BEST & FINAL

New York real estate closes the year with a clear message: capital is still moving, but only where conviction holds. This episode breaks down more than $1 billion in Manhattan office refinancings, sharp valuation resets in the investment sales market, and outsized capital commitments to luxury retail and high-rise development. From Midtown to the Financial District, the through-line is discipline — refinancing strength at the top, price discovery below, and selective investment across residential, affordable housing, and hospitality as the market heads into the next cycle.

This episode examines where capital is concentrating as New York’s market continues to reprice. From hotel ground leases and discounted office towers to massive multifamily refinancings and record-setting luxury sales, today’s report breaks down who’s buying, who’s under pressure, and why Midtown remains the focal point for institutional conviction. A clear look at the spread between stability and distress as the market reshapes itself heading into year-end.

Foreign capital didn’t just return to New York in 2025 — it accelerated. In today’s episode of Best & Final, we break down why international investors doubled their multifamily spending, where global buyers are quietly shifting their focus, and how corporate giants like Apple and J.P. Morgan are anchoring the next phase of the city’s commercial revival. From adaptive-reuse megaprojects to blockbuster refinancing deals, this is the intelligence behind New York’s momentum — and what it means for those looking to buy, build, or invest strategically.

The casino licensing board has spoken — and the subtext is louder than ever. New York’s next wave of gaming, capital flows, conversions, and distress all collide in today’s episode, “Fear And Loathing in New York,” ending with reflections on two extraordinary contributors to the city’s built environment.

A Thanksgiving-Eve breakdown of New York’s real estate landscape — from the incoming Mamdani administration’s housing agenda to the surge in office-to-residential conversions, major CMBS activity, distressed developments, and new regulatory battles shaping the residential market. A concise, high-signal briefing for anyone tracking where the city is heading next.

New York real estate is running hot this week — not just with deals, but with lawsuits, power struggles, and high-stakes moves from some of the city’s biggest brokerages and developers. From Upper East Side renovation battles to multimillion-dollar commission disputes, strategic acquisitions, debt restructurings, and luxury trades, this episode breaks down the pressure points shaping Manhattan right now.

The November 18, 2025 episode of "Best & Final" opens with Extell’s latest power moves — a $36 million air-rights deal with Saint Thomas Church, a mezzanine-debt position that could hand them One Worldwide Plaza, and a new 25-story tower filing on West 66th Street — before moving into a full slate of market activity, including Mori Trust’s $541 million acquisition at Hudson Yards, new prewar-inspired luxury designs along Fifth Avenue, distress signals at the New York Times Building and NoMo SoHo, Brooklyn’s 1,000-unit surge in Greenpoint, an $85 million rental trade in DUMBO, and the city’s newly unveiled modernization plan for the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.

In this episode the City Council greenlights the OneLIC rezoning in Queens and Jersey City steps into the skyline race with a proposed 1,055-foot residential tower at 100 Bay Street. We also track major office-to-residential maneuvers in Midtown East and Tribeca, fresh refinancing activity from Global Holdings, and new flashpoints in the luxury hotel and co-op world — including the Lexington Hotel listing and the escalating battle over the Pierre. No spin, no takes — just the facts shaping New York’s real estate landscape today.

Citadel’s Ken Griffin is backing a 1,400-foot tower at 350 Park Avenue — a new benchmark for Midtown East and a signal that institutional capital still believes in New York’s vertical future. In today’s Best & Final, we break down the next generation of office towers, the surge in leasing momentum, and the capital shifts quietly reshaping Manhattan’s skyline.

A political earthquake hits New York City as Zohran Mamdani’s victory ushers in a new era for real estate. From proposed rent freezes and higher taxes to the resilience of Manhattan’s commercial core, Best & Final breaks down what this shift means for developers, investors, and brokers navigating the city’s next test.

It’s Election Day in New York — and the city chose this morning for a full-scale news dump. From billion-dollar housing commitments in Queens to Brookfield’s $1.3 billion refinancing on Fifth Avenue, the week brought movement across every sector. Office restructurings, luxury condo progress, new conversion filings, and the first steps toward Penn Station’s redevelopment all landed at once — a reminder that the market never waits for the polls to close.

