New York’s 10 biggest property owners (2024)

Earlier this month, The Real Deal put out a monster analysis looking at the biggest property owners across the city based on square footage, along with their annual net operating income.

Their thorough analysis is definitely worth a read, but right here we’re going to give you a breakdown of the top 10 biggest property owners in the city, and some of the projects you might recognize them for.

  1. The city of New York: Unsurprisingly the city’s own government came out on top with the amount of properties and square footage it owns across the city. TRD’s analysis revealed that the city owns 362.1 million square feet and nearly 5,000 parcels of land and buildings across the city. Some of the city’s most recognizable and prized real estate includes the David N. Dinkins Municipal buildings at 1 Centre Street, which houses over 2,000 city employees; and the Fifth Avenue location of the New York Public Library.
  2. Vornado Realty Trust: With nearly 30 million square feet to its name, Vornado Realty Trust comes in second place. The massive real estate firm got its start as a discount chain in New Jersey in the 1940s, and has gradually built up its real estate empire since. Today some of its most recognizable real estate includes One Penn Plaza, and the upcoming 220 Central Park South, which will be home to a one of New York’s most expensive apartments.
New York’s 10 biggest property owners (1) Courtesy of SL Green
  1. SL Green Realty: With 28.7 million square feet, SL Green Realty only owns a fraction less than Vornado. The development firm got its start when its founder Stephen L. Green began taking Class B office buildings and renovating them for modern tenants. That paid off in a major way and SL Green now owns 73 buildings/parcels of land across the city. One of its most notable upcoming projects is the office supertall, One Vanderbilt, which is currently rising next to Grand Central Terminal.

4. Tishman Speyer: The existing company was founded in 1978 when Robert V. Tishman, the grandson of a Polish immigrant who founded the predecessor to this company, started a new firm with his son-in-law Jerry I. Speyer. Today, the firm owns 20.5 million square feet in NYC and 167 million square feet across the world. In recent years, Tishman Speyer has been behind a colossal 1,800-unit rental in Long Island City, known as Jackson Park; more recently, the firm unveiled its redevelopment of the Downtown Brooklyn Macy’s, and the 51-story, Studio Gang-designed condo next to it.

5. Blackstone Group: Blackstone started off as a boutique mergers and acquisitions firm in 1985, and was founded by Peter G. Peterson, and Stephen A. Shwarzman (whose name is now synonymous with the main library in Manhattan). It’s sinc become one of the largest private equity firms in the world. In NYC, Blackstone owns 20.1 million square feet of real estate, and in 2016, they purchased the Stuy-Town/Peter Cooper Village complex for over $5 billion.

New York’s 10 biggest property owners (2) Max Touhey

6. Related Companies: The real estate firm is almost singularly responsible for creating the enormous Hudson Yards megaproject, so it only makes sense that they own about 18.7 million square feet of space across the city. But Related Companies got its start from a $10,000 loan its founder Stephen Ross borrowed from his mother to focus on developing affordable housing. Aside from Hudson Yards, Related is also behind other big-name projects like 70 Vestry, and the High Line-hugging, Thomas Heatherwick-designed condo, Hudson Residences.

7. Columbia University: Unsurprisingly, Columbia University has managed to snag a spot in the top 10 on this list. While the square footage of its holdings puts it in seventh place, in terms of actual buildings and parcels of land owned, it’s only second to New York City, with 246 sites. The university has been in the midst of a major expansion of late what with its new Manhattanville campus, and its new medical building in the Washington Heights campus.

8. Brookfield Property Partners: With 17.5 million square feet, Brookfield comes in eighth place on the list. The firm’s name is perhaps best known for its massive office and shopping complex in downtown Manhattan, Brookfield Place. More recently, the firm was in the news for taking over from Kushner Companies at the troubled Midtown property 666 Fifth Avenue.

9. RXR Realty: One of the newest real estate firms on the scene, RXR has already made a major impression on the NYC real estate scene in the little over a decade that it has been in business. Today, it owns 16.5 million square feet of space across the city and 22 buildings or parcels of land. Notable NYC projects include the redevelopment of Pier 57, and a 34-story rental at Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus. RXR is also part of the development team trying to reimagine Philip Johnson’s postmodern icon 550 Madison for the 21st century.

New York’s 10 biggest property owners (3) Illustrations by studioAMD

10. New York University: Rounding out the top 10 is NYU, which has cemented its stronghold on vast portions of Manhattan. TRD estimates that it owns 14.3 million square feet of space and 111 buildings and parcels of land. Much like Columbia University uptown, NYU is undertaking a major expansions downtown with its massive student hub on Mercer Street. It’s also in the midst of a $500 million expansion in Downtown Brooklyn.

