REBNY Names Most Promising Sales Rookie

Cushman & Wakefield managing director Morris Betesh has become the 19th winner of this award.

NEW YORK CITY— Cushman & Wakefield managing director Morris Betesh was named the 2015 Most Promising Rookie Salesperson of the Year by the Real Estate Board of New York . Betesh began his career with Massey Knakal Realty Services (now Cushman & Wakefield) in 2011, helping to start the firm’s capital markets division. He currently works out of C&W’s New York capital markets group. The Most Promising Commercial Salesperson of the Year (Rookie Award) is given out to commercial real estate professionals who had less than five years in the business as a salesperson or broker as of Jan. 1 of the year in question. The award singles out an up and coming salesperson who embodies excellence, professionalism and unwavering ethical fortitude, according to REBNY. “We congratulate Morris on this honor, merited by his proven talent and commitment, which was noted by both his colleagues and clients,” says REBNY president John H. Banks, III . “We are proud to also recognize all of the finalists for this award, who have been distinguished as promising future leaders by their firms. We look forward to seeing all they will achieve in the coming years.” REBNY bestowed the award to Betesh at its members’ luncheon held at the New York Hilton Midtown on Tuesday, March 22. Betesh, the 19th winner of the annual award, receives a one-year seat on REBNY’s board of governors and will become a lifetime member of REBNY’s selective Circle of Winners group, which convenes four times a year for a private dinner with some of the real estate industry’s top leaders. “Morris brings exceptional dedication to all of his endeavors whether it be for the community or the business,” states Ron Lo Russo, president of the New York Tri-State region at Cushman & Wakefield. “He has demonstrated hard work, expertise and absolute tenacity in his work, and is truly one of the most promising in our industry.” During the course of his career, Betesh has completed more than 150 loans with more than $1 billion of proceeds including a: $104-million acquisition loan for 2 Court Square in Queens, which he closed in less than 30 days; a $69.5-million loan collateralized by nine hotel properties in New York City, Rockland County and New Jersey and a $21-million construction loan to build affordable housing. He actively serves on REBNY’s Finance Committee and in community-services related activities, supports the Special Education Academy of Deal), a school that serves children facing neurological challenges; the Sephardic Bikur Holim, a Brooklyn-based social services organization that provides support for the Jewish community; and his local synagogue. The runners up for the 2015 Most Promising Commercial Salesperson of the Year Award were: Stewart Davis of Eastern Consolidated , Cassie Durand of CBRE , Matthew Felice of Jones Lang LaSalle , David Fowler of HFF , and Staci Goodman of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank .