The calm before the storm

Thor Equities sponsors a female-only day of relaxation for retail brokers ahead of ICSC

A day before the start of the city’s largest store leasing event of the year, a dozen or so retail brokers got a chance to take a few deep breaths, thanks to Thor Equities.

Exhale Mind Body Spa, at the Hampshire House at 150 Central Park South, was the setting for a day of woman-only relaxation hosted by Thor, representing something of a break from the majority of gatherings at last month’s International Council of Shopping Centers’ New York National Deal Making Conference.

The group included some of the city’s top retail brokers, such as Joanne Podell of Cushman & Wakefield and Robin Abrams of Lansco.

It was a break from the vast majority of all real estate events, for that matter.

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While there are a higher percentage of women in the store-leasing business, compared with office leasing or investment sales, Manhattan retail brokers are predominantly men.

But not so at the spa.

In addition to Podell and Abrams, there was Grace Yang and Kelly Harman, both of Thor Equities. Other attendees included Virginia Pittarelli of Crown Retail Services, Jackie Totola of RKF and Robin Zendell of RZ & Associates.

And of course, there was a chance to network as well. “We all got a spa treatment, and then there was fruit, cookies and goodie bags,” one source said. “All the girls talked after treatment. It was very civil and very polite.”