Ben Schlegel, 34

The more complex the deal, the more Ariel Property Advisors’ Ben Schlegel enjoys it.

“The capital stack on those deals is always like a puzzle that you’re trying to fill, and you’re trying to do it in the most efficient way possible,” Schlegel said.

At Ariel’s capital services group, Schlegel is responsible for debt and equity placement nationwide, with a particular focus on New York City and the mid-Atlantic region. He also works in the student housing practice of Ariel’s partner, Global Real Estate Advisors.

A Manhattan native, Schlegel studied economics at Union College in upstate New York. An internship at Deutsche Bank’s commercial real estate group turned into an analyst role at IDB Bank. He later attended the Schack Institute of Real Estate at New York University, where he earned a master’s in 2018.

Schlegel eventually transitioned from lending to acquisitions and capital raising for a developer. His experiences on both sides of that deal-making table made Ariel a logical next step in 2023.

“It was really the natural fit for me,” Schlegel said. “I always wanted to grow my own business and my own book of clients.”

Schlegel accounted for over $116 million in deal volume at Ariel in 2025. The year saw Schlegel tackle his biggest project so far, arranging a $68.1 million debt and equity package for the acquisition and residential conversion of 29 West 35th Street. He helped the development’s joint venture, made up of Marty Burger’s Infinite Global Real Estate Partners and Andrew Heiberger’s Buttonwood Development, secure financing before Midtown South’s mixed-use rezoning plan was approved. 

“They’re off to the races on redeveloping,” Schlegel said.

The successful deal earned Schlegel a promotion to senior director in March and Ariel’s 2025 “Rising Star Award.”

Schlegel also contributes to Ariel’s monthly capital markets newsletter and trains brokers on capital services topics. Outside of real estate, Schlegel is a member of the Fifteenth Street Friends Meeting and volunteers for the charity God’s Love We Deliver, which provides free meals to New Yorkers across the five boroughs.