A new kind of skyline is taking shape. From Prada’s planned Fifth Avenue tower blending couture and condos to billion-dollar office conversions and luxury hospitality deals, today’s episode tracks the pivot points reshaping New York’s real estate hierarchy. The balance of power is shifting — and the next cycle is already underway.

It's here! Manhattan’s first Midtown South conversion under new zoning signals the next era of adaptive reuse. Major capital shifts, high-stakes litigation, and political promises collide in today's Best & Final—where policy meets property and the city’s next phase begins.

MCM offloads nearly its entire equity stake in a $489.8 million hotel portfolio — marking Manhattan’s largest trade since the Safe Hotels Act. Meanwhile, RXR recapitalizes 1211 Avenue of the Americas for $1.45 billion, Vanbarton pushes a 440-unit conversion in Midtown East, and lenders escalate enforcement across the multifamily sector.

The office-to-residential conversion boom has reached levels not seen since 2008 — reshaping Manhattan’s skyline and balance sheets. Jordan Shea unpacks the data behind the 4.1 million square feet already underway, the Midtown shift, and the policy incentives fueling it. Plus: office leasing rebounds, new developments rise, and $18B in federal funding stalls key infrastructure. 

New York pushes $1.8B into housing, Citi Field’s $8B casino bid advances, a 1,600-foot Midtown supertall gets the green light, and condo supply hits a decade low — today’s Best & Final breaks down the moves reshaping the city’s real estate market.

Today’s Best & Final covers a political jolt for New York real estate as Mayor Eric Adams exits the mayoral race, leaving the industry to weigh the starkly different platforms of Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo. We also break down Compass’s $1.6 billion takeover of Anywhere Real Estate, creating a brokerage titan that now controls more than a quarter of New York’s market volume. Plus: the surge in air rights trading, new housing developments from Midtown to Long Island, and a $38 million Fifth Avenue co-op sale.

New York is reshaping its skyline from the ground up. Today’s briefing covers the Adams administration’s push to unlock nearly 10,000 homes across city-owned sites, RXR’s billion-dollar bet on 590 Madison Avenue, distress rippling through the rental market, major outer-borough financings, and the latest casino greenlight in Queens.

Compass is set to acquire Anywhere Real Estate in a $10 billion all-stock deal — creating the world’s largest residential brokerage by sales volume. In New York, Brooklyn redevelopment plans are accelerating, from United American Land’s long-term assemblage to a $3.5 billion reimagining of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. Meanwhile, SL Green eyes the Chrysler Building ground lease, Manhattan’s last casino bid collapses, distress builds in the multifamily sector, and a $1.4 billion refinancing at 11 Madison shows confidence in prime office assets.

Today’s brief tracks Harry Macklowe’s bold move on Madison Avenue, where the veteran developer is betting big on Landmarks approval to create ultra-luxury condos. We’ll also look at conversions reshaping Midtown and FiDi, major site sales from Tribeca to Crown Heights, and high-profile trades in Hell’s Kitchen and NoHo.

In today’s Best & Final, Jordan Shea unpacks the dramatic committee votes that killed two of the remaining four Manhattan casino proposals, the financial strain gripping affordable housing, the mixed signals coming from the office market, and the latest deals and developments shaping New York real estate.

Chelsea welcomes a new public plaza at One High Line, Midtown gears up for one of the city’s largest office leases, and Louis Vuitton plans an ambitious new Fifth Avenue flagship. We’ll also cover strategic acquisitions in NoHo and Lenox Hill, industrial refinancing across the outer boroughs, and Greenwich’s luxury housing market surging to record highs.

Commercial real estate distress is climbing to record highs, while New York’s housing pipeline slows and political battles heat up ahead of the mayoral race. In this episode of Best & Final, we break down the pressures in the CMBS market, Extell and Vornado’s billion-dollar development strategies, and the latest snapshots from Tribeca, East Harlem, and the Manhattan office market. Distress, debate, and development — all shaping the city’s future.

