Who Owns Which Buildings in NYC? A 2025 Guide

When you ask NYC building ownership is the network of individuals, companies, and funds that hold title to commercial and residential structures across New York City, the answer isn’t simple. Thousands of owners range from local landlords to global REITs, and the public databases that track them are scattered across city agencies, industry platforms, and tax filings. This guide shows you how to pinpoint who owns a specific skyscraper, which entities dominate the skyline, and where to find reliable data in 2025.

Why Knowing the Owner Matters

Ownership data fuels many decisions: investors spot opportunities, tenants gauge landlord stability, journalists expose concentration of wealth, and policymakers assess housing affordability. Knowing that a building is owned by a well‑capitalized REIT can mean prompt maintenance, while a property held by a shell company might raise red flags.

Primary Sources for NYC Ownership Data

• New York City Department of Finance - publishes the Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS) that lists deed records, liens, and transfer dates.
• Office of the City Register - provides searchable PDFs of historic ownership filings and mortgage recordings.
• CoStar - a subscription‑based platform that aggregates ownership, lease, and market‑value data for commercial properties.
• Zillow - offers owner‑name lookups for residential units, though accuracy varies.
• NYC Open Data Portal - hosts datasets like the “PLUTO” tax lot file, which includes owner names and property class codes.

How to Look Up a Specific Building

1. Identify the building’s address or borough‑block‑lot (BBL) number. You can find the BBL on a tax bill, the NYC Property Tax Map, or by entering the address in the NYC Planning’s PLUTO lookup tool.
2. Visit the Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS) (a836‑acris.nyc.gov). Enter the BBL and select “Deed” to see the most recent recorded owner.
3. If the deed lists an LLC or a numbered corporation, use the “Entity Search” on the New York State Department of State website to uncover the underlying individuals.
4. Cross‑check the name on CoStar or the NYC Open Data “MapPLUTO” file to see if the same entity appears across multiple properties.
5. For residential units, type the address into Zillow. The “Owner” field pulls from public records, but verify with ACRIS for certainty.

Top Owners of NYC Buildings in 2025

The skyline is dominated by a handful of institutional investors and family‑run enterprises. Below is a snapshot of the five biggest owners, measured by total market‑value of properties they hold as of Q22025.

Types of Owners You’ll Encounter

• Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) - public companies that own, operate, or finance income‑producing real estate. They must disclose holdings quarterly, making data comparatively easy to track.
• Foreign Investors - sovereign wealth funds, pan‑Asian conglomerates, and European pension funds often use shell LLCs to mask identity.
• Family Offices - private wealth managers that hold properties as long‑term assets. Their structures vary, but they usually appear under a family name or a numbered company.
• Institutional Investors - hedge funds, private equity firms, and pension plans that buy blocks of apartments or office towers.
• Individual Landlords - owners of single‑family homes or small multifamily buildings, typically listed by personal name.

Common Pitfalls When Interpreting Ownership Data

1. Shell Companies - Many large owners register assets under LLCs with generic names like “12345LLC”. The real beneficial owner often requires a deeper dig into the State’s corporation database.
2. Outdated Records - ACRIS updates daily, but some private platforms lag by weeks, leading to mismatched owners for recently sold assets.
3. Co‑ownership Structures - Joint ventures list multiple entities. Understanding the percentage stake is essential for assessing control.
4. Tax‑Lot vs. Building - A single tax lot can contain multiple parcels (e.g., a mixed‑use tower with a ground‑floor retail lease). Ensure you’re looking at the correct parcel ID.

Tools & Tips for Power Users

• Python + NYC Open Data API - Pull the PLUTO dataset, filter by “OWNER_NAME”, and map ownership concentration with geopandas.
• Bulk ACRIS Scraper - Use the city’s public XML feed and a simple BeautifulSoup script to download deed records for all BBLs in Manhattan.
• Link‑Analysis Software - Tools like Maltego can visualize connections between LLCs, directors, and ultimate owners.
• Subscribe to CoStar Alerts - Set up email notifications for ownership changes on specific assets you track.

Looking Ahead: Ownership Trends to Watch in 2026

Even though the data snapshot stops at Q22025, patterns suggest three developments for the next year:

• Increased Foreign Participation - Asian sovereign funds are poised to double their NYC footprint after favorable tax treaty revisions.
• Consolidation Among REITs - Mergers are expected as firms chase economies of scale in high‑cost Manhattan office space.
• Rise of “Purpose‑Built” Housing - Companies focusing on affordable‑housing pipelines are buying older rent‑regulated blocks and converting them under new inclusionary zoning rules.

Quick Checklist for Verifying a Building’s Owner

• Get the BBL from the tax bill or PLUTO.
• Search ACRIS for the latest deed.
• Identify the entity name; note if it’s an LLC or numbered corporation.
• Cross‑reference the name on CoStar or the NYC Open Data “MapPLUTO” file.
• If the entity is opaque, run a State corporation search for directors.
• Document the source and date of each lookup for future reference.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I find the owner of a residential condo in Brooklyn?

Start with the address’s BBL, then search ACRIS for the most recent deed. If the deed shows an LLC, look up that LLC on the New York State Department of State website to see the listed members. Finally, verify the name on Zillow or the NYC Open Data “MapPLUTO” file for any additional ownership notes.

Why do many owners appear as numbered LLCs?

Numbered LLCs are a common privacy tool. They let investors hold title without publicly linking the asset to a personal or corporate brand, which can reduce liability and limit public scrutiny.

Are the ownership records on ACRIS free to access?

Yes, ACRIS is a public portal and you can download deeds, mortgages, and liens at no cost. Some bulk‑download services may charge a fee, but basic searches are free.

What’s the difference between a REIT and a private real‑estate firm?

A REIT is publicly traded and must distribute at least 90% of taxable income to shareholders, which makes its holdings transparent through SEC filings. Private firms, like family offices, are not required to disclose details, so ownership data often comes from local records.

Can I get ownership data for a building that’s still under construction?

Construction sites usually have a permit filed with the City Department of Buildings, which lists the developer and the owner‑of‑record. Until a deed is recorded, the developer’s corporate entity is the de‑facto owner.