What does real commitment in this business actually look like?

Commercial real estate is not a Monday through Friday profession. It’s a business that rewards people who show up when the client needs them. And it’s a business that demands genuine enthusiasm for the work.

I spent my Sunday with three outstanding team members meeting a non-profit seller. Sunday was the only day they could meet. We spent four hours walking the site and talking through possibilities, challenges, and opportunities.

Everyone was fully engaged.
Everyone showed up with purpose.

That kind of commitment is what keeps this business special for me after four decades.

What made the day meaningful was watching newer professionals step up with the same passion that built the foundation of my career.

I’ve said many times that my greatest legacy is the long list of companies now run by people who started with us. And after yesterday, I’m certain the next generation is already on its way.

I’m grateful for a team that shows up with excellence every single day. I’m energized for the pitches ahead. And I’m reminded again how great this business truly is.

Happy Tuesday!

#CommercialRealEstat #CRELeadership #InvestmentSales

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In this business, data and relationships go hand in hand. You can’t rely on charm alone, and you can’t hide behind spreadsheets either. The most effective brokers combine both, real relationships built on trust, supported by credible market insight.

When I meet with an owner, I want them to walk away thinking, “Bob knows the market cold and he cares about helping me make the right decision.” That combination is how you build long-term credibility, not just win the next deal.

At the end of the day, information builds trust. And trust builds business.

Watch the full video on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer #BrokerLife #NYCRealEstate

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If you don’t know where your foundation is, don’t be surprised when the whole building shakes.

At The Broker’s Briefing hosted by REUVENI Development Marketing, we had an eye-opening, on-the-record conversation about the future of NYC real estate and politics.

Here’s a stat that should stop you in your tracks: 1,600 families in NYC pay 27% of the income taxes. That’s not a typo. Twenty-seven percent.

Now, after COVID, many of those people, who can live anywhere, have. If you’ve got 4 homes and a private jet, you don’t have to stay where you’re not appreciated. I asked someone who literally helps control the city’s budget:

“How many of those 1,600 families are still domiciled in New York?”

His answer? He didn't know.

Which either means he didn’t want to say…or worse…they’re not tracking it. And if they’re not tracking the tax base, how are they making decisions that shape the city? This isn’t just about politics. It’s about consequences. It’s about knowing your fundamentals.

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. You can’t fix what you won’t face. And you can’t lead if you don’t understand what’s holding the whole structure up.

If you’re in this business, real estate, politics, finance, data is not optional. Reality doesn’t care about ideology.

Start your Monday with clarity. Ask better questions. Demand better answers. Because the future of this city depends on it.

#RealityCheck #BKREA #NYCRealEstate

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After 9/11, the future of New York felt uncertain. Many firms pulled back. We decided to expand.

It wasn’t an easy call, but we believed in this city, its resilience, its people, and its long-term strength. That conviction allowed Massey Knakal to grow when others hesitated.

In tough markets, opportunities don’t disappear. They get harder to see, and most people get too nervous to act. If you have conviction, discipline, and a long-term view, challenging moments can become defining ones.

New York always comes back. Betting on this city has been one of the best decisions of my career.

Watch the full video on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #NYCRealEstate #BrokerLife #MarketCycles

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Commercial real estate is the purest form of meritocracy there is.

When Paul and I started Massey Knakal, it was just the two of us and a secretary. No capital, no brand. Just hustle.

We were a local popcorn stand competing with national and global giants. But we outworked everyone. From 2001 to 2014, we sold over 4,000 buildings in NYC. The second-place firm sold about 1,300. We lapped the field 14 years in a row.

Why? Because we believed in micro-wins. Every single day. In this business, you get out what you put in.

Period. That’s what I love about it.

If you're in this game waiting for a handout or a shortcut, you're in the wrong game. This business rewards effort, consistency, and grit.

Merit still wins.

Thanks to Kristian Cotta of Hungry Investments for having me on the Rents Due Podcast while at @CREi Summit. You can listen to the whole interview on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/lGhUscweICg?si=l6v8uMWFvNq3yy4m

#KnakalKnuggets #BKREA #NYCRealEstate

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What matters more in a career: the deals you close or the people you shape?

Seeing 32 companies or divisions now led by professionals who learned the business at Massey Knakal means more to me than any transaction ever could. Markets evolve, but people carry the experience with them.

After selling the firm, I spent a decade at the large global companies. A year and a half ago, I launched B-K-R-E-A, and that spark came roaring back. We’re focused on ground-up development and redevelopment, and the work feels more meaningful than ever.

