We are an extension of our clients’ executive teams, offering fractional leadership across investment, development, leasing & portfolio growth.
Bold Vision . Street Smart Insights . Institutional Execution .
That’s VAL-ADD.
About Us
VAL-ADD is a real estate investment and advisory platform focused on identifying, creating and unlocking value across the real estate lifecycle. We source and structure opportunities, develop capital strategies, reposition assets and drive execution.
Our specialized edge is retail, placemaking and community spaces. We work with developers and owners on market strategy, programming, underwriting, merchandising, tenant sourcing and leasing, connecting the ground floor to the design, economics and performance of the broader development.
Our approach combines institutional investment discipline, design thinking and street-level execution to identify opportunities others miss and turn them into measurable value. Our seasoned team is comprised of active market participants with several billion of transaction experience as senior executives expanding major REITs portfolios nationally, and leading retail portfolios internationally.
Advisory
Investment
We target value-add & opportunistic investments across retail, multifamily & office/conversions in the NYC Metro & high-growth Tier 2 cities.
Innovation
We drive value by reimagining building amenities via partnerships with thought leaders in fitness, F&B, & hospitality.
Mentorship
We mentor emerging professionals & pro-athletes transitioning into the industry, empowering the next generation of leaders.
VAL-ADD is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), through the NYEDC (New York Economic Development Corporation), NY ESD (Empire State Development), NJ State, NJ Transit, NJMSDC and nationally recognized via NMSDC. We combine real estate expertise with the strategic advantages of partnering with a diverse, entrepreneurial team.
Partnering with VAL-ADD helps meet supplier diversity goals, support ESG initiatives, and unlock potential tax incentives tied to MBE participation—often resulting in meaningful cost savings on projects.
Our Specialities
Retail, Placemaking + Community Spaces
Strategy, programming, merchandising, tenant sourcing, leasing, activation and execution
Deal Sourcing + Structuring
Off-market opportunities, acquisitions, joint ventures and complex transactions
Highest + Best Use
Feasibility, underwriting, valuation, redevelopment and alternative-use strategies
Capital Strategy
Capital stack optimization, debt and equity strategy, recapitalizations and restructuring
Asset Repositioning
Mixed-use, retail, residential, conversions and underperforming assets
Asset + Portfolio Strategy
Business plans, asset management, value creation and disposition strategy
Our Philosophy for Partners and Clients
At VAL-ADD, we don’t just analyze real estate—we unlock it.
Our approach is shaped by the real-world experience of our founder, Gaurav ‘GK’ Khanna, whose 25-year track record spans architecture, leasing, and capital markets. That foundation drives how we think, build, and create value:
Design-Driven: Trained as an architect, we obsess over how spaces work—for the user, the community, and the long term.
Leasing-Led: After leading the rollout of 180+ retail locations, we know that leasing isn’t a function—it’s the heartbeat of asset value.
Capital-Focused: Billions in real estate transactions later, we understand how to structure deals that outperform—and stand the test of time.
Each team member at VAL-ADD is aligned with this philosophy. We execute with insight, powered by deep relationships—with tenants, owners, and capital partners—that drive everything we do. This foundation allows us to uncover hidden value and consistently deliver outsized results.
The VAL-ADD Advantage
VAL-ADD offers a unique comprehensive approach that includes vision creation, financial analysis, and execution strategies – all under one roof.
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
With expertise in real estate capital markets and underwriting complex deals, we create tailored financial strategies, including acquisition underwriting, loan
restructuring or recapitalization.
VISION CREATION
We uncover opportunities and analyze their transformative potential through architectural design, programming and feasibility to achieve the Highest and Best Use of your property.
EXECUTION
We work closely with clients to create asset management, leasing and development strategies that add lasting financial and social value to our partners, local communities and cities.
Oaks at Victory I Residential I Multifamily – 150 Units I Savannah, Georgia
Acquisition | Repositioning | Conversion into a Mixed-Use Asset
Williamsburg, Brooklyn NY
Acquisition | Repositioning | Disposition 320,000 SF Mall into Mixed-use
Shops at Georgetown, Washington DC
Repositioning | Development | Conversion
Trophy hotel into a mixed-use Penn Plaza, New York, NY
Savan Pointe I Residential I Multifamily – 109 Units I Savannah, Georgia
Acquisition | Repositioning | Leasing 700,000 SF Shopping Center
Wayne Town Center, New Jersey
Acquisition | Design | Ground-up Development 4.5 Acres | 26 Luxury Residential Units
Richmond, Virginia
Acquisition | Asset Management Office | Retail
666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Acquisition Lucida Multifamily | Retail
150 East 86th Street, New York, NY
Asset Management
The Edge, Williamsburg
Acquisition | Assemblages 5 contiguous buildings – Lot assemblage
Penn Plaza, New York, NY
Portfolio Acquisition
300,000 SF Development Sites | Retail | Residential 7 Assets incl. 14th/ 6th, 86th/ Madison Assemblages
New York, NY
Acquisition | Asset Management | Repositioning
Retail | Parking
401 East 60th Street, New York, NY
Acquisition | Leasing
501 Broadway – Soho
New York, NY
South Hills Mall
517,000 SF | Retail
Poughkeepsie, NY
Hyde Park Village
266,000 SF | Retail | Mixed-use
Tampa, Florida
211-217 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY
Medical Office | Retail
99-01 Queens Blvd
Rego Park, Queens, NY
Le Pain Quotidien | 90+ locations
Nationally
Restructing & Optimization
Analyzed assets and created solutions focused on health and wellness in Joint Venture partnership with The Wright Fit
Fitness Concept I Hudson Bay Company
Venture focused on repositioning vacant assets with a collective of health & wellness brands and medical concierge
New Venture I Honeycomb
Marquee Event Halls in Penn Plaza Area
Announcement: VAL-ADD NYC ESD MBE Certification
The aftermath of office stress – the rise of Zombie buildings
City of Yes – may still not be enough
Park Avenue power play – low supply, high demand
REITs prove resilient – amid market chaos
Select Collaborations – Past & Present
Law Firms | Consultants
Brokerage Firms
Tenants
Developers
Caleb Bridges, Spring ’25
“Professor Khanna’s class transformed my perspective on real estate valuation. He helped shift my focus beyond just the numbers to appreciate the importance of vision, feasibility, ‘smelling the bricks,’ and most of all – leasing.
His insights will have a lasting impact on my career.”
David Salaz, Fall ’24
Professor Gaurav Khanna’s class was instrumental in helping me develop a critical perspective and a deeper understanding of real estate investment fundamentals beyond textbook concepts. The course was highly hands-on and practical—He brought decades of real transactional experience across various asset classes directly into the classroom, covering everything from sourcing to underwriting, analysis, and structuring. I feel that his teaching gave me a true competitive edge, equipping me with the mindset and tools to assess deals with a sharper lens and see beyond things that seem obvious to others.
Carl Whitefield, Fall ’24
Professor Khanna’s class was a turning point in how I think about real estate. He pushed us to go beyond surface-level metrics and focus on discovering the ‘secret sauce’—those intangible drivers of value like zoning quirks, policy shifts, development adjacencies, or overlooked income potential. His lectures blended technical modeling with market strategy and encouraged us to think independently and creatively.
I left his course with a toolkit I use almost daily as a development manager and a new lens through which I evaluate every deal.
Contact Us
Park House @ Bryant Park
104 West 40th Street, Ste 401
New York, NY 10018