Meet The Lease Guru
Larry H. Haber, Esq., CPA
Founder & Chief Executive Officer – The Lease GuruIn addition to being the Founder and CEO of Leasing REality, Larry is the Managing Partner of the Commercial Real Estate Department of the bi-coastal law firm Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson, LLP (“AGMB”). He takes great pride in providing his clients with the power to make knowledgeable decisions concerning their business and individual needs. Combining decades of commercial real estate ownership with a professional background in law, accounting, commercial brokerage, property management, construction, planning and development, Larry and his team can be the difference in helping clients navigate the inevitable challenges all businesses face.
Larry represents both tenants and landlords, focusing primarily on commercial lease negotiations, in addition to real estate acquisitions, dispositions, construction contracts and due diligence advisory services. Other areas of expertise consist of commercial and residential real estate closings, including the representation of borrowers and lenders in loan transactions.
In addition to maintaining a law practice for nearly 30 years, in 1996 Larry was a co-founding Partner of a full service commercial real estate firm specializing in the development, ownership, management, repositioning and leasing of commercial and high-rise residential properties. Until he moved on in 2007, as its General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer, Larry’s primary responsibilities were the review, preparation, negotiation and analysis of commercial leases, construction, purchase, sale, operating, acquisition, AIA and employment agreements as well as loan documents and other related commercial agreements. Ancillary to the aforesaid legal responsibilities, Larry was intimately involved in the acquisition, renovation, leasing and management of the firm’s portfolio, including the upgrading and repositioning of the properties in the then emerging markets of Newark and Harlem (including the building where Former President Bill Clinton still maintains his office, in which Larry still holds an ownership interest). Additional responsibilities included advising landlords, tenants and clients, as applicable, concerning purchases, dispositions, leasing, property management and value enhancement strategies. In the early 1990’s, Larry played an integral part in representing institutional purchasers of distressed real estate loan portfolios. Responsibilities included oversight of the receiverships pertaining to the underlying real estate, restructuring and workouts of the office and retail leases and, from a legal perspective, supervision of the due diligence and property management ancillary thereto.
Larry resides on Long Island with his wife and their four sons. Larry’s passions include his family, music, skiing and making a difference for charitable programs whose mission is to help those who are not as fortunate (including children with autism and other disabilities).
Achievements
- Executive Producer, Director and Writer for the Winner of the 2010 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival Best Educational Documentary: “Making a Difference – The Ascent Youth Alliance to Battle Autism” (view trailer here).
- Prominent real estate transactions in which Larry actively participated in on the legal, acquisition, ownership, management, brokerage and construction side include:
- Third party management, leasing and subsequent acquisition (1997) of 270 Lafayette Street in SoHo. Larry negotiated lease restructurings with tenants in a building 50% occupied and repositioned the building for successful re-tenanting and rebirth. He invested in building upgrades and resold the building at double its initial sales price in 1999.
- In partnership with an institutional investor, he acquired 55 West 125th Street (1998) and 215 West 125th Street (2000) in Harlem (then the two largest, privately-owned buildings in Harlem). Larry commenced lease up and capital improvement programs – each building subsequently winning the prestigious Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) award. In 2003, the institutional investor was bought out by Larry and his partners, resulting in his group owning 100% of the two properties. In 2006, 90% of the properties were sold to a different institutional investor, and to this day, Larry still retains an ownership interest in the properties.
- Acquisition of one million square foot 60 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan (2000), when it was 100% leased but only 45% occupied. A purchase contract was finalized containing no construction risk with the closing delayed until the building was 100% occupied, creating significant additional value for the investors. The property was sold at a substantial gain in 2003.
Charitable Affiliations
Larry is the Founder and Adult Chairman of Ascent Youth Alliance to Battle Autism (AYABA) and 4Boyz Autographs to Battle Autism (4Boyz ABA). Both programs lend a hand in helping local children impacted by autism reach their full potential, by raising funds necessary for their education and enhancement of their socialization skills, as well as by promoting awareness, tolerance and acceptance.
Media and Speaking Engagements
Larry has been actively involved in social media since early 2009, including an instructional YouTube video channel focusing on negotiating commercial leases. Larry has conducted numerous training and/or continuing sessions for such companies, schools and trade organizations as ABS Partners Real Estate, Avison Young, B6 Real Estate Advisors, Bohemia Realty Group, CBRE Group, Colliers NYC, Compass, Cushman & Wakefield, Douglas Elliman, Jones Lang LaSalle, Keller Williams NYC, Lee & Associates NYC, Newmark Knight Frank, Onyx Equities, RIPCO Real Estate, Savills, The Corcoran Group, The Shopping Center Group, Winick, Baruch College, Brooklyn Law School, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), and Long Island Board of Realtors (LIBOR).
Education
- St. John’s University School of Law, Queens, NY – J.D., Law, 1985
- State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY – B.A., Accounting, 1981
Experience
- Seymour Schneidman & Associates (CPA’s)
- Oppenheim Appel Dixon (CPA’s)
- Murray Hill Properties (Outside General Counsel)
- Law Offices of Larry H. Haber
- Cogswell Realty Group (General Counsel, Member & Chief Administrative Officer)
- Colgate Real Estate Advisors (Founder & CEO)
Bar, Court Admission and Licenses
- New York State Bar
- New York State Certified Public Accountant
- New York State Licensed Real Estate Broker
Email:TheLeaseGuru@LeasingREality.com
Phone:212.993.8681