Laurent Morali and Nicole Kushner Meyer

Last year was a busy one for Kushner, with $3.6 billion in total transactions on an often bumpy road for the multifamily industry in which Kushner is a big player.

But as CEO Laurent Morali explained, quality will always be appreciated. The firm’s $515 million refinancing of Phase 1 of its 2 million-square-foot Journal development in Jersey City, N.J., was a tricky deal. But the newly built, 966-unit luxury tower designed by Woods Bagot architects proved to be a draw. In the 10 months since the deal closed, 1,000 units across the larger $1 billion development have been leased.

“Multifamily is the DNA of the organization,” said company President Nicole Kushner Meyer. “We’ve seen what has been a more challenging time to acquire assets, but we’ve remained disciplined. It’s made this a great time for the company to be building.”

Kushner’s activities went well beyond financing. The company started a multifamily fund to acquire five properties nationwide, and also broke ground on a pair of projects, including the Surfside in Florida, a 68-unit, high-end project a block from the Atlantic Ocean, and the Liviana Livingston in New Jersey, a 280-unit multifamily rental development on the former site of a Westminster Hotel and an adjacent bank.

“While we have experience with other asset classes, we have a very clear focus on multifamily,” said Morali. “We manage all our own assets, and I think the lending community recognizes that. This discipline, focus and experience allows us to identify opportunities, especially the right deals, much faster.”

Kushner believes it has a great pipeline set up. Forthcoming completions in 2026, such as multifamily and mixed-use projects in Long Branch and Eatontown, N.J., will continue the momentum.

“All the seeds we planted in `25 will lead to other opportunities in `26,” said Morali. “We invested a lot of time and effort looking at deals in various markets. I think, in 2026, we’re going to be able to harvest everything that we planted last year. Real estate, as you know, is a long game.”

(Editor’s note: Meyer is married to Commercial Observer Chairman Joseph Meyer.)