As the Democratic primary approaches and early voting has begun, we thought it would be a great time to do a deep dive into the candidates for New York City Mayor and their respective policies around housing. We asked Holly Pretsky to join us as we break down what these candidates have promised and what their track record is in their previous positions.

Holly Pretsky is a journalist and editor, currently serving as City Editor at City & State New York, where she leads coverage on the city’s political landscape, from housing to mayoral campaigns. Prior to joining City & State, Holly reported for outlets including NPR and the Vineyard Gazette, bringing a nuanced perspective to the challenges shaping New York City.

If you want to more about the candidates still in the running for mayor, this is the episode to listen to!

If you want to check out Holly's reporting, you can find her at https://www.cityandstateny.com/voices/holly-pretsky/17256/.

And as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting bfkplaw.com.

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

To close out two incredible weeks of episodes live from The Real Deal Forum on Closed!, we’re ending on a high note with one of New York City’s real estate titans—Bob Knakal.

Lee Bergstein and Bradley Pollina sit down with legendary broker Bob Knakal to discuss the lessons he’s learned from over 40 years in New York City real estate.

Bob reflects on how mentorship, mistakes, and meaningful relationships shaped his career. From staying top-of-mind with clients to the role of authenticity in modern marketing, this episode goes beyond real estate, offering timeless insights for anyone in sales or service.

If you've ever wanted to learn from someone who's closed over 2,300 deals—this one’s not to be missed.

To learn more about Bob, visit bobknakal.com, and to order his book Selling Buildings, head to Amazon. And as always, to learn more about Brad, Lee and BFKP, visit bfkplaw.com.

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

Next up in our special Closed! series from The Real Deal Forum:

Bradley Pollina and Michael Flynn sit down with Ben Friedland, a leading real estate advisor in New York’s alternative investments sector at CBRE, to explore how hedge funds, private equity firms, and other major players are shaping the future of office leasing.

Ben shares how specialization has become essential in a competitive market and why understanding client needs is the foundation of successful long-term relationships. From the post-COVID evolution of office space to the collaborative shift in brokerage, this episode offers a deep dive into the strategies that define today’s real estate landscape.

You can connect with ben at ben.friedland@cbre.com and as always to get in touch with Brad or Mike, visit bfkplaw.com.

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

Next up in our special Closed! series from The Real Deal Forum:

Bradley Pollina and Emily Ashe sit down with Paul Krug, founder of Glazed, a teriyaki restaurant franchise, to explore how his fast-casual Asian concept became a standout in New York’s competitive dining scene. From co-tenancy strategies to location choices, Paul shares the behind-the-scenes decisions that shape expansion in a post-pandemic hospitality market.

Paul explains his process from co-tenancy strategies, to location choices, to design choices that elevate customer experience. With plans to scale to 12–15 locations, this episode offers a compelling look at growing a restaurant brand that stays true to its flavor.

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into picking the perfect place to eat—don’t miss this one.

To learn more about Glazed Teriyaki, visit glazednyc.com

And as always, you can reach out to Brad and Emily at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting bfkplaw.com

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

Next up in our special Closed! series from The Real Deal Forum:

Lee Bergstein sits down with Allia Mohamed, CEO and co-founder of OpenIgloo, the platform reshaping the way renters navigate the New York City housing market. Born out of her own frustrations as a tenant, OpenIgloo has grown into a powerful tool for transparency—connecting renters and helping New Yorkers make informed decisions.

In this episode, Allia and Lee explore what tenants really care about today, from responsive management to the simple but crucial amenities that make or break a rental. They also break down how OpenIgloo is giving a voice to tenants while building bridges with landlords—and what’s next for the platform as it considers scaling beyond NYC.

If you’ve ever wanted a Yelp for apartment hunting in The Big Apple, this one’s for you.

To learn more about Open Igloo, visit openigloo.com/

And as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting bfkplaw.com.

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

Next up in our Real Deal Forum podcast series is Dan Marks, CEO of TerraCRG and one of the most insightful voices on Brooklyn’s real estate scene.

Dan joins Closed! to break down the latest investment trends shaping Brooklyn’s multifamily and commercial markets. From the impact of the 2019 rent stabilization laws to how upcoming elections may influence development, this conversation dives deep into the policy and market forces driving investor behavior across the borough.

If you’re looking to understand what’s happening on the ground in Brooklyn real estate, this episode is a must-listen.

To learn more about TerraCRG, visit terracrg.com

And as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting bfkplaw.com.

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

Next up in our Real Deal Forum podcast series is Danny Pearlstein, Policy and Communications Director at Riders Alliance—and a lawyer himself.

Danny returns to Closed! to help us unpack the latest developments in NYC’s Congestion Pricing. Now that the policy is officially active across Manhattan, how is it shaping New York City? Danny breaks the early effects to commutes, certain neighborhoods, and the future of transit. We also touch on recent pushback, especially from the Trump administration.

If you're curious about how congestion pricing is affecting the city, here is your chance to get caught up!

To learn more about congestion pricing visit ridersalliance.org

And as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting https://www.bfkplaw.com/.

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

We’re kicking off our special Closed! Podcast series with returning guest Erik Engquist, recorded live at The Real Deal Forum!

Erik is the Senior Managing Editor at The Real Deal and joined us at our booth to talk about the upcoming NYC mayoral race and what it could mean for housing and real estate policy across the city. Lee and Erik break down the policies of all the top dogs in the race — Andrew Cuomo, Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander and Eric Adams.

You can check out more of Erik’s reporting at https://therealdeal.com/

And as always, you can reach out to Lee at Bergstein Flynn Knowlton & Pollina by visiting https://www.bfkplaw.com/.

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