Second break-up for Ilan Bracha
February 03, 2009 08:00AM By Candace Taylor
Gilad Azaria
For the second time in as many months, Prudential Douglas Elliman's powerhouse Bracha Group has split in two.
Former Bracha Group Managing Partner Gilad Azaria told The Real Deal he's leaving to form his own team at Elliman.
"I'm very excited," said Azaria, who helped found the Bracha Group five years ago with Ilan Bracha. "It's the right time for me."
Azaria is in the process of assembling roughly five brokers to come onboard at his new venture, the Gilad Azaria Group. Azaria did not take any brokers or listings from the Bracha Group, he said.
"I would never take Ilan's business. We are great friends," Azaria said.
The split comes on the heels of November's announcement that Mickey Roth and Lenny Sporn would leave the Bracha Group, just seven months after they merged their Roth-Sporn Group with Bracha's.
At the time, Roth told The Real Deal the split was amicable although the groups "had two different ways of doing things."
Now, "we're very happy," Roth said today. "I'm busier now since we left."
He added that the new business model is "more profitable for us," since there are fewer partners taking a cut of each commission.
Azaria, too, said he and Bracha are on good terms, though the split has been difficult for the two longtime partners, who worked together at MLBKaye International Realty in Queens, then moved to Elliman to form the Bracha Group.
"It's very hard, but [Bracha] understands," Azaria said. "This is business, it's not personal. We both decided it's the right time for me."
Azaria has moved from the sixth floor, where the Bracha Group is located, down to the third floor at 575 Madison Avenue. The physical separation is "better for both of us," Azaria said, since the split is "still an open wound."
In a statement released to The Real Deal, Bracha said: "Gilad Azaria and I have decided to operate independently of each other and we continue to be close colleagues at Prudential Douglas Elliman. I am certain that we will be collaborating on many transactions in the future."
The Bracha Group is still one of the largest groups at Elliman, Bracha said, and is one of the "top producing groups in the country." Elliman declined to comment.
But Azaria may have played a large role in the Bracha Group's earnings: Azaria says he has been the top producer at the Bracha Group for the past five years, although it is hard to tell because every transaction the group does is credited to Bracha.
"I never got any credit for it, but I was the overall top producer in the Bracha Group, and we did a lot," Azaria said. "I'm proud of what I did."
Azaria said he already has eight new listings since leaving the Bracha Group about a week ago, including a $6.5 million three-bedroom unit on the 77th floor of Trump World Tower at 845 United Nations Plaza between 47th and 48th streets.
He said the split was prompted by the slowing market, which will give him the time to focus on building his new group, which he hopes will focus on "quality not quantity."
"We have more time now," he said. "I can take advantage of the time and build the right foundation and not do it in a rush."
Bracha also seems to be making use of free time. In January, he started a blog, www.brachablog.com.
"This is where I will share my insights on the real estate market whether they be trends or commentary on relevant news," he wrote in the first post. "Expect tips on selling your apartment, analysis of market reports and a few personal stories of the ins and outs of my days as a real estate agent at Prudential Douglas Elliman."
Bracha, who at 34 years old is the youngest managing director at Elliman, moved to New York from his native Israel in 1996.
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Comments
Anonymous
Everyone wants to be a STAR. An old football collegue use to say their is no i in TEAM. Think about it. Can anyone spell the word PARTNERSHIP?? Everyone, lets start... P..A..R, yo almost got it, continue...don't foget t,
Comment #1 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
If there is no "I" in team, how come we only heard about Ilan Bracha's accomplishments, did you ever here about Gilad, Mickey, or Lenny's accomplishments when ilan spoke. There closings, the listings they gained. ILAN-LEARN TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. I think its amazing how one man can close so many transactions during the year, and yet work across the street at B&B. Please learn the definition of TEAM. Go Gilad!- Mazel Tov
Comment #2 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Clearly Illan is a special sort of a person. He is skillful, great with people and he can put large scale deals together, that's why he was the one with the number one group in the city. I doubt any of these people who have seceded will be half as successful as being part of Illan's team.
Comment #3 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
bracha is a loser
Comment #4 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
neither can speak english...who are they helping?
Comment #5 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Did anyone see the balloon shaped like Bracha's head in the Thanksgiving Day parade? Oh wait...that was Bracha's head.
