Brause Realty

What Brause Realty does

Brause Realty Inc. is a family-owned real estate investment and management firm operating since 1927, with the corporate entity formalized under its current name in 1963. The firm owns and manages approximately 3 million square feet of commercial and residential real estate, comprising more than 1,000 residential units, across the New York City metropolitan area with selected properties in Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, and Florida. The portfolio spans three operating segments: Class A and historic office buildings in Manhattan and Long Island City (including the headquarters at 52 Vanderbilt Avenue), retail centers with national chain anchors such as Walgreens, McDonald's, Gap, Athleta, and Dollar General, and luxury residential assets including The Lotus NYC, The Forge, Blu Atlantic, and 150 East 57th Street. Leadership has passed through three generations of the Brause family — Jack and Samuel Brause as founders, Louis Brause as co-namer of the corporate entity, and David Brause as current President — with additional family members in operational and leasing roles.

Revenue is generated through subscription-recurring long-term leases across the office, retail, and residential segments, with pricing not publicly disclosed and varying by property, location, and unit type. The go-to-market motion is direct leasing: the company owns and manages its portfolio directly, using in-house leasing directors for Manhattan office and shopping center portfolios rather than third-party brokers. Capital is allocated toward preserving historic 20th-century buildings while integrating modern technology — including solar roofing at 88-36 77th Avenue, electric HVAC at The Lotus NYC, and curated amenity spaces (rooftop terraces, fitness centers, food halls, conference facilities) intended to retain tenants and support premium positioning.

The 2024 topping out of The Lotus NYC, repositioning of Brewster LIC, and entry into Florida via Blu Atlantic indicate active development and selective geographic expansion, though the firm operates with a lean 1–10 employee structure and no external capital partners. Three generations of family control, landmarked properties such as 37 West 39th Street, and nearly a century of NYC operating history constitute the principal sources of differentiation, with the long-term recurring lease model providing revenue visibility subject to NYC office market cyclicality.

Name

Brause Realty

Legal name

Brause Realty Inc.

Website

https://brauserealty.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Brause Realty is a family-owned real estate investment firm founded in 1927 that owns and manages approximately 3 million square feet of commercial office, retail, and luxury residential properties, primarily in the NYC metro area with select assets across CT, NJ, MD, and FL.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Commercial Office Leasing: Long-term leasing of office spaces to businesses in Manhattan, Long Island City, and other metro area locations. Revenue generated through monthly rent payments from office tenants.
2. Retail Property Leasing: Leasing of retail spaces to national chains and local businesses across New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, and Florida. Revenue from monthly retail rent.
3. Residential Leasing: Rental income from residential properties including luxury apartments in NYC metro area and Delray Beach, FL. Properties include The Lotus NYC, The Forge, Blu Atlantic, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Core offering

Brause Realty is a family-owned real estate investment and management firm that acquires, owns, develops, and directly leases premium office, retail, and residential properties concentrated in the New York City metropolitan area with select holdings in Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, and Florida. The firm leases Class A office space in Manhattan and Long Island City, operates grocery-anchored and single-tenant retail centers across five states, and offers luxury residential rental apartments with curated amenities. Revenue is generated through recurring monthly rent from commercial and residential tenants under direct in-house management.

