History

With a legacy spanning over 60 years, Basser Kaufman has been guided by the same family,
orchestrating the development, ownership, and management of over 3 million square feet of retail space.
Explore our story here.

1955:

1955

Myron Kaufman began building residential properties in Queens and Nassau County.

Harold Basser was a family friend and grew up in the same Queens, NY neighborhood. The Basser family had been involved in commercial real estate for decades.

1960's:

1960's

Big retailers began moving into suburban shopping centers fueling their rapid expansion.

Harold Basser recognized the potential of a commercial real estate development company that catered to this market.

1963:

1963

Harold Basser asked Myron Kaufman to become his partner and Basser Kaufman was born.

Their first project together was the Woodmere Mews in Woodmere, New York, a very successful garden apartment complex.

1970's:

1970's

Harold and Myron quickly grew Basser Kaufman into one of the premier shopping center developers in the tri-state area.

1980's:

1980's

With the passing of Harold Basser Myron's son Steven joined Basser Kaufman heralding a new era in Basser Kaufman's history.

1990's - Present:

1990's - Present

Marc Kemp, Myron's son in law, joined Basser Kaufman in 1992. Myron, Steven, and Marc steered Basser Kaufman together until Myron's passing in 2019. Today, Steven and Marc are at the helm of Basser Kaufman, consistently delivering on Harold and Myron's vision of top tier commercial retail.

Meet our Team

ROBERT GOLDFEDER

Director of Leasing

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ROBERT GOLDFEDER

Robert Goldfeder is responsible for leasing and marketing all properties in Basser-Kaufman’s considerable portfolio. He has been with the company in this role since early 2000.

Mr. Goldfeder is involved in every tenant negotiation from start to finish. He reviews existing vacancies, considers which retailers might be a good fit for a particular property, and reaches out to key decision makers. Along with Principals Steven Kaufman and Marc Kemp, he negotiates with tenants and works with them throughout the leasing process.

Sometimes, a retailer is such a natural fit for a particular Basser-Kaufman property, the deal comes easily. But the most interesting projects, he says, are those that require strategic thinking — identifying the perfect tenant for a particular property, then reaching out to that retailer and generating interest. The retailer gets an ideal location and Basser-Kaufman gains a tenant. “I love the thrill of making a deal!” says Mr. Goldfeder.

Basser-Kaufman has much to offer potential clients, Mr. Goldfeder explains. In addition to a large portfolio of well-positioned real estate, the company has an excellent reputation for very fair leasing deals, doing business with honesty and integrity, and the ability and desire to get things done quickly.

Prior to joining Basser-Kaufman, Mr. Goldfeder worked as a broker at Welco Realty and as a manager at Chase Manhattan Bank. He is a graduate of Queens College. Mr. Goldfeder is a proud member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC).

STEVEN KAUFMAN

Principal

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STEVEN KAUFMAN

Directly upon graduating from Cornell University, Steven Kaufman began working with Basser-Kaufman in the summer of 1979. It has been 34 successful years later and he has not looked back since. Having developed, leased and managed millions of square feet — today, Steven, as a principal owner, has helped Basser-Kaufman grow into one of Long Island’s premier property developers.

Steven finds what he does both satisfying and rewarding, and every day he welcomes the unique challenges and opportunities that real estate development brings. Experience has given him a keen eye for discovering the inherent possibilities in any given property, and time in the business has taught him how to avoid hidden pitfalls. The result: a discerning insight for wise decision-making that his tenants, partners and even competitors have come to recognize and respect.

Steven has been involved in all aspects of real estate development from concept-to-completion, including site selection and entitlements straight through to financing, construction, leasing and management. His sense of professionalism at every turn is seasoned and impeccable, and those who work with him know him for operating under the strictest standards of excellence and integrity.

2013 marks the 50th Anniversary of Basser-Kaufman, a milestone that Steven, in every measure, has enabled the company to successfully achieve, since its founding in 1963. Today, Basser-Kaufman is operationally strong, financially secure and, like Steven, is bullish about the future of real estate development on Long Island and throughout the Northeast.

MICHELE BARI, ESQ.

General Counsel

DON O’CONNOR

Director of Construction and Property Management

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DON O’CONNOR

Don O’Connor  joined Basser Kaufman in 2017 as the Director of Construction. He has over 30 years of experience in managing all real estate asset types.  Don’s diverse knowledge and experience in design, construction, and development has led to the successful build-out of dozens of projects and the complete renovation of shopping centers as well as new ground up projects.