Comment #6 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
great hair
Comment #7 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
I understand that by forming groups you are often able to do more business, but, the whole notion of only giving credit to one person for the deals is awful. Anyone who loves to do deals knows how good it feels to be recognized for being part of doing a deal, if not by doing the entire transaction, and people who remove names to put their own, and get half of that person's money on top of it, for no connection of their own, that's just yucky. Let someone have the sunshine for a day, or what it is rightfully earned
Comment #8 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
20 bayard representitive
since the roth sporn group left, who were basically running the Bracha group, and closing the deals the bracha group have NOT closed 1 deal, check it out on theyre website.... Bracha thinks he is a big shot, Ilan Shut up, and go back to basic you loser.
Comment #9 Posted By: 20 bayard representitive 02/03/09
Anonymous
no successful person has ever gotten to the top alone! without gilad, ilan couldn't be where he is today...lets see if the group keeps it's ranking now that gilad is gone! go gilad! much luck!
Comment #10 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
is that the guy with the uni brow
Comment #11 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Go Gilad! Much Success for 2009!
Comment #12 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Gilad looks like Balki from Perfect Strangers
Comment #13 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Amazing what no talent and a good PR guy can do... No?
Comment #14 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Ilan is going out of business. ill give him a year or two and he will be out!!!
Comment #15 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Walker Cronkite
Real Deal. Is this news? I mean really. Just goes to show you that a good PR person can get the most senseless, unimportant crap printed.
Comment #16 Posted By: Walker Cronkite 02/03/09
Anonymous
gilad mazal tov dont jomp very fast step by step dont make the mistke that all do good luck
Comment #17 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Hey isn't that Balki Bartokomous from 'Perfect Strangers'
Comment #18 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Good luck, good and hardworking guy
Comment #19 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
I hear it's lonely at the top and since ilan apparently made it all the way there by himself I guess it was a lonely journey too
Comment #20 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Gilee is a great guy and so is Ilan. Gilee has been like a brother to me and I wish him all the best in his new endeavor!!!
Comment #21 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Ilan is to be respected and admired. People who are losers are the ones jealous and envious. Ilan is a fair man who gives credit exactly where it is due otherwise Gilad would not have stayed with him for so many years.... Sour Grapes!!
Comment #22 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
How stupid of people to mock Ilan and Gilad- it shows a lack of integrity. Focus on the big pie rather than the he minute details and negativity. Ilan and Gilad are both successful and will continue to be successful. All the best to both of them!
Comment #23 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Gilad, Can I join your team? Need to start making deals!!
Comment #24 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
just took a glance at the bracha blog. for someone who has broken english, the bracha blog seems to be well written?????????
Comment #25 Posted By: Anonymous 02/03/09
Anonymous
Ilan, go back to work and stop posting on here.
Comment #26 Posted By: Anonymous 02/04/09
Anonymous
Gilad should feel proud, he sarted from the bottom and worked his way up. I see a lot of ugly headed jealousy on this page. Ilan created his own group and now it's Gilad's turn. It's the American dream... I wish you the best of the best!
Comment #27 Posted By: Anonymous 02/04/09
Anonymous
Don't let the camp of morons commenting on this page bring you down.Jealousy is a very ugly emotion. I remember the excitement and pride that filled me the day I opened my own business. I also remember the many times my employees ventured off to open their own business. I am and was a big enough person to remember my own joy and feel it through their eyes... God bless!
Comment #28 Posted By: Anonymous 02/04/09
Anonymous
Why are you all so angry and bitter? Neither Gilad or Ilan are bitter about this. You probably have no work and probably haven't done one deal in the past 6 months so you are venting here.
Comment #29 Posted By: Anonymous 02/05/09
Anonymous
i have worked for the bracha group and they are both great guys i wish them both the best of luck they are both winners e
Comment #30 Posted By: Anonymous 02/05/09
Anonymous
"giving credit", "closing deal", etc etc....what the hell does a broker do? they sell apts, they open the door to people and take a lot of money for that. And based on my experience most(99%) of them are idiots/unprofessional/time-wasters. why IB and his ex-colleague are so good? which credit should we give them? which are the deals they closed?
Comment #31 Posted By: Anonymous 02/06/09
Anonymous
how about brokers who work with them? they never get any credits. they do the most work and get no recognition, then have to give their closings to these morons. they have this great pr through this mysterious real estate rabbi. wth?
