From left: Barak Realty founder Barak Dunayer and new head of rentals Brian DusseauBarak Realty has officially launched its rental division, founder Barak Dunayer told The Real Deal.

Following a four month search, Dunayer hired Brian Dusseau two weeks ago to head the new rental division. Dusseau had been at Bond New York for the past five months after spending three months at Keller Williams NYC (note: correction appended). Dunayer also brought on Tamara Sanchez, who most recently served a short stint at now-defunct BP Vance Real Estate and was at Core before that, as the firm’s rental listings director earlier this month. Additionally four agents have joined the firm to focus primarily on rental listings. [more]

Three months after signing the lease, Barak Dunayer, president of Barak Realty, has opened his second sales office. In a climate of uncertainty, Dunayer said the time was right to open the Upper East Side location. “Recessions are terrible things to waste,” he said. “And when the market goes down you have a lot of opportunities to expand, if one can afford it.” Besides, “Everything is quicker and negotiable today — the rent, the terms, branding, he said. The company is paying $140 per square foot to lease the roughly 700-square-foot space on the ground level at 1458 Third Avenue, between 82nd and 83rd streets. Dunayer’s wife, Yael, who runs the company with him, designed the space. [more]

As the economy has shaken up the real estate industry, far more firms have closed offices than opened them. But another firm has added an office to the “open” column: Barak Realty, which signed a lease yesterday for a storefront space at 1458 Third Avenue, between 82nd and 83rd streets, Barak Dunayer, the firm’s president, said. The company needs to build out the 700-square-foot space and plans to open the office in November, Dunayer said. Sixteen or 20 agents, both new hires and a few “anchors” from the firm’s 237 West 72nd Street office, will work out of the new space, he said. [more]