The 2026 RED Residential Real Estate Awards brought the full spectrum of New York’s property world under one roof, honoring everyone from mortgage brokers to luxury developers. Hosted at 101 Park Avenue, the ceremony spotlighted the deals, developments, and digital innovations shaping the city’s residential landscape.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The RED Awards celebrated New York real estate leaders at its 2026 Residential Awards, an evening that brought together developers, brokers, lenders, architects, property managers, entrepreneurs, and industry professionals for recognition and networking.
Hosted by Bob Knakal, the event marked RED Awards’ 17th overall ceremony, continuing its mission of celebrating achievement and building relationships across the real estate community. The 2026 honorees included:
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- Gerald Tom — Lam Group: Hospitality Leadership & Excellence Award. Recognized for contributions to hotel management, operations, and hospitality development, including his involvement with Virgin Hotels New York City.
- Joshua Shlomo Malekan — Bridge Advisory Group: Emerging Broker of the Year Award. Recognized for more than $180 million in closed transactions and expertise in off-market investment sales and complex deals.
- Elysa Goldman — Extell: Development Leadership & Full Lifecycle Excellence Award. Honored for guiding complex developments from planning and strategy through execution and completion.
- Colin Foster — Virtual Doorman: Best Prop Tech Award. Recognized for advancing remote building access, security, visitor coordination, and delivery management solutions.
- Syed Ali — Land Labor Capital: Emerging Real Estate Private Equity Firm of the Year Award. Honored for establishing a firm serving as general partner in more than $440 million of acquisitions.
- Martin Kelly — Blueprint: Real Estate Innovation Leadership Award. Recognized for entrepreneurial leadership and a forward-thinking approach to real estate innovation.
- Peter Ocean — SERHANT.: Luxury Residential Team Leader Award. Honored for luxury market expertise, strategic negotiation, and personalized client representation.
- Denys Kanel — Unique Media: Real Estate Media and Advertising Innovation Award. Recognized for connecting properties with digital displays, advertising technology, and media networks.
- Jesse Marinak — SERHANT.: Real Estate Entrepreneurship & Innovation Award. Honored for combining real estate, entrepreneurship, and media to build influence and opportunities.
- Curtis Quow — SERHANT.: Real Estate Networking & Community Builder of the Year. Recognized for connecting professionals and serving buyers, sellers, and investors across Brooklyn and Manhattan.
- Lou Belisario — Revived Residential: Brokerage Leader of the Year. Honored for brokerage leadership, agent mentorship, and oversight of more than $1 billion in transactions throughout his career.
- Jordan Silver — Brown Harris Stevens: Residential Marketing Professional of the Year. Recognized for digital marketing and social media work showcasing more than $300 million in real estate.
- James Capra — New American Funding: Mortgage Broker of the Year. Honored for mortgage industry leadership and helping clients navigate home financing.
- Kenny Burgos — New York Apartment Association: Housing Industry Leadership Award. Recognized for housing advocacy and bringing together owners, operators, policymakers, and industry professionals.
- Moshe Wigder — Better Homes and Gardens: Social Media Influencer of the Year. Honored for using social media to expand property exposure and connect with New Jersey real estate audiences.
- Andrew Steiker-Epstein — Charney Brokerage: Brokerage of the Year. Recognized for the firm’s growth across residential sales, new development marketing, leasing, and advisory services.
- Cedric Abboud — Urban Capital: Luxury Developer of the Year. Honored for design-driven development emphasizing architecture, quality, and long-term value.
- Marc Kotler — FirstService Residential: Property Management Firm of the Year. Recognized for leadership in managing luxury residences, multifamily properties, condominiums, and cooperatives.
- Catherine Lee — F&T Group: Mixed-Use Developer of the Year. Honored for contributions to major mixed-use destinations, including Tangram in Flushing, Queens.
- Bernard Ruf — Broadway Builders: Contractor of the Year. Recognized for leadership in ground-up construction, rehabilitation, and affordable and market-rate housing.
- Michael Chindemi — Revived Residential: Off-Market Deal & Opportunity Creator of the Year. Honored for sourcing properties, creating inventory, and navigating complex estate and investment opportunities.
- Pamela Lee & Chuck Yung, P.E. — Opal 33: Best Designed New Development Project of the Year. Recognized for a residential development combining contemporary design, functionality, and attention to detail.
- Zakaria Raouf — Noble Development: Boutique Condominium Development of the Year — Queens. Honored for a 23-unit ground-up boutique condominium development in Astoria.
- Brandon Bogard, Yiannos Vrousgos, David Gomez & James Chai — 20 W 15th Street: New Development Project of the Year Award. Recognizing the team representing SERHANT., Input, Aksel America, and James Chai Architect, P.C.
- Nissim Azrad & James Ingram — CRAYV: Third Party Amenity Startup of the Year Award. Honored for a connected micro-retail network serving residential buildings, offices, and urban environments.
- Leonard Inzirillo, Jacob Franco, Jeimy De La Cruz & Emerson Moore — One Wall Street Sales | AZ&CO: Luxury Residential Sales Team of the Year — Landmark Development. Recognized for extensive luxury development sales experience and client service.
- Annie Xu & Burton Hung — Pro H Group: Emerging Developer of the Year. Honored for residential development focused on thoughtful design, project execution, and lasting value.
- Yanni Kouzilos & Douglas Romero — Ponce Bank: Construction Lender of the Year. Recognized for supporting construction, multifamily, and development financing throughout New York City.
- Genesis Suero — SERHANT.: Real Estate Media Personality of the Year. Honored for connecting real estate, media, entrepreneurship, and community.
Founded by Selman Yalcin, RED Awards recognizes industry achievement and connects professionals through awards ceremonies and networking experiences. Since 2016, the broader RED Awards and RED Connect platform has hosted more than 100 events, bringing together over 40,000 attendees.
Why it matters: With honorees spanning everything from $440 million private equity funds to social media influence, this year’s list signals how diverse the modern real estate ecosystem has become. The breadth of recognition — from construction lending to property tech startups — underscores that success in New York housing now depends on far more than just closing a sale.
Founder & Executive Director
RED Awards / RED Connect
Selman Yalcin
Red Connect
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