Development

Real estate development encompasses a variety of processes and can mean different things. The process can include renovation of an existing space, altering a space to suit a new purpose, or developing raw land from start to finish. Although real estate development is separate from construction, real estate developers may oversee construction processes. Developers may require consultants to plan a space, architects to design it, engineers to configure, lenders to finance, and contractors to build, all within one project. Development can occur under the auspices of a pre-existing buyer or owner of land or without one; the latter is called speculative development.

Development teams include a variety of professionals to help development processes from beginning to end. They utilize lawyers, consultants, architects, site planners, and more before any sort of construction begins. The Real Deal compiles an annual list of the largest developers in New York City. In 2018, New York's developers with the most square feet of projects in the works were Related Companies, Brookfield Property Partners, Tishman Speyer, GID Development Group, and SL Green Realty.