Jerry L. Barta
By Joshua Burd
Jerry L. Barta, a respected leasing executive and a fixture in northern New Jersey’s commercial real estate sector, is retiring after 30 years with Alfred Sanzari Enterprises.
The Hackensack-based firm announced Monday that Barta would step down after a career in which he rose to the post of director and vice president of leasing and marketing. It also cited his indelible mark on the third-generation, family-owned firm, noting that he has negotiated more than $1 billion worth of leases with hundreds of commercial tenants across its 6 million-square-foot portfolio to consistently achieve and maintain above-market occupancy and rental rates.
“In his time with Alfred Sanzari Enterprises, Jerry has exemplified the core values of hard work, integrity, loyalty and passion that our firm was founded upon,” said David Sanzari, the firm’s CEO. “The Sanzari family extends our most heartfelt thanks to Jerry for everything he has done for us over the last three decades, and we wish him all the best in his much-deserved retirement.”
After getting his juris doctor degree with honors from the Benjamin N. Cordozo School of Law, Barta worked in Manhattan and Long Island, primarily in high-end residential development as well as multitenant commercial real estate, according to a news release. He gained an even deeper understanding of the commercial real estate leasing process in the early 1990s while working under Mitch Arkin at Rockrose Development Corp.
Several years later, searching for a new challenge that would allow him to continue working with the “kaleidoscope” of commercial leasing, Barta replied to a New York Times classified ad looking for someone to work for a “prominent Bergen County developer,” the news release said. He joined what turned out to be Alfred Sanzari Enterprises in 1994, working closely with Founder Alfred N. Sanzari, CEO David Sanzari and Vice President of Leasing and Marketing Roger van Voorhees to oversee leasing across its portfolio.
Barta quickly became a trusted member of the leasing team and rose the role of director just a year into his tenure, Sanzari said, pointing to his work ethic and ability to build relationships throughout the industry. He has worked with all three generations of Sanzari family leadership, helping to drive leasing results and playing a critical role in the firm’s long-term ownership strategy through a variety of market conditions.
The company also said Monday that it has tapped Christopher DeLorenzo, most recently of The Birch Group, as its new director and vice president of leasing and marketing.
“I have been fortunate to know Jerry for most of my life,” said Ryan Sanzari, president of Alfred Sanzari Enterprises. “Over the past 30 years, I’ve learned invaluable lessons from him about leadership, commercial real estate and, most importantly, life, that I will carry with me forever. I thank him for his dedication to our business and congratulate him on beginning this exciting phase of his life.”
Barta added: “It’s bittersweet to leave a place that has been a cornerstone of my life for the past 30 years. I will deeply miss the relationships I’ve built with tenants, brokers and colleagues across the industry and especially the daily camaraderie with the Alfred Sanzari Enterprises team. However, I know the firm will continue its legacy of success under the strong leadership of my colleagues. The team in place is truly second to none.”
Barta has also served as a trusted mentor to employees across the organization, the news release said. Most recently, he has worked closely with Carolina Gutierrez, the company’s manager of leasing and marketing since she joined the firm in 2019 and what Sanzari described as one of the industry’s fastest-rising stars.
“I could not ask for a better mentor and friend than Jerry,” Gutierrez said. “His guidance has been invaluable to my career advancement over the past five years. I cannot thank him enough for everything he has done for me and our firm. I wish him all the best in his retirement.”
DeLorenzo, meantime, joins Sanzari after serving as executive vice president of The Birch Group, overseeing its commercial portfolio of more than 6.5 million square feet. Prior to that, he held leadership roles with JLL and Mack-Cali Realty Corp.
