Leasing & tenant law · Owners & management · Deals & development · 10/19/2026
Vornado Hires Elisa Young From Brookfield to Lead Manhattan Retail Leasing
Vornado Realty Trust hired Elisa Young as executive vice president and head of retail leasing for its Manhattan portfolio. She started Monday and will lead leasing of 2.3 million square feet of street-level retail across 40 buildings. Young was senior vice president of retail leasing at Brookfield Properties, now known as BGRE.
Reported by Commercial ObserverRead the original ↗
What happened
Vornado Realty Trust has hired Elisa Young as executive vice president and head of retail leasing for its Manhattan portfolio, Commercial Observer reported on October 19, 2026. According to the outlet, Young started in the role on Monday.
In the new job, Young will oversee the lease-up of 2.3 million square feet of street-level retail space across Vornado's 40 Manhattan buildings.
Young comes from Brookfield Properties, now known as BGRE, where she was senior vice president of retail leasing, according to Vornado. Since joining that firm in 2019, she struck deals in Brookfield's Manhattan portfolio with retailers including Gucci, Dior, Bottega Veneta, Sephora, Lululemon, Eataly and TAG Heuer. Before BGRE, she worked at boutique brokerage Robin Zendell & Associates. She started her retail brokerage career at SiteWorks Retail Real Estate Services in 2013, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Glen Weiss, Vornado's executive vice president of office leasing and co-head of real estate, said in a statement that Young has "a distinguished track record of attracting world-class brands" and that her relationships and market expertise will help strengthen Vornado's retail portfolio.
Key facts
- Company
- Vornado Realty Trust
- New hire
- Elisa Young, executive vice president, head of retail leasing
- Start date
- Monday, per Commercial Observer's October 19, 2026 report
- Portfolio
- 2.3 million square feet of street-level retail across 40 Manhattan buildings
- Previous employer
- Brookfield Properties, now BGRE, where she was senior vice president of retail leasing
- Past retail deals
- Gucci, Dior, Bottega Veneta, Sephora, Lululemon, Eataly, TAG Heuer
- Earlier career
- Robin Zendell & Associates; SiteWorks Retail Real Estate Services starting in 2013
- Reported by
- Commercial Observer
What it means
Landlords
This is an executive hire at a large Manhattan commercial landlord. It has no direct effect on small residential landlords or their buildings.
Tenants and voucher holders
The story concerns ground-floor retail space, not apartments. Nothing in the report changes rents, vouchers or housing rules for residential tenants.
Buyers and owners
Owners with ground-floor storefronts may watch how large landlords like Vornado approach retail leasing in Manhattan. The report does not give rents, vacancy figures or deal terms.
The highlights
- Young will oversee 2.3 million square feet of street-level retail space.
- The space spans Vornado's 40 Manhattan buildings.
- At Brookfield since 2019, she signed Gucci, Dior, Sephora and Lululemon.
Why it matters Landlords
A major Manhattan owner is adding leasing leadership for its storefronts, a sign it is working to fill street-level retail space.
Not known yet
- How much of the 2.3 million square feet is currently vacant
- Which of the 40 Manhattan buildings have the most space to lease
- Whether Young replaces someone in the role or the position is new
- What asking rents or lease terms Vornado is offering for its retail space
Background
In New York City, commercial leases for stores and offices are generally negotiated between landlord and tenant and are not covered by rent stabilization, which applies to certain residential apartments. Large owners often have in-house leasing teams that market storefronts to national brands, while outside brokers commonly represent the tenants.
Summary written by Bulwark from Commercial Observer’s reporting. The original story is at commercialobserver.com. This is general information, not legal advice.
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Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA 4.0