New York’s 10 biggest property owners (2024)

FAQs

Who are the largest property owners in NYC? ›

Columbia University is the largest owner in New York City by the number of locations and manages over 5000 apartments across 150 residential buildings.

Who is the largest landowner in New York? ›

So who is the largest land owner here in New York state? According to the World Population Review website, the largest private landowner in New York is Columbia University, which owns 209 properties.

Who is the largest private landowner in Manhattan? ›

Timothy Dolan, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Cardinal-Archbishop of New York, is believed to be Manhattan's largest landowner, if one includes the parishes and organisations that come under his jurisdiction.

Who owns the most acreage in New York State? ›

Who is the Molpus Woodland Group? Molpus Woodland Group claims 112,000 acres of land in New York. In fact, they are the largest landowner in our home state, but Minnesota as well, where they own over 280,000 acres. They also are currently selling land in states like Louisiana, Arkansas, and Idaho.

Who owns the smallest piece of property in New York City? ›

In 1938 the property, reported to be the smallest plot in New York City, was sold to the adjacent Village Cigars store for US$100 (equivalent to $1,925 in 2021).

Who are the 5 real estate families in NYC? ›

The breakneck pace of development — which was largely clustered in the 1960s and the 1980s — by those three families, and a slew of others, laid the foundation for many of New York City's most established real estate dynasties. (Think Tishman, Fisher, Malkin, Resnick, LeFrak, Rose, and Zeckendorf.)

Is the Catholic Church the largest landowner in New York City? ›

Accounting for all the parishes, schools and other properties that fall under its jurisdiction, the Archdiocese of New York City is believed to be Manhattan's largest landowner.

What is the largest private residence in NY? ›

The Schinasi House is a 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m2), 35-room marble mansion located at 351 Riverside Drive on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It was built in 1907 for Sephardic Jewish tobacco baron Morris Schinasi.

Is Columbia the largest landowner in NYC? ›

With approximately 14 million square feet across over 100 properties apiece, New York University and Columbia University own more city real estate by far than any other private colleges or universities.
...
Class assets.
2
SchoolColumbia University
Total Sq. Ft.13,950,318
No. of Buildings216
14 more columns
Oct 20, 2022

Who owns the most expensive apartment in NYC? ›

The listing, which is currently the most expensive in New York City, is held by Million Dollar Listing New York star Ryan Serhant.

What is the richest residential street in New York? ›

Central Park South is home to billionaires row, so there's no surprise it ranks amongst New York City's wealthiest areas. Some of the most expensive and well-known buildings in the city are located here, including One57, 432 Park Avenue, and 111 West 57th.

Who owns the most privately held land in the United States? ›

The 2022 Land Report 100, compiled each year by The Land Report magazine, released its annual list of landowners who own the most acres in the United States. The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres.

What land does China own in the US? ›

China owns roughly 384,000 acres of U.S. agricultural land, according to a 2021 report from the Department of Agriculture. Of that, 195,000 acres, worth almost $2 billion when purchased, are owned by 85 Chinese investors, which could be individuals, companies or the government.

What college owns the most land in New York? ›

Columbia University far outstrips other private universities in the city in terms of its real estate holdings, making it the largest university landowner in the city with at least 216 properties.

What is the largest NY farms? ›

Today, the Torrey family farms over 10,000 acres (40 km2).

Does the Queen own an apartment in New York? ›

Several properties owned by the crown are located in Midtown near the United Nations, including a unit at the Dag Hammarskjold Tower at 240 East 47th Street, three apartments at International Plaza at 303 East 43rd Street, two at 309-321 East 49th Street and one at the Horizon at 415 East 37th Street.

How many New Yorkers own a house? ›

Owning a home has long been described as “The American Dream.” In New York, that dream appears unattainable for a large share of the population: New York has the lowest homeownership rate among the states, with only 53.6 percent owning a home in the second quarter of 2022, compared to 65.8 percent nationally.

What is the biggest single-family home in NYC? ›

At 24,207 square feet, the converted building would already be the borough's largest single-family home by a wide margin (the 21,700-square-foot Harkness Mansion at 4 East 75th Street currently holds that title), even before the 2,700-square-foot duplex BLDG is planning to add above it.

What is the oldest estate in New York? ›

The Lent-Riker-Smith Homestead is the oldest house in NYC. The homestead, which is located in Queens, is still used as a private dwelling. It was initially built as a one-room farmhouse by Abraham Riker in 1654.

