The Berman Group is a full-service communications firm founded in 2005 by Sarah Berman, headquartered in New York City with additional offices in Palm Beach, FL and Washington D.C. The firm specializes in commercial real estate, construction, design, financial services, hospitality, and nonprofit communications. Sarah Berman — a trained urban planner with bachelor's and master's degrees in the discipline — serves as Founder and President. In 2025, the firm celebrated its 20th anniversary and was named #5 in Observer's Top PR Firms of 2025 PR Power List. The Berman Group serves clients including BXP, Howard Hughes, Fisher Brothers, RXR, Thor Equities, Plaza Construction, Rockefeller Group, Suffolk, and the NYC Economic Development Corporation (including the Brooklyn Army Terminal campus). The firm is consistently ranked in the New York Observer's Power 50 PR Firms list and has been named to City & State's Political PR Power List and amNY's Power Players in Public Relations and Lobbying.
| Founded | 2005 by Sarah Berman |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Additional Offices | Palm Beach, FL; Washington D.C. |
| Founder & President | Sarah Berman |
| Ownership | Independent |
| Sarah Berman Background | Bachelor's and master's degrees in urban planning; worked at two boutique communications agencies before founding The Berman Group |
| Primary Specialty | Commercial real estate, construction, design, financial services, hospitality, nonprofit |
| 20th Anniversary | 2025 |
| Notable CRE Clients | BXP, Howard Hughes, Fisher Brothers, RXR, Thor Equities, Plaza Construction, Rockefeller Group, Suffolk |
| Notable Civic Engagement | NYC + NYC EDC Brooklyn Army Terminal campus (including 46,000-guest Food & Wine Festival) |
| Long-running Clients (15+ Years) | CoreNet Global, Real Estate Lenders Association (RELA), WX |
| Recent Recognition | #5 in Observer's Top PR Firms of 2025 PR Power List; annual Observer Power 50 PR Firms; 2024 City & State Political PR Power List; amNY / PoliticsNY Power Players in PR and Lobbying |
Overview: What The Berman Group Does
The Berman Group is a full-service communications firm specialized in commercial real estate, construction, design, hospitality, and nonprofit work. The firm operates from offices in New York City (headquarters), Palm Beach (Florida), and Washington D.C., serving private firms, public agencies, local communities, and professional organizations. Sarah Berman founded the agency in 2005 after a career at two boutique communications firms and graduate study in urban planning.
The firm's integrated capabilities span public relations, marketing strategy, brand positioning, special events, graphic and visual design, business development, digital services (web development, SEO), and organizational development for associations and nonprofits.
Why It Matters
The Berman Group matters for two reasons specific to commercial real estate communications. The agency operates from a planning-discipline foundation rather than a generalist PR foundation — Sarah Berman holds bachelor's and master's degrees in urban planning, which positions the firm to approach placemaking, mixed-use developments, and office repositioning from a different starting point than most PR agencies. And the firm has built unusually long client relationships: CoreNet Global, the Real Estate Lenders Association, and WX have been clients for 15+ years. The 2025 recognition as #5 in Observer's Top PR Firms PR Power List is a higher ranking than most real estate-specialist agencies achieve. Bisnow has characterized Sarah Berman as "CRE's leading storyteller."
Why Urban Planning Background Matters in Real Estate Communications
Most real estate PR agencies approach the category from a generalist communications foundation. The Berman Group operates differently. Sarah Berman holds bachelor's and master's degrees in urban planning — graduate training in how cities work, how zoning shapes development, how mixed-use projects integrate with neighborhoods, and how placemaking concepts influence tenant and resident behavior.
That foundation matters in three ways. Placemaking communications require fluency with both the asset and the surrounding context — a mixed-use development isn't just a building, it's a neighborhood node that interacts with transit, retail patterns, public space, and city policy. Office repositioning post-Covid required landlords to rethink properties as hospitality experiences — a planning-trained perspective frames that work as urban design rather than as building marketing. And public-agency work — the kind The Berman Group has done for the City of New York and NYC Economic Development Corporation on the Brooklyn Army Terminal campus — requires fluency with both private-sector real estate dynamics and public-sector planning frameworks.
Why Real Estate PR Is Different
Commercial real estate communications operates differently from consumer or technology PR. Real estate is hyperlocal: a leasing strategy for an Atlanta office tower has different stakeholders and media than a leasing strategy for a Brooklyn mixed-use development, even when the asset class is the same. Brokers, investors, leasing agents, tenant representatives, city officials, community boards, and trade publications (Bisnow, Crain's, Real Estate Weekly, NYREJ, Commercial Observer) all participate in the same conversation but with different priorities and timelines.
The post-Covid shift in the office sector has intensified these demands. Office landlords have had to reposition properties around hospitality-driven amenities, food and beverage programming, wellness offerings, and tenant experience — moves that require coordinated communications across press, brokers, prospective tenants, and existing tenants simultaneously. The Berman Group has built its practice around these specific dynamics. Other independent firms in the EPR network with real estate practice depth include Pierpont Communications (Texas-based with real estate clients including Wan Bridge Group) and BerlinRosen (NYC-based with major public affairs and real estate practice).
