Real estate has been part of Mat's life for as long as he can remember. He grew up in a family where deals were always being discussed, buildings were always being walked, and the market was just part of the dinner conversation. So when he got into the business himself, it felt natural. What maybe surprised people was the way he got in. In 2013, Mat became a Founding Agent at Compass, joining when the company was still a startup that most of the industry hadn't taken seriously yet. He saw early that technology was going to change how real estate worked, and he wanted to be part of that. Thirteen years later, that bet looks pretty good.

Mat has now closed more than 800 transactions and over $1 billion in total sales volume, mostly across Brooklyn but with a strong presence in Manhattan as well. He works alongside the Barak/Blackburn Team, which has been ranked among the top 30 teams in New York City and the top 250 in the nation by the Wall Street Journal REAL Trends, and was named to The Real Deal's top 50 new development brokers list. The team has also been recognized among the top 100 teams at Compass. Mat has transacted in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Bushwick, and throughout Manhattan's West Village, Chelsea, and Upper West Side. Condos, co-ops, condops, townhouses, brownstones, single-families, multi-families. He's done all of it.

New development is where Mat has really made his mark. He sold out The Diana at 435 Tompkins Avenue in Bed-Stuy, all 40 units. He's closed over 30 transactions at The Oosten at 429 Kent Avenue on the Williamsburg waterfront. He's been deeply involved in buildings like 480 Degraw Street in Boerum Hill, The Bathhouse at 139 Huron Street in Greenpoint, 167 and 169 Eagle Street in Greenpoint, 508 Waverly Avenue in Clinton Hill, The Isabella at 545 Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights, and 111 Montgomery Street in Crown Heights. In Williamsburg alone, he's sold at 85 North 3rd Street, 172 North 10th Street, The Mill Building at 338 Berry Street, Mason Fisk at 72 Berry Street, Berry Street Lofts at 55 Berry Street, and 764 Metropolitan Avenue. Over in Park Slope, he's worked at 114 6th Avenue, 227 Berkeley Place, 423 3rd Street, 285 7th Street, and 434 Union Street. In Carroll Gardens, he's transacted at 279 Sackett Street, 160 Carroll Street, 140 Luquer Street, and 143 Summit Street. And in Greenpoint, beyond The Bathhouse, he's closed deals at 84 Meserole Avenue, 112 India Street, and 21 India Street. He works with developers from the ground up, advising on layouts, finishes, and pricing well before a project goes to market, and stays involved through sell-out. That sponsor-side experience is a big part of why buyers also come to him when purchasing new construction. The process is different from resale. There are offering plans, sponsor negotiations, construction quality to evaluate, and financial structures that most people haven't encountered before. Mat has been through it hundreds of times and knows what to watch for.

He's also always had a good eye for investments and for neighborhoods on the rise. Some of the areas he started working in years ago look very different today, and his clients have benefited from that instinct. Whether someone is buying their first apartment or looking at a property as a long-term play, Mat tends to think about the full picture.

Mat's work has been featured in The New York Times, Dwell, Brownstoner, and Curbed. He's had multiple listings featured in the Times' "What's on the Market" section, and his properties have been written up everywhere from the Williamsburg townhouse market to Prospect Heights condos to the penthouse at The Mill Building on Berry Street.

Mat also does a lot of work on the rental side, mostly with condo owners who aren't ready to sell but want to use their property as an investment. It's a big part of his business — helping owners rent out their apartments, manage the transition, and hold onto an asset that keeps appreciating while generating income. That piece of his practice keeps him plugged into both sides of the Brooklyn market in a way that agents who only focus on sales aren't.

For first-time home buyers in Brooklyn, Mat is the kind of agent who actually takes the time to walk you through everything. He'll explain the difference between a co-op and a condo and a condop, help you understand board packages, talk through financing options, and show you how to put together a competitive offer when there are multiple bids on a place you want. He's done this for hundreds of first-time buyers and he's patient about it. On the selling side, he's represented sellers in over 600 transactions, and after 13 years of tracking prices block by block across Brooklyn, he knows how to position a home to get the best result.

Mat provides a full-service experience. He connects clients with contractors, architects, designers, real estate attorneys, and movers he's worked with personally over the years. He'll also personally drive you to every showing — he has his own car and treats home tours like a private experience, picking clients up and covering Greenpoint, Park Slope, and Bed-Stuy in a single afternoon without the hassle of coordinating trains or rideshares. Clients love it, and it's a very different experience from the agent who asks you to meet them at the subway.

Outside of work, Mat is usually catching a Broadway show, at Barry's, or planning his next trip somewhere. He's lived in New York for over a decade and still loves it. He believes everyone deserves to love where they live, and if you talk to his clients, that's the thing they'll tell you comes through most clearly.