Comment #32 Posted By: Anonymous 02/06/09
Anonymous
Ilan Bracha is hard working and built these clowns. Its very easy to criticize him but isnt he the guy he came to this country with 20 dollars or so and is now worth millions. These fools sit and cry and criticize and in bad times its easy to turn on the guy who built you. They may make a few dollars but Ilan's the big star. Its childish from them to hit Ilan who built them.
Comment #33 Posted By: Anonymous 02/08/09
Anonymous
Bracha is the real deal. Smart, honest focused and authentic. In the long run he will be the big winner.
Comment #34 Posted By: Anonymous 02/08/09
Anonymous
Gilad is a genuine, truthful, upstanding individual. Most importantly he holds the valubable and admiring attribute of integrity. He doesn't have to wait for the long run to be a winner. He already is a winner.
Comment #35 Posted By: Anonymous 02/09/09
Anonymous
Gilad is a very typical israeli real esttae agent living large in nyc...lets be real people!
Comment #36 Posted By: Anonymous 02/14/09
Rafi Ohana
Mazal Tov to both of you! Lots of good luck in 2009!
Comment #37 Posted By: Rafi Ohana 02/15/09
Anonymous
This is coming from a currently struggling real estate broker who has been in the business for 4 years: I give all of you who made it big in this really hard business, nothing but my admiration and respect. Whatever you did and do you must be really good, really strong and really smart. Its all jealousy in this thread. To call Bracha a looser is a joke of the century.
Comment #38 Posted By: Anonymous 02/15/09
Anonymous
your right #38, to call Bracha a looser is the joke of the century, because it is a severe understatement of what the man really is.
Comment #39 Posted By: Anonymous 02/24/09
Anonymous
for all the criticism, can anyone really convey an negative experience with bracha
Comment #40 Posted By: Anonymous 02/26/09
Anonymous
#40, read the above comments. clearly many people have conveyed negative experiences with Bracha
Comment #41 Posted By: Anonymous 03/02/09
Anonymous
Yes #40..howabout Mail Fraud? When you mail a letter to a building claiming to have a specific buyer who has 'just missed out on a similar apartment to yours in the building' The mailer should check: 1. That any apartment remotely similar to the apartment being mailed has actually sold in the building in the past 6-12 Months. #2 That youdon't mail this letter about this very specific buyer to every apartment in the building from the smallest studio to the largest penthouse. #3 That there is not an apartment exactly like the one you mailed that is already on the market that you have not even caleld to show this very spcific buyer and #4 That you don't mail this same letter three times in a year to that building as well as several other totally different buildings. Note this buyer was described by sex and job location. Obvioulsy a generic letter about a non-existant buyer whcih when you put that letter in the mail was the Federal Crime of Mail Fraud. How blatant can you get!
Comment #42 Posted By: Anonymous 03/04/09
Anonymous
I have done business with the bracha group, when mickey,lenny,and gilad were still there. Mickey was a someone who promised things and never came through. Lenny doesn't speak english and just wears nice suits,walk's around playing with his hair, knows nothing about real-estate. gilad knows how to smile, and to pretend he understands words, he to knows nothing about real-estate, speaks very broken english, if you were to ask him what's an associate broker he wouldn't even know the definition(literally). Ilan is ok. I am very successful in the business I am someone who is still making deals, I'm not venting. Ilan realized that these three wanna bees were holding him down. He probably fired them.
Comment #43 Posted By: Anonymous 03/10/09
Anonymous
just curious, how can Ilan fire someone. thats a ridiculous comment, and is obviously coming from someone who is not savvy in the way a real estate brokerage firms work. so let me simplify. PDE: Ilan works for PDE PDE-holds licenses, just like they hold ilans license. PDE decides who stays and who goes at the end of the day, always, there is no deviations from this process. As for doing business with the Bracha Group when Mickey, Lenny, and Gilad were still there, you obviously had a good experience, because you write as if you are still doing business with bracha group, or are you? next time you respond. gather your thoughts, and facts, otherwise you just embarrass yourself, the bracha group, and ilan.
Comment #44 Posted By: Anonymous 03/11/09
Anonymous
I am glad Gilad went on his own. He is such a great broker and person. I worked for PDE for sometime and I think he was one of the most refined and genuine brokers I met at the firm. Good Luck Gilad! You deserve your own TEAM
Comment #45 Posted By: Anonymous 04/03/09