I’m surrounded by a strong team, a strong platform, and a renewed sense of purpose. It feels like the most energising chapter of my career.

What this phase has reinforced for me:
↳ Impact grows through the people you invest in
↳ A new venture can reignite clarity and drive
↳ Purpose sharpens when every call and meeting matters
↳ The right team amplifies everything

#CommercialRealEstate #LeadershipLegacy #NewYorkCityCRE

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Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to learn from extraordinary people, and Steve Siegel has been one of the most impactful mentors I’ve had. His leadership and insight shaped how I think about clients, deals, and discipline in this business.

I’ve also learned that success in real estate isn’t just about knowing buildings. It’s about persuasion, psychology, negotiation, and understanding people. Those skills matter just as much as market knowledge.

Books have been a big part of my development, and if you’re serious about growing in this business, I’d encourage you to dive in. I keep a full reading list on my website; every one has helped shape how I operate.

Watch the full video on YouTube.

#RealEstateCareer #BrokerLife #NYCRealEstate

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Abraham Lincoln said it best: “Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.”

I’ve spent four decades in the trenches of commercial real estate in New York City. I’ve trained brokers, competed against them, and collaborated with the best in the business. And I can tell you with 100% certainty, top performers all share three traits.

First, they specialize. They don’t try to be everything to everyone. They go deep, not wide. They master a market niche that’s narrow enough to dominate but large enough to generate meaningful revenue. Generalists survive. Experts thrive.

Second, they love it. Passion isn’t optional. Because this business is brutally cyclical. There will be down markets, dry spells, and deal fatigue. Without a deep love for the work, you’ll give up before the market comes back. Passion keeps you going when logic says you shouldn’t.

Third, they embrace discipline. Discipline is the secret sauce. Not talent. Not charisma. It’s the ability to do the boring, repetitive, mundane tasks like cold calls, updates, follow-ups, day in, day out, even when you don’t feel like it. The great ones don’t rise above the basics. They master them.

Stop searching for the hack, the shortcut, or the next shiny strategy. Focus instead on owning your niche, fueling your passion, and building a bulletproof routine.

That’s the formula. It’s not sexy. But it’s proven.

If you're in this business… really in it… stop acting like you're playing a short game. Treat your career like a marathon. Learn to love the laps.

Thanks to Shlomi Reuveni and REUVENI Development Marketing for hosting "The Broker's Briefing" at 77 Greenwich. You can watch the whole episode on YouTube.

#BrokerBriefing #BKREA #NYCRealEstate

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2025 was about planting. 2026 will be about harvesting.

It's Thanksgiving week and I want to take a moment to wish everyone a great holiday with family, friends, and loved ones. But I also want to give you a little nudge from one broker to another.

For the past 30+ years, the week of Thanksgiving is when I’ve locked in my goals and roadmap for the following year. That means I’m finishing up my 2026 plan right now.

Why? Because if you're serious about hitting the ground running, you don't wait for January 2nd to start thinking. You plan now, so by the time the ball drops on New Year’s, you're already in motion.

2025 at BKREA has been a year of sowing seeds. We closed over $1 billion in sales, but more importantly, we’ve been investing in people, relationships, data, systems and that’s going to bear real fruit in 2026.

My challenge to you: Don’t sleepwalk into next year. Reflect. Reset. Retool.

Get your 2026 plan done now. You’ve still got a month to adjust and fine-tune. But when January hits, be ready to harvest.

Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone.

#AWalkDownTheStreet #BKREA #Thanksgiving

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In this business, mindset is everything. From day one, I set big goals, including closing 3,000 deals, and I remind myself of them constantly. Real estate is a long-term game, and you need mental toughness to weather the cycles, stay focused, and keep pushing forward.

If your mindset doesn’t align with your goals, you’ll never get there. Set the bar high, believe in the mission, and stay committed, even when it’s hard. That’s how you build a career over decades, not years.

Persistence wins.

Watch the full podcast on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer #BrokerLife #NYCRealEstate

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We're not in the real estate business…we're in the information and relationship business.

Wrapped up an incredible trip to Nashville for the season finale of the Contractors, Closers & Connections (CCC) of Nashville event. Huge thanks to my good friend Christopher Maier, MBA for making it all happen.

Met some phenomenal people. Signed some books. Even picked up two real leads. Folks living in Tennessee who still own property in New York and want to sell. That’s not coincidence. That’s relationships at work.

Real estate is local, but relationships are global.

It’s easy to think success comes from product knowledge, deal mechanics, or capital stack wizardry, and yes, those matter. But what drives longevity in this business is human connection. Trust. Relevance. Being top-of-mind before someone even thinks they need you.

