I created the Knakal Land Index to answer one question: where is land value actually headed?

We disaggregate Manhattan land data into distinct categories, apply macroeconomic forces, and track it across a 40-year dataset, using the same methodology consistently. No noise. No guesswork.

It gives clients real insight into future trends, not just backward-looking comps. Better data leads to better decisions. That's always been the point.

Watch the full video on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer

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Want to dominate your market? Build your own "Knakal Map Room."

In our latest episode of "What Would BK Do?", Danny asked how to create a Knakal Map Room in their own city.

Here's the answer:

↳ Find your local tax lot maps. They exist. Start with your city's finance or planning department.
↳ Define your specialty. Multifamily? Development sites? Retail? Focus first.
↳ Print the maps. Walk the streets. Use highlighters. Color code what matters: zoning, underbuilt properties, recent sales, vacancies.
↳ Study patterns. When you see patterns, you see opportunity.

You do not need fancy tech to start.

You need maps. Markers. And discipline.

The Map Room has been one of the most powerful marketing initiatives of my career because it does one thing exceptionally well:

It proves you know your market better than anyone else.

Build yours.

Go get 'em.

#WhatWouldBKDo #BobKnakal #KnakalMapRoom

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Is college really the path to success in real estate?


In this powerful clip from The Bob Knakal Show, Andy shares how dropping out after his first semester in Boston became the turning point that shaped his entire career. While others were studying finance and accounting, Andy was handed a sledgehammer at 16 and told to start breaking cast-iron bathtubs in an old apartment building.

That hands-on beginning laid the foundation for a career built on grit, people skills, and real-world experience, not classroom theory.

You'll learn:
-Why real estate is more about people than degrees
-How getting "let loose" at 17 changed his trajectory
-The importance of earning early and building independence
-Why starting in construction gave him an edge most investors never get

This is a blueprint for aspiring developers, investors, and young entrepreneurs who feel like they don't fit the traditional path.

🔔 Subscribe for more powerful real estate stories, lessons, and market insights from industry leaders.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/qe3z_cP9U-4

#RealEstateInvesting #CommercialRealEstate #BobKnakalShow #AndyDavidoff #EntrepreneurMindset #RealEstateCareer #ConstructionLife #InvestorStory #CRE #RealEstateLessons

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When I was 15, I tried being a paperboy in New Jersey.
It lasted two weeks.

That was my only job outside of real estate, and it taught me something fast: this wasn't my lane. I wanted to build, compete, and create something bigger.

Sometimes the quickest way to find your path is to realize what isn't it.

Watch the full video on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer

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The 100th Blow | Discipline, Prospecting, and Success in Commercial Real Estate

Why is discipline so important in commercial real estate?
Because most brokers quit before the rock splits.

In this video, Bob Knakal breaks down the "Stone Cutter's Creed" and explain why consistent prospecting, daily follow-up, and long-term discipline are the true drivers of success in commercial real estate brokerage.

Over the course of his career, Bob has sold more than 2,300 buildings in New York City. There is no secret formula. No magic script. No shortcut.

Success in capital markets and investment sales comes from doing the fundamentally right things:
– Making your calls
– Tracking your territory
– Following up consistently
– Sending comps
– Building long-term relationships

Every exclusive listing and every closed deal is the result of repetition.

If you are a commercial real estate broker, investor, or entrepreneur looking to build consistency and long-term success, this video is for you.

Do not stop at 98.

Pick up the mallet. And pound the rock.

#commercialrealestate #capitalmarkets #realestatebroker #prospecting #salesdiscipline #nycrealestate #investmentsales

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Are you constantly busy but not making the progress you want in your business?

In this Monday Motivational, Bob Knakal breaks down one of the most important success principles for brokers, entrepreneurs, and high-performing professionals: the difference between working IN your business and working ON your business.

Most people spend their entire week reacting. Calls. Emails. Deals. Deadlines. That work matters, but if you never step back to plan, you are letting the business control you instead of the other way around.

