Robert Futterman of chairman and CEO of Robert K. Futterman & Associates

Top retail broker Robert Futterman, who founded the firm that carries his name, pleaded guilty this past Friday to one aggravated felony driving while intoxicated count and one misdemeanor count, both related to his arrest last summer in Bridgehampton, L.I., on drunk driving charges, a spokesperson for the Suffolk County district attorney said.

Futterman, chairman and CEO of Robert K. Futterman & Associates, was pulled over at about 10:27 p.m. on Aug. 21, 2011 while driving on Sag Harbor Turnpike with four children under the age of 16 in his car, for failing to stay in one lane, news reports at the time said. He was charged with multiple counts including violations of Leandra’s Law, which make it a felony on the first offense to drive while intoxicated with children younger than 16 years old in the car, court records show. [more]

From the August issue: A sudden flurry of New York City brokers are setting up shop in Florida, hoping to cash in on a housing market making strides toward recovery.

In the last six months, commercial brokerage Robert K. Futterman & Associates and residential firm Prudential Douglas Elliman have both dipped their toes into the Sunshine State market with new Miami offices. They’re joining the Corcoran Group and Brown Harris Stevens, which already have offices in Florida.

“Miami seems to be one of the most vibrant places in the U.S. right now, especially in terms of foreign investment,” said Robert Futterman, founder of the eponymous retail firm. [more]

Robert Futterman

Robert Futterman, founder, chairman and CEO of Robert K. Futterman & Associates, was charged with driving while intoxicated in Bridgehampton Saturday night, Newsday reported. The crime is classified as a felony under a law passed in New York State that imposes tougher sanctions on intoxicated drivers who have children in the car.

The police report had Futterman “failing to maintain his travel line” while driving southbound on Sag Harbor Turnpike at 10:27 p.m. Saturday, with four children in the vehicle under the age of 16. In April, Futterman told the The Real Deal that he had two children, ages 18 and 16. Futterman was also charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

It’s not the first time high-producing real estate agents have been arrested for DWI on the East End. [more]

Clockwise from top left: Howard Dolch and Robin Abrams, Lansco; Gary Alterman, Robert Futterman, Ariel Schuster of RKF (credit Amanda Marsh); Joanne Podell, C&W; David Green, C&W; Natalia Macias, Tishman Speyer (credit Adam Pincus); Cherri Nanninga, CBRE; Gene Spiegelman, C&W; Mark Finkelstein, Retail Strategies (credit Adam Pincus); (center) Robert Futterman, RKF; (r.) Benjamin Fox, Massey Knakal (credit Adam Pincus)

Robin Abrams and Howard Dolch of Lansco received the award for “Most Creative
Retail Deal of the Year” by the Real Estate Board of New York last night for their
representation of discount stores Filene’s Basement and Syms Clothing in opening a
new flagship location at 530 Fifth Avenue in Midtown.

Robert Futterman, Gary Alterman and Ariel Schuster of Robert K. Futterman &
Associates received a prize for the deal that “most benefits Manhattan,” for representing
grocery store Fairway Market, which took a space at 240 East 86th Street in Yorkville.

The awards for the 2010 top retail deals were announced at a cocktail party at 101 Park
Avenue in Midtown. TRD
[more]

From the South Florida website: New York-based retail brokerage Robert K. Futterman & Associates is branching out into South Florida. According to an announcement from the firm, RKF has opened its first Miami office at 1221 Brickell Avenue, to be headed by new hire Drew Schaul, a Coral Gables resident who is leaving his post as a senior associate at CB Richard Ellis. Shaul’s client list includes Brooks Brothers, Lens Crafters, GNC, Allen Edmonds and Kohler. “South Florida is reemerging,” said Robert Futterman, chairman and CEO of his eponymous firm. TRD [more]

From left: Robert Futterman, Jay Cross, Larry Silverstein, Stephen Siegel, Ronald Sernau, Laurie Golub and Steven Pozycki

Amid much back-slapping and cheerleading about the growth of Manhattan’s West Side at a panel yesterday that included developer Larry Silverstein, there was a hint that change could be afoot for the East Side of Midtown in the years to come. The millions of square feet of new office development being planned and built on the West Side in projects such as SJP Properties’ 11 Times Square and Related Companies’ Hudson Yards could lead owners of older Midtown office buildings — many of which are on the East Side — to convert them into residential apartments, following a pattern seen Downtown. [more]

From left: Robert Futterman and 229 West 43rd Street; Chase Welles and East River Plaza; and Jedd Nero and 798 11th Avenue

The Real Estate Board of New York announced the nine contenders for its “Retail Deal of the Year” awards today, a competition that honors ingenious and influential real estate transactions (click here to see the full list of contenders). Included in the list was the controversial deal at the Times Square building at 229 West 43rd Street, through which retail brokerage Lansco claims it was cheated out of a $1 million commission. Robert Futterman of the eponymous firm represented the property owner, Africa Israel, in the deal and was named in the nomination. Other top deals submitted included the Costco lease at East River Plaza at 521 East 116th Street and the Volkswagen Group lease at 798 Eleventh Avenue.
[more]

From left: Lon Rubackin, Lev Leviev, Robert Futterman and Bowlmor’s new home at 229 West 43rd Street

An influential Manhattan retail brokerage, Lansco, claims it was cheated out of at least $1 million in commissions for arranging one of last year’s high-profile commercial deals, the 20-year lease by Bowlmor at the former New York Times Building in Times Square. Lansco alleges competitor GFI Capital Resources Group and Bowlmor’s parent company Strike Holdings conspired to cut it out of the deal for two floors at 229 West 43rd Street, which Lansco says was worth between $3 million and $4 million per year. The charges were leveled in a lawsuit Lansco filed April 28 in New York State Supreme Court against GFI and Strike Holdings, seeking at least $1 million as well as rights under renewal and extension clauses. “Strike and GFI conspired with each other to interfere with Lansco’s right to be the broker,” the suit says. The court papers do not provide a reason why Lansco was replaced. [more]

While many retail real estate experts are bracing for a rocky holiday season, Robert Futterman, CEO of Robert K. Futterman & Associates, believes this year could be better for city shops. “It’s better than last year at this time, I’ll tell you that much,” Futterman said. “We’ve actually had an incredibly good last couple of months.” But, he expects the company “to maybe be 10 percent off from last year — and I’m talking about bookings because you have to remember it lags.” Futterman said that traditional retail “hot spots” like Times Square, Soho, Union Square and the Upper West Side are likely to remain as such in the near future, with the Union Square footprint expanding.

Futterman is the founder, chairman and CEO of Robert K. Futterman & Associates. He is a 25-year retail leasing veteran, having personally completed more than $3 billion in transactions. He has been a big player in revitalizing major retail areas including Union Square South, Times Square, 34th Street and Soho.


In what part of the city are you seeing the most retail store closings and why do you think that is?

Upper Madison [Avenue]. Luxury brands and international retailers at one time felt a Madison Avenue showcase was critical, however, the desire to be profitable in tough economic times has proven more important. For many, occupancy costs became an obstacle to being profitable.

Costco is going to be the first retailer in the East River Plaza in Harlem. How long do you think it will take to lease the remaining 485,000 square feet?

If they haven’t leased the space yet, then probably six months after Costco opens. Costco should be a magnet for other big-box retailers and create an environment where they will flourish.

Compiled by Lauren Elkies [more]