COMPANY

With its focus on quality development programs, AWRE has earned the trust and confidence of civic and business leaders through its professionalism, high corporate standards, and personal commitment to projects. The firm is located in Harrison, NY and employs a staff of 12 professionals, with expertise in real estate investment, management, and development. Moreover, AWRE’s organizational structure is lean, enabling its executives to be intimately involved in all asset management and investment decisions.
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Past projects have included all categories of commercial development such as hospitality, retail, office, and industrial properties. The common thread for the firm’s accomplishments has been its hands-on, creative development approach with an ability to identify and capitalize on value-oriented investments.

AWRE also gets personally involved in the communities in which it does business. In Yonkers for example, Alan Weissman was the past president of the Yonkers Jewish Council, former Vice Chairman of the Yonkers Chamber of Commerce and a former board member of the Yonkers Library Foundation.

Founder, Alfred Weissman, who passed away in March 2016 was also very active in the community as well. He was a strong supporter of many veteran groups in the city and was very proud of his 30-year service as a board member of the St. Joseph’s Hospital in the city. In fact, he was posthumously, honored by Mayor Spano and the City Council in 2017 for his decades of service to the city. The main city flag pole at City Hall was named in his memory.

Investment Philosophy

In the current climate, large real estate private equity funds, REITs and other investors are raising billions in capital in anticipation of attractive buying opportunities. Many of these firms have raised funds to shore up severely damaged balance sheets, or to pursue financing and debt strategies.
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AWRE’s financial health is strong, due to its long-term and conservative investment outlook and active asset management of its portfolio. By attracting like-minded investors, AWRE will have a competitive advantage over its underfunded peers and can thereby take advantage of investment opportunities.

​AWRE targets investments that have superb risk/reward characteristics but are still overlooked by the larger players.

Real estate is a valued long-term business. Our goal is to create solid investments without the pressure of unrealistically high promised rates of return through speculation or overleveraging. The recent market collapse is a reminder that real estate investing requires a conservative long range approach.

Our fundamental belief is that real estate profits are made when a property is purchased, not when it is sold. For this reason, AWRE has always looked for low cost assets with large potential returns. These investments are not easy to find, so we source them intelligently, by nurturing and establishing long-term relationships, and by actively seeking off-the-radar opportunities. Rarely do good investments come passively.

AWRE has had success purchasing assets from large corporations that are not real estate focused. Many of these firms own real estate to facilitate their primary business operations, and often look to book value instead of market value to determine the sale price for distressed or surplus assets. To many corporations, the purity of removing real estate holdings from their balance sheet is more important than a price that barely moves the needle. With the massive cost and uncertainty of the entitlement process in strong locations, AWRE mostly looks to control existing buildings either through equity or debt investments; the purchase of land that would require special circumstances.

Investment Targets

AWRE will seek attractive value-add equity and debt investment opportunities in the Northeastern United States. Our target investment is over 50,000 square feet, a niche that limits competition from firms too large and too small. We are more inclined to look for odd lot purchases of debt or equity investments and surplus real estate than portfolio level acquisitions. Hotel re-positioning is also an attractive area of opportunity.
For equity transactions, we will target properties that are in distress, either from an asset or financial standpoint. Asset issues may include structural defects, high vacancy, incomplete construction, environmental contamination, or general mismanagement by ownership. Financial issues include lack of funding or overleveraging, or poor vacancy rates.

Real estate debt opportunities are a predominant focus for the industry today, given the recent dislocation in the global credit markets. Real estate debt is more difficult and expensive to obtain. Coupled with weakened property fundamentals, a property owner’s ability to refinance is highly uncertain and many owners will be faced with the prospect of surrendering properties to their lenders. AWRE will target non-performing loans as well as bank foreclosed and owned real estate. Typically, lenders are anxious to clear troubled mortgages from their balance sheet and banks have written down properties to very low levels.

Track Record

The firm has demonstrated a propensity for buying good properties at opportunity pricing and actively asset managing them to maximize income. The result has been substantial returns over the firm’s long history.
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Past accomplishments include the conversion of a two-story, Class A office building into a three-story building while the tenant was in possession, the conversion of the former Saks Fifth Avenue distribution center, the redevelopment of a vacant 133,000 square foot, Class A office building for the Dannon US Headquarters, the redevelopment of the former Saks Fifth Avenue Department into a mixed-use property, and the redevelopment of a 208-room DoubleTree hotel in Upstate New York.

Current projects include the redevelopment of an 18 acre, 150,000 square foot vacant shopping center in Rockland County, the redevelopment of a 100,000 square foot shopping center in Massachusetts, and the conversion of a vacant 167,000 square foot office building in Binghamton, NY.

AWRE History

Starting his career in the commercial real estate business in 1969, Alfred Weissman was recognized for his outstanding reputation for professional excellence, management responsibility, and for both financial and personal integrity. Alfred started his career focusing on both management and brokerage with Helmsley Spear. After many successful years with Helmsley Spear, he was offered a partnership at Newmark and Company where he started purchasing and developing commercial properties. Wanting to focus more on development, he and a partner led Newmark to start Weissman Winoker Real Estate, which engaged in brokerage and development. In 1982, Weissman Winoker was split creating Alfred Weissman Real Estate, Inc., which focused on real estate development.

He was a graduate of Syracuse University, was a Director on the Board of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, and was veteran of the U.S. Army. He had great respect for those serving in the U.S. Army and devoted his time and energy for the U.S.O. to benefit our military members. He worked closely with the 10th