Today’s briefing covers a cleared East Village site awaiting its next chapter, investor David Shapiro’s recent purchases in Chelsea and the Lower East Side, and Aya New York’s $54.7 million acquisition of the Cassa Hotel. We also dive into the mayoral race, where competing tax proposals could reshape the city’s real estate landscape, and close with Douglas Elliman’s Michael Lorber Team expanding to Westchester and Connecticut.

The city’s largest residential rezoning in decades just cleared its first hurdle — the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan has been approved, paving the way for nearly 15,000 new homes in Long Island City. We’ll unpack what this means for housing, affordability, and infrastructure, then shift to billion-dollar refinancing in Midtown, distressed asset plays, and a headline-grabbing brokerage move. Finally, we close with the latest political maneuvering that could reshape both City Hall and New York real estate’s future. For more info, contact Jordan Shea or visit JordanShea.com.

In today’s episode of Best & Final, we take stock of New York City’s real estate market at mid-year. From nearly a thousand new building permits and Manhattan’s office market rebound to the surge in office-to-residential conversions, major investment deals, and the policy fight shaping future development — this is the momentum driving 2025’s home stretch.

Developers LMXD and Domain are reshaping Brooklyn’s waterfront with a billion-dollar vision, delivering over 1,000 new rentals and a major public park. Alloy pushes the limits of sustainable design with the world’s tallest Passive House, while Manhattan sees key acquisitions and campus sales, Penn Station and citywide greenways gain momentum, and real estate power plays spill directly into New York’s elections.

Vornado Realty Trust is reshaping Midtown with a $218 million acquisition at 623 Fifth Avenue while also locking in fresh financing in Greenwich Village. In this 100th episode of Best & Final, we also track the final stages of two major Manhattan developments — One Times Square and JPMorgan Chase’s new supertall HQ — alongside a series of sales, refinancings, and defaults that show both strength and stress in today’s market.

In today’s Best & Final, Amazon makes another major move in Midtown, expanding to control most of 1440 Broadway, while Hudson Yards sees an office tower sell at a steep discount. We cover the city’s latest development and conversion projects — from storage in the Garment District to new condos in Midtown East and Cobble Hill — and examine NYCHA’s push for private partnerships. Plus, we break down the latest legal and political headlines, including Trump’s civil fraud case and new corruption charges tied to City Hall.

New York City moves forward with its largest tunneling contract ever as the Second Avenue Subway heads into Phase 2, extending the Q line to 125th Street. Today’s episode also covers new developments in Harlem and the Financial District, high-profile sales in Chelsea, SoHo, and Greenwich Village, major refinancing activity, and the mounting challenges facing office owners and distressed portfolios across Manhattan.

Brooklyn is leading New York City’s summer surge with a 25% jump in investment sales, while Manhattan sees billion-dollar trades, policy shifts, and mounting office distress. In today’s Best & Final, Jordan Shea covers Brooklyn’s multifamily momentum, the Greenpoint Landing expansion, RXR’s $1 billion Madison Avenue buy, CUNY’s strategic student housing acquisition, and the latest on Billionaires’ Row resales. Buyers, sellers, and investors alike will want to hear where the opportunities — and the risks — are shaping up next. For more info, contact Jordan Shea or visit JordanShea.com.

Billion-dollar refinances, bold acquisitions, and a Queens rezoning that could deliver 12,000 new homes — today’s Best & Final covers the moves reshaping New York’s market. Jordan Shea breaks down the deals, the developments, and the looming Local Law 97 deadlines that could cost owners hundreds of millions. For more insight, head to JordanShea.com or contact Jordan Shea.

On this episode of Best & Final, NYC commits $400 million to reimagine Fifth Avenue from Bryant Park to Central Park — doubling sidewalks, adding landscaped seating, and narrowing traffic lanes to create a pedestrian-first experience. We’ll break down the public and private investments driving the avenue’s transformation, along with key leasing wins, capital market moves, and new development momentum across the city.

