Top broker Oren Alexander stepped down from Official Partners days after The Real Deal reported on rape and sexual assault allegations against him and his twin brother.
Alexander announced he was leaving the high-end brokerage he co-founded in 2022 in a statement posted on his Instagram account.
“Out of respect for our customers and trusted colleagues, I have made the difficult decision to take a pause from my work at Official as I shift my focus to fighting these baseless civil claims,” the statement read.
“I am confident that through review of the extensive evidence, including text messages and other communications, that the truth will be brought to light.”
Alexander declined a request for further comment.
Alexander and his twin brother Alon were accused in lawsuits filed in March of raping at least two women in New York on two separate occasions in 2010 and 2012.
Attorneys for the two women initiated the cases just as a New York State law eliminating the civil statute of limitations for sexual assault lawsuits was set to expire.
Oren co-founded Official with his brother, Tal, who is not mentioned in the complaints. The two brothers rose to prominence as co-heads of the Alexander Team over a decade at Douglas Elliman before leaving in 2022. The team claims it has closed more than $7 billion in real estate sales in New York, South Florida, Aspen and other luxury markets.
Official is backed by white-label firm Side.
In South Florida, Official is handling sales of developer Michael Shvo’s Rosewood-branded Raleigh luxury condo project in Miami Beach and Michael Stern’s Dolce & Gabbana-branded condo development in Brickell.
A lawyer for the Alexanders, prominent trial attorney Jim Ferraro of the Ferraro Law Firm, denied the allegations, and called the filing a “total shakedown.”
Sheridan Wall contributed reporting.
Katherine Kallergis can be reached at kk@therealdeal.com. Sheridan Wall can be reached at sheridan.wall@therealdeal.com.