In the wake of rape and sexual assault allegations against top broker Oren Alexander that have become public in recent days, the firm he co-founded is staying mum while some prominent developers seek some distance.
Alexander and his twin brother Alon, a co-founder and executive at Kent Security, were accused in two lawsuits filed in New York this year of raping and assaulting at least two women more than a decade ago. The plaintiffs’ attorneys responsible for the two suits said nearly 30 additional alleged victims have made contact with the firm since The Real Deal first reported the allegations on Saturday.
Official has been leading sales and marketing for two high-profile developments in South Florida: Michael Shvo and Deutsche Finance’s Rosewood-branded Raleigh condominium project in Miami Beach and JDS Development Group’s Dolce & Gabbana-branded condo in Miami’s Brickell.
Sources told TRD that JDS will be announcing a replacement for Official in the coming days. Michael Stern, founder and CEO of JDS Development, did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for the Raleigh project said earlier in the week that it was still working with Official.
“These are serious allegations and we respect the decision made by Official’s leadership,” reads the Raleigh statement, released on Tuesday evening.
The Raleigh spokesperson has not provided an update to that statement since then, and Shvo is unreachable due to the Jewish holiday Shavuot. Shvo did not respond to requests for comment.
The Raleigh sales team is led by Anna Sherrill, who joined Official at the end of May, state records show.
Shvo tapped Official to sell the Raleigh development in Miami Beach more than a year ago. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will manage the 60-key hotel and brand the 17-story, 44-unit condo tower that Shvo and Deutsche Finance plan to build.
Silence, accounts turned private
Official, the Side-backed brokerage 36-year-old Oren and his brother Tal co-founded in 2022, has tried to distance itself from the disturbing allegations in the days following their publication.
Official co-founders Nicole Oge, her partner Richard Jordan and Andrew Wachtfogel have not responded to multiple requests for comment by TRD. Their Instagram accounts are private and Official turned off the comment feature on its Instagram posts.
Oren announced Tuesday in a statement posted on his Instagram story that he was taking a “pause” from Official. Oren’s bio was removed from the company’s website and its founder page, though his real estate license is still affiliated with Official, Florida records show. He also made his Instagram account private.
In an internal memo sent the same day, Oge confirmed Oren was stepping away and offered brokers support in fielding inquiries around news of the lawsuits.
“We’re aware that some clients may have concerns and we’d like to help you manage those discussions,” reads the statement, which was obtained by TRD. “Please let us know if you would like us to reach out to clients, prospects, or other partners. If they have specific questions about the news, we will support you in providing answers.”
Official’s PR firm, Dada Goldberg, released a statement on Wednesday that it and Oren had mutually parted ways.
Dada Goldberg appears to still be working with Official, even though it removed the company as one of its clients listed on its website. A Dada Goldberg account director said on Wednesday they were “unable to expand beyond the statement provided” after TRD asked for further comment, including whether Oren is retaining his stake in the company and if it is still representing Official.
Tal, Oge, Jordan and Wachtfogel are continuing to head the brokerage. Tal is overseeing the Alexander Team nationally while Isaac Lustgarten, an agent who has worked with the Alexanders for years, is managing the team in South Florida, according to Oge’s internal email.
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Oren’s listings were transferred to Tal and Lustgarten.
The Official co-founders all previously worked at Douglas Elliman, where Oren and Tal spent a decade building their careers. A spokesperson for Elliman declined to comment on the allegations.
White-label firm Side, the platform behind Official, has not responded to multiple requests for comment. Guy Gal, CEO of Side, did not respond to requests for comment.