The Co-op and Condo Insider

The Co-op & Condo Insider is your trusted source for expert commentary led by advocates within New York City’s co-op and condo world. Each episode offers insights into the challenges, news, and stories that shape a community making up more than 20% of this great city’s residents.

The Co-op and Condo Insider is a society podcast hosted by EES Content Studio, with 26 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

EES Content Studio hosts The Co-op and Condo Insider, a society show with 26 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #1

  The Voice for the Co-op Community in Washington DC with guest CM Tom Suozzi

  Oct 2, 202635 minS2

  Congress Member Tom Suozzi, who represents New York's 3rd Congressional District across Nassau County and Queens, joins Geoffrey Mazel and Richard Solomon to talk about Washington, affordability, and the federal fights that matter to one of the largest co-op homeowner populations in the country. Suozzi traces his path from growing up with a photo of his father campaigning alongside John F. Kennedy to starting the Fordham Law School Public Service Project, working as a lawyer and CPA at Shearman & Sterling and Arthur Andersen, and serving as mayor of Glen Cove and Nassau County Executive. He talks candidly about losing two races for governor, stepping away from politics, and returning to Congress after George Santos was expelled from the seat. The conversation then turns to how Washington works, or doesn't. As co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, made up of 23 Democrats and 23 Republicans, Suozzi explains the caucus's push for common ground on issues like artificial intelligence. He lays out five federal policies he says are driving up household bills, from tariffs and gas prices to the national debt, health insurance premiums, and energy supply cuts at a time when data centers are pushing demand up for the first time in 20 years. For co-op and condo owners, the core message is that federal agencies need to treat shareholders as homeowners. Suozzi and Mazel revisit the 2020 fight to get co-ops included in the Paycheck Protection Program after they were classified as passive entities. They discuss Fannie Mae's nationwide underwriting guidelines, which apply the same standards to a New York City co-op as to a homeowners association in Utah, along with problems around ground leases and insurance requirements. Suozzi also covers the coalition of local officials pushing back on Local Law 97, which he says could cost co-op owners $30,000 to $40,000 each, and the history of the SALT deduction, including the increase of the cap from $10,000 to $40,000 and why he argues it should go higher to keep residents and their tax dollars in New York. The episode closes with Richard's lightning round, which turns more serious than usual. Suozzi explains how foreign adversaries use bots on social media to pit Americans against each other, names the public speakers who influenced him most, from Ed Koch and Bill Clinton to Jesse Jackson and Ronald Reagan, and talks about why talented people stay out of public service and what the weekly commute to Washington takes out of family life. For anyone serving on a board or managing a building, this is a direct look at how federal policy reaches co-op and condo owners and where the next fights are.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #24

  Property Rights, Energy Policy, and the 2026 Governor's Race with guest Bruce Blakeman

  Jul 22, 202633 minS1

  Nassau County Executive and gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman joins Geoffrey Mazel and Richard Solomon for a wide-ranging conversation about the pressures facing co-op and condo owners across New York. Blakeman traces his path from watching his father campaign for the state assembly as a nine-year-old to running one of the largest counties in America, with stops along the way as a Hempstead town councilman, presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, and Port Authority commissioner during 9/11. He talks about how Nassau earned its ranking as the safest county in America, delivered four budget surpluses and seven bond upgrades, and went four years without raising taxes. The conversation then turns to the issue dominating board meetings across the city and state: cost. Blakeman breaks down why New York electric bills run 70 percent above the national average, pointing to delivery fees and taxes that he says leave only 30 percent of each payment going toward actual energy. He makes his case for natural gas extraction in the Southern Tier's Marcellus Shale, argues that what he calls the green energy scam is driving up rates without meaningful climate benefit, and pledges to end Local Law 97 mandates on co-ops and condos if elected governor. He also weighs in on the new pied-à-terre tax, proposed changes to the inheritance tax threshold, congestion pricing, and why he believes unfunded mandates threaten the long-term viability of cooperative housing. The episode closes with Richard's lightning round, where Blakeman makes the pitch for Nassau County as a destination in its own right, from its beaches and museums to a restaurant scene he puts up against New York City's. He shares what he'd feature in his own version of an I Love New York campaign, and tells the stories behind the four wristbands he wears daily, including one honoring his nephew Tommy, who died helping evacuate the South Tower on 9/11. Whether you own a co-op, a condo, or a house, this one gets into the numbers behind the affordability crisis and what the 2026 governor's race could mean for homeowners.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #23

  When A City “Statement” Becomes A Housing Crisis with Guest Randy Mastro

  Jul 14, 202634 minS1

  Local Law 97 was introduced as a major step toward reducing emissions from New York City buildings, but for many co-ops, condos, and mixed-use properties, the law has created serious concerns about cost, fairness, and how emissions limits are applied. In this episode, we are joined by Randy Mastro, former First Deputy Mayor of New York City, to discuss Local Law 97 and the impact it is having on property owners throughout the city. Drawing on his experience in City Hall and as a federal prosecutor, Randy discusses how major city policies are developed and enforced, and what can happen when broad regulations fail to account for the realities of individual buildings. The conversation covers the Climate Mobilization Act, building emissions limits, and the challenges facing co-op and condo communities that have already invested heavily in energy efficiency improvements, including projects such as solar installations. Randy also discusses the legal challenges to Local Law 97, including arguments surrounding New York State’s climate laws, the initial court ruling, and the subsequent reversal by the New York Court of Appeals. The conversation also examines waivers and exemptions under the law, changes to CLCPA timelines, and what these developments could mean for the future of Local Law 97. For co-op and condo board members, managing agents, shareholders, unit owners, and others involved in New York City real estate, this episode provides an important look at Local Law 97, the legal issues surrounding it, and what may lie ahead.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #22

  Classroom to NYC Council: Eric Dinowitz on Maintaining Co-op Affordability in the Bronx

  May 1, 202637 minS1

  <p>A new fee on its own might not seem like a big deal. But when you layer it on top of everything a building is already dealing with, it adds up fast. We sat down with Eric Dinowitz to talk about what happens when well-intentioned policies meet the reality of co-op and condo budgets. From trash containerization to the ongoing demands of Local Law 11 and Local Law 97, the core question is straightforward: how do we make buildings safer, streets cleaner, and reduce emissions without pushing out the people who actually live in and run these communities?</p><p>Eric...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #21

  How State Policy Is Shaping the Future of NYC Co-ops With Guest Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky

  Apr 14, 202637 minS1

  <p>Co-ops remain one of the last realistic ways to buy a home in New York City. The challenge is that many of the people shaping housing policy don’t fully understand how co-op living actually works. In this episode, we sit down with Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky to talk about that disconnect, and why it often leaves co-op and condo communities playing defense, even though they represent one of the most accessible paths to home ownership in the city.</p><p>We start with her background, from teaching and early campaign work to her election to the State Senate in...

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on The Co-op and Condo Insider. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.