Sahar Hakakian, Partner, Akerman LLP
CREFC Women’s Network Member | New York, NY
Connect With Me: sahar.hakakian@akerman.com | Linkedin
I’m a real estate partner working on a range of commercial leasing, acquisitions, dispositions, and financing deals, and I love being at the intersection where business and legal strategy come together. A lot of my work involves helping landlords, tenants, investors, and developers push deals across the finish line when transactions get complicated or stuck. I tend to have a very business-first approach, and I focus on practical ways to get deals done—whether that’s a $200M acquisition in Brooklyn, a data center transaction in Texas, or building systems to streamline leasing and amendment processes for large institutional lease portfolios nationwide. I’ve worked across a range of asset classes and deal structures, which keeps the work dynamic and constantly evolving.
I’m a member of CREFC and the CREFC Women’s Network, which I value for the mix of market insight and the community of women helping shape the direction of the industry in a meaningful way. I joined CFREC to be more closely connected to that ecosystem, stay close to market conversations, and build relationships with peers who are leading and managing deals across the commercial real estate space.
3 Fun Facts About Me:
• Interesting Fact: Some of the most interesting stories start with a real estate deal.
• Most courageous thing I’ve ever done: The most courageous thing I’ve done is moving to Paris during college to complete a one-year international diploma at Sciences Po, where I studied and was examined entirely in French alongside native speakers, including students from diplomatic backgrounds. It was an intense and demanding environment, but I pushed through it, excelled in the program, earned my diploma, and fell in love with Paris along the way.
• Best piece of advice I've ever received: Listen to understand, not just to respond.