Real Estate, A Love Story

Real Estate, A Love Story shows the next generation of entrepreneurs how to pursue profit while building a human-centered future for American cities. Growing up on New York's Upper West Side in a bustling family of Jewish immigrants, Joshua Benaim discovered the power of place as he learned from his grandfather the art of minimizing risk while pursuing value in the world's toughest business—New York City real estate. And when a chance encounter in a cab led him to study opera, Benaim's time as a touring baritone inspired him to bring the poetry, passion, and historical authenticity of music to the world of business. In urban real estate, Benaim sees unique opportunities—the chance for us to follow our dreams, find love, nurture one another, and experience art in the everyday. But when Covid-19 disrupted our lives, radically changing the way we use our private and public spaces, he faced a question: Are cities—and the real estate industry that sustains them—obsolete? Benaim says no. The city is not dead. It is being reborn. Guided by a set of traditional values that prize fairness, honor, beauty, and respect for the communities in which he works, Benaim shares his wisdom through this lyrical story in four parts: I. How I Fell in Love with Real Estate II. Real Estate Investment and the Handshake Philosophy III. The Art of Real Estate Development IV: The Future of Real Estate An intimate blend of memoir and business strategy, Real Estate, A Love Story is a guide for those shaping their own paths and anyone who believes in human, value-driven enterprise.