Product overview

Brause Realty is a family-owned real estate investment and management firm founded in 1927, specializing in commercial and residential properties. The company operates a multi-segment portfolio including: (1) Residential Properties - luxury rental buildings in NYC (The Lotus NYC, 150 East 57th Street) and Long Island City (The Forge), plus garden-style communities in Florida (Blu Atlantic) and Saratoga Springs (Apartments at Congress Park Centre); (2) Office Properties - Class A office buildings in Manhattan (52 Vanderbilt Avenue, 41 Union Square West, 141 West 36th Street, 320 Fifth Avenue, 21 West 38th Street, 254 West 31st Street, 37 West 39th Street, 37 Union Square West, 330 East 59th Street), Long Island City (Brewster LIC, 88-36 77th Avenue), and Saratoga Springs (Congress Park Centre); (3) Retail Properties - shopping centers and single-tenant retail across NY, CT, NJ, MD, and FL. The firm focuses on historic buildings in NYC metro area while expanding into select national markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Lotus NYC 20-floor luxury residential rental building at 255 East 39th Street, New York, NY, designed by CetraRuddy, featuring 157 residences from studios to two-bedrooms with sustainability and wellness focus, vegan-friendly design principles, electric HVAC systems, and amenities including rooftop terrace, fitness center, and golf simulator.
• The Forge 38-story residential tower at 44-28 Purves Street, Long Island City, featuring over 26,000 square feet of amenities including outdoor pool, rooftop sun terrace, coworking spaces, fitness center, and private park, with units ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments.
• Blu Atlantic Garden-style residential community at 5550 Nepsa Way, Delray Beach, FL, with Mediterranean-style buildings surrounding a 1.4-acre lake, featuring a 4,400-square-foot clubhouse, pool, fitness center, dog park, and one-to-three-bedroom homes.
• 150 East 57th Street 34-story residential building featuring alcove studios and one- to three-bedroom residences with marble dining galleries, 24-hour attended lobby, concierge services, and fitness center, located in Midtown East Manhattan.
• The Apartments at Congress Park Centre Luxury rental residences in Saratoga Springs, NY, offering one-to-three-bedroom apartments with oak floors, upgraded appliances, high-speed internet access, and patios overlooking Broadway, with free parking for two-bedroom units.
• 52 Vanderbilt Avenue 21-story Class A office building at the southwest corner of 45th Street and Vanderbilt Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, featuring direct interior access to Grand Central Terminal, Club Fifty-Two amenity center, and suites ranging from 776 to 9,275 rentable square feet.
• 41 Union Square West 19th-century boutique loft building with 17 floors (2,000-10,000 square feet each) in Union Square, featuring gilded ceiling and mosaic flooring in the lobby, currently undergoing capital improvements including hallway lighting and life safety system upgrades, with creative tenants including artists and yoga studios.
• 141 West 36th Street 22-story building in Midtown South with loft-like spaces, eco-friendly lighting, and the B Hive amenity space featuring lounge, conference space, and ping pong table; floors range from 1,000 to 6,533 rentable square feet.
• 320 Fifth Avenue 12-story office and showroom building built in 1904 at Fifth Avenue and 32nd Street in the SoFi district, offering full floors of 9,275 to 10,748 rentable square feet with divisions from 700 to 6,000 square feet, popular with accessory, handbag, and textile buyers.
• 21 West 38th Street Boutique midtown property west of Murray Hill with full floor tenant spaces of 4,465 rentable square feet each, featuring recently upgraded elevators and proximity to Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station.
• 254 West 31st Street 15-story office building across from Penn Station and Madison Square Garden in the Hudson Yards/Penn District, featuring a multi-million dollar facade, lobby, and elevator upgrade in 2017, with floors ranging from 3,069 to 5,240 rentable square feet.
• 37 West 39th Street 12-story office, showroom, and retail building built in 1912 with terra-cotta facade designed by Frederick C. Zobel, designated as a NYC Landmark in 2011, located near Times Square and the 42nd Street transit hub.
• 37 Union Square West 6-story, 25,200 square foot building built in 1921 with typical floors of 4,500 rentable square feet, high ceilings, and views of Union Square Park, located steps from multiple subway lines.
• 330 East 59th Street 8-story loft building with floor-to-ceiling windows, 13-foot exposed ceilings, full-floor identity with typical floor sizes of 5,037 rentable square feet, located two blocks from major subway lines.
• Brewster LIC Class A office building at 27-01 Queens Plaza N, Long Island City, with up to 150,000 SF available including a contiguous block of 118,000 SF across floors 8-13, featuring tenant lounge, conference center, rooftop terrace, fitness facility, and on-site food hall.
• 88-36 77th Avenue Industrial building in Glendale, NY occupied by CDL Last Mile Solutions with state-of-the-art solar roofing that powers the occupant and neighbors; anchor tenant is Bowe Industries Inc.
• Congress Park Centre Mixed-use development in Saratoga Springs, NY, built in 1998 offering Class A office space, modern retail space, and 30 luxury rental apartments, with anchor tenants including Athleta, Aveda, Loft, The Gap, FedEx Kinkos, Chicos, Rockefeller Capital Management, Goldman Sachs & Co., and Raymond James.
• Retail Portfolio Commercial retail properties across New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, and Florida including grocery-anchored shopping centers, single-tenant retail, and mixed-use developments with tenants such as Price Chopper (Market 32), Tops Supermarket, Walgreens, Dollar General, Burlington Coat Factory, Staples, McDonald's, Hyundai Auto, and Pep Boys.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 Million SF owned and managed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rudin Management Company: Family-owned NYC real estate owner/operator with a multi-million-SF Manhattan office and residential portfolio built over four generations. Closest comparable in business model, family stewardship, and Manhattan-centric strategy to Brause Realty.
• The Durst Organization: Family-owned NYC real estate firm managing a large Class A office and residential portfolio with a focus on sustainability and historic preservation. Comparable to Brause on family ownership, Manhattan concentration, and ESG-forward building investments.
• LeFrak: Multi-generational family-owned real estate firm with large Manhattan and tri-state-area residential, office, and retail holdings. Closely comparable to Brause on family governance and diversified urban real estate portfolio.
• GFP Real Estate: Family-owned NYC commercial real estate owner/operator managing a multi-million-SF office and retail portfolio across Manhattan. Closely comparable to Brause on family ownership and Manhattan office/retail mix.

Broad incumbents

• Vornado Realty Trust: Public REIT with a Manhattan office portfolio centered on Penn Station and other trophy locations. Comparable to Brause's NYC office concentration but at much larger scale and with public-market governance.
• SL Green Realty: Largest Manhattan office landlord, publicly traded. Directly comparable to Brause's Manhattan office cluster in product type and geography, though at substantially larger scale and with public-capital structure.
• Empire State Realty Trust: Public REIT owning Class A Manhattan and metro-area office and retail including the Empire State Building. Overlaps with Brause on Manhattan office and mixed-use strategy, with public-market scale and capital access.
• Tishman Speyer: Global owner/developer of Class A office and mixed-use properties with significant Manhattan presence. Comparable to Brause on office product quality and Manhattan focus, though with broader geographic and capital-market reach.
• BXP (Boston Properties): Large publicly traded Class A office REIT with a meaningful NYC presence. Comparable to Brause on trophy office ownership and tenant caliber, though at substantially larger scale.
• The Related Companies: Major NYC-focused developer and owner of mixed-use, office, and luxury residential properties including Hudson Yards. Comparable to Brause on luxury NYC residential (e.g., The Forge, The Lotus NYC) and mixed-use strategy, though at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brause-realty-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brause Realty