New York City remains one of the most dynamic real estate markets in the world. Despite cyclical downturns and policy headwinds, the city consistently attracts billions in capital from institutional investors, family offices, and private equity firms. According to CBRE, 2023 saw over $30 billion in commercial real estate transactions across the five boroughs, led by industrial, multifamily, and life sciences assets. Midtown Manhattan continues to command top dollar, but attention is shifting to neighbourhoods like Long Island City, Gowanus, and the South Bronx, where rezoning, infrastructure upgrades, and hybrid-use developments are drawing long-term capital.

For developers, operators, and real estate tech founders navigating this terrain, the quality of your capital partners matters just as much as the cost of capital. Who will commit beyond the cheque? Who brings more than money to the table? This post offers a curated list of real estate investors – both institutional and private – actively deploying capital into New York real estate and proptech ventures. Whether you’re structuring a joint venture, fundraising for your next repositioning project, or building a tech layer over leasing ops, these are the names you should know.

• Blackstone Real Estate – One of the largest owners of real estate globally, Blackstone has billions deployed across New York. Major assets include Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village and former Equity Office properties in Manhattan. The firm is also active in industrial real estate through Link Logistics. Nadeem Meghji leads their Americas real estate business.
• Related Companies – Best known for developing Hudson Yards, Related is a vertically integrated real estate powerhouse. Their venture arm, Related Ventures, has also backed real estate tech platforms like VTS and Measurabl. CEO Jeff Blau is one of the most influential figures in New York real estate.
• GreenOak Real Estate (now BentallGreenOak) – A global real estate investment firm with a deep presence in NYC multifamily and office repositioning. They were part of the team behind the $1.8B redevelopment of 660 Fifth Avenue.
• SL Green Realty Corp – NYC’s largest office landlord, with over 30 million square feet under management. Recently completed the development of One Vanderbilt next to Grand Central Terminal. Their investment committee has become more active in recapitalisations and debt restructurings post-COVID.
• Tishman Speyer – One of the city’s most prominent owners and developers. They led the transformation of Rockefeller Center and developed The Spiral in Hudson Yards. Their tech incubator, TS Labs, has launched ventures in modular construction and tenant experience.
• Silverstein Properties – Developer of the World Trade Center complex, Silverstein continues to invest in ground-up and repositioned assets across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Larry Silverstein remains an active figure in deal structuring and philanthropy.
• Brookfield Properties – Global investor and operator with flagship assets like Brookfield Place and Manhattan West. They have increasingly partnered with tech-enabled operators and have made investments into construction automation and AI-based leasing platforms.
• Stonehenge NYC – Focused on residential rental buildings across Manhattan, especially Upper West Side and Midtown. CEO Ofer Yardeni is known for hands-on deal-making and has recently participated in multifamily syndications with younger operators.
• AvalonBay Communities – REIT with several high-end residential towers across NYC. Their Avalon Willoughby Square project in Brooklyn is one of the borough’s tallest residential buildings. The company is investing heavily in smart apartment tech integrations.
• LCOR – A real estate investment and development firm with a mixed-use portfolio across the Tri-State area. Notable for its North Tower at 25 Broad Street and its involvement in Penn Station redevelopment discussions.
• 247 Real Estate Capital – Boutique investment group focusing on distressed and underperforming commercial assets. Recently backed the repositioning of a warehouse-to-lifestyle centre in Long Island City.
• Sam Chandan – A respected economist and private investor active in data-driven commercial property ventures. Chandan has advised and invested in proptech startups focused on valuation models and ESG scoring systems for urban buildings.
• RXR Realty – With over 26 million square feet owned or managed in the NYC metro area, RXR has repositioned several Midtown East buildings into flexible office hubs. CEO Scott Rechler is also co-chair of the Regional Plan Association.
• The Refinery – A venture and private capital group investing in early-stage proptech startups and design-led developers. They’ve backed VerticalRent and invested in a co-living conversion project in Crown Heights.
• Naftali Group – Known for luxury condo developments like The Benson and The Bellemont. CEO Miki Naftali frequently partners with international equity to co-invest in ground-up Manhattan projects.
• GDSNY – Design-led real estate investor and developer with a focus on commercial spaces for creative industries. Known for 1245 Broadway and their partnership with Boston Properties on 343 Madison Avenue.
• DDG Partners – Blending architecture, development, and investment, DDG is behind the innovative 180 East 88th Street and 100 Franklin. They often co-invest with family offices seeking exposure to NYC luxury assets.
• Pilot – A tech-first real estate investment firm focused on automating rent collection, maintenance workflows, and lease management. Backed by a combination of angel investors and micro-VCs targeting NYC’s multifamily segment.
• Bruman Realty – Family-run investor focused on repositioning rent-stabilised properties in the Bronx and Washington Heights. Recently raised a small fund to acquire under-managed walk-ups in Inwood.
• Tamarack Investment – Private equity firm quietly assembling a portfolio of life sciences-ready office buildings and wet labs. Backed the conversion of a former retail warehouse near Columbia University’s medical campus.

Need more investor leads for your next capital raise? Explore DealStructuring.com – a powerful resource for entrepreneurs looking to understand how to structure investor relationships effectively in the real estate space.

Among the emerging developers to watch in New York are Crown Capital, pushing a series of adaptive reuse projects in Bushwick, and Arcturus, a team of MIT alumni building high-performance, carbon-neutral micro-developments in Harlem and Astoria. Both are on the radar of forward-looking family offices and niche VC firms.

New York real estate is not for the faint of heart. High stakes. High costs. High velocity. But also high reward. The next generation of asset managers will be those who can navigate not just bricks and leases, but APIs and carbon reports. Who’s backing you?