THE KISLAK ORGANIZATION ABOUT KISLAK NEWS CAREERS CONTACT Discovering Value. Developing Returns. Real Estate Excellence Since 1906 A Tradition of Excellence Founded in 1906 by Julius I. Kislak in Hoboken, New Jersey, the Kislak Organization is a pioneer in the real estate industry. “J.I.,” as Julius Kislak was known, established the business by knocking on doors, introducing the Kislak name to one client at a time and providing comprehensive customer service. J.I. was instrumental in developing the art of commercial real estate brokerage. In the decades that followed, the company expanded into real estate investments, insurance, mortgage services, banking, and asset and property management. Left: Cradle of the Kislak Organization at 408 Clinton Street, Hoboken, New Jersey, where Julius I. Kislak made his home in 1906. 1906 With the 1906 opening of Kislak Realty in Hoboken, New Jersey, Julius I. Kislak launched what would become the Kislak Organization. Julius I. Kislak, Founder The Kislak Organization In the 1920s, Julius I. Kislak moved his growing business into this new and larger office in Hoboken. 1938 Julius Kislak’s son Jay I. Kislak began his career with the family business in 1938 at 16, going door-to-door to sign up property listings. Jay I. Kislak 1953 In 1953, Jay I. Kislak expanded the company’s mortgage services division. He founded J.I. Kislak Mortgage Corporation and moved the company’s operations to Miami, Florida, where he forged relationships with prominent business leaders and introduced such innovations as the no-no-mortgage with no down payment, no closing costs. 1960s Jay I. Kislak became involved in banking, eventually establishing Kislak National Bank in Miami. With its strong focus on serving small business owners, condominium associations and residential borrowers, the bank met with great success and through the years grew to include eight branches in South Florida. Julius I. Kislak pictured during the organization’s 60th anniversary festivities in 1966. 1971 The Kislak twin K symbol was created in 1971, reflecting on past achievements and looking toward future progress and continued success. Jay I. Kislak and Julius I. Kislak introduced the twin K symbol. The Kislak Organization moved into its Miami Lakes, Florida, headquarters in 1986. With its unique architecture and interior design, the building is a distinctive South Florida landmark. 1990 By the 1990s, J.I. Kislak Mortgage Corporation had grown from six employees to more than 1,000, and the Kislak Organization was one of the largest privately held real estate and financial service providers in the United States. The organization included The Kislak Company, J.I. Kislak Mortgage Corporation, J.I. Kislak Insurance Agency, Kislak National Bank and a host of affiliates. 1996 J.I. Kislak Insurance Agency was sold to NIA/Kornreich LLC in 1996; and J.I. Kislak Mortgage Corporation sold its portfolio to several banks. 1999 In 1999, the Kislak Organization began expanding its real estate portfolio with the acquisition of multifamily and commercial properties. 2005 In 2005, Kislak National Bank was sold to Banco Popular, which today is known as Popular Community Bank. Today Having acquired and managed more than 7,000 multifamily units, and brokered more than 1,700 commercial real estate transactions with over $7 billion in gross sales since 2000, the Kislak Organization continues to thrive. Thomas Bartelmo, president and CEO, and the late Jay I. Kislak, who served as chairman of the Kislak Organization until his death in 2018. © 2021 The Kislak Organization | All Rights Reserved | 7900 Miami Lakes Drive West | Miami Lakes, Florida 33016 | info@kislak.com Top of page: Detail of Martin Waldseemüller’s 1516 Carta Marina, the earliest known published sea chart of the world, which is part of the Jay I. Kislak Collection given to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.