Ariel Aber Joins CBRE’s Investment Sales Team

DivcoWest’s Ariel Aber has jumped ship to join CBRE’s investment sales team.

Aber, who headed New York investments for seven years at California-based DivcoWest, will partner with Doug Middleton to source and execute institutional investments in the Big Apple, the firm announced. It will be his first foray into brokerage.

At DivcoWest, Aber helmed the 2019 purchase of the 1970s-era office building at 540 Madison Avenue from Boston Properties for $310 million. The same year, he struck a deal to buy the Hell’s Kitchen office building at 311 West 43rd Street for $131 million from Billy Macklowe’s firm and one of its partners.

Aber also handled DivcoWest’s 2021 purchase of Jamestown Properties’ 325 Hudson Street for $135 million.

Before DivcoWest, Aber managed global real estate operations for AmTrust Financial.

Aber’s shift comes at a precarious time for investment sales. The Manhattan market had a mixed first quarter, clocking 84 transactions valued at $2.7 billion, according to Avison Young. That’s a 12 percent jump in transactions and a 17 percent decrease in dollar volume from the previous quarter.