The Woodbridge-based Kislak Co. in January celebrated its sales team that just experienced a record year in 2022. Sales awards were distributed at the firm’s annual awards ceremony, which was held in January at Vine & Oak Tavern in Cranford.
Senior Vice President Justin Lupo received the Jay I. Kislak Producer of the Year award, Senior Vice President Matt Wolf received the Sima Kislak Jelin Salesperson of the Year award, Executive Vice President Joni Sweetwood received the Sales Transactions award and Executive Vice President Peter Wisniewski received the Lease Transactions award.
“Following a record-breaking 2021, our team had an even more extraordinary 2022, setting new company and market records by nearly every measure with closed deal volume of more than $1.2 billion,” Robert Holland, president, said. “Our awards recipients, along with the other members of our sales team, achieved record sales and I honor them for their tremendous efforts and amazing accomplishments.”
The Jay I. Kislak Producer of the Year award is presented to the individual who generated the highest sales during the past year and is named after the Kislak Organization’s late chairman, who was an inspiring entrepreneur, real estate pioneer and philanthropist.
Lupo had a remarkable 2022, which was his personal best, closing more than a dozen multifamily sales with over 650 units in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for $130 million. His 2022 transactions include the $51 million sale of Creekside North Apartments and Creekside South Apartments, two neighboring properties with a total of 261 units in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and the $22.5 million sale of a 115-unit multifamily portfolio in Newton. Lupo also earned the historic distinction of becoming Kislak’s all-time leading salesperson in terms of gross commissions earned in any single year during Kislak’s history.
Lupo joined Kislak in 2014 and specializes in the sale of multifamily and other investment properties in central New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. Following his first year with Kislak, he received its Rookie of the Year award. In 2018 and 2020, he received the firm’s Sima Kislak Jelin Salesperson of the Year award and, in 2019, received the firm’s Jay I. Kislak Producer of the Year award. Lupo’s investment sales total nearly $1 billion.
The Sima Kislak Jelin Salesperson of the Year award is presented to the individual whose performance and professionalism during the past year demonstrated the highest standards of excellence for which Kislak is known. The recipient is chosen by a vote of the sales and management teams, and the award is named after the late Sima Kislak Jelin, who was an executive, key mentor and motivator to countless salespeople; and the daughter of the firm’s founder.
Wolf also had a very strong year, which was also his personal best, and was the deserved recipient of the prestigious award, closing 19 multifamily sales with over 750 units in Pennsylvania for $100 million. His 2022 transactions include the $48 million sale of a 300-unit multifamily property in central Pennsylvania and the $15.3 million sale of 90-unit multifamily portfolio in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley.
Wolf joined Kislak in 2017 following over a decade of success in the commercial real estate industry focused on multifamily and other investment sales transactions in central and eastern Pennsylvania. In 2020, he earned the firm’s Jay I. Kislak Producer of the Year award after selling over 1,100 residential units valued at nearly $100 million. Wolf is a Certified Commercial Investment Member and also holds a Pennsylvania real estate broker’s license. He was promoted to a senior vice president in 2022.
The Sales Transactions award is presented to the individual who closed the highest number of sales transactions during the past year. Sweetwood also had a remarkable 2022, which was her personal best, closing 25 multifamily sales with 900 units in New Jersey for more than $125 million, and this was Sweetwood’s second consecutive recognition. Her 2022 sales include the $50 million sale of a 10-building multifamily portfolio with 324 units and two cell towers in Elizabeth and the $29 million sale of a 132-unit multifamily property in Keyport.
Sweetwood joined Kislak in 1996 and is also one of the firm’s all-time leading salespeople. She has won numerous awards, including the Sima Kislak Jelin Salesperson of the Year award in 2010 and the company’s production award in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2018. She has also been recognized repeatedly as one of New Jersey’s Commercial Broker All Stars and the Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal’s Executive Women in Business. Her career investment sales total more than $1.2 billion.
The Lease Transactions award is presented to the individual who completed the highest number of leases during the past year. Wisniewski also had a remarkable 2022, completing 31 commercial leases and several commercial sales in New Jersey for $20 million. His 2022 transactions include four new leases totaling over 13,000 square feet of office/tech space in the Mount Arlington Corporate III center to several area companies, two 6,250-square-foot warehouse flex unit leases for Bartles Corner Business Park in Raritan Township, the $2.8 million sale of a 17,010-square-foot modern warehouse facility in Branchburg and the $2.1 million sale of a 14,000-square-foot unique industrial building in Montclair.
Wisniewski joined Kislak in 2015 and leads the firm’s commercial sales and leasing affiliate, Kislak Commercial Real Estate Services Inc. Throughout his career, Wisniewski has leased or sold more than 8 million square feet of commercial space and well over 1,500 acres of land and is actively growing Kislak’s presence in the New Jersey commercial real estate market. This award marked his sixth consecutive recognition.
