As the President of GFI Realty Services, Michael Weiser manages the day to day commercial mortgage operations as well as the Investment Sales & Retail Leasing divisions. He is responsible for overseeing originations at GFI as well as maintaining relationships with various lenders and financial institutions. He also oversees GFI’s acquisitions and dispositions.

Known in the industry for his strong analytical skills and negotiation expertise with lenders and financial institutions, Mr. Weiser ensures successful closings for GFI clients. He has a strong understanding of the many facets involved in property
acquisitions and management, which allows him to negotiate the right loan products for his clients.

Since joining GFI in 1996, Mr. Weiser has been involved in countless transactions on behalf of GFI’s clients. He received his BS in accounting from Brooklyn College.

Ohad Babo joined GFI Realty Services, LLC in January 2012 and has since transacted over $100MM in investment sales. He specializes in mixed-use, residential, and retail properties in Upper Manhattan and Brooklyn.  Already in his career he has transacted numerous high profile deals including the sale of 3750 Broadway, a corner mixed-use building located in Upper Manhattan, which set a record for price per square foot at the time of the transaction.   Additionally, Mr. Babo represented both sides in the sale and the financing of 35 Journal Square, a landmark office building in Jersey City, NJ.

His past experience as a staff sergeant in the Israeli Defense Forces and as a professional basketball player has helped shape his strong work ethic and given him the ability to adjust to different clients and the changing market. Mr. Babo is committed to providing customized solutions to each of his clients.  Each deal demonstrates his acute understanding the current marketplace conditions and his ability to expertly negotiate deals.

He graduated from Yeshiva University in 2012 with a BA in International Business and Management.  He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and currently resides in the Upper East Side.

Daniel Lerer is a Director of Investment Sales and Finance at GFI Realty Services, Inc. His love for history and his firm belief that real estate is a bearer of New York City’s history first attracted him to the industry. He enjoys challenging the status quo, and his goal is to help shape GFI Realty Services, Inc. into a leading capital advisory firm by stringently upholding its core values.

Mr. Lerer specializes in recasting debt for greatest risk mitigation and tax efficiency and treats his clients with the highest level of honesty and integrity. He has financed an excess of $100,000,000 during his career.

Originally from Upstate NY, he currently resides in Brooklyn with his wife and their two children whom he tries to instill the joy of experiencing new things and trying the unknown.

Will Watkins is the Director of Real Estate Finance for GFI Realty Services, Inc.  Watkins joined the firm in 2004 and specializes in multifamily, office, retail, & hospitality debt placement. He brings over ten years of commercial financing experience to his position where he is primarily responsible for arranging permanent, interim and development loans as well as other structured finance transactions with banks, CMBS lenders, and life insurance companies.  During the course of his career, he has completed in excess of $2 billion in commercial real estate transactions.

Mr. Watkins received his B.A. in Business Economics & Accounting from Randolph-Macon College.

Over 10 Years ago, Erik Yankelovich, began his career as a commercial real estate sales associate and quickly developed a distinguished reputation in the industry. He is an expert in the New York City real estate market and has established many dynamic relationships with property owners.

Yankelovich educates his clients on all aspects of the commercial brokerage business and has a very active client base. Since his promotion to Senior Director in 2007, he has negotiated the sale of over $400,000,000 worth of real estate. Yankelovich received his Bachelor of Science from Stony Brook University.

Born in Khust, Ukraine his family immigrated to the States in 1990. He, his wife and two daughters currently reside in Brooklyn, New York.

Yosef Katz is currently the Managing Director of GFI Realty Services, LLC. Mr. Katz began his career in investment real estate sales when he joined the firm in 2006. He currently oversees an investment sales team of over 30 salespeople as well as supervises a team of junior brokers.

Mr. Katz is known in the industry for his intimate market knowledge and ability to close problematic deals. Over his career, he has negotiated over $1.5B in real estate transactions including $350MM in debt sales. Since 2006, Mr. Katz has cultivated relationships with the largest property owners in NYC and has successfully advised his clients on property valuations, pricing, financing and repositioning of assets. He specializes in trading multi-family assets in Manhattan and the surrounding boroughs with a particular focus on Brooklyn and Queens.

Mr. Katz has closed significant pieces of business throughout NYC garnering features in top industry publications including The Real Deal, The Commercial Observer and The Wall Street Journal as well as numerous other outlets. He has also received numerous honors including being named one of Real Estate Forum’s Top New York Investment Brokers in 2012 as well as being recognized as Top Producer of the Year by GFI Realty Services in 2014 & 2016.

He contributes to numerous humanitarian and civic organizations including Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, The American Red Cross, Young Jewish Professionals (YJP), Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) and many others. Mr. Katz also sits on several boards including BYAM and Yeshiva Ateres Shimon.

Mr. Katz received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Touro College with dreams of going to law school however, once he closed his first deal at GFI, he knew that this was the industry for him. Born in Montreal, Canada, he is one of 11 children to a rabbi and a homemaker. He currently resides in Queens, New York with his wife and their four children.

Notable Transactions

23-02 49th Avenue Queens, NY $195,000,000

Kips Bay 7 Building Package New York, NY $71,500,000

825 East 141st Street Bronx, NY $44,000,000

15001-11 88th Avenue  Queens, NY  $21,500,000

162-20 & 164-03 89th Avenue Queens, NY $14,000,000

1350 Stratford Avenue Bronx, NY $14,000,000

601-605 West 141st Street New York, NY $12,300,000

249 & 259 Bull Hill Lane Orange, CT $11,000,000

11 East 115th Street New York, NY $10,000,000

Shawn Sadaghati started his career in real estate 18 years ago at the Moinian Group as a leasing agent and went on to handle office and retail leasing, property management, and commercial sales.

Over the length of his career, Mr. Sadaghati has gained extensive knowledge of the NY real estate market. His dedication and honesty are just some of the reasons he has long standing clients. He specializes in multifamily, mixed-use, and development sites in the Upper East Side, Upper West Side, SoHo, Harlem and Downtown Brooklyn. He recently brokered the sale of 410 Eastern Parkway, a six-story 73 unit apartment building in Crown Heights, for $15.35MM.

Mr. Sadaghati holds a B.A. in Psychology from Brooklyn College. He was born in Tehran, Iran and currently resides in Long Island with his wife and their four children.

Prior to joining GFI Realty, Fitzsimmons served as a research and market analyst of investment sales at MNS Real Estate, a New York City-based real estate brokerage that specializes in the marketing, sale and rental of residential properties. He started his career at Massey Knakal, where he focused on market analysis and in-house promotion for the firm’s exclusive listings.

Fitzsimmons, who received his bachelor’s of science in finance from Brooklyn College, is a member of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and the Real Estate Board of New York.