New York City’s real estate market can be a daunting field to navigate, but one can trust Robin Zendell to close the deals with top tier expertise, professionalism and savvy – as well as abundant charm.

With a strong real estate background in fine art, high fashion, and luxury retail, Zendell is known to match a brand’s unique needs with a space that will bring her client’s vision to life—including the CFDA, whose amazing Bleecker Street headquarters she secured. Other clients include Bonpoint, H.Stern, Lalique, Laduree, Kering, Prada, Reed Krakoff, and The Webster.

Prior to starting her boutique tenant representation firm in 2009, Zendell was at RKF & Associates, and, before, at GVA Williams, now known as Colliers. An art specialist, she had also worked as a curator and served as the director of the John McEnroe Gallery and special projects assistant at MacAndrews & Forbes.

Here, Zendell discusses her entry into real estate, her first major fashion deal, and the approach she takes to finding the right space for a brand.

CFDA.com: How did you get into commercial real estate?
Robin Zendell: “My mother suggested I needed a real life skill other than art history so I applied for an internship at a real estate company during college. The reason for Commercial over Residential was [that] the ad I answered said ‘paid internship.’ The employees at the firm I interned at all graduated from Columbia [University], and it was listed on the Alumni Job Board.  I was smart enough to look there.”

CFDA.com: What was the first major fashion deal you made and how did that feel for you?
R.Z.: “The first major fashion deal I did was for Tommy Hilfiger in 2000, and I was elated that someone as junior as I was did the deal. Back then, there weren’t many women in the business so there were not a lot of mentors, but being a woman also opened many doors. The deal was a parking lot and the landlord built the building for Tommy. So, there were lots of layers and I was very proud of myself and everyone who helped close the deal.  I was also grateful to Joel Newman who worked for Tommy Hilfiger for giving me the opportunity. Many brokers were knocking at his door and he always took my call and guided me.”

CFDA.com: What was your most exciting deal and why?
R.Z.: “The most exciting deal was buying a building for The Webster Miami.  It was days before Christmas and it was snowing, I had the flu, and there was a competing offer. Everyone was already away for the holidays and our deadline to close was Dec.31.  We won the bid, and I was euphoric despite almost getting pneumonia.”

CFDA.com:  How do you approach finding the right space for a brand? How has retail real estate evolved in the past decade?
R.Z.: “My first step in finding the right space for a brand is to really understand the brands, which most of the time I do. I look at how they started; where they are in their life cycle as a brand; who their core customers are, and then review my knowledge of the neighborhoods and blocks in which we’re looking: what new leases have been signed; which retailers are struggling or have chosen not to renew; which buildings are being redeveloped or sold.. The past, present, and future of the street. (Co–tenancy and the actual physical building are also essential, and while some brands like being a destination, everyone still needs traffic.) This information helps me figure out where we should go.  That’s the other point. You have to look at this as if you work for the brand. It’s ‘we’ always.
Retail Real Estate has changed in so many ways.  For starters, brands don’t want to be in every city or mall anymore.  There are probably six to eight important cities in the U.S. to be in (depending on exclusivity and a brand’s ability to grow) where shoppers spend money. And having shoppers who spend money is important.
To note, brick and mortar stores currently remain the most important sales vehicle. I do not believe that this will be changing anytime soon. People still need to touch the merchandise and try things on.”

CFDA.com:  What are biggest pros and challenges about working with designers and brands?
R.Z.: “Pros: Supporting fashion and art – connecting brands with their customers (I am a customer of all of my clients!), and working with creative and inspiring people on a daily basis.
Challenges: Both sides of the retail real estate equation have private or public equity behind them making the days of Mom + Pop retail over, which means you need to be smarter than ever about the deal since stakes are so much higher. Every aspect is now pure business. Another challenge is being aware of foreign versus American business practices when working with international brands.  We do things a bit differently.”

CFDA.com: How do you see luxury real estate evolve in the next decade?
R.Z.: “It really does depend on so many things. Our economy, leadership, and the values that consumers place on material items. There is also a lot of competition in the luxury sector and not everyone can survive. How do you increase unit sales every year yet maintain the exclusivity required to maintain the cache of the brand. That is the challenge for the best of the luxury brands.
Another interesting question is what will happen to luxury good sales on the internet in the long-term?  What do we evolve to? The present model concentrating mainly on bricks and mortar distribution — or the ultimate phase-out of physical stores in favor of better websites, perhaps featuring virtual reality displays of merchandise? Or perhaps the latter, but with fewer, small centrally located ‘stores’ displaying merchandise for buyers to touch and feel but selling nothing on-site — with all the implications that has to the retail real estate business in the U.S.  That is an interesting question.”

CFDA.com: What fashion real estate deal do you wish you made?
R.Z.: “Louis Vuitton on 57th and Fifth Avenue. It’s one of the best retail corners in the world.”

CFDA.com: What’s your favorite commercial real estate property in Manhattan?
R.Z.: “The Mercer Hotel J. Crew space in SoHo. There are affluent residents, tourists, an Apple Store, two restaurants, two food trucks, a subway line, a hotel with clients that shop– all within a block’s radius.  My second favorite is the retail next to the former Whitney Museum on Madison Avenue. Again, high net worth shoppers, hotels, restaurants, and Apple across the street.  The High Line is starting to look promising again, but the rents are way too high.”