In this video, you will learn:
– What it really means to work ON your business
– Why weekends are the best time for strategic thinking
– How to escape the "deal whirlwind"
– How planning ahead puts your week on cruise control
– Why clarity, not hustle alone, drives long-term success

This message is especially relevant for:
– Commercial real estate brokers
– Entrepreneurs and business owners
– Sales professionals
– Anyone feeling stuck in constant execution mode

If you want better results without burning out, this mindset shift is essential.

👇 WATCH. REFLECT. APPLY.

Key Takeaways Answered

What does working ON your business mean?
It means planning, setting goals, and designing systems instead of only reacting to daily tasks.

Why is it hard to do during the week?
Because weekdays pull you into execution mode, leaving little mental space for strategic thinking.

How do top performers create clarity?
They intentionally block time to review, plan, and think ahead before the week begins.

Subscribe for Weekly Insights

New videos every week on:
– Commercial real estate success
– Sales performance
– Mindset and motivation
– Long-term career growth

👍 Like
💬 Comment
🔔 Subscribe for more Monday Motivation

#MondayMotivational
#WorkOnYourBusiness
#CommercialRealEstate
#SalesMindset
#EntrepreneurMotivation
#BrokerLife
#BusinessStrategy
#TimeManagement
#ProfessionalGrowth

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I've sold 2,339 buildings, almost all of them in New York City.

Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx each have their own personality, their own rules, their own rhythm. Learning those differences and respecting them is what creates real expertise. Staten Island is its own animal, closer to New Jersey than NYC, and that's okay. I've always focused on the urban density and complexity live.

Early in my career, I tried selling outside New York. Eventually, I made a decision: master one market instead of chasing many. NYC is hard, competitive, unforgiving, and that's exactly why I stayed.

Depth beats breadth. Especially in this business.

Watch the full video on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer

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How do you stay ahead in a business that changes faster than ever?

When I sat down with Kristian Cotta at Hungry Investments, we talked about adapting to technology without losing your core values. I started my career in 1984. No cell phone. No computer. No fax. Fast forward to today, and AI is transforming everything about how we work.

When I launched my new firm, the first person I hired was not a broker. It was a chief operating officer with a background in AI and driverless cars. If someone can make a car drive itself, I figured he could help me sell buildings more efficiently.

Why adapting to tech starts with mindset:
→ Stay anchored to your values, but evolve your tools
→ Surround yourself with people who understand where the world is heading
→ Use AI to enhance your process, not replace your principles
→ Invest early in what will define the next five years
→ Tech only works if it improves outcomes for your clients

Change is not the enemy. Complacency is.

#adaptandthrive #realestatetech #creinnovation

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A residential broker asked how to build a "Knakal Map Room" for a local residential market.

The answer isn't about technology or dashboards.
It's about focus, repetition, and discipline.

In this episode, I explain:

How residential brokers should define their neighborhood

What data actually matters when analyzing home sales

Why visual market knowledge creates a competitive advantage

How specialization builds trust with sellers over time

If you want to be known as the market expert — this is where it starts.

#WWBKD #BobKnakal #NYCRealEstate

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After nearly four decades in this business, I’ve noticed that the top brokers all have three things in common:

✔️ Niche expertise
✔️ Passion for the business
✔️ Discipline

You have to love the work. This business will test you mentally, emotionally, financially. If you don’t have real passion and the discipline to keep showing up, you won’t last.

Success isn’t about being flashy. It’s about consistency, resilience, and knowing your market better than anyone else.

Watch the rest of the podcast here:
https://youtu.be/UPHX_qUiKRs?si=kAGsIlE6RVAoqZNb


#BKREA #NYCRealEstate

Connect with Bob:
🔔 Subscribe to my Newsletter: https://linktr.ee/bobknakalnyc

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/BobKnakal

#nycrealestate #investmentsalesnyc #capitalmarkets #bobknakal

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Knowing isn't doing, and that gap is where most people stall.