 

 

Sean Kemp

VP

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Sean Kemp

Sean Kemp joined Basser Kaufman in 2024 as a Vice President.  Sean assists with all aspects of Basser Kaufman’s real estate activities, including land/building acquisitions, leasing, and site location.  Sean brings a detail oriented eye to all his work, ensuring every task meets the needs of the company.  Prior to Basser Kaufman Sean was the Operations Manager of start up company VCR Group.

DANIEL O’CONNOR

Property Manager

NICHOLAS ANTO

Property Manager

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NICHOLAS ANTO

Nicholas Anto joined Basser Kaufman in 2023 as an admin for the property management team. He now works directly with the Director of Construction to facilitate the diverse and transitional nature of the commercial real estate business. On a daily basis, Nick collaborates with colleagues, tenants, contractors, and state and local governments in order to keep Basser Kaufman’s properties efficient and aesthetically appealing. He graduated from University at Buffalo with a master’s degree in Real Estate Development and has over 5 years of professional experience spanning maintenance, development, construction, and management.

MARC KEMP

Principal

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MARC KEMP

As Principal, Marc Kemp is involved in all aspects of Basser-Kaufman, from initial site assessments to development leasing and management. He has been with the firm for 20 years, 15 in his current role.

“Every day is different. That’s what I love about what I do,” says Mr. Kemp. He particularly enjoys researching potential new properties for development; seeing the potential in a particular site. Does it make sense for development? Which retailers might be best served by this location? Finding a good property, he says, is like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack; it’s quite satisfying.

One recent Basser-Kaufman project is located in Mr. Kemp’s neighborhood. His family attended the grand opening of the new supermarket and now shops there. He enjoys seeing first-hand the positive effects of this Basser-Kaufman project on his own community — including job creation.

A graduate of SUNY Binghamton and Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School, Mr. Kemp initially worked at the New York Stock Exchange then practiced real estate law for several years. His legal background is particularly useful in his work at Basser-Kaufman.

Mr. Kemp is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the New York State Bar Association. He serves on the Boards of Directors for Five Towns Community Chest, Long Island Real Estate Group and The Seawane Country Club. He is also a proud supporter of UJA and God’s Love We Deliver.

Outside the office, Mr. Kemp enjoys tennis, golf and spending time with friends and family. He has been married for 22 years and has three children, a daughter and two sons.

MYRON KAUFMAN

Founder, 1928–2019

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MYRON KAUFMAN

Principal Myron Kaufman played an active role in the business he helped found over 60 years ago until his passing in 2019.

Mr. Kaufman had been a builder since 1955. After completing service in the U.S. Army, he began building one- and two-family homes in Queens and Nassau County and later moved on to larger apartment houses. In 1963, family friend Harold Basser asked Mr. Kaufman to become his partner in a new real estate development company, and Basser-Kaufman was formed.

Commercial real estate was the Basser family business and, though Mr. Basser passed away in 1982, Basser-Kaufman remains a family business to this day. Mr. Kaufman’s son Steven joined the firm in 1979 and his son-in-law Marc joined in 1991.

“We’re hands-on owners,” Mr. Kaufman had stated. “We have a personal relationship with most of our tenants, including the small mom-and-pop stores. Retailers like doing business with us. We’re easy to get along with, we’re family-operated and we pay attention to all the details.”

Mr. Kaufman was a longtime member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and served as the NY State Director for several years. He was also a former Vice President of the Long Island Homebuilders Institute.

LEAH SOBEL

Legal & Executive Assistant

MARIE UNAPANTA

Director of Retail Services

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MARIE UNAPANTA

Marie Unapanta joined Basser-Kaufman in 1997 and brings more than 20 years of real estate experience to the firm. As Director of Retail Services, she handles all aspects of tenant relations, including lease administration, account billings and receivables. Additionally, she oversees day-to-day operations for Basser-Kaufman’s residential property-management services.

Real estate — and this role in particular — is an ideal fit for Ms. Unapanta. She is a natural communicator who truly enjoys working with people. Clients, she says, really appreciate the honesty and straightforwardness that characterize Basser-Kaufman and its staff.

SABRINA CARDENAS

Assistant Controller

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SABRINA CARDENAS

Sabrina Cardenas serves as the Assistant Controller of Basser Kaufman Real Estate Investors and Developers. Ms. Cardenas joined the Company in April 2017. Before joining Basser Kaufman Real Estate Investors and Developers, Ms. Cardenas was a Property Accountant at SL Green Realty, where she worked for 10 years. Her portfolio consisted of 2,719,829 sf of prime real estate in Midtown Manhattan. Ms. Cardenas is a graduate of St. Francis College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management.

Mission

Our commitment is to pursue exciting new trends in retail property development and management, challenging ourselves in identifying, implementing and influencing market trends and directions.