Who sells the most real estate in New York City? ›

Who Sells the Most Real Estate in New York City? The brokerage firm with the most sales volume in New York City is The Corcoran Group. In 2021 they closed over 2,500 transactions in NYC for a sales volume totaling a whopping $5.8 billion.

What is the richest church in New York City? ›

Trinity Church (Manhattan)

Does McDonald's own more land than the Catholic Church? ›

After gaining permission from the Vatican, Burhans underwent a comprehensive of bringing the Church into the 21st century. A live database provides a visual of all its land holdings. Conclusion: The Catholic Church owns the most land, far more than McDonald's and billionaire Bill Gates.

What are the largest estates in New York? ›

Fair Field mansion is not only the biggest house in the Empire State, but it's also the largest residence in the entire country.

What is the richest address in New York? ›

Notable Residents of 740 Park Ave

Interestingly, the building has the highest concentration of billionaires in the country and possibly worldwide. Back in 2004, it was reported that 6 out of the Forbes 25 richest New Yorkers – all billionaires – either currently live or had lived at 740 Park Ave.

Where do the richest people live New York? ›

Billionaires' Row is the name given to a group of ultra-luxury residential skyscrapers and the area surrounding them around the southern end of Central Park in Manhattan, New York City.

What are the richest residential areas in New York? ›

These Are The 10 Most Expensive Neighborhoods You Can Find In New York City
  • 10 TriBeCa.
  • 9 SoHo.
  • 8 Central Park West.
  • 7 Upper East Side.
  • 6 Upper West Side.
  • 5 DUMBO.
  • 4 Chelsea.
  • 3 Greenwich Village.
Feb 18, 2023

Who owns Rockefeller Center land? ›

Described as one of the greatest projects of the Great Depression era, Rockefeller Center became a New York City designated landmark in 1985 and a National Historic Landmark in 1987. The complex and associated land has been controlled since 2000 by Tishman Speyer, which bought the property for $1.85 billion.

What organization owns the most land in the US? ›

Who owns the most land in the U.S.? While not private landowners, the U.S. federal government owns about 640 million acres of land, which is 28% of the land in the country. Out of all of the states, Nevada has the highest percentage of federally owned land.

Who owns the most public land in the US? ›

The federal government owns about 640 million acres (2.6 million km2) of land in the United States, about 28% of the total land area of 2.27 billion acres (9.2 million km2).

Who lives billionaires row nyc? ›

The average sales price for a home in one of these luxury buildings is over 22 million, making them unaffordable to even some of the city's richest residents. Therefore, the enclave tends to attract wealthy business moguls, hedge fund managers, corporate executives, and celebrities.

Who lives at the top of Central Park Tower? ›

Steven Wynn, 80, who has an estimated net worth of $3.2billion, has put up his stunning two-floor Central Park South home after shelling out $70million to buy it in 2012.

Who owns the most expensive condo in NY? ›

In 2019, hedge fund manager Ken Griffin bought a penthouse at 220 Central Park South in Billionaires' Row for $238 million — making it the most expensive home ever sold in the US, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Which is the poorest borough in New York City? ›

The Bronx has the highest rate of poverty in New York City, and the greater South Bronx is the poorest area.

What is the poorest part of NYC? ›

THE CITY's analysis also found that, in 2020, Queens became the borough with the smallest share of its population in poverty, at 10.3%, compared to 10.6% in Staten Island and then 16.3% in Manhattan, 17.8% in Brooklyn and 24.4% in The Bronx, which remains the poorest county in New York State.

Which side of Manhattan is richer? ›

The two areas are neck and neck in terms of pricing, but currently, the East Side is slightly cheaper than the West. Historically, the Upper East Side has been slightly more prestigious and affluent.

What is the land that no one owns US? ›

Unclaimed by any country, the Bir Tawil stands alone as terra nullius. On the border of Egypt and Sudan lies one of history's most peculiar regions. Bigger than London and New York, this patch of desert has presented a problem for international lawmakers for over sixty years.

Who owns the second most land in the United States? ›

John Malone, the second-largest landowner in the U.S., owns 980,000 acres throughout the state as well.

How much land does Mormon Church own? ›

Across America, subsidiaries of the church reportedly hold 1m acres of agricultural land. This is thought to include land in Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah and Texas. Church companies are also thought to hold land outside the US, including in Canada and Brazil.

