RED Awards honors New York real estate leaders at 2026 Residential Awards

RED Awards recognized 29 honorees at its 2026 Residential Awards at 101 Park Avenue in New York City. The event highlighted developers, brokers, lenders, architects, property managers, and media figures across residential real estate, with Bob Knakal hosting.

Why it matters: - The RED Awards used the 2026 Residential Awards to spotlight the people and teams shaping New York real estate across sales, development, lending, marketing, construction, and property management. - The program also served as a networking event for developers, brokers, lenders, architects, property managers, entrepreneurs, and other industry professionals. - RED Awards said the ceremony was part of its broader mission to recognize achievement and build relationships across the real estate community.

What happened: - RED Awards held its 2026 Residential Awards at 101 Park Avenue in New York City on October 30, 2026. - Bob Knakal hosted the evening. - The event marked RED Awards’ 17th event overall. - RED Awards recognized 29 honorees across residential real estate and related sectors.

The details: - Gerald Tom of Lam Group received the Hospitality Leadership & Excellence Award for work in hotel management, operations, and hospitality development, including Virgin Hotels New York City. - Joshua Shlomo Malekan of Bridge Advisory Group received Emerging Broker of the Year for more than $180 million in closed transactions and off-market investment sales work. - Elysa Goldman of Extell received Development Leadership & Full Lifecycle Excellence Award for guiding complex developments from planning through completion. - Colin Foster of Virtual Doorman received Best Prop Tech Award for remote building access, security, visitor coordination, and delivery management solutions. - Syed Ali of Land Labor Capital received Emerging Real Estate Private Equity Firm of the Year for establishing a firm that serves as general partner in more than $440 million of acquisitions. - Martin Kelly of Blueprint received Real Estate Innovation Leadership Award for entrepreneurial leadership and a forward-thinking approach to innovation. - Peter Ocean of SERHANT. received Luxury Residential Team Leader Award for luxury market expertise, negotiation, and client representation. - Denys Kanel of Unique Media received Real Estate Media and Advertising Innovation Award for connecting properties with digital displays, advertising technology, and media networks. - Jesse Marinak of SERHANT. received Real Estate Entrepreneurship & Innovation Award for combining real estate, entrepreneurship, and media. - Curtis Quow of SERHANT. received Real Estate Networking & Community Builder of the Year for work across Brooklyn and Manhattan. - Lou Belisario of Revived Residential received Brokerage Leader of the Year for brokerage leadership, agent mentorship, and more than $1 billion in career transactions. - Jordan Silver of Brown Harris Stevens received Residential Marketing Professional of the Year for digital marketing and social media work tied to more than $300 million in real estate. - James Capra of New American Funding received Mortgage Broker of the Year for mortgage industry leadership and client guidance on home financing. - Kenny Burgos of the New York Apartment Association received Housing Industry Leadership Award for housing advocacy and convening owners, operators, policymakers, and other professionals. - Moshe Wigder of Better Homes and Gardens received Social Media Influencer of the Year for expanding property exposure and connecting with New Jersey real estate audiences. - Andrew Steiker-Epstein of Charney Brokerage received Brokerage of the Year for growth across residential sales, new development marketing, leasing, and advisory services. - Cedric Abboud of Urban Capital received Luxury Developer of the Year for design-driven development focused on architecture, quality, and long-term value. - Marc Kotler of FirstService Residential received Property Management Firm of the Year for leadership in luxury residences, multifamily properties, condominiums, and cooperatives. - Catherine Lee of F&T Group received Mixed-Use Developer of the Year for work on major mixed-use destinations, including Tangram in Flushing, Queens. - Bernard Ruf of Broadway Builders received Contractor of the Year for ground-up construction, rehabilitation, and affordable and market-rate housing. - Michael Chindemi of Revived Residential received Off-Market Deal & Opportunity Creator of the Year for sourcing properties and navigating complex estate and investment opportunities. - Pamela Lee and Chuck Yung, P.E. of Opal 33 received Best Designed New Development Project of the Year for a residential project centered on contemporary design and functionality. - Zakaria Raouf of Noble Development received Boutique Condominium Development of the Year — Queens for a 23-unit ground-up boutique condominium development in Astoria. - Brandon Bogard, Yiannos Vrousgos, David Gomez, and James Chai received New Development Project of the Year for the team representing SERHANT., Input, Aksel America, and James Chai Architect, P.C. - Nissim Azrad and James Ingram of CRAYV received Third Party Amenity Startup of the Year for a connected micro-retail network serving residential buildings, offices, and urban environments. - Leonard Inzirillo, Jacob Franco, Jeimy De La Cruz, and Emerson Moore of One Wall Street Sales | AZ&CO received Luxury Residential Sales Team of the Year — Landmark Development for luxury development sales experience and client service. - Annie Xu and Burton Hung of Pro H Group received Emerging Developer of the Year for residential development focused on design, execution, and long-term value. - Yanni Kouzilos and Douglas Romero of Ponce Bank received Construction Lender of the Year for financing support across construction, multifamily, and development projects in New York City. - Genesis Suero of SERHANT. received Real Estate Media Personality of the Year for connecting real estate, media, entrepreneurship, and community. - RED Awards said the ceremony was its 17th event overall and part of a platform that has hosted more than 100 events since 2016. - RED Awards said the RED Awards and RED Connect platform has brought together more than 40,000 attendees since 2016.

Between the lines: - The honorees show how the New York residential market now rewards more than sales volume alone. The list spans technology, media, lending, construction, marketing, and community building. - Several awards reflect the growing overlap between real estate and media, especially for firms and individuals using digital platforms to build reach and influence. - The presence of multiple team-based awards suggests the market continues to value collaboration across development, brokerage, and capital.

What's next: - RED Awards is likely to keep using its awards program and RED Connect events to convene the industry and expand its network. - The organization’s broader platform will continue building on its stated focus on recognition and relationship-building across real estate. - More information, social updates, and video content are available through the listed social channels.

The bottom line: - The 2026 RED Residential Awards framed New York real estate success as a mix of dealmaking, innovation, branding, and operational leadership.