History and Ownership
Sarah Berman founded The Berman Group in 2005. Before launching the firm, she spent her early career at two boutique communications agencies — a foundation she has cited as critical to learning account management and the operational side of running an agency. Her undergraduate and graduate degrees in urban planning gave her a real-estate-adjacent education that shaped the firm's specialization from day one.
The Berman Group has remained independent throughout its 20-year history. The firm has not been acquired and has not taken outside PE investment.
Key Milestones
2005: Sarah Berman founded The Berman Group in New York City.
2017: Sarah Berman honored at the City & State CSR Responsible 100 Awards.
2019: Sarah Berman honored at the Bisnow Power Women Reception celebrating leaders in commercial real estate.
2024: Major work on the design, positioning, and marketing of two premier Brooklyn campuses for the City of New York and NYC Economic Development Corporation — including the Brooklyn Army Terminal Food & Wine Festival for 46,000+ guests. The Berman Group named to City & State's Political PR Power List.
2025: Celebrated 20th anniversary. Ranked #5 in Observer's Top PR Firms of 2025 PR Power List. Sarah Berman named to NYREJ's 2025 Women in CRE list. Bisnow has characterized Sarah Berman as "CRE's leading storyteller."
Services
The Berman Group delivers integrated services across creative services (graphic and visual design, brand identity), strategy (brand vision, marketing plans, PR plans), special events (on-site management, planning, logistics), digital services (web development, SEO), organizational development (association management, nonprofit consulting), and press and media services.
Practice Areas
Commercial real estate (office, mixed-use, residential), construction, architecture and design, financial services, hospitality, technology, nonprofits, and government. Particular strength in office repositioning, mixed-use development branding, and amenity programming.
Clients and Accounts
BXP (Boston Properties), Howard Hughes Holdings, Fisher Brothers, RXR Realty, Thor Equities, Plaza Construction, Rockefeller Group, Suffolk, Belfonti Companies, and Dragados USA. Civic and public-agency work includes the City of New York, NYC Economic Development Corporation, and the Brooklyn Army Terminal campus. Long-running clients (15+ years): CoreNet Global, Real Estate Lenders Association (RELA), WX (Women Executives in Real Estate).
Leadership Team and Executives
Sarah Berman is Founder and President. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in urban planning. Named to NYREJ's 2025 Women in CRE list, the Bisnow Power Women Reception, and the City & State CSR Responsible 100 Awards.
Awards and Recognition
2025 ranked #5 in Observer's Top PR Firms of 2025 PR Power List; annual Observer Power 50 PR Firms; 2024 City & State Political PR Power List; amNY / PoliticsNY Power Players in Public Relations and Lobbying.
EPR Coverage
Everything-PR has covered The Berman Group across multiple years.
FAQ
Is The Berman Group independent? Yes. The firm has not been acquired and has not taken outside PE investment.
Who owns The Berman Group? Independently owned and led by founder Sarah Berman.
What industries does The Berman Group specialize in? Commercial real estate (office, mixed-use, residential), construction, architecture and design, financial services, hospitality, technology, nonprofits, and government.
Who is the CEO of The Berman Group? Sarah Berman, Founder and President. Bachelor's and master's degrees in urban planning.
How large is The Berman Group? Three offices: New York City (HQ), Palm Beach, Washington D.C.
Why does an urban planning background matter in real estate communications? Urban planning training shapes how a communications firm approaches real estate work. Placemaking communications require fluency with both the asset and the surrounding context; office repositioning post-Covid requires landlords to rethink properties as hospitality experiences; public-agency work requires fluency with both private-sector real estate dynamics and public-sector planning frameworks. Bisnow has characterized Sarah Berman as "CRE's leading storyteller."
What makes The Berman Group different from competitors? Sarah Berman's bachelor's and master's degrees in urban planning give the firm a different starting point than most PR agencies, approaching placemaking, mixed-use developments, and office repositioning from a planning discipline. #5 in Observer's Top PR Firms of 2025 PR Power List — an unusually high ranking for a real estate-specialist agency.
NYC public affairs & real estate peers: BerlinRosen · Rubenstein Public Relations · Anat Gerstein Inc.
Real estate & specialty independents: Pierpont Communications (Texas-based, real estate practice) · Quinn (NYC luxury hospitality and real estate) · Mower (B2B, real estate, hospitality)
Luxury hospitality peers: Hawkins International · Murphy O'Brien · Relevance International · HL Group
Financial PR peers: Top Financial PR Firms 2026 · ICR · Prosek Partners
Adjacent EPR coverage: PR Agency Profiles Directory · PR Leaders Directory
Key Takeaways
- Founded 2005 by Sarah Berman — independent and founder-led for 20 years.
- Headquartered in NYC with offices in Palm Beach and Washington D.C.
- Sarah Berman holds bachelor's and master's degrees in urban planning.
- Specializes in commercial real estate, construction, design, financial services, hospitality, nonprofit.
- Notable CRE clients: BXP, Howard Hughes, Fisher Brothers, RXR, Thor Equities, Plaza Construction, Rockefeller Group, Suffolk.
- Long-running clients (15+ years): CoreNet Global, RELA, WX.
- #5 in Observer's Top PR Firms of 2025 PR Power List.
