Real estate seminar shines light on South Brooklyn

South Brooklyn took center stage at the second installment ofthe Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s Real Estate Breakfast SeminarSeries, held on January 12, at St. Francis College at 180 RemsenStreet.

According to guest speaker Charles Olsen, chief operationsofficer at Fillmore Real Estate, the southern part of Brooklynremains an undiscovered treasure for many.

You spend 10 to 15 minutes more on the train, but you’re rightby the beach, Olsen said, adding: You get that local flavor youcan’t get in Windsor Terrace or Park Slope.

The second seminar in the three-part series, entitled Spotlighton Brooklyn South, was more than just an appeal to developers toreconsider the area for potential projects, but a way for thoseinvolved at all levels of real estate to come together andacknowledge they share common aspirations, according to ChiefExecutive Officer of Sitt Asset Management, Eddie Sitt.

We’re all on the same team, Sitt said to the enthusiasticcrowd of over 50 attendees. We may be competitors, but we all havethe same goal.

Guest speaker Nate Bliss, president of the Coney IslandDevelopment Corporation, agrees that the Chamber of Commerceseminars offer a premium networking opportunity.

As we’ve gone through a few tough years, it’s important to hearthe war stories and success stories within the industry, Blisssaid.

But Sitt claims the local housing market is on an upswing, duein large part to New York City’s reputation as one of the world’sgreatest cities.

Even though the real estate market took a big hit — includingManhattan – I think it has been the last to fall and the first torise, he said.

Speaker Zachary Kerr was impressed with the turnout,particularly for a gray, rainy weekday.

The most pleasant surprise was the amount of people thatparticipated, Kerr said. The room was packed.

Lori Raphael, director of real estate & development at theBrooklyn Chamber of Commerce, organized the seminar series, whichThe Home Reporter and The Brooklyn Spectatorsponsored along with Aptsandlofts.com, Massey Knakal RealtyServices, TerraCRG Commercial Realty Group and St. FrancisCollege.

Raphael was also pleased with the crowd that the event drew.

I thought the networking opportunities were excellent, shesaid, adding: We had a really interested crowd that wanted to behere to learn, network and do business.

The final installment of the Real Estate Breakfast SeminarSeries will take place at the same location on Thursday, February16 at 8:30 a.m. The topic will be Bushwick: North Brooklyn’s FinalFrontier.