2024 Ones to Watch Industry Leaders: Ronald Cohen, Besen Partners

“It is with great pride that I put forward the nomination of Ron Cohen, our Chief Sales Officer. In the wake of the pandemic, Ron spearheaded a transformative journey for Besen Partners’ Investment Sales team, ushering in a new era for the company. He developed a comprehensive broker training program, laying a strong groundwork for our agents’ success. In 2019, Ron created and has since expanded the Besen Hotel Advisory Group (BHAG) and showcased our Senior Director as a distinguished panelist at Bisnow’s NYC Hospitality conference. Ron and BHAG were prominently featured in the top story of the April 24^th issue of Crain’s New York Business magazine to comment on the NYC hotel sector. Under his guidance, a National Sales team was successfully launched in 2024 bolstered by the addition of two talented agents. 
Ron’s influence extends beyond traditional platforms; he has made notable appearances as a guest on industry podcasts and served as a judge for the 2023 CoStar Powerbroker Impact Awards. The focus in 2023 shifted towards enhancing our social media presence and strategy, leveraging video and storytelling to organically grow our following on Instagram and LinkedIn. Presently, we boast a robust pipeline of exclusive listings across all asset classes valued at $150 million. 
Ron’s commitment to the New York real estate community is evidenced by his active involvement in various leadership capacities. He had held leadership roles membership in the Real Estate Executives division of UJA (REX), the Israel Bonds Real Estate Builders & Allied Industries division, and has served as Chairman of the Young Mortgage Bankers Association (YMBA). Beyond his professional engagements, Ron contributes to charitable endeavors, supporting organizations such as the Food Bank of New York, Feed The Children, UNICEF, and Covenant House and St. Jude Children’s Hospital. He is an alum of the State University of New York at Oneonta, and holds an MBA in Marketing/International Business from Fordham University’s Gabelli Graduate School of Business. He holds a Broker license in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.” - Jared Rehberg, Director of Marketing Operations at Besen Partners.

In the last 12 months what accomplishment are you most proud of? Growing and developing our team to 15 strong. In our business, human and intellectual capital is everything, and my goal has been to selectively rebuild ours one at a time, and diversify our offerings. We now have a formidable group with expertise in selling investment property in NYC and multiple states, as well as the hotel sector. The results are there: our increased sales volume led to being recognized as a recipient of the esteemed CoStar Power Broker Top NYC Firm award for 2023.

In the last 12 months what was one of the biggest challenges you faced as a leader and how did you overcome it? Candidly, the biggest challenge has been to continue our growth trajectory in a challenging market climate with various headwinds. Michael (Besen) and I set annual goals effectively to build on and increase performance from the prior year, and on a macrolevel there are always variables beyond our scope of control in brokerage. Keeping team members motivated and rowing in the same direction is a daily priority, particularly those new to the business eager to close their first deals and start seeing results.

Best books, podcasts, or apps for aspiring leaders: “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie is a timeless classic, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear is a recent favorite, and “The Sales Boss” by Jonathan Whistman is a relevant read.

Best advice for new leaders: Know your audience and tailor your communication style accordingly.