Marc Lewis, a former top executive at the struggling Coldwell Banker Bellmarc Group, is joining Town Residential and claims he will bring over 4,000 rental listings with him to his new firm, The Real Deal has learned.
Lewis, a 40-year veteran of the industry who was most recently a managing chairman at Coldwell Banker AC Lawrence, will be Town’s new leasing director at the brokerage’s Gramercy Park office. He will be responsible for landlord relations, new business development and recruitment.
Lewis’ departure from Coldwell Banker Bellmarc comes amidst extreme turmoil at that firm, including accusations that its co-founder Neil Binder embezzled money from the brokerage and severe cash flow problems. He is one of many senior executives who left the firm in recent months, as TRD reported.
The largely mid-market rental listings, ranging from $2,000 to $8,000 per month, will come over to Town in the next few weeks, a spokesperson for the brokerage said. They are located in Manhattan neighborhoods such as Midtown East, West Village, the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side. Lewis said he amassed the listings from his stints at Manhattan Apartments, A.C. Lawrence and Century 21.
When Town opened the 50-agent office last year, Cynthia Perez was in charge of rentals. She left in October to work at Platinum Properties, a residential brokerage.
“We’re looking for higher-end agents to do rentals in the middle of the market,” Lewis told TRD.
Andrew Heiberger returned to Town as CEO last month, on the same day that president and COO Jeff Appel left the firm, as TRD reported.