REAL New York is a leading New York City real estate brokerage specializing in landlord-forward rental and sales of residential and commercial properties. With a growing portfolio of clients, the firm has built a competitive advantage through deep market knowledge, strong landlord relationships, and a hands-on approach to leasing and development advisory.
As REAL New York enters its next phase of growth, the co-founders are making a deliberate investment in leadership, operational infrastructure, financial discipline, and technology; positioning the firm to scale intelligently in an increasingly competitive market.
The Opportunity
REAL NY is seeking a Chief Operating Officer to serve as the senior leader of the business. This is not a traditional ops role. The COO will own five interconnected pillars — finance, people, operations, technology, and strategy and will be the executive layer between the co-founders and the rest of the organization.
The ideal candidate is a seasoned NYC real estate professional who is equally comfortable presenting a financial model, leading a technology roadmap, and building a high-performing team. This person runs the business so the co-founders can focus on what they do best — building relationships with landlords, developers, and institutional clients.
Five Pillars of OwnershipCorporate StrategyFinancePeople and HROperationsTechnology
Key Responsibilities
- Corporate Strategy
- Partner closely with the co-founders to shape long-term company direction, identify opportunities for growth and strategic alliances, and provide executive-level input on business initiatives, staffing, and operational priorities.
- Finance & Accounting
- Lead all finance operations, ensuring a scalable and efficient team structure that supports company growth
- Collaborate closely with the established finance team and co-founders on P&L review, financial planning, and continuous process improvement
- Maintain rigorous financial controls and reporting accuracy across accounts payable/receivable, collections, month-end close, and reconciliation
- Oversee budget projections, monthly goal reporting, and financial analysis to support strategic decision-making
- Develop and model commission structures for new and existing projects, ensuring accuracy, competitiveness, and compliance
- Advocate for agent commission structures that balance retention with REAL NY's profitability goals
- Identify cost-saving opportunities, lead vendor negotiations, and manage ongoing vendor relationships
- Oversee regulatory compliance across all business entities, including licensing, LLC renewals, and commission structures
- Manage bookkeeping infrastructure including QuickBooks oversight, invoice processing, check preparation, and wire reconciliation
- People & Human Resources
- Oversee all HR functions including recruitment, retention, benefits administration, and performance management
- Develop and maintain employee and agent HR policies, ensuring a consistent, professional, and positive work environment
- Create and manage onboarding processes, employee handbook, PTO policies, and workplace standards
- Develop and implement training programs and professional development initiatives in partnership with department directors
- Monitor agent performance and provide structured feedback and development pathways
- Manage recruitment strategy across all roles employees, agents, and leadership including outside recruiters and job platforms
- Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance
- Operations & Administration
- Oversee day-to-day business operations, ensuring systems, processes, and workflows are efficient and scalable across all departments
- Manage and develop administrative staff and virtual assistants, providing clear direction, accountability, and growth opportunities
- Oversee office management functions including facilities, vendor relationships, and supply and service contracts
- Serve as the connective tissue between departments, technology initiatives, and co-founder priorities ensuring alignment, eliminating bottlenecks, and keeping the organization moving in the same direction
- Mentor and develop a team of directors, building capability and performance at the leadership level
- Oversee outside legal counsel for errors and omissions, fair housing, contract agreements, and personnel matters
- Manage legal budget and ensure fair housing compliance systems are in place and maintained
- Plan, budget, and oversee execution of company events and corporate announcements
- Technology & AI Implementation
- Serve as the primary business owner of REAL NY's internal systems roadmap, translating founder vision and department needs into clear priorities, timelines, and success metrics
- Partner closely with the internal technology lead to define what should be built, bought, improved, paused, or retired — owning the business side of every technology decision
- Establish a recurring technology steering cadence with the co-founders and technology lead, maintaining a clear Now / Next / Later / Not Now roadmap
- Protect the technology team from reactive, ad hoc requests by creating a structured intake and prioritization process
- Drive adoption of existing systems and tools including Zoho, dashboards, reporting tools, and AI-enabled workflows diagnosing where adoption is lagging and creating plans to improve it
- Own internal documentation and knowledge management so critical process and systems knowledge is never dependent on a single person
- Translate technical constraints, tradeoffs, and timelines into clear business language for founders, department heads, and staff
Ideal Candidate
- Profile8–15 years of progressive leadership experience in NYC real estate — brokerage, property management, or development strongly preferred
- Proven executive leadership experience managing cross-functional teams and business operations at a senior level
- Strong financial acumen — comfortable owning P&L, overseeing accounting functions, and presenting to executive stakeholders
- Demonstrated experience with AI tools, real estate technology platforms, and technology implementation strategy
- Track record of building and scaling HR, recruiting, and people operations functions
- Deep understanding of the NYC residential rental and new development market
- Highly organized operator who can hold strategy and execution simultaneously
- Exceptional communicator equally effective with co-founders, department directors, agents, and external partners
- Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to thrive in a growing boutique environment
- Bachelor's degree in business, real estate, or related field required;
- MBA or JD a plus
Who You Are
- A builder and operator you don't just strategize, you execute
- Hungry and engaged you want to make a measurable impact, not manage the status quo
- A natural translator you make technology accessible, finance understandable, and strategy actionable
- A people developer you invest in the people around you and take mentorship seriously
- Comfortable with ambiguity you can hold multiple priorities and make sound decisions with incomplete information
- A steady presence you create calm, clarity, and momentum even when the business is moving fast
- Why This Role
- This is a rare opportunity to step into a senior leadership role within a respected NYC brokerage and have genuine influence over how the company operates, grows, and positions itself for the future.
- You will work directly alongside the co-founders, own the full business infrastructure, and build something that lasts.
Benefits
401(k)Dental insuranceEmployee discountHealth insuranceLife insurancePaid time offVision insuranceWork Location: In person
