D
arcy Stacom and Wendy Silverstein, two commercial real estate heavyweights, first met at Patroon, a Midtown power lunch spot. Stacom, then a top CBRE investment sales broker, wanted to connect with Silverstein, who was an executive at Vornado. Their initial meeting led to a lasting friendship.

    After more than a decade and several attempts at retirement, they're joining forces to launch StacomSilverstein, a boutique real estate advisory firm based in Midtown. The firm will handle complex transactions for select clients, including acquisitions, dispositions, debt, and restructuring. "We're not looking to do bread-and-butter deals," Stacom said. "We prefer big, complicated ones."

    Both women have spent four decades working their way to the top in a male-dominated industry. Stacom left CBRE after 22 years and launched her own firm, which will be folded into StacomSilverstein. Silverstein stepped down from Vornado in 2015 and went on to work on several high-profile deals before joining forces with Stacom.

    The pair have already collaborated on notable projects, including the $3.5 billion recapitalization of Trinity Church's portfolio and negotiations between Rexmark and Amtrak over Washington Union Station. "It's a combination of our experience and mutual respect that makes this exciting for us," Silverstein said.

    Both women had considered retirement but were drawn back in by interesting deals from clients. "I thought about gardening, but it's not something I can do 12 months a year," Stacom joked.