CCC is a perfect example of what our industry should be doing more of: bringing people together with purpose.

Chris, thank you again. CCC rocks!

#AWalkdDownTheStreet #BKREA #ContractorsClosersConnectors

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At BKREA, we’re leveraging AI in three core areas: prospecting, deal execution, and data interpretation. For me, technology isn’t about replacing the fundamentals, it’s about enhancing them. AI helps us work smarter, identify opportunities faster, and deliver deeper insight to our clients.

But here’s the key: AI is only as good as the data behind it. That’s why consistent methodology and clean data matter. When you pair decades of market knowledge with advanced tools, that’s when you start to see real predictive power, especially in Manhattan’s land and multifamily sectors.

The future of our business belongs to those who use technology without losing the human discipline behind it.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer #BrokerLife #NYCRealEstate

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If you want to win more, you need to know more.

In this episode of What Would BK Do?, Asha Smith asks, "What's the most surprising insight you've uncovered in the Map Room that actually won a deal?"

It's not a specific comp or knugget. It's that I can't believe no one else has built something like this before.

The Knakal Map Room has 2,444 land comps going back to 1984. It tracks every site on the market, every project under construction, broken down by use – residential rental, residential condo, hotel, office, and a miscellaneous bucket for healthcare and education properties.

It tells sellers exactly what their competition will be when their project comes to market. It tells buyers where the gaps are. It tells developers what’s coming, not just what’s been.

We’ve used the Map Room on 71 pitch meetings. We’ve been awarded the exclusive 69 times. That’s a 97% win rate. Not because I talk louder or sell it harder, but because we brought proprietary insight no one else had.

It's not about selling; it's about knowing more, earlier, and more precisely.

In today's market, it's not enough to hustle – you have to inform your hustle with differentiated, actionable data. That's where your advantage lives.

Thanks, Asha for the great question. Keep 'em coming and I'll keep answering.

#WhatWouldBKDo #NYCRealEstate #BKREA

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Data only matters if it’s consistent.

One of the biggest challenges we face in this business is that basic metrics, like square footage, can be calculated five different ways, depending on who you ask. If the foundation isn’t standardized, the conclusions won’t be reliable.

At BKREA, we’ve spent decades building a consistent methodology because that’s how you create real market insight and indices that actually mean something.

Data isn’t about numbers, it’s about accuracy, discipline, and the rigor behind the analysis.

Real insight comes from consistency.

Watch the full video on YouTube. Thanks to Bo and Timmy Barron for having me on your podcast.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer #BrokerLife #NYCRealEstate

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NYC Multifamily Brokerage: RIP?

The City Council just dropped a bomb on the multifamily market. Preliminary legislation passed that would require owners to offer Community Groups and tenants essentially a right of first offer and first right of refusal and give them six months to decide. SIX months. That means even if a deal is ready to go, you’re stuck. Best case scenario? You close in seven months… maybe.

This preliminary policy could be the death knell for multifamily investment sales as we know it in New York City. You’re no longer selling real estate. You’re selling a stack of paper, red tape, and wait time.

This new rule, if passed, will make apartment building sales in NYC feel like going through the ULURP process but with none of the upside. The New York multifamily market, once the crown jewel of multifamily brokerage, has been systematically dismantled since HSTPA passed in 2019. These changes significantly restricted an owners rights and created a massive disincentive for the private sector to invest in the housing stock. This has led to lower quality of life for tenants as buildings fall into states of disrepair.

On the bright side, I’m thankful every day that I shifted focus to land, air rights, conversions, and redevelopment opportunities. That’s where the real action (and upside) still lives.

This law could also torpedo the office-to-resi conversion pipeline. The 467M abatements are so compelling that we have 57 office to resi conversions going on totalling 23.7 million square feet, but you have to build rentals to get the abatement. If so, NYC's housing crisis is about to get worse, not better.

And what tenant group is not going to want to look at the property information? A tsunami of overcharge complaints will be the result.

We’ll keep tracking this, but folks, this is one to watch. If it becomes law, the NYC multifamily market is going to need a full-on reinvention.

Stay tuned.

#NYCHousing #BobKnakal #NYCRealEstate

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"The Bronx is Burning…Again. Only this Time It's Policy, Not Fire."

It was a privilege to speak on the Broker’s Briefing panel at 77 Greenwich alongside Bess Freedman, Jason Haber, and moderator Shlomi Reuveni.

One key point I shared: Housing policy in NYC is broken. During the pandemic, we saw market rents drop 30%. Not because of any housing policy but because of supply and demand. No regulation has ever dropped rents even 5%. Want affordability? It starts with building.

