How To Run Your Building! For Co-ops and Condos
How To Run Your Building! For Co-ops and Condos
Habitat Magazine
Whether you've served on your co-op/condo board for a long time, or just started, there are a myriad of professionals you will interact with and learn from. In this series, Habitat Magazine editors interview the leading New York property management executives to find out what works, what doesn't and where board challenges lie. You'll learn valuable insider tips and resources for solving the myriad of problems that you might face while governing your building.
Behind the Chaos of NYC Building Transitions
What do you do when a building is completely gutted by fire and insurance doesn't cover the full rebuild? Or when a sponsor-managed property leaves residents without gas and a new board drowning in hidden compliance violations? Adam Reisman, president of client services at MD Squared Property Group, and Josh Koppel, president at HSC Management, walk listeners through two extraordinary management transitions with lessons for every co-op and condo board. Koppel's account of a vacant Yonkers bui...
Dec 29, 2025
15 min
How Deferred Fixes Turn Healthy Buildings Into Financial Risks
The property management industry has transformed dramatically, and three leading executives reveal what it takes to keep NYC buildings ahead of the curve. AJ Rexhepi, CEO of Century Management, Mitchell Slavuter, partner at Delkap Management and Keith Werny, president of FirstService Residential's City Line Management Division, discuss the shift from reactive maintenance to strategic planning. They share concrete examples of buildings that turned compliance nightmares into opportunities, slas...
Dec 15, 2025
38 min
How to Turn a Two Million Dollar Crisis Into a Win
When a condominium's facade project ballooned to over two million dollars, the board was facing a crisis. The solution involved unconventional contractor negotiations and a prepayment strategy that surprised everyone with its success. In this episode, three veteran property management executives reveal the insider strategies that separate struggling buildings from thriving ones. Steven Greenbaum, executive vice president at The Lovett Group, Alvin Wasserman, senior director of asset managemen...
Dec 1, 2025
40 min
How Withholding Information Complicates Management Transitions
Behind many co-op and condo property management switches are stories of broken trust, hidden problems, and boards desperate for answers. Andre Kaplan, CFO at Orsid New York, and Scott Soifer, Senior VP at Maxwell-Kates, reveal some of the uncomfortable conversations that need to happen and why boards sometimes hide critical information during the hiring process. One Jackson Heights co-op cycled through three firms in five years before anyone delivered the truth about their finances. Another b...
Nov 24, 2025
22 min
Did Your Building's Budget Problems Start Years Ago?
You probably think your board is managing your building’s finances responsibly. But are you certain? In this episode, three of New York City's leading property management CEOs discuss case studies that expose how buildings can easily spiral into crisis. Peter von Simpson of New Bedford Management, Michael Feldman of Choice Management, and Dan Wollman of Gumley Haft Management share stories about inheriting buildings with conspiracy theories running wild and boards in denial about their financ...
Nov 10, 2025
33 min
Why NYC Property Management Just Got Extremely Complicated
Something fundamental has shifted in NYC property management, and Kyle Gregory from New Way Management and Margaret McAdams from Buchbinder & Warren are pulling back the curtain. They reveal why compliance work has ballooned from 25% to 60% of their time, how buildings are navigating impossible choices between assessments and deferred maintenance, and why even large management firms are struggling to adapt. You'll hear about a building forced to spend millions on an emergency conversion a...
Oct 27, 2025
40 min
Why Management Transitions Fail — and How to Avoid Disaster
If you’re thinking about switching management companies, buckle up. You might be preparing to sabotage your new management relationship without even realizing it, particularly if you leave important details about the state of your building unsaid. In this roundtable discussion, Stuart Halper of Impact Real Estate Management, Howard Mandel of TKR Property Services, and Anes Radoncic of Venture New York Property Management share why the first thirty days can determine success or failure and the...
Oct 13, 2025
36 min
How Smart Planning Prevents Building Panic
Planning and executing building projects is a board’s key task, which sounds much simpler than it actually is. Complicating the task is timing, financing and communicating to building residents. Habitat’s Emily Myers speaks with Ira Meister, President of Matthew Adam Properties; Anton Lekic, Co-Founder of Murray Hill Management; and Jamie Sikorski, Senior Vice President at AKAM, to understand how this plays out in the real world and what works and what doesn't. How To Run Your Building: For C...
Sep 29, 2025
36 min
The Hidden Challenges of Switching Management Companies
Changing managing companies can be a fraught endeavor, but it’s a hurdle many boards will face at least once. Habitat’s Emily Myers sits down with three seasoned NYC property management experts: Mark Levine (Principal, EBMG), Robert Ferrara (President, Ferrara Management Group), and Evangelos Fantakos (CEO, Highrise Property Management) to reveal the hidden challenges that emerge during transitions and share stories from the trenches — including one building facing $70,000 in compliance fines...
Sep 15, 2025
37 min
When Your Building's Mortgage Bomb Explodes in 2025
If your building's mortgage is coming due soon, you're not alone — and you're definitely not prepared for what's coming. Don Einsidler, president of Einsidler Management, reveals the harsh reality facing co-op boards as interest rates skyrocket from the low threes to over six percent. Einsidler shares actual loan scenarios from his portfolio, explains why many boards are dangerously unaware of their loan maturity dates, and provides a roadmap for communicating these inevitable cost increases ...
Jul 21, 2025
12 min
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