In real estate, information is everywhere. Podcasts, panels, posts, opinions. But none of it matters if you don't execute. I've seen incredibly smart people stay stuck because they confuse knowledge with action.

The market doesn't reward what you know. It rewards what you do consistently, decisively, and without excuses.

Execution is the edge. Always has been.

Watch the full video on YouTube.


#WednesdayWisdom #BKREA #NYCRealEstate

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A kid from Kansas City DM'd me, "Bob, I'm new to brokerage and competing with people who have 20 years of experience. What do I do?"

I told him: specialize. Count every building in your market. Track every sale. Know the price per foot, cap rate, and volume over three years.

Most veterans don't have that level of intel.

When you walk into a meeting armed with data about someone's biggest asset, they'll listen.

Expertise is how you stand out. And differentiation is how you win.

Watch the full podcast with Chad Griffiths on YouTube.


#BKREA #NYCRealEstate #BrokerLife

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Adjectives Are for Amateurs. Experts Use Numbers.

If you're in the real estate business and someone asks, "How's the market?" and your answer starts with "good," "slow," or "uncertain," stop. You're not doing yourself (or your client) any favors.

The best brokers, the real experts, answer that question with statistics.

Let me give you an example.

In Manhattan, south of 96th Street, there are 27,649 investment properties. The long-term average annual turnover rate for this stock? 2.6%. That's about 719 buildings sold per year. In 2014, that rate peaked at 4.3%. In 2009, during the worst of the financial crisis, it dropped to 1.2%. Today? We're tracking at 1.8%.

What story does that tell?

That we're operating below normal velocity, below average turnover, but not at recessionary levels either. Translation: buyers are being cautious, sellers are hesitant, and that delta is your opportunity…if you know your numbers.

Stop selling adjectives. Start selling facts.

Success in this business doesn't come from sounding smart. It comes from being smart and being able to communicate market reality with precision, not platitudes.

Remember, every market tells a story. But only numbers tell the truth.

#MondayMotivation #KnakalKnuggets #NYCRealEstate

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What if your content could multiply itself without you doing any extra work?

When I think about how my content reaches people today, the smartest decision I made was bringing in a great social media manager, Mo Regalado. I still write every piece myself. I film the videos. I shape the stories. But having someone who can distribute it across every platform has completely changed how far the message travels.

Once the content is out there, something interesting happens. Each platform reacts in its own way. The audiences barely overlap, which means the same message can spark completely different conversations depending on where it lives.

On LinkedIn, the dialogue takes one direction. On X, it moves in another. On Instagram, it shifts again. The content stays the same, but the audience determines what it becomes.

What stood out to me as I reflected on this:
• Why writing my own content keeps the message authentic
• How distribution transforms one idea into multiple conversations
• Why platform audiences behave differently even with the same post
• How minimal overlap actually increases your overall visibility

Social media is not about being everywhere at once. It is about understanding each audience, showing up consistently, and letting the market shape the conversation around your message.

#WhoNotHow #BKREA #NYCRealEstate #SocialMediaStrategy #BrandBuilding #CommercialRealEstate

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Posting isn't a market presence. It's just one piece of it.

During my conversation with Rob Santomassimo and James Nelson, we talked about how too many brokers confuse being active on social media with actually having a presence in the market.

Social media can help, no question. But it's just one tool in a much larger strategy. If you want clients to trust you with their asset, you need more than likes and views. You need results.

What market presence really looks like:
→ It's built on consistent execution, not occasional posts
→ Your presence is the sum of everything you do for your client
→ When you dominate your niche, people know your name before you make the call
→ The objective is not to be known, it's to be trusted
→ Market presence means you're seen as the best choice, not just another option

The end goal isn't attention. It's outcomes.

#marketpresence #realestatemarketing #crebrokerage

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I thought I'd end up in investment banking, but a detour to Coldwell Banker set me on the path to real estate.

