We solve New York City’s toughest real estate problems

Every situation is unique.
Every problem has a solution.
Every challenge holds profit potential.

Citadel Realty Services has been New York's go-to real estate problem solvers for over 60 years. We're the team that investors, banks, estates, hedge funds, and property owners call when they need real estate problems turned into profitable solutions.

With full licensing authority to manage, sell, and finance properties, we combine operational analysis, market understanding, and creative thinking to find solutions when conventional approaches fail.
‍
The Real Deal featured our unconventional approach to solving New York's most challenging real estate problems. Read the article ↗  
Citadel Realty Services has been New York's go-to real estate problem solvers for over 60 years. We're the team that investors, banks, estates, hedge funds, and property owners call when they need real estate problems turned into profitable solutions—quietly and completely.

With full licensing authority to manage, sell, and finance properties, we combine operational analysis, market understanding, and creative thinking to find solutions when conventional approaches fail. The Real Deal featured our unconventional approach to solving New York's most challenging real estate problems.
Licensed NYC real estate brokers since 1962
60+ years of creative solutions in NYC real estate
Trusted by major institutions and private clients across NYC

Clients & Partners

Properties for sale

West 19th Street Multifamily —Coney Island

Renovated 4-Unit Investment Property
Prime Coney Island location walking distance to the boardwalk and N/W subway lines. This fully renovated multifamily building offers immediate cash flow potential with individually metered utilities.
Units
4 units FM
Occupancy
Fully vacant
Asking price
$1,350,000
Projected NOI
$104,000
Get in touch
see all properties

Case studies

Netflix building

The Netflix solution

Challenge
A bleeding Harlem building—35 empty apartments, no time for traditional tenant hunting. The investment bank needed the hemorrhaging to stop immediately.
Solution
We posted photos on New York's film industry website instead of rental sites. Three days later, Netflix wanted every vacant unit for "Orange is the New Black."
Results
Ten months of filming generated half a million dollars—enough to renovate and flip. The hedge fund said they'd "never seen anything like it."
people in a medical office

The Profit pivot

Challenge
An estate inherited three bleeding properties in the Bronx—empty medical offices, a declining building, and a vacant lot. Every property was a liability draining money with no end in sight.
Solution
We pitched Montefiore Hospital on leasing the medical building and turning the mess into a coordinated complex. They transformed it into the world's only AIDS clinic for children while we converted the other sites to paid parking.
Results
Three losing properties became one highly profitable medical complex generating steady income. The estate went from financial nightmare to gold mine—and we still manage it today.
NYPD car

The Million Dollar recovery

Challenge
A family's trusted financier embezzled tens of millions and vanished to Africa, leaving behind only a townhouse on West 12th Street. The heirs needed evidence of the theft and had to move fast before more assets disappeared.
Solution
Our bookkeeper discovered a false wall in the basement hiding filing cabinets full of theft evidence. Then we raced to the Port of Newark with police and lawyers to stop a ship carrying stolen artwork.
Results
We recovered the evidence and intercepted crates of valuable art before they left the country. The unhappy ship captain had to unload everything—and we kept our client out of the headlines.
NYC building

The Harlem exchange

Challenge
Five Harlem apartment buildings, 400 units with serious management problems, and a 30-day Section 1031 deadline. Miss the deadline and our client would face massive tax consequences on their previous sale.
Solution
We implemented an expedited management program to solve operational issues across all properties simultaneously. Every building had to close within 30 days—no exceptions, no extensions.
Results
All five properties closed on time, saving the client from devastating tax penalties. Eighteen months later, they resold the entire portfolio at a substantial profit.
Empire state building

The 60-Day miracle

Challenge
Three Class A office buildings on Madison Avenue sat in foreclosure limbo with $200 million in defaulted debt. The mortgagee needed a buyer for the full debt amount—and needed it fast.
Solution
We assembled a targeted list of qualified buyers and crafted comprehensive offering memorandums for each prospect. Every detail had to be perfect to move $200 million in distressed debt within 60 days.
Results
We closed the entire $200 million debt sale in exactly 60 days. The buyer took ownership of three prime Manhattan office buildings through foreclosure.

Read the full story

The Real Deal featured our unconventional approach to solving New York's most challenging real estate problems. Read the full story of how we turn impossible situations into profitable outcomes.
read the article

About the CEO

Stephen Shapiro, Citadel CEO
Stephen Shapiro
President, Chief Executive Officer, Licensed Real Estate Broker in NYC
With over 50 years in New York's real estate industry, Stephen has earned recognition as "the fixer" - the professional that industry leaders call when they need creative solutions to complex property challenges. His extensive market knowledge and proven track record of turning distressed and underperforming properties into profitable assets has made him a sought-after expert for the most difficult real estate problems.

Stephen specializes in properties that others consider unsellable or problematic, consistently finding innovative approaches that deliver results where conventional methods fail. His reputation for accomplishing what seems impossible has earned him coveted recognition in industry publications and established Citadel as the go-to firm for high-stakes property challenges.

Beyond his leadership role at Citadel Realty Services, Stephen has served for over 20 years as an active Board Member of the Jazz Foundation of America, helping secure housing for aging jazz musicians. He actively supports the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
sshapiro@citadelre.com
917-660-1223

Work with us

Get in touch for a confidential consultation with NYC's most experienced real estate problem solvers.
917-660-1223
sshapiro@citadelre.com
178 Myrtle Blvd, Larchmont, NY 10538
Citadel Logo
Licensed real estate brokers since 1962, we manage, sell, and finance properties while solving the complex problems others can't—or won't—tackle. Through creative thinking, decades of experience, and an extensive network, we transform challenging situations into profitable outcomes.
©2025 Citadel Realty Services, LLC.
Licensed Real Estate Brokers. All rights reserved.
Copy by Show Me The Copy
‍Powered by Redsyte