About

Commercial Basis explores how technology, branding and demographic preferences are shaping office and retail real estate in New York City. As these forces break down the barriers from where we live to where we work and shop,  Compass/ Chief Commercial Specialist Alex Cohen assesses the impact on real estate values and opportunities.

Educated at Yale and Princeton and an innovative thinker and leader in New York’s commercial real estate community, Alex Cohen develops strategy, advises, manages and analyzes commercial office, retail and mixed-used acquisition and lease transactions for tenants, landlords and investors.

With a background in urban planning, Alex has over 18 years of commercial real estate transaction negotiation, totaling ten million square feet. Alex has both extensive experience in launching international brands in the U.S. and a deep expertise in the marketing and repositioning of mixed use real estate. Alex’s unique perspective allows him to identify markets, brand buildings and plan space configurations with the potential to attract and retain talent and customers vital to the workplace and retail environments of the future. Alex is a recognized thought leader and frequent contributor and speaker in national and business media, including US News & World Report, USA Today, Huffington Post, Epoch Times and Crain’s NY Business and he was recently interviewed on the floor of the NYSE by CheddarTV. His recent speaking engagements have included Columbia Business Schools’ annual Retail and Luxury Goods Conference Luxury Interactive 2017. His recent clients include Sennheiser, Unilever, Kering (Gucci), Canada Goose and CBS.

Alex resides in Midtown Manhattan, one block from Central Park, and often spends his weekends in the Hamptons with his family and Golden Retriever, Lapo.

SPECIALTIES:
Office and Retail Lease Negotiation
Commercial and Multi-Family Investments
Corporate Location Strategy
Property Repositioning and Marketing Strategy
Site Due Diligence and SWOT Analysis
Coworking and Office Space Disruption
E-commerce, Demographics and Retail Disruption

EDUCATION:
B.A. History, 1988, Yale University

Masters, Urban and Regional Planning/Public Policy, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, 1994, Awarded Robertson Fellowship