In 1988, Paul Massey and I built a firm from scratch, and it grew into an industry powerhouse.

Watch the full video on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer

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It's Not About the Dial. It's About the Connection.

In this business, people talk a lot about volume; how many calls you made, how many emails you sent, how much outreach you did today. That's all important, no doubt. But what I've learned after 40 years in brokerage is this: it's not about the dial. It's about the connection.

You can make 100 calls a day and never really connect. Or you can make 10 calls where you genuinely engage. Listen, understand, and relate, and those 10 calls will outperform the 100 every time.

I've known brokers who could talk to someone for 15 minutes and make it feel like they've known each other for years. That's not just charisma; it's people skills.

And here's the good news: you don't have to be born with them. You can build them.

Take a public speaking class. Practice your listening. Show up with curiosity instead of a pitch. The most successful brokers aren't just transaction-minded; they're people-minded.

As I've said before, we're not in the real estate business; we're in the information business. And information travels faster and sticks better when it's built on a foundation of trust.

Don't just focus on how many times you hit the dial button.

Focus on how many real conversations you had. That's where deals begin. And more importantly, that's where relationships begin.

#KnakalKnuggets #BKREA #NYCRealEstate

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Early in my career, I was in the field building data the hard way.

I carried maps to make sure every block was covered, but the real work happened one property at a time, one sheet, one detail, no shortcuts. That was our data bank at CB.

Back then, information was scarce. The advantage came from accuracy, effort, and doing the work others wouldn't.

Watch the full video on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer

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The Winning Trio: Expertise, Passion, & Discipline

In my 40+ years in the commercial real estate business, I've had the privilege of working with (and learning from)some of the very best. And I'm often asked: What separates the great from the good?

The brokers who make it to the top share three qualities:

↳ Expertise in a narrow niche.

The most successful brokers I know don't try to be everything to everyone. They own a territory or product type. Learn everything about something, deeply. Not a little about a lot. Want to dominate the market? Specialize. Be the person for walk-ups in Astoria or mixed-use in the East Village.

↳Passion.

If you don't love this business, it will chew you up and spit you out. Real estate is cyclical. Always has been, always will be. There are ups, downs, and gut punches. Passion is what keeps you making calls when no one's answering. It's what gets you in early and has you still thinking about deals on a Saturday morning walk. If you love it, it'll love you back.

↳ Discipline.

You don't "have" discipline. You use it. It's a tool. Just like a cold call list or a client CRM. It's what gets you to pick up the phone again after a tough call. It's what gets your newsletter out on time. Discipline isn't some innate talent. It's a decision. Use it.

Three simple words: Expertise. Passion. Discipline. Put them into action, and this business will reward you.

#MondayMotivational #KnakalKnuggets #BKREA

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Early in my career, I went after a relationship with Harry Macklowe, and it didn't come easy.

I kept showing up, kept adding value, and stayed persistent. Over time, that effort turned into trust, and Harry went on to become one of the most successful investors in New York City.

In this business, perseverance matters, and expertise is what earns the relationship.

Watch the full video on YouTube.


#CommercialRealEstate #CRE #RealEstateCareer

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The Prospect Who Hangs Up on You Is Often the One Worth Fighting For

Everyone loves a 20-minute prospecting call that feels like a warm handshake. Smooth, easy, affirming. But let me challenge your thinking: that call might be the illusion. The real value often lies in the slam of a phone and the click of a voicemail.

Let me explain.

If someone picks up the phone on the first try and talks for 20 minutes… why? Maybe they're lonely. Maybe they've got time to kill. But when someone avoids you? That's someone with real demands on their time, real assets, real decisions to make. Getting to them is an achievement. Staying with them can be a career.

The tough-to-reach prospect is not your obstacle… they're your opportunity.

If you're in this business to build real relationships and close meaningful deals, start loving the process of chasing the "no." Because behind that "no" might just be your next $179 million sale.

Keep Dialing.

#KnakalKnuggets #Prospecting #NYCRealEstate

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