Ira Schuman and David Carlos were the recipients of REBNY’s “Edward S. Gordon Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award” for their work with Congregation Habonim.
Savills Studley is pleased to announce that Ira Schuman, Executive Vice President, and David Carlos, Managing Director, were the recipients of REBNY’s “Edward S. Gordon Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award” for their work with Congregation Habonim. The award, which is presented annually to brokers who have demonstrated, “resourcefulness and originality in solving difficult problems in property negotiation,” was presented at the organization’s Annual Sales Brokers Committee’s Cocktail Party.
The team’s submission was entitled, “Divine Intervention or Deal: The Story of the Sale, Repurchase, Rebuilding and Temporary Home for Congregation Habonim.” The award-winning transaction involved selling the Congregation’s site along with the adjoining site, selecting and building a temporary home and reoccupying a portion of their original location in a new building. The result enabled the Congregation to more than double its size to 27,000 square feet.
“The challenge was finding a solution that would achieve the best end-result for the client when there didn’t seem to be one. Once we realized the answer was a sale, temporary relocation and a simultaneous transaction to reoccupy the space, we quickly realized we had created the best case scenario for all parties. Savills Studley’s approach will also result in a major addition to the Congregation’s endowment—a true win-win,” said Schuman. “It is an honor to be recognized by your peers for completing such a challenging and multifaceted deal.”
Schuman, along with his other partner Dan Horowitz, previously won REBNY’s Henry Hart Rice Award for Most Ingenious Deal of the Year in 2010 for their work with City University of New York.
“Savills Studley is honored to see its team recognized for its tireless work helping clients accomplish their real estate goals, something we strive to achieve at the highest level for every organization that we work for,” said Mitchell Steir, CEO of Savills Studley. “We congratulate Ira and David on their hard work, creativity and persistence working with Congregation Habonim—their solution truly was ingenious!”