Steven J. Geller, MAI, MRICS, Esq., joined Newmark Valuation & Advisory in 2019 as a Senior Vice President in the Walnut Creek office. In 2021, he moved into the Newmark Legal Department and is dedicated Counsel for the Newmark Valuation & Advisory, LLC Group. Prior to joining Newmark, he was a practicing appraiser and attorney who specialized in the defense of real estate appraisers with regulatory and administrative matters before the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers and general real estate law practice.
Actively engaged in real estate valuation and consulting since 1985, his most recent appraisal activity at Newmark focused on major urban and suburban developments, subdivisions, commercial and industrial projects. He has successfully completed valuations on various proposed, partially completed, renovated and existing structures including, but not limited to, neighborhood and community shopping centers; apartment complexes; single- and multi-tenant industrial buildings; low- to high-rise office buildings; mixed-use facilities; medical office buildings and vacant land.
Geller’s appraisal and legal background has also focused on litigation work, including arbitration, mediation and litigation involving valuation. His valuations have been used for condemnation purposes, estates, financing, financial reporting and appraiser due diligence support. His clients have included attorneys, accountants, investment firms, law firms, lenders, private and public agencies. Additionally, Geller was a Director with Cushman & Wakefield Valuation Practice from approximately 2000 to 2005.
Professional Affiliations
- Member, Northern California Chapter of the Appraisal Institute
- Member, State Bar of California
- Associate Chair, Northern California Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, Spring Litigation Conference, 2019
- Chair, Northern California Chapter of the Appraisal Institute; Spring Litigation Conference, 2020
- Chair, Northern California Chapter of the Appraisal Institute; Spring Litigation Conference, 2021
Licenses and Designations
- MAI designation, Appraisal Institute
- Member, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS)
- Certified general real estate appraiser, state of California
- Member, State Bar of California
- Geller has qualified as an expert before U.S. Bankruptcy Court, the United States Tax Court and has testified in numerous state courts in the San Francisco Bay Area
Education
Geller earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco and a dual major Bachelor of Arts degree in business economics and environmental studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara. More recently, he successfully completed numerous real estate-related courses and seminars sponsored by the Appraisal Institute, accredited universities, and others. He is currently certified by the Appraisal Institute’s voluntary program of continuing education for its designated members.