Memoirs of a Watch Salesman: A NYC Real Estate Story - by Joseph Aquino

From the streets of Brooklyn to the boardrooms of Manhattan: A journey through grit, deals, and redemption.

This year marks my 40^th anniversary in commercial real estate. To celebrate this milestone — and to set the record straight on some of the ups and downs that shaped my career — I recently completed and began pre-selling my memoir,

“Memoirs of a Watch Salesman: A New York City Real Estate Story.”

For those who know me today primarily through my work in retail and office leasing, investment sales, and tenant and landlord representation, this book offers a deeper, more personal look at the journey that brought me here. It’s a story that many in real estate will find familiar: a mix of hustle, hard lessons, big wins, tough losses, and the relentless belief that the next deal — the next big break — is just around the corner.

The first part of the title, Memoirs of a Watch Salesman, refers to where it all began.

The 10 years before multimillion-dollar leases and global luxury brand deals, I was living at the George Washington Hotel in Manhattan, selling housewares on street corners and, later, three-dial skin diver watches door-to-door throughout the five boroughs. It was pure, unfiltered salesmanship — pitching on cold sidewalks, facing rejection every day, but learning the most valuable lessons a future broker could ever absorb and how to read people, how to improvise, and how to keep moving no matter how rough the day.

Those early years taught me about grit and resilience, lessons that would serve me well when I entered the real estate industry. From peddling and then selling door to door, I entered a management program at Jack LaLanne Health Club. They didn’t call it that back then, but that is what it was. Over an eight-year period, I managed 11 health clubs for Jack LaLanne and Bally’s.

Afterward, I transitioned into commercial brokerage during a time when Manhattan was undergoing a remarkable renaissance. The first three years consisted of cutting my teeth in investment sales — and taking my fair share of knocks — I was fortunate to meet Faith Hope Consolo, famously known as the “Queen of Retail.” Together, we embarked on a 26-year journey as true partners, helping luxury brands establish their presence along Fifth Ave., Madison Ave., SoHo, Beverly Hills, and beyond.

The book doesn’t shy away from the difficult chapters either. It candidly covers the later years — when business politics, false narratives, and betrayal within the industry took a toll. I share my experiences of standing up for myself in legal battles and how misinformation, amplified by sensationalist media, impacted careers, friendships, and reputations. It’s a side of the real estate world not often discussed publicly, but one that many of my colleagues will recognize immediately.

But above all, Memoirs of a Watch Salesman, A New York City Real Estate Story is a story of survival and reinvention. It’s about the instinct to push on and close a deal even when the odds seem impossible, the ability to rebuild after a fall, and the faith that hard work eventually pays off — lessons that every real estate professional can relate to, whether they’re just starting out or decades into their career.

Readers will find stories not just about real estate, but about the people behind the deals — the characters, the negotiations, the near-misses, and the wins that changed everything. The book takes you on a global tour through the markets I helped navigate for my clients: from New York to Beverly Hills, Rome, Singapore, Marrakech, London, Zurich, Mexico City, and more. Luxury retailers like Cartier, Buccellati, and dozens more trusted me to find and negotiate their flagship locations. Each chapter offers a glimpse into what it takes to perform at the highest levels, often behind the scenes and under immense pressure.

For my real estate colleagues, I hope this book serves two purposes. First, as an honest reflection of what it truly takes to last in this business — not just talent or opportunity, but unrelenting drive and thick skin. And second, as an inspiration: a reminder that setbacks, no matter how brutal, don’t define you. What matters is how you respond, how you rebuild, and how you carry forward the lessons earned along the way.

In a market that’s always shifting — and especially in uncertain times — those lessons are more relevant than ever.

Memoirs of a Watch Salesman: A New York City Real Estate Story is currently available for pre-sale at www.memoirsofawatchsalesman.com

Whether you’re a broker, landlord, retailer, entrepreneur, or just someone who loves a good comeback story, I believe you’ll find something of value in its pages. Indulge yourself, you will enjoy the book.

Thanks for letting me share this milestone with you.

Joseph Aquino is president of JAACRES, Manhattan, N.Y.