Edward Riguardi, “dean of property management,” dies at 85

Edward Riguardi, known as the “dean of property management in New York,” died Monday morning. He was 85.

Riguardi died at his home in Little Silver, New Jersey, a representative for the family told The Real Deal.

The industry veteran’s career spanned more than 50 years. He retired in 2008 as a managing director at JLL, where his son, Peter Riguardi, currently serves as the company’s president.

Throughout his decades in commercial real estate, Riguardi consulted on asset management strategies for major firms like Exxon, American Express, Bank of New York, Citibank, Equitable Life, Merrill Lynch and John Hancock, among others.

He received accolades for his work concerning safety regulations, city codes and rehabilitating properties. In 1982 he was named “Management Man of the Year” by the Real Estate Board of New York, where he served on the board of governors and the powerful industry group’s executive committee.

In 2010, REBNY renamed its Commercial Management Leadership Award as the Edward A. Riguardi Executive of the Year Award in his honor.

Riguardi’s career started at the former Willaims Real Estate, where he started working in the firm’s operations and engineering department. During his 29 years at the company, he rose to become one of three senior vice presidents overseeing a portfolio that, at is peak, spanned nearly 30 million square feet of office space across 200 Manhattan commercial buildings.

He went on to co-found the firm Koeppel Tener Riguardi, where he created a property management group that oversaw some 10 million square feet of commercial real estate.

Riguardi received REBNY’s Bernard H. Mendik Lifetime Leadership in Real Estate Award in 2008.

A wake is scheduled for Sunday, March 11, at the John E. Day Funeral Home in Red Bank, New Jersey. Funeral services will be held the following Monday in Manhattan.