Halstead Property

Diane M. Ramirez
President
dramirez@halstead.com
(212) 381-3203

Halstead Doubles Hq Space In Leap To Park

By Amanda Fung

Halstead Property, one of the city's largest residential brokerage firms, is doubling the size of its flagship office.

The brokerage, which has been located at 1356 Third Ave., between 77th and 78th streets, for almost a decade, will be moving to its new 17,000-square-foot office at I.M. Pei-designed 499 Park Ave. office in early spring 2011.

“This new space represents our innovative brand and is going to be beautifully planned,” said Diane Ramirez, Halstead's president, who declined to disclose the specifics of the lease in the black glass tower on the corner of East 59th Street. “I am very excited.”

Halstead, which will move into the 14th and 15th floors of the 27-story office tower, has hired architecture firm Gensler to design its new home.

Founded in 1984, the brokerage's first flagship office was located in a townhouse at 1065 Madison Ave., between 80th and 81st streets. As it grew, the firm shifted its flagship office to the entire second floor of 1356 Third Ave. in 2000.

“It was the right time to look to the future or at least re-evaluate where we were,” said Ms. Ramirez, adding that the search for new office space took just three months. “I thought finding a space would take forever, but when I walked into the space the hairs on the back of my neck went up and I knew it was perfect.”

Halstead currently has 125 agents at its flagship office and while the new space will allow it to add more agents, Ms. Ramirez said that is not the reason for the move. She said the primary reason was a need for more conference rooms and other shared facilities.

The brokerage, unlike other firms, did not have to shutter any offices during the downturn. It currently has six offices in Manhattan and three in Brooklyn. Last year, the firm expanded in Connecticut with the acquisition of boutique brokerage Wheeler Real Estate.

Halstead was represented in-house, while the landlord of 499 Park Ave., Hines, was represented by Cushman & Wakefield in this deal.

Thursday, October 28, 2010