Alexander brothers face more rape accusations; LA’s Oceanwide Plaza stalls... and more

The best national real estate stories from The Real Deal Jul 27, 2024 [View in Browser]( | [$1 for 1 Month]( [The Real Deal Logo](   [The National Logo](   In this week’s newsletter, we dig into the latest accusations of sexual assault against the Alexander brothers and the details outlined in new reports. Plus, a stalking horse bidder for LA’s Oceanwide Plaza falls through, Meridian Capital’s Yoni Goodman is leaving the firm, and we look into Ryan Serhant’s Central Park Tower penthouse listing. These and more below.   Alexander brothers face more rape accusations In early June, The Real Deal reported on two lawsuits [accusing]( top broker Oren Alexander and his twin brother, Alon, of raping at least two women in New York. Since then, nearly 30 alleged rape victims [have come forward]( claiming they’d been assaulted by Oren, Alon or their brother Tal. On Friday morning, TRD reported that actress and comedian [Renee Willett filed a lawsuit]( accusing Oren of sexual assault in a 2015 incident. The 31-year-old said Oren gave her a “carbonated beverage” that left her “physically impaired” before attacking her in his Soho apartment. Additional [reports that came out this week]( by the New York Times and Wall Street Journal describe similar accounts by multiple women, some of whom are agents at Douglas Elliman, where Oren and Tal rose through the ranks. The reports expand the scope and timeline of the alleged attacks as well, detailing incidents dating back to when the [brothers were in high school](. Top Elliman agents Tracy Tutor and Jessica Cohen [alleged]( they were drugged after encounters with one or more of the brothers. Cohen told the Times that she informed Elliman chairman Howard Lorber in 2012 that she thought she might have been drugged by Tal and Oren, but asked him not to act on the information. A spokesperson for the company confirmed that a conversation occurred, but that Cohen “said that she did not know what, if anything, happened, she did not specify who may have been involved, and she insisted on absolute confidentiality.” The Times report also said that executives with Side, the firm that backed Official, were aware of rumors within the real estate industry ahead of the brokerage’s launch. Side told TRD in a statement that the first it heard of the allegations was the day before the initial report by TRD came out. The residential market is already [unstable](, and [NAR rule changes]( are on the horizon in August, giving brokerages plenty to worry about. For Official, the allegations have already had widespread fallout. Oren and Tal [stepped back from](the firm they co-founded weeks after the initial allegations. The company has lost some of its new development listings, including with [Michael Stern’s JDS Development]( and Michael Shvo. Top Los Angeles broker [Tyrone McKillen]( said he plans to leave the brokerage with his eight-person team. In New York, John Hudak left the firm and joined Elliman, and in Miami, Anna Sherrill returned to One Sotheby’s International Realty. Repercussions will likely be felt throughout the industry for years.   Together with CENSAI Any Market, All the Data [i360]( Real estate opportunities are easy to miss if you don't have the best data in hand. CENSAI offers the industry's [most precise location insights]( for creating smarter investment strategies. With individual-level data on more than 270 million U.S. adults, CENSAI delivers [detailed market trends]( from the West Coast to the Eastern Seaboard. Right down to the zip code. Find look-alikes based on your ideal market. Observe population trends up to four quarters into the future. Search our database of over 145,000 multifamily properties featuring valuable building data. With access to CENSAI, you can do all this and more. CENSAI data is refreshed quarterly so you benefit from the latest insights. [Discover our products today](.   [I'm an image]( Stalking horse bidder for LA’s Oceanwide Plaza falls through Lawyers for the unfinished, bankrupt project remain “extremely optimistic” about a future sale. [I'm an image]( What’s going on with Ryan Serhant’s Central Park Tower penthouse listing? Extell Development appears to have dropped Ryan Serhant as the listing broker on its Central Park Tower penthouse. [I'm an image]( Michael Shvo fires back at Core Club Developer Michael Shvo called the Core Club’s $600 million-plus lawsuit “a kitchen sink of frivolous claims.”   Advertisement   [I'm an image]( [Mortgage rates are sub-3%. How will buyers and lenders react?]( Uncertainty, the very thing that drove the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage to a record low this week, could prevent millions of prospective homeowners from pulling the trigger on a purchase. [I'm an image]( “A shot in the arm:” Real estate jazzed about $7B United Center plan Real estate professionals with a stake in the West Side are buzzing over news of the $7 billion redevelopment of the area surrounding the United Center. [I'm an image]( Meridian Capital’s Yoni Goodman leaving as firm deals with scandal The company’s president of ten years is leaving for other opportunities. [I'm an image]( Lender sues Brandon Miller’s widow Less than three weeks after the developer’s death, bridge lender Titan Capital sued his widow over missed mortgage payments on their Water Mill estate. [I'm an image]( Here’s why luxury sales are booming in Boca Raton’s most expensive neighborhood Spec developers have been churning out waterfront mansions at Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club.     [The Real Deal Logo]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Manage Newsletters]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Subscribe]( | [Advertise]( The Real Deal 450 West 31st Street, New York, NY 10001 ©2024 TheRealDeal. All rights reserved. [View Online](