John Brod
Partner, ABS Partners Real Estate LLC
New York, NY 10003
John is sought after for his focus on commercial office and retail tenant representation, agency services and lease negotiations.
Phone (212) 400-9521
John is sought after for his focus on commercial office and retail tenant representation, agency services and lease negotiations.
Specialties
Investment Sales Broker, Landlord Rep, Tenant Rep (Full Service)
Property Types
Office, Retail, Multi-Family
Markets
Long Island (New York), New York City, Northern New Jersey, Westchester/So Connecticut
Languages
Spanish
Bio
John's experience covers tenant and owner representation throughout Manhattan and other major U.S. cities. Prior to ABS he was a founding partner of PBS Real Estate a leading boutique commercial real estate firm.
Since beginning his career at Edward S. Gordon in 1980, Mr. Brod has personally facilitated several billion dollars’ worth of office and retail leases. In the past 15 years alone, he has been responsible for leasing more than 30 million square feet of office and retail space in several of the most innovative transactions in New York City. Throughout his career, he has been responsible for over one million square feet of commercial office and retail leasing agency assignments.
The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) nominated Mr. Brod for its “Most Ingenious Deal of the Year” award five times, beginning in 1995 for a 200,000-square-foot Stroock & Stroock & Lavan lease at 180 Maiden Lane, and again in 1999 for a 22,000-square-foot Donna Karan retail lease on at 655 Madison Avenue; 2005, for a 25,000-square-foot Ecko Times Square flagship transaction; 2006, for a 30,000-square-foot Abercrombie & Fitch lease at 720 Fifth Avenue; and 2007, for Hollister’s 42,000-square-foot lease at Soho flagship property 600 Broadway.
Mr. Brod was responsible for the Joe Fresh rollout in 2011 to 2012 consisting of over five locations and 60,000 square feet including Joe Fresh’s flagship at 510 Fifth Avenue.
In 2012, Mr. Brod was responsible for the sale of 105 Wooster Street, one of the largest retail condominiums at 40,000 square feet in Soho, which is currently the home of Room & Board. That same year, Mr. Brod again represented Donna Karan in its lease renewal at 655 Madison, where the retail had resided since 1999. This was the largest retail transaction on Madison Avenue. In 2015 Mr. Brod was hired by its current owner to re-market 105 Wooster Street.
In 2013 to 2014, Mr. Brod was the sole broker in the sale of 120 West Broadway, a 14,000-square-foot retail condominium anchored by HSBC and Citibank; and the two-buildings 152/4 Spring Street, which was purchased by Acadia Realty Trust, a publicly traded REIT.
In 2015 Mr. Brod was responsible for leasing 915 Broadway’s retail space to Ethan Allen for their flagship store. Also in 2015 Mr. Brod was responsible for the sale of a 14,000 square foot development site at 579 Fulton Street, Brooklyn NY. In 2015 Mr. Brod was responsible for the sale of the Lord Balfour Hotel in South Beach, Florida to an international hotel group.
In 2016 Mr. Brod represented both seller and purchaser for 10 Sullivan Street a retail condominium; and 66 Third Avenue a 35,000 sf building currently leased to Loews Theatre ($32 MM). Additionally Mr. Brod represented the buyer in a land assemblage of five buildings on 92nd Street and Third Avenue ($111 MM). Mr. Brod also completed five deals on behalf of Hickey Freeman and Samuelsohn, a luxury menswear manufacturer for two showrooms and four retail stores, two in New York City and two outside the city.
In 2017-18 Mr. Brod was appointed exclusive leasing agent for two Plaza District Buildings; 770 Lexington Avenue and 145 East 57th Street. The 770 project was successfully completed with the transformation and leasing of former retail multi-story space to one of the nation’s leading hospital groups; and to Verizon. At 145 East 57th , still a work in process, this Plaza District Building is being leased to leading private equity and family offices.
In 2018 Mr. Brod represented Merchants Hospitality in their purchase of The Z Hotel ($32.5 MM) a 100 room Hotel in Long Island City, NY.
In 2019 Mr. Brod was responsible for bringing a portfolio of commercial and residential properties consisting of over 37 properties and 200 tenants into ABS for both management and leasing. On behalf of Fedcap’s Easterseals group, Mr. Brod completed a long term 15,000 sf lease at L+M Development Partners’ newly constructed project on Story Avenue in the Bronx.
In 2019-20 Ethan Allen hired Mr. Brod as exclusive agent to sublease their 13,000 sf flagship at 915 Broadway. The assignment was successfully concluded in April 2020, during a citywide shutdown due to Covid-19. The lessee, Charles Schwab, completed a new direct lease at a longer term than Ethan Allen’s, this enabled Ethan Allen to mitigate 100% of their remaining lease liability.
In August 2005, Real Estate Weekly named Mr. Brod as one of its “Top Deal Makers” in its 50th Anniversary edition. He was ranked among New York City’s “Top Brokers” several times by CoStar Group based on 2007, 2012, 2013 and 2015 retail leasing volume.
Mr. Brod serves on the Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis advisory board at The George Washington University School of Business, where he also received a B.A. degree.
Mr. Brod is currently on the Plaza District and Sales Committees for Rebny.
Education
