Top NYC realtor fired for comparing Zohran Mamdani – Business News
One of the town’s high workplace leasing brokers was reportedly fired for comparing socialist, Muslim Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to Adolf Hitler and complaining in regards to the prospect of listening to Islamic prayers coming from City Hall.
JLL Real Estate Services axed Scott Panzer after he emailed the outrageous feedback to coworkers on Wednesday, based on the Real Deal.
Earlier that day, Peter Riguardi, president of JLL’s New York workplace, despatched an e-mail urging his staff to “give [the new mayor] a chance to lead” and work collectively within the spirit of unity, the real estate information website reported.
Scott Panzer (second from left) was terminated by business real estate brokerage firm JLL, based on a report. Patrick McMullan by way of Getty Images
Panzer hit reply-all, writing: “Is it just me, or does this sound eerily similar to what much of Germany and Europe said about you know who back in 1938?”
Hitler was the infamous dictator of Germany on the time.
“We all know how that worked out for them — and for the world,” Panzer wrote.
Writing, “I will just throw one more provocative comment out here,” the realtor went on to recount a vacation he took in Istanbul. He stated he didn’t thoughts listening to the Muslim call to prayer 5 instances per day there, however “would not want that to be a 365 day event.”
“But alas, this too is just around the corner for NYC,” Panzer predicted.
According to people accustomed to the incident, Riguardi’s notice was meant to calm tensions in JLL’s New York workplace after Mamdani’s Tuesday win angered conservative business leaders.
Instead, Panzer’s response shortly circulated internally, drawing complaints from employees who seen his remarks as Islamophobic.
Panzer was fired within hours of sending the missive.
Panzer reportedly in contrast Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani to Adolf Hitler and complained about listening to Islamic prayers at City Hall. AP
“We can confirm Scott Panzer is no longer with JLL,” a company spokesperson instructed The Post. “The views and sentiment expressed in his email do not align with our company’s culture and shared values.”
Panzer didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Riguardi reportedly sought to strike an equanimous tone in his initial e-mail to a whole lot of staff, one of whom described the message as a call for cooperation with Mamdani’s incoming administration.
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“[Mamdani] is our mayor,” Riguardi wrote. “The only good thing we can do right now is give him a chance to lead and maybe for those of us who doubt him, he will surprise us.”
The exec was reportedly angered by Panzer’s response.
Panzer’s termination marked a swift downfall for one of Manhattan’s most seen dealmakers. The broker, who beforehand dealt with leasing for Sheldon Solow’s 9 W. 57th St. skyscraper and represented main tenants throughout Midtown, was with JLL for more than 16 years.
Mamdani has proposed a freeze on rent in addition to free buses. REUTERS
The controversy erupted as New York’s real estate industry adjusted to Mamdani’s shock victory.
The 33-year-old democratic socialist and state assemblyman initially from Uganda campaigned on a platform of rent freezes, public housing growth and transit subsidies.
In his Tuesday night time victory speech, Mamdani pledged to “build a city for the many, not the few,” signaling a more confrontational stance towards landlords and builders.
The Post has sought remark from Mamdani.
