Wendy Silverstein

From the March issue: The New York City real estate community took notice when news broke in late January about MaryAnne Gilmartin’s expected promotion to CEO of Forest City Ratner. While women — including the Corcoran Group’s Pamela Liebman, Douglas Elliman’s Dottie Herman, Eastern Consolidated’s Daun Paris and CBRE Group’s Mary Ann Tighe — hold key leadership positions in the city’s residential and commercial brokerage worlds, New York still has very few female developers or development firm heads. [more] 

From left: Amir Korangy, Pam Liebman, Diane Ramirez and Dottie Herman

Inman’s annual list of the 100 most influential real estate leaders is out, and it includes some big New York City real estate names. [more]

Honorees of tonight’s REBNY banquet, from left: REBNY President Steve Spinola, Dick Concannon of Rudin Management, Mike Fishman of SEIU, William Montana of Studley, Woody Heller of Studley and Dottie Herman of Douglas Elliman (credit: Zachary Kussin)

Strong activity in the retail sector, and a robust rental and investment sales market seemed to be the tonic buoying the crowd at the 117th annual Real Estate Board of New York banquet. The gathering, held at the New York Hilton Hotel in Midtown, attracted prominent elected leaders, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, as well as thousands of prominent real estate professionals, such as Douglas Durst, Kent Swig, Lawrence Gluck, Larry Silverstein, Ziel Feldman, Paul Massey and James Kuhn. Brokers who attended the gathering were split on how 2013 would shape up. … [more]

Dottie Herman, Mike Fishman and Steven Spinola

Real estate professionals will gather tonight for the industry’s most high-profile event, the annual Real Estate Board of New York banquet — set to take place at the New York Hilton Hotel in Midtown. The event, in its 117th year, will honor developer Donald Zucker, chairman of the Donald Zucker Company; Mike Fishman, the international executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union; Douglas Elliman’s president and CEO Dottie Herman; Studley’s Woody Heller and William Montana; and Dick Concannon, senior vice president at Rudin Management. [more]

Dottie Herman

Douglas Elliman, Manhattan’s largest residential brokerage, has officially dropped “Prudential” from its name, ushering in an image for the firm that recalls its 1911 origins as an independent company. The switch applies to all of the firm’s divisions, including new development marketing, title services, relocation services and property management, the firm said.

As early as February, Elliman CEO Dottie Herman had been mulling a decision to stop using “Prudential” in the firm’s name and leave the global real estate franchise, as The Real Deal reported. [more]

Manhattan

Manhattan residential sales have held flat in the face of a precipitous fall in inventory in the third quarter of 2012, reports from leading brokerages show.

Inventory in Manhattan is down 24.3 percent year-over-year — its lowest level since 2005 — third quarter numbers from Prudential Douglas Elliman show. And while those numbers may not bode well for the market in the immediate-term, they leave open the possibility of a brighter 2013, Jonathan Miller, president of the real estate analytics firm Miller Samuel and author of Elliman’s market report, told The Real Deal. [more]

From left: Artist Carrie Sunday and Elliman CEO Dottie Herman at the “Study in Meditation” party

From the July issue: At 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon last month, the Prudential Douglas Elliman location at 980 Madison Avenue resembled your average real estate brokerage office. But by 6 p.m., desks and computers were gone, 16 abstract canvasses by the artist Carrie Sunday hung on the walls and guests were arriving for a party honoring Sunday’s exhibit, “Study in Meditation,” which will be displayed in the office through the end of this month.

Elliman CEO Dottie Herman was inspired to host the exhibition, she said, because “I like putting strong brands together. Carrie is just so talented, and I hope I’m part of her success.” [more]

Photos from last night’s gallery party

Prudential Douglas Elliman’s flagship office at 980 Madison Avenue was transformed into an art gallery on Thursday night — hosting a 16-piece exhibition, called “Study in Meditation,” by contemporary artist Carrie Sunday. The event was hosted by Dottie Herman, president and CEO of Prudential Douglas Elliman. Herman has known the artist, who also tends bar at the Four Seasons, for about 15 years.

The artist, guests of Herman and Elliman brokers mingled over Champagne and wine, all while taking in Sunday’s work — most of which consisted of acrylic paint chips formed into cylindrical rolls and mounted on canvas. Click here to see the photos and more.

From left: Mort Zuckerman, Susan Breitenbach, Aby Rosen and Billy Macklowe

From Apollo Global Management head Leon Black to Boston Properties boss Mort Zuckerman, the New York City real estate industry is a critical component to the East End scene. In fact, no fewer than 14 of the 100 most powerful people to descend upon the Hamptons this summer, as compiled by Hamptons magazine, are members of the industry. [more]

From left: Rick Rosa, manager of the forthcoming LIC office, 47-37 Vernon Boulevard, Adrian Lupu, manager of NestSeekers' LIC office and Modern Spaces CEO Eric Benaim

In beating the other major Manhattan brokerages to Long Island City, Prudential Douglas Elliman says it’s ahead of the curve, but at least one existing firm in the area said the brokerage behemoth is already too late.

Elliman announced Wednesday it would be joining a burgeoning real estate row on Vernon Boulevard in LIC, opening an office at 47-37 Vernon Boulevard, directly across the street from a Modern Spaces outpost that is situated next door to a NestSeekers International location. [more]