Paul Massey is working on building a new commercial brokerage, and to do so, he’s bringing on some familiar faces from the old Massey Knakal Realty Services team.
Since leaving Cushman & Wakefield earlier last month, Massey’s hired former Massey Knakal chief financial officer Michael Wlody and chief operating officer Neil Heilberg to help build the new business, he told The Real Deal.
“It’s going to be a brokerage that will be focused on combining debt brokerage and sales brokerage and heavy on data science, bring transparency to that market,” he said of the as-yet-unnamed company.
Massey said he’s looking to launch the firm, which will focus on the middle market, later this summer.
Adrian Mercado, Massey Knakal’s former head of IT and research, is also said to be planning to join the new company.
Wlody had worked as the treasurer of the fundraising committee for Massey’s unsuccessful run for mayor last year.
Massey took some office space at 275 Madison Avenue after leaving Cushman earlier last month, where he’s worked since he and partner Bob Knakal sold their eponymous brokerage to the firm in late 2014. Knakal’s contract at the firm expires in July.
Former Massey Knakal partner James Nelson also recently left Cushman to join Avison Young, where he’s been working to build a brokerage team.
Mark Maurer contributed reporting.