million sale of two, six-story multifamily buildings with 102 units at 560-570 Lefferts Avenue in Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn.
- $9.8 million sale of a ±11,825-square-foot, mixed-use retail and residential apartment building at 125 Rivington Street.

Notable Transactions

335 18th Street Brooklyn, NY Sold For $3,900,000

235 Himrod Street Brooklyn, NY Sold For $3,100,000

503 Grandview Avenue Queens, NY Sold For $1,975,000
- Shamel of GFI Realty Services Arranges the $1.975M Sale of Fully Renovated Multifamily Asset in Ridgewood
- GFI Realty Orchestrates $1.9M Sale of Multifamily Property in Queens

1070 Cypress Avenue Queens, NY Sold For $1,615,000

970 Decatur Street Brooklyn, NY Sold For $1,500,000

 

Notable Transactions

70-74 East 116th Street New York, NY Sold For $5,425,000
- Affordable Housing “With Upside” Sold in East Harlem
- Zamir of GFI Realty acts for buyer and seller in $5.425 million sale of 21,000 s/f mixed-use property in East Harlem

410-412 East 115th Street New York, NY Sold For $2,330,000