On this week's episode of Closed!, Michael Flynn is joined by a former, beloved guest, Layla Law-Gisikio, to talk about NYC, politics, and real estate. Layla has spent over two decades in public service, from her eighteen years on the Community Board to her roles as Democratic district leader for Assembly District 75, and we are so fortunate to have her perspective on the many changes in NYC right now. Layla and Michael explore the popularity of mayoral-elect Mamdani's affordability plan, the introduction of downstate casino licenses, and what New York City could look like in five years.

Also, we would like to congratulate Layla on her announcement to run for the New York State Assembly! You can find out more about her campaign here.

To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com.

To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com.

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On this episode of Closed!, Lee Bergstein is joined by Howard Raber, Investment Sales Professional at Ariel Property Advisors. Lee and Howard join in conversation about the implications of the Midtown South rezoning plan. They explore the urgent need for housing in New York City, the incentives for developers, and the challenges of converting office spaces to residential units. Listen to this episode to learn more about the overall optimism for New York’s real estate market.

If you live in New York City or are interested in real estate, then this podcast is for you!

You can find Howard Raber at https://arielpa.nyc/our-team/howard-raber.   

To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com.

To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com.

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This week on Closed!, we’re joined by Eric Anton–commercial real estate broker at Marcus & Millichap and treasurer of Defend NYC– to discuss the intersection of New York City’s mayoral election and the real estate market. With crime, safety, and affordability dominating the campaign, the outcome of this election will have a profound impact on the city’s future.

Eric walks us through how candidates’ policies could shape the market, from proposals around rent freezes to law-and-order priorities, and explains why real estate professionals are watching this race so closely. We also delve into the role of political engagement through organizations like Defend NYC, the current recovery trends in the market post-COVID, and what these shifts mean for residents, investors and developers alike.

If you’ve been following the election – or if you’re just trying to understand how politics and real estate collide in New York City – this episode offers key insights on what’s at stake.

For more from Eric Anton, you can visit https://www.marcusmillichap.com/advisors/eric-m-anton.

As always, for more from Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina, you can visit https://www.bfkplaw.com/.

To find out more about Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina PLLC, visit our website at bfkplaw.com.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.com
• GFP Real Estate: gfpre.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/gfprealestate
• Twitter: twitter.com/GFPRealEstate

And 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.

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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.

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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.

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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 [email protected] 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.

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