David Simson joined Newmark in 2009 as Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer for the New Jersey operation. Mr. Simson is charged with overseeing the region’s professionals in strategic planning, consulting, and leasing advisory services. In addition, Mr. Simson serves as a consultant on behalf of clients and assists with all brokerage relations within the state.
For the past 35+ years, Mr. Simson has advised many of the largest corporations and owners in strategic planning for their real estate goals and objectives. He has been acknowledged as one of the leading brokers/advisors in New Jersey as an exclusive tenant representative. Mr. Simson has represented landlords as their exclusive agent for leasing or investment sales exceeding 200 million square feet of prime office space.
Prior to joining Newmark, Mr. Simson served as president and co-founder of GVA Williams of New Jersey and was head of operations for the 50-person company, which operated in partnership with GVA Worldwide. The operation completed over $4.5 billion in transactions during his leadership.
Newmark has acknowledged Mr. Simson as the firm’s top producer for the entire United States twice, in 2010 and 2012. His achievements have placed him every year in the top 100 in the US, including most recently in 2024.
Significant professional accolades include a NAIOP NJ Office Deal of the Year for the 155,000 SF Avis Budget Group transaction in Parsippany, in 2022; a United Way 2022 Impact Award for the 120,000 SF Valley Bank headquarters transaction; and a United Way 2017 Deal of the Year Award for a 430,000 SF headquarters transaction in Madison. Mr. Simson has received multiple NAIOP New Jersey Deal of the Year awards throughout his career: 2016’s mixed use award for the 142,700 SF Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Montvale; 2012’s office award for the 270,000 SF Realogy headquarters transaction; and the creative deal and impact award for the 173,000 SF Medicines Company world headquarters transaction. In 2019, NAIOP New Jersey elected Mr. Simson to its prestigious Hall of Fame.
Significant completed transactions include: an 879,000 SF lease in Bridgewater, New Jersey, on behalf of MetLife; a unique 155,000 office condominium transaction at Latitude for Avis Budget Group; the build-to-suit new 120,000 SF world headquarters for Valley Bank in Morristown; the blend and extend of the headquarters lease on behalf of McCarter & English for 117,000 SF in Newark; the completion of a 102,000 SF lease on behalf of both landlord and tenant at 5 Garret Mountain for the entire building; a 140,000 SF lease on behalf of RWJ Barnabas in Oceanport, NJ; the consolidation of New Jersey offices for EisnerAmper for 87,000 square feet; a 50,000 SF headquarters extension for Ansell in MetroPark; a consolidation of Lowenstein Sandler, LLP’s New Jersey offices for 170,000 square feet; and several offices for PNC across the country. In addition, in 2015, Mr. Simson was the lead advisor in New Jersey for the opening of a state-of-the-art cancer treatment facility on behalf of Memorial Sloan Kettering. In June 2024, Mr. Simson represented the ownership of 7 Powder Horn Drive, Warren, NJ for the leasing of 181,000 SF to Celgene for an intricate research/laboratory facility. The 15-year extension stabilized the asset for the ownership and created intrinsic value.
Partial List of Transactions
As a tenant representative:
- Reckitt Benckiser, 812,000 SF
- Pinnacle Foods Group, 694,964 SF
- GAF, 316,000 SF
- Prudential Insurance Co. of America, 232,500 SF
- Spectra Laboratories, 190,970 SF
- The Medicines Company, 173,146 SF
- Reckitt Benckiser HQ, 155,700 SF
- Pfizer, 154,000 SF
- Lowenstein Sandler, LLP, 170,000 SF
- Memorial Sloan Kettering, 142,700 SF
- RWJ Barnabas, 140,000 SF
- Reckitt Benckiser, 139,500 SF
- Computer Sciences Corp., 135,000 SF
- PNC Bank, 131,400 SF
- Travelport, GA, 123,193 SF
- Valley Bank, 120,000 SF
- Reckitt & Colman (Toronto), 119,000 SF
- McCarter & English, 117,000 SF
- Pfizer, 112,000 SF
- US Healthcare, 109,000 SF
- New York Times, 104,000 SF
- J.B. Holland, 102,000 SF
- Port Authority NY/NJ, 101,000 SF
- EisnerAmper, LLP, 87,000 SF
- Cole, Schotz, Meisel, Forman & Leonard, P.A., 77,000 SF
As an owner representative:
- JP Morgan (portfolio sale), 1.2 million SF
- Keystone properties (portfolio sale), 986,267 SF
- Met Life, 879,000 SF
- Latitude, 700,000 SF
- International Home Foods (CA), 681,500 SF
- Woodbridge Corporate Plaza, 600,000 SF
- Glenpointe, 600,000 SF
- Lincoln Equities (Allergan US headquarters), 431,495 SF
- Alaskan Pension Fund, 405,000 SF
- Mountain Development, 400,000 SF
- RXR Realty, 313,000 SF
- Hampshire Companies, 270,000 SF
- Onyx Equities, 250,000 SF
- UBS, 219,000 SF
- Thor Equities 181,000 SF
Professional Achievements
- Deal of the Year (office), NAIOP, 2022
- Impact Award, United Way, 2022
- Elected to the NAIOP New Jersey Hall of Fame, 2019
- Deal of the Year, United Way, 2017
- New Jersey Deal of the Year (mixed use), NAIOP, 2016
- Real Estate Power 50, NJBIZ, 2013 through 2022
- New Jersey Creative Office Deal of the Year, NAIOP, 2012
- Real Estate Impact Award, University of Maryland, 2012
- National Broker of the Year, Newmark, 2010 and 2012
- New Jersey Creative Deal of the Year Award, NAIOP, 2008
- Broker of the Year, Morris Area Development Group (MADG), 2002 and 2003
- Rising Young Stars under 40, New York Real Estate, 1996
Professional Affiliations
- NAIOP
- Industrial Office Real Estate Broker Association (IOREBA)
- National Association of Corporate Real Estate Executives (NACORE)
Education
Mr. Simson has a Bachelor of Science degree in business and management from the University of Maryland and is an active participant within the University.