Newmark’s Long Island office starts the new year with the promotion of Scott Berfas and Richard Perna. Berfas has been promoted to the position of managing director and Perna is now an associate director.
“Both Scott and Richard have shown extraordinary dedication and discipline in performing the ground work necessary to become successful in this business,” says Chuck Tabone, managing principal.
Berfas, a specialist in office tenant representation with a focus on the Long Island and metropolitan New York markets, joined the global real estate services firm in 2004 as an associate director, and achieved the rank of director in 2007.
Over the course of his real estate career, his clients have included Citibank, with its 210,000-square-foot operations center in Melville, N.Y.; Danaher Corp., in its disposition of 180,000 square feet in Port Washington, N.Y.; Merrill Lynch in its 53,000-square-foot lease in Garden City, N.J., and a 32,250-square-foot lease in Great Neck, N.Y.; Professional Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy in its 20,000-square-foot lease in Garden City; and the Medical Society of the State of New York in the sale of its 72,000-square-foot corporate headquarters and subsequent lease in Westbury for 30,000 square feet.
Berfas is a member of Commercial Industry Brokers Society of Long Island, Long Island Elite Business Group, Long Island Chapter and ExecuLeaders. He has been recognized by the CoStar Group as a “Long Island Power Broker,” and as a distinguished speaker at SUNY Farmingdale’s School of Business. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Delaware and is currently pursuing graduate education in real estate-related areas.
Richard Perna, son of executive managing director Ralph Perna, entered real estate through Newmark’s Long Island office the winter of 2004, as an intern. He joined the company as an associate in 2005.
Specializing in industrial and office tenant representation, Richard brings substantial leadership skills to his work with Newmark. Two-year captain of the Pace University Tennis team, Perna was a three-time all-conference selection. Richard also spent four consecutive summers as head sailing instructor at the Dunewood Yacht Club of Fire Island, New York. As head sailing instructor, he led the most respected and best attended yacht club on Fire Island, and was head instructor during the club’s most profitable summer in its 43 years of existence.
Recently, he participated in Perfume Center of America’s acquisition of 11 acres of land on Ocean Avenue in Ronkonkoma, as well as a 12,000-square-foot lease at 901 Motor Parkway in Hauppauge to US Carpet Installations.
Perna is currently a member of the Commercial Industrial Broker Society. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing/Management from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business.
Newmark is one of the largest independent real estate service firms in the world. Headquartered in New York, Newmark and London-based partner Knight Frank Newmark operate from over 195 offices in established and emerging property markets on six continents. Last year, transactions were valued at more than $47.6 billion with annual revenues of over $962 million. With a combined staff of more than 6,900, this major force in real estate is meeting the local and global needs of owners, tenants, investors and developers worldwide. For further information, visit www.newmarkkf.com.