NEW YORK – (June 5, 2013) - Classroom C, at the Society’s 3 Park Avenue offices, was jammed packed and intensely quiet June 5 when New York City real-estate mogul James Kuhn shared his personal story and offered his sage wisdom about the future of the city’s booming property market.

Kuhn, president of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank – one of the largest global brokerage firms in the world - was the keynote speaker at the NYSSCPA’s Real Estate Committee’s 2013 Open House.

“I never thought I’d end up being a real estate broker until I became a real estate broker,” Kuhn said while recalling his job at Metropolitan Life during one of New York City’s worst recessions ever in the mid-70s.   

During the next 60 minutes, Kuhn discussed the last 40 years  of acquisitions, leases, consolidations and liquidations where it’s estimated that he’s been involved (as a broker, advisor or principal) in more than $3 billion in transactions for 25 million square feet of commercial and resident real estate.

His PowerPoint presentation included statistics and insights on employment trends, venture capital and office property sales by U.S. market and an explanation of  how two acronyms – REIT (Real Estate Investment Trusts) and FIRPTA (Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act) hold the key to future acquisition, management and partnership opportunities for U.S. and foreign investors.

ABOUT THE NYSSCPA

Incorporated in 1897 and now representing more than 29,000 CPAs, the NYSSCPA is a not-for-profit organization that represents the issues, standards and public services efforts of certified public accountants who practice in New York State; encompassing all areas of public practice, government, education, business, and industry. Visit the Society’s website at nysscpa.org for more information.