Victor Sozio is one of the Founding Partners of Ariel Property Advisors where he originates and executes the sale of commercial real estate transactions in New York City, with a particular focus on affordable housing. He also serves as the Co-Head of Affordable Housing for Ariel’s national partner, Global Real Estate Advisors (GREA).
Mr. Sozio plays a pivotal role at Ariel, balancing his management responsibilities as a partner overseeing internal strategic initiatives with his consistent top investment sales performance. He provides support to all members of the Ariel team and uses his market knowledge to specifically assist the research team in improving the accuracy of the company’s data.
Mr. Sozio has contributed to Ariel becoming one of New York City’s most active investment sales brokerages in the multifamily sector, with the firm consistently marketing thousands of multifamily units citywide. In recent years, Real Estate Alert has ranked Ariel as one of the top five multifamily brokerage firms in New York City.
Mr. Sozio spearheads most of the firm’s institutional transactions and he plays a crucial role in all levels of client management. His expertise also extends to the sale of development sites and commercial and retail assets throughout New York City. Impressively, as one of the leading commercial real estate advisors in New York City, he has arranged the sale of more than 1,000 properties valued at over $5.5 billion during his career.
As head of Ariel’s robust Affordable Housing practice, Mr. Sozio is a sought-after resource for clients seeking to understand all aspects of their affordable housing portfolios. With his team, he analyzes ways to monetize or reposition these assets, which are subject to various city, state, and federal regulatory agreements, while at the same time preserving their affordability. His success in the affordable segment of the market has resulted in Mr. Sozio arranging the sale and putting into contract over 375 affordable buildings with nearly 20,000 units, totaling over 20 million square feet and valued at more than $3.65 billion.
Throughout his tenure at Ariel, Mr. Sozio’s deal-making skills have been recognized by the real estate industry, and he frequently speaks on panels focused on multifamily and affordable housing trends. He has been named to the prestigious Power 100 by Commercial Observer, a Power Broker by Costar, Top Broker and Dealmaker of the Year by Connect Media, Notable Leader in Real Estate by Crain’s New York, Broker of the Year by Commercial Property Executive and Multifamily Influencer by GlobeSt. He’s also received gold and silver awards from Commercial Property Executive for Best Investment Transaction in recognition of high-profile portfolio sales including Sea Park, the Dunn Portfolio, and the Bronx 2K Portfolio. Most recently, he received the Costar Sale/Acquisition Impact Award for the Ocean Park transaction. His portfolio sales also have been named finalists for the Real Estate Board of New York’s Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award.
Mr. Sozio is an active participant and supporter of the commercial real estate industry and non-profit organizations. He serves on the Board of Directors of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing (NYSAFAH), the nation's largest affordable housing trade group, and Westchester Youth Sports Empowerment (WYSE). He is a member of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), VFW, and American Legion. In his spare time, Mr. Sozio enjoys coaching his sons’ youth sports organizations.
He began his real estate career at Massey Knakal Realty Services, now Cushman & Wakefield. He is a graduate of Manhattan College, where he received a B.S. with a concentration in marketing. He also is a Veteran of the United States Marine Corps and served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
He lives in Westchester with his wife and two sons and can be reached at 212.544.9500 ext. 12 or via email at vsozio@arielpa.com.