We’ve created a system where political incentives directly conflict with practical solutions. More supply means new residents, which means new voters and some policymakers see that as a threat.

In 1978, 14% of NYC apartments were uninhabitable. The city wisely implemented the MCI and IAI programs, which spurred massive private investment in housing. Fast forward to 2019? That dilapidation rate was down to 0.04%.

Today, those programs have been marginalized, and 60,000 to 80,000 rent-stabilized units are sitting nailed shut, uninhabitable. I told Governor Hochul recently: Reinstate MCI and IAI via executive order, and in two weeks, we’d have 80,000 units under renovation.

We need to stop playing politics with housing and start playing offense with policy. Because vacancy doesn’t solve itself. And affordability doesn’t come from slogans. It comes from action.

Thank you Shlomi for putting together such an impactful conversation. You can watch the whole thing on YouTube.

#NYCHousing #NYCRealEstate #BKREA

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#2363!

We just closed a 125-year ground lease on a 100,000 SF site. A generation ago, “long-term” meant 99 years. Today we’re doing 125, 149, even 199-year leases.

Terms are stretching. Structures are changing. And if you’re still thinking about deals the way you did ten years ago, you’re already behind.

Ground leases, rezoning potential, adaptive reuse, converting vacant buildings to new uses – this is where the market is heading. Not theoretically. Not someday. Right now.

At BKREA we’ve leaned fully into three highly correlated verticals:

1️⃣ Ground-up development
2️⃣ Conversion of outdated buildings
3️⃣ Selling to users who bring life back to vacant assets

Why? Because vacancy isn't a problem, it's an opportunity waiting for the right vision.

After 2,363 transactions, I can say, that every vacant building has a highest and best future…and those that understand that are the ones who win the next cycle.

Onto the next one!

#BKREA #NYCRealEstate #InvestmentSales

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Sometimes the best things in life happen by accident. When I was at Wharton, I thought I’d end up in investment banking. Then a summer internship at Coldwell Banker came along, and that chance decision changed everything.

What started as a summer job turned into a 40-year career. I fell in love with commercial real estate, and I’ve been fortunate to turn my hobby into my profession. When you find work you genuinely enjoy, it never feels like work.

Watch the full podcast on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer #BrokerLife #NYCRealEstate

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Before COVID, no one was tracking office attendance the way we do now. Today, most companies push hard for people to be in the office Tuesday through Thursday. And while commissioned salespeople can thrive remotely, salaried folks often struggle to stay as productive.

We’re still figuring out what the future of office usage looks like in New York. But little by little, you can feel the shift, a gradual return to routines, collaboration, and the energy that only being together in the office can create.

The office isn't just about desks. It’s about culture, mentorship, and growth.

Watch the full podcast on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer #BrokerLife #NYCRealEstate

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🎯 Are Buyers Scared of Your High Prices? Here’s Why That Might Be a Good Thing

💼 WWBKD Episode | Question from Asher Wilhelm, Voro Real Estate Advisors

In this episode of What Would BK Do, legendary NYC broker Bob Knakal responds to a sharp question:

“With your reputation for getting top dollar, have you scared buyers away?”

Bob gives a candid answer — and in doing so, shares one of the most powerful mindset shifts in brokerage:

✅ You can’t be all things to all people
✅ Focus on your client — not your critics
✅ Serve one audience exceptionally well
✅ The best buyers respect strong pricing (even if they walk away)
✅ Reputation for price performance = more listings, more trust

If you're a real estate broker trying to please both sides of the deal, this episode might change your entire approach.

💡 IN THIS VIDEO:
– Why Bob never tries to “appease” buyers
– The power of a seller-only, exclusive-only strategy
– Real stories from buyers who walked — and came back to list
– How staying in your lane leads to long-term dominance

📌 More from BK:
🌐 Website: https://www.bkrea.com
📩 Email: BK@BKREA.com
📱 Contact Bob directly: 917-509-9501

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When I was a kid, I collected baseball cards, stats, teams, timelines, I loved it all. So a few years ago, I thought, why not create a business card with the same idea?

My “baseball card” lays out my 40-year career: every company I’ve worked at and the years I spent there. It’s a little funny, a little unconventional, but extremely effective.

The idea actually came from a longtime client who had no idea I’d moved firms. That conversation made something clear: never assume people know your story. Tell it. Show it. Reinforce it.

And if you can make it memorable? Even better.

Watch the full podcast on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer #BrokerLife #NYCRealEstate

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