In today’s Best & Final episode, “Clarkson Street Gets A Facelift,” Jordan Shea breaks down the city’s $164 million plan to transform the West Village’s Clarkson Street corridor into a recreation, cultural, and fitness hub — and explores how it fits into a broader wave of New York real estate activity. From the expansion of sustainable mass timber construction and Midtown South’s historic rezoning to high-profile luxury contracts, major financings, and the rental market’s sharp response to the FARE Act, this briefing delivers the critical developments shaping investment strategies and deal flow across the five boroughs.

On today's Best & Final, join host Jordan Shea as we explore New York City's evolving real estate landscape, from the Flatiron Building's transformation into luxury residences and new housing developments across the boroughs, to the mounting pressures on landlords and the dramatic security upgrades in commercial properties. We also dissect the political and economic headwinds shaping the market, including the impact of the Democratic mayoral primary results and the persistent challenges of high inflation and hybrid work models. Tune in to understand what's truly happening behind the scenes in NYC real estate.

On today's Best & Final, join host Jordan Shea as we uncover the forces shaping New York real estate, from a monumental 3,000-unit housing plan in Queens wetlands and sizzling luxury sales in the Hamptons, to the resurgence of Manhattan's office market. We'll also delve into significant commercial property debt woes affecting Midtown and examine the political battles quietly impeding new housing developments across the city. Tune in to understand these critical patterns before they become common knowledge.

Discover the pulse of New York City real estate with Best & Final, your essential guide to the market's latest shifts. This episode dives into Midtown's booming office sector, featuring multi-million-dollar refinancings and new developments, alongside record-setting residential prices and ambitious housing expansions across the boroughs. From policy battles over broker fees and casino proposals to the poignant loss of an industry leader, Best & Final offers a full-spectrum view of what's moving, stabilizing, and shaping the city's dynamic skyline. Tune in to understand New York's next move.

Step into the dynamic world of New York real estate with Best & Final. In this episode, host Jordan Shea uncovers the dual narratives shaping the city: from ambitious new developments and multi-million dollar refinancing deals to the stark realities of financial distress, high-stakes legal battles, and a tragic incident that's redefining office security. Tune in for fresh project updates, shifts in ownership, and an in-depth look at how the market is adapting to unforeseen challenges, offering insights crucial for every buyer, investor, seller, and advisor navigating New York's ever-evolving landscape.

Discover how New York City's real estate is booming, from the grand reopening of the Waldorf Astoria to luxury developments transforming Brooklyn and Tribeca. This episode of Best & Final dives into major transactions, shifting market trends like Brooklyn's "townhouse era," and the infrastructure bets shaping the city's future, while also addressing challenges such as rising ground leases and housing policy uncertainties. Tune in to understand what these dynamic changes mean for you, the New Yorker navigating this evolving landscape.

Step into the pulse of New York City's real estate market with Best & Final! Join host Jordan Shea as we uncover a landscape of dramatic contrasts, from lucrative residential sales and ambitious development projects fueled by new tax abatements to the stark realities of foreclosures and shifting lender strategies. Discover who's making bold moves, who's facing financial strain, and what it all means for the future of NYC property. Tune in to gain the critical insights you need to stay ahead in this dynamic market. 

Discover how New York City's real estate landscape is being revolutionized in "Best & Final." Host Jordan Shea delves into Manhattan's massive conversion wave, transforming everything from historic offices and self-storage facilities to hotels into modern residences and dynamic new spaces. Learn about the strategic repositioning, major transactions, and key players betting big on this unprecedented shift—and how it's shaping the city's future for everyone. For more insights, contact Jordan Shea directly and visit JordanShea.com.

Today on Best & Final, host Jordan Shea dives into New York City's real estate landscape, exploring the intense competition for casino licenses, the challenges faced by major developers amidst legal battles and stalled projects, and the evolving dynamics of the affordable housing market, all while highlighting the crucial role of financing and investment strategies shaping the city's future. For more insight, contact Jordan Shea directly or visit JordanShea.com.

