Jonathan Serko
Executive Vice Chair • United States
Local Office:
1290 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10104
United States
Office: +1 (212) 841-5069 x335069
Jonathan Serko
Executive Vice Chair • United States
Profile
Jonathan R. Serko is one of the most accomplished real estate professionals in the industry, with over 35 years of commercial real estate experience, the majority of which was completed in New York. He has been involved with millions of square feet of real estate lease and sales transactions, both in New York and throughout the United States, with an aggregate value of over $15 billion. His clients have included: 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, AIG, American General Corporation, Ohio State Teachers Retirement Fund, S.L. Green, Boston Properties, the Mount Sinai Medical Center, American Cancer Society, The Toronto Dominion Bank, L-3 Communications, US Life, NASDAQ, Major League Baseball and Loews Corporation, Rockefeller & Company, Crowell & Moring and Thompson & Knight.
As an Executive Vice Chairman of Cushman &Wakefield in the firm’s Midtown Manhattan office, Mr. Serko is responsible for the oversight of one of the largest teams at Cushman & Wakefield. Mr. Serko was designated as a Top 100 Brokerage Professional in the nation during his 28 year tenure at Cushman & Wakefield. In 2005, and then again annually from 2012-2017, Mr. Serko was named as one of Costar’s Power Brokers, part of an elite list of 21 chosen from more than 1,500 professionals. He is the recipient of multiple awards, including Deal of the Year in 2004, 2000 and 1995. Major media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Post, Daily News, Real Estate Forum, Real Estate New York, Crain’s New York Business, and Globe Street, have featured his transactions and he appears frequently in the industries’ top periodicals and news stories. In 2017 he was awarded REBNY’s “Most Ingenious” Deal of the Year Award for a 600,000 sf lease, a ground lease and a financing for 1199SEIU.
As an Executive Vice Chairman of Cushman &Wakefield in the firm’s Midtown Manhattan office, Mr. Serko is responsible for the oversight of one of the largest teams at Cushman & Wakefield. Mr. Serko was designated as a Top 100 Brokerage Professional in the nation during his 28 year tenure at Cushman & Wakefield. In 2005, and then again annually from 2012-2017, Mr. Serko was named as one of Costar’s Power Brokers, part of an elite list of 21 chosen from more than 1,500 professionals. He is the recipient of multiple awards, including Deal of the Year in 2004, 2000 and 1995. Major media, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Post, Daily News, Real Estate Forum, Real Estate New York, Crain’s New York Business, and Globe Street, have featured his transactions and he appears frequently in the industries’ top periodicals and news stories. In 2017 he was awarded REBNY’s “Most Ingenious” Deal of the Year Award for a 600,000 sf lease, a ground lease and a financing for 1199SEIU.
Education
Bachelor of Arts degree, Magna Cum Laude with Honors, from Brandeis UniversityProfessional Affiliations
- The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), Senior Member
- Young Men’s/Women’s Real Estate Association, Senior Member
- Nassau County Museum of Art, Board of Trustees Member
- Friend of the Arts, Board Member
- AHRC of New York, Co-Chair of Fundraising Committee & Member
- The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Annual Fundraiser
- Boston College Wall Street Council, Member
Community Leadership
Mr. Serko serves on the board of the Nassau County Museum of Art, one of the largest suburban art museums in the country; and on the board of Friends of the Arts, a community organization dedicated to education for children and cultural enrichment. He is an active member and co-chair of the fundraising committee for the AHRC of New York, and is involved with the annual fund raising efforts for The Parker Institute
Assignments
- 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East – Represented the health care union in a nearly 600,000 sf relocation to 498 Seventh Avenue.
- Mount Sinai Medical Center: Mr. Serko has completed over 800,000 sf of assignments for the Mount Sinai Medical Center, including a headquarters consolidation of 450,000 sf, a 75,060 sf lease at One Pierrepont Plaza in Brooklyn, New York, a 150,000 square foot lease at 1 Park Avenue and a 44,000 sf leasehold condominium at 633 Third Avenue.
- Hellman & Friedman – Represented Hellman & Friedman in the acquisition and renewal of their New York City headquarters office.
- Crowell & Moring – Represented the law firm in the acquisition of 100,000 sf lease at 590 Madison Avenue.
- Rockefeller & Company – Represented the $35 billion Rockefeller family office in its headquarters move to 45 Rockefeller Center.
- WeWork – Representing WeWork over the last 5 years, securing 26 locations totaling in excess of 1 msf in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Portland, Mexico City, Denver, London, Amsterdam and Berlin.
- General Growth Properties (GGP) – Represented GGP in its New York City headquarters office acquisition; leasing and property management for General Growth Properties’ offices for Mizner Park, Columbia Corporate Center, Baltimore and Owings Mills Maryland—a 1.5 msf assignment.
- American Cancer Society – Innovative work with the American Cancer Society to create a New York City combined headquarters and a 60+ room “Hope Lodge,” which provides free housing for patients and their caregivers, received the REBNY “Most Ingenious” Deal of The Year Award.
- National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), a/k/a NASDAQ OMX – Served as real estate advisor to the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD); and secured the fourth largest transaction in Downtown Manhattan for the NASD’s headquarters, 266,925 sf at One Liberty Plaza. Renegotiated a new lease for NASDAQ’s world famous, Times Square electronic sign and office/retail space, which was nominated for the REBNY Deal of The Year.
- Multiple Family Offices – Provided real estate services for family offices, including Black Family Office, Rowan Family Office, Degunsberg (First Spring) Family Office and Bloomingdale Family Office.
- The American General Corporation – Among his numerous accomplishments in the national/corporate arena he was responsible for the formation of a new strategic alliance partnership with the management and leasing of the American General Center, a 2.2 msf office complex on 50 acres in Houston, Texas, and 3,500 locations nationally, comprising 11 msf across the nation.