On this episode of Closed!, Mike Flynn and Lee Bergstein are joined by Ian Slater, co-founder of Trove Partners at Compass and one of New York City’s top luxury residential brokers, to unpack what’s really happening at the highest end of the market. With over $2 billion in career sales and a team ranked among the best in the city, Ian brings a front-row perspective on how wealth, demand, and discretion are shaping luxury real estate today—and why the market is more complex than it appears.

The luxury market in New York City isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s increasingly bifurcated by neighborhood, property type, and buyer profile. Ian breaks down how post-COVID wealth creation, especially among younger tech buyers, is driving demand, why much of the market now operates off-market, and how privacy concerns and social media have fundamentally changed how high-end deals get done. They also explore the rise of “horizontal mansions,” the impact of global events and policy shifts like a potential second-home tax, and why New York remains a stable asset for the ultra-wealthy despite ongoing volatility.

If you care about luxury real estate, market dynamics, or how wealth is moving through New York City, this is an episode for you.

Follow Ian Slater on social media and learn more about Trove Partners at trove-partners.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 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!, Mike Flynn and Lee Bergstein are joined by Keith Powers, New York State Assemblymember and former NYC Council Member, to break down the realities behind New York City’s housing affordability crisis. They discuss how decades of underbuilding, rising demand, and complex policy decisions have shaped today’s market—and why solving it is far more complicated than it seems.

Fixing NYC housing isn’t just about building more units—it’s about balancing tenant protections, development incentives, and the long-term sustainability of the city. In this episode, Keith Powers shares an insider perspective on rent stabilization, rezoning efforts, and office-to-residential conversions, offering a candid look at what’s working, what’s not, and what needs to change.

If you care about real estate, public policy, or the future of New York City, this is an episode for you!

Follow Keith Powers on social media at @keithpowersnyc

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 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.

Ross Wallenstein, founder and CEO of Wall2Wall Communications, joins us to discuss crisis management, public affairs strategy, and how the collapse of local journalism is reshaping politics and business.

With more than 25 years of experience spanning federal and New York State government, political campaigns, and corporate communications, Ross explains why government service is “training like no other,” why every company needs a crisis plan, and how today’s leaders must master authenticity in the TikTok era.

We also dive into:

• The shrinking news cycle and reactive media culture
• The decline of investigative journalism
• Why politics has become national instead of local
• Generational differences in political messaging
• How CEOs and public officials must adapt to personality-driven media

If you lead a business, campaign, or organization, this episode is a masterclass in modern communications strategy.

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, Brad was joined by Louis Adler and Robert Rahmanian, co-founders and co-CEOs of REAL New York. Since launching REAL NY in 2013, Robert and Louis have grown REAL from a two-person startup into a 150-agent powerhouse known for its work across residential, commercial, and especially New York’s fast-evolving conversion market.

Louis and Robert shared the latest on the market of conversions, and not just commercial-to-residential. They broke down their work on hotel-to-residential, medical-to-residential and even industrial-to-residential in New York City.

If you are keeping an eye on names to watch in New York City or want to learn more about how the private sector is addressing housing in NYC, this is the episode for you!

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, Lee and Mike were joined by Jonathan Iger, the CEO and President of Sage, one of the premier commercial real estate firms in New York. Jonathan is the fourth-generation leader of Sage, with a unique vision and insight into the New York Commercial Real Estate market.

Jonathan talks about what 1A commercial real estate can learn from the hotel industry, how Sage has adapted post-COVID, and so much more!

If you consider yourself on the cutting edge of New York real estate, this interview is a must-listen!

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!, Mike Flynn is joined by Gavin Steinberg, co-founder and CEO of The Everset, a New York City–based furniture rental and home staging company redefining how urban spaces are presented and lived in. Gavin breaks down Everset’s full-service approach to furniture rental and staging, explaining how the company fills a major market gap for stylish, affordable solutions tailored to young professionals and fast-moving urban real estate. The conversation explores why staging can dramatically elevate vacant apartments, how careful planning and design drive successful projects, and what it takes to scale both private client and commercial staging services in NYC’s competitive market. 

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

You can find more about The Everset at https://staging.theeverset.com/.

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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Closed! we were delighted to have the premier business coach in the country, Rod Santomassimo! Lee and Mike spoke with Rod about his specialty — commercial real estate brokers. Rod broke down how he got into coaching, why he chose brokers are his target client, and how he grew his brand into the juggernaut it is today. There may also be a few free tidbits of advice sprinkled in the episode.

If you are a commercial broker or are interested in the inner-workings of commercial real estate, then don't miss out!

You can find out more about Rod Santomassimo by visiting his website https://massimo-group.com/ and by checking out Rod's latest book, co-written with friend of the show Bob Knakal, Selling Buildings: Maximizing Prices and Profits in Commercial Real Estate.

And as always, you can learn more about BFKP and what we do by visiting our website at https://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 is joined by Council Member Julie Won to talk about OneLIC and her win in the months-long battle over Long Island City Rezoning. Council Member Won explains the plan for Long Island City and why previous iterations failed. The Council Member explain that OneLIC is the largest increase of affordable housing units ever produced by a rezoning, with 14,700 new housing units, including approximately 4,350 affordable units in Long Island City.

If you are a resident of Long Island City or are keeping up with the housing crisis New York is facing, then this episode is for you!

You can learn more about OneLIC and Council Member Julie Won by visiting https://council.nyc.gov/julie-won/.

And as always, you can learn more about BFKP by visiting 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 episode, Lee is joined by Greg David, an accomplished journalist for The City magazine to talk about the implications of a potential rent freeze, charter reforms, and more. Before becoming a journalist, Greg spent 35 years as an editor, editorial director, and columnist at Crain’s New York Business. He is also the director of the business and economics reporting program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY as well as the Ravitch Fiscal Reporting Program. 

For more from Greg David, you can find him at https://www.thecity.nyc/author/greg-david/.

As always you can learn more about BFKP 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!, 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.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.