How much is US in debt to China? ›

However, this has declined over time, and as of 2022 they controlled approximately 25% of foreign-owned debt. As of January 2023, the five countries owning the most US debt are Japan ($1.1 trillion), China ($859 billion), the United Kingdom ($668 billion), Belgium ($331 billion), and Luxembourg ($318 billion).

Can Americans own land in China? ›

Foreign investors are not allowed to buy land in China. The land in China belongs to the state and the collectives.

Who is the largest real estate owner in the world? ›

1. The Family Of Queen Elizabeth II Of Great Britain. Although recently deceased, the Queen's royal family will inherit the leadership, which makes them the technical owners of the country. The total size of the British Commonwealth is an astounding 6.75 Billion acres.

Who owns most of Manhattan? ›

NYC Property Owners With The Biggest Footprints
RANKFIRM/ENTITYTOTALnSQUAREnFEET
1NYC (government)362.1M
2Vornado Realty Trust29.7M
3SL Green Realty28.7M
4Tishman Speyer20.5M
16 more rows
Sep 1, 2018

Who is the biggest landlord in NYC? ›

Columbia University is the largest owner in New York City by the number of locations and manages over 5000 apartments across 150 residential buildings.

Who is the largest landowner in Manhattan? ›

Timothy Dolan, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and Cardinal-Archbishop of New York, is believed to be Manhattan's largest landowner, if one includes the parishes and organisations that come under his jurisdiction.

What is the biggest cash crop in New York? ›

Milk is New York's leading agricultural product and is produced all across the state. Milk sales account for one- half of total agricultural receipts. Production in 2010 was 12.7 billion pounds with a preliminary value of $2.2 billion.

Who owns the most acres in NY? ›

John Malone is the largest landowner with about 2.2 million acres of land across the country, including in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.

Who is the largest residential landlord in Manhattan? ›

New York City Housing Authority

The government agency is Manhattan's largest multifamily landlord, most of its developments being Class C assets. The New York City Housing Authority owns 89 communities, which translates into 55,438 fully affordable units.

Who is the largest private owner of real estate? ›

The 2022 Land Report 100, compiled each year by The Land Report magazine, released its annual list of landowners who own the most acres in the United States. The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres.

Who owns the most apartments in New York? ›

Columbia University

Columbia University is the largest landowner in New York City by the number of addresses and manages over 5,000 apartments across 150 residential buildings.

Who leases the most space in New York? ›

The 10 Biggest New York City Office Leases of 2022
  • Franklin Templeton, One Madison Avenue.
  • Tiffany & Company, 200 Fifth Avenue.
  • D.E. Shaw & Company, 2 Manhattan West.
  • HSBC Bank, 66 Hudson Boulevard.
  • Mutual of America Financial Group, 320 Park Avenue.
  • Indeed, 1120 Avenue of the Americas.
  • Touro College, 3 Times Square.
Dec 12, 2022

Who is the richest real estate agent in New York? ›

Core's Emily Beare is consistently one of New York City's top agents, with more than $4 billion in career sales.

What city has the hottest real estate market? ›

The hottest housing markets include those markets in North Carolina, Colorado and Texas that were also popular during the pandemic, including Raleigh and Durham, Denver and Austin. Markets to watch that improved the most between November and December 2022 include Portland, Oregon, Richmond, Virginia, and St. Louis.

Who is the godfather of private equity? ›

The supposedly first Private Equity firms were established in 1946 in the United States of America. The American Research and Development Corporation (ARDC) was founded by Georges Doriot, also known as “the father of venture capitalism”, as a Venture Capital and Private Equity firm.

How much do top private equity people make? ›

Private Equity Principal Salary + Bonus: Compensation reports indicate highly variable numbers, but the 25th to 75th percentile is in the $500K to $800K range. Carry becomes even more important at this level and may substantially increase total compensation.

Who are the big three private equity? ›

The four largest publicly traded private equity firms are Apollo Global Management (APO), The Blackstone Group (BX), The Carlyle Group (CG), and KKR & Co.

What family owns the most real estate? ›

1. EMMERSON FAMILY. The nation's largest private landowners, California's Emmerson family, are a prime example of this trend. Through their Sierra Pacific Industries, the Emmersons increased their landholdings by more than 100 square miles to over 2.4 million acres.

Who owns the most rental property? ›

Leading apartment owners in the U.S. 2022, by units owned

Starwood Capital Group, which was the largest owner in 2022 with 115,000 units, is a private investment firm headquartered in Miami, Florida.

What is America's largest privately owned house? ›

Virtual Tour: Biltmore House—America's Largest Home.

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