In the arena of retail real estate, Ariel Schuster is a specialist in both landlord and tenant representation. Since Mr. Schuster joined RKF in 2001, his roster of landlord clients has grown to include such prestigious owners as Edward J. Minskoff Equities; RFR Realty, Inc.; The Winter Organization and The Related Companies, L.P. During Mr. Schuster’s tenure at RKF, he has masterfully negotiated retail leases at The Sonoma (300 East 39th Street), The Westminster (153-69 Seventh Avenue), The Park Imperial (1745 Broadway) and the Westport (845 Tenth Avenue) – four of The Related Companies’ premier locations that total nearly 100,000 square feet.

While representing Edward J. Minskoff Equities at 270 Greenwich Street, Mr. Schuster secured a 70,000-square-foot lease with Whole Foods Market for its Downtown flagship superstore. At the same location, he completed a 40,000-square-foot lease with Barnes & Noble and a 38,000-square-foot lease with Bed Bath & Beyond. In addition, he has also arranged twelve transactions for The Winter Organization, the most recent of which was a lease with global retail giant, H&M at 111 Fifth Avenue.

Mr. Schuster also tends to the real estate needs of numerous retailers. He represented Coldwater Creek in leasing its store at 1172 Third Avenue (68th Street). The space consists of 9,200 square feet on the Ground Floor and 4,250 square feet on the Lower Level and will serve as the retailer’s first Manhattan location. Mr. Schuster also secured Coldwater Creek’s New York design studio at 545 Fifth Avenue. In addition, he has also represented Dean & Deluca in establishing its Upper East Side flagship at 1150 Madison Avenue (85th Street)

Among Mr. Schuster’s list of retail clients are familiar brands such as Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Gamestop and The Finish Line. As the exclusive Manhattan representative for The Regis Corporation (Jean Louis David, SuperCuts and Vidal Sassoon), Mr. Schuster has completed 12 leases and is currently working on Vidal Sassoon’s New York City roll out.

Mr. Schuster was born and raised in Jerusalem, Israel. At age 12, he moved to the United States and attended the prestigious Horace Mann High School and graduated magna cum laude from Tulane University with degrees in both Marketing and Finance. He also received a Masters in Real Estate Finance from New York University. Mr. Schuster is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Real Estate Board of New York.