Ground Lease Broker Manhattan NYC

A ground lease is a long-term lease (typically 99 years in NYC) under which a landowner leases land to a tenant who builds on or improves it. They are common in Manhattan because the developer gets a prime site for less capital up front, while the landowner keeps ownership and collects inflation-protected income for decades.

The terms that matter most: lease duration (typically 49-99 years), base rent and escalations, rent reset provisions, subordination or non-subordination, purchase options, who owns the improvements during and after the lease, financing rights, and assignment and sublease provisions. Robert Khodadadian structures and negotiates all of them.

Ground lease valuation weighs land value, remaining lease term, rent relative to market, escalation provisions, reset risk, subordination status, improvement value, and comparable transactions. Our own $65M 236 Fifth Avenue and $35M 135 West 29th Street deals are among the best comparables in the market.

A rent reset is a periodic adjustment (typically every 20-25 years) that brings ground rent back to market. A badly drafted reset can sharply raise the tenant's costs or cut the landlord's return. Robert Khodadadian has discussed reset strategy and lease structuring in Commercial Observer.

Robert Khodadadian has closed $120M+ in ground lease transactions, including 236 Fifth Avenue ($65M), 135 West 29th Street ($35M), and 4-14 West 125th Street ($20M), across NoMad, Chelsea, and Harlem. He has discussed ground lease strategy in Commercial Observer, and owners bring him in when a lease structure gets complicated.

A ground lease suits a landowner who wants to preserve family wealth over the long term, collect inflation-protected income, keep ownership and the appreciation, gain estate planning benefits, and avoid capital gains tax. A sale makes more sense when you need liquidity now or the market favors selling. Skyline Properties will tell you which structure fits your situation.