Real Estate Marketing Leader Nancy Packes Dies at 80

Real estate marketing strategist Nancy Packes died June 18 at her home in Rhinebeck, N.Y., the family announced Monday.

Packes, the founder of real estate consulting firm Nancy Packes Inc. as well as brokerage Feathered Nest, spent 30 years creating a legacy in the industry. She worked primarily on the residential side of things, bringing design expertise to developments such as New York by Gehry, Via West 57, One Museum Mile and Waterline Square.

She was 80.

“Nancy had a penchant for perfection and was driven to make a project the best it could be, which was very much backed up by data,” her son and business partner, Seth Rosner, told Commercial Observer.

“She and I have been running Nancy Packes for 25 years, so the transition to my running the company was very much afoot,” Rosner added. “I’m sure things will change, but it’s hard for me to say at this exact moment. We’ll still focus on data. We have a brokerage arm as well, so we’ll continue with that.”

Packes began her career in real estate after a seven-year stint as a trial lawyer before founding Feathered Nest in 1977, which she later sold to Terra Holdings in 1998 and launched her eponymous marketing services firm.

She was known for her motto “Everything should be beautiful.”

Over the course of her career, Packes would advise major developers such as Forest City Ratner, Douglaston Development, the Durst Organization, the Witkoff Group, Apollo, RXR, Lonicera Partners, Alloy Development and Brodsky Organization in bringing over 10,000 units to the market, according to the family.

Packes is survived by Rosner and his wife, Sloane, and her granddaughter Stella. She also leaves behind many nephews, nieces and cousins.

Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.