James Nelson brings to every real estate transaction he works on the determination to win, the tenacity and hard work to succeed, and the confidence that comes from years of experience in the field. At Massey Knakal Realty Services since 1998 and a partner since 2004, James has been involved in the sale of approximately 260 properties and loans with an aggregate value of over $1.9 billion. He is also a partner in MKRO I, Massey Knakal’s value-added private equity real estate fund.
James has won numerous awards and been recognized for his well-earned success both inside Massey Knakal, as well as by his peers in the real estate community. Between 2002 and 2012, he has been awarded Massey Knakal’s top honor, The Annual Gerald W. Bridges Award for Annual Salesperson of the Year (company-wide) six times (’02, ’03, ’08, ’10, ’11, ’12). In April 2011, he was included by The Real Deal as one of the Top 35 and Under NYC Real Estate Players and was recently ranked as the #1 Top NYC Deal Maker by LoopNet, an online Commercial Real Estate Publication.
His market knowledge extends across a wide range of properties including townhouses, apartment buildings, retail stores, and development sites. James thrives on challenge, most recently exemplified with his sale of two Portfolios, the first consisting of 11 multifamily walk-up apartment buildings in Greenwich Village, Murray Hill, and the Upper East Side for $73 million, and the second consisting of a three building portfolio of both mixed-use and multifamily assets, in Greenwich Village, SoHo, and the Lower East Side for over $49 million. Both sales required a mix of strong market understanding and a disciplined strategy to achieve the best possible results for his clients.
James is a licensed New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts’s real estate broker. He also holds a salesperson’s license in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
He credits his success to a work ethic ingrained in him since his days as captain of his college swim team and more recently as a triathlete. Never giving up with a finish line clearly in his sights, James has been his firm’s top producer for 5 of the past 6 years, surpassed only by the founding partners. His access to the largest audience of qualified bidders enabled him to successfully close on the $34 million Bleeker Street retail portfolio, garnering the third highest price per square foot ever paid in the U.S. at that time.
Although James represents sellers, his sense of fair game, transparency, and integrity guide him to create win/win situations for both buyers and sellers. His depth of knowledge, extensive buyer outreach, and honest feedback result in properly priced properties, widest exposure to qualified, motivated buyers, an extensive inventory, the highest closing prices and timely results.
James works with a dedicated team of four associates and a sales team manager who help support his business. The most senior include Doug Shafer, Mitchell Levine, Caroline Hannigan, Matt Nickerson and Matthew Bowman.
His noteworthy sales have included: 102-08 West 57th Street to Hilton Land Vacations for $63,000,000; 625 Broadway for $60,900,000; The Portman Portfolio for $55,000,000; the 99 year land lease of 10-12 Bond Street valued at over $60,000,000; the Bleecker Street Retail Portfolio for $34,000,000; and the former VillageCare Nursing Home for slightly over $33,000,000; and 100 Vandam Street for $27,500,000.
His client list includes The Archdiocese of New York, Argo Real Estate, Bank of America, Beck Street Capital, The Bromley Companies, CIM, HFZ, HJ Development, Dime Savings, Icon, Jakobson Properties, LLC, J D Carlisle, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Kimco Realty, The Lefrak Organization, Midwood Development Corp, New York City Regional Center, R A Cohen, RAL, Related Companies, Time Equities, Toll Brothers, US Bank, Village Care New York, Wells Fargo, The Witkoff Group, Zeckendorf Development, as well as many private individuals.
James’ involvement in the real estate community extends beyond the walls of Massey Knakal. He has taught as an adjunct professor and is currently a guest lecturer at New York University’s Continuing Education program. He is a member of the Commercial Board of Directors, a panelist, and instructor for the Real Estate Board of New York. He has been quoted and has been a source for articles on real estate in the New York Times, New York Post, New York Magazine, Real Estate Weekly and Mann Report. He is a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association of New York, National Realty Club, and the Young Real Estate Professionals. He also co-founded the Colgate Real Estate Council.
The need to give back to the community and to those who need a helping hand was an early call for James. James is on The Catalog for Giving’s honorary board, a NYC non-profit that provides funding to 10 local charities devoted to at-risk youths through a variety of programs that include education, mentorship, extra-curricular activities, and the opportunity to expand their horizons beyond their immediate neighborhoods. James has also been honored by the Varardi Ovarian Initiative for Cancer Education (VOICE) as their corporate honoree.
James graduated from St. Andrew's Boarding School in Middletown, DE in 1994 and Colgate University in 1998 where he received a degree in English. Originally from Bethesda, MD, he and his wife, Allison, live in Old Greenwich, CT with their sons, Luke, Austin and Trevor. He can be reached in the Manhattan office at 212.696.2500 x7710.