Today's Best & Final with Jordan Shea offers a real-time deep dive into NYC's dynamic real estate market. This episode uncovers the mounting financial stress in parts of the office sector, contrasted with the surprising strength and evolution seen in luxury assets, hotel performance, and adaptive reuse projects. Get fresh insights from new leasing and sales data, major development and conversion projects, and even the financial distress facing some of the city's most prominent property owners. Discover where resilience is emerging and where future risks lie in this fascinating and bifurcated market. For more insights, contact Jordan Shea directly or visit JordanShea.com.

Today's Best & Final with Jordan Shea offers a deep dive into New York City's dynamic property market. The episode explores the contrasting trends of bold new developments, like Extell's ambitious Midtown supertalls, alongside escalating office foreclosures and ongoing legal battles over broker fees. Discover how the Hamptons residential market is thriving amidst these shifts, and get the full pulse of what's driving every bid, ask, and sale in real estate. For more information, contact Jordan Shea or visit JordanShea.com.

On today's episode of Best & Final, Jordan Shea covers everything from Extell's ambitious new supertall designs and the surge in Manhattan's median rents to distressed office loans, the return of international buyers, and even a high-profile yacht seizure. Discover how market forces are reshaping the city's landscape, and why staying ahead requires personalized insights. For more insights, contact Jordan Shea directly or visit JordanShea.com.

Tune into today's Best & Final with Jordan Shea for an in-depth look at the dynamic forces reshaping New York City's real estate market. This episode unpacks significant shifts in capital, talent, and strategy, from high-value acquisitions and distress sales to innovative adaptive reuse projects and intense brokerage rivalries. Discover how foreign investment is surging, new luxury developments are emerging, and major players are navigating financial challenges and opportunities, offering unparalleled insights into the power moves behind the headlines.

This episode of Best & Final highlights a dynamic New York City real estate market, with luxury buyers returning and developers forging ahead on major commercial projects like 70 Hudson Yards, set to be the city's first zero-carbon emission high-rise, and the transformation of 383 Madison Avenue. The residential sector is also active with new construction, including the 70-story Casoni, and significant refinancing deals, while affordable housing initiatives gain traction. Despite these positive trends, challenges persist, as evidenced by pre-foreclosure actions against APF Properties and the recent foreclosure auction of a Midtown West hotel. The episode also delves into the significant influence of policy changes, such as the Midtown South rezoning plan, and the potential impacts of recent political shifts on property taxes and housing regulations, ultimately underscoring the interplay of long-term vision and short-term volatility shaping the city's real estate landscape.

On today's Best & Final, host Jordan Shea breaks down the Rent Guidelines Board's contentious vote, revealing how its decision will impact both tenants and landlords and ignite political tensions ahead of the November mayoral race. Plus, dive into Manhattan's booming office market, explore major development projects reshaping Queens and Hudson Yards, and get an inside look at the financing challenges influencing billions in real estate deals. Tune in to understand the critical forces driving New York City's real estate landscape. For more insights, contact Jordan Shea or visit JordanShea.com.

Today's Best & Final with Jordan Shea offers a comprehensive dive into New York City's real estate market, spanning from the record-breaking sales on Billionaires' Row to significant public-private investments in affordable housing. This episode explores major development and rezoning proposals across the boroughs, including how the intense competition for new casino licenses is driving housing commitments, and breaks down the impactful changes brought by the City of Yes plan and its effect on air rights deals. Plus, get the latest on notable real estate transactions and financing, offering a full spectrum view of how capital, policy, and competition are actively reshaping the city's real estate landscape.

A political earthquake has reshaped New York City's commercial real estate landscape with Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani's surprising mayoral primary victory, prompting the industry to recalibrate its strategies amid talks of rent freezes and tax hikes. This episode of Best & Final unpacks the immediate market reactions, significant refinancing deals like the 5 Times Square conversion, and the MTA's assertive use of eminent domain for subway and rail expansions, offering crucial insights for developers, operators, and investors navigating an increasingly ideological and unpredictable market.