Woods Lonergan is pleased to announce that the New York Real Estate Journal has named Logan Lowe to its 2026 Ones to Watch: Innovators in Commercial Real Estate.
Logan is a member of the firm’s real estate litigation practice group and an MAI designated appraiser. For twenty years he has valued New York real estate and litigated disputes over what those assets and projects are worth. Within the group, his work falls under Real Estate Development & Project Disputes and Real Estate Litigation. The amounts in dispute range from $1 million to $100 million and above, and many of those matters proceed to trial or appeal. He is one of roughly 6,300 practicing appraisers worldwide who hold one of the Appraisal Institute’s commercial designations. Logan also counsels technology, SaaS, and AI companies and middle-market and emerging businesses, and represents them in the disputes that follow, frequently against substantially larger counterparties.
In his interview with the New York Real Estate Journal, Logan was asked about his experience and accomplishments in commercial real estate over the past two decades. He spoke about air rights, office-to-residential conversions, breaking down silos in development disputes, and the limits of AI.
The Interview
Logan’s answers below appear as published by the New York Real Estate Journal on October 27, 2026. Read the full feature on NYREJ.
What innovation or accomplishment are you most proud of?
In two decades as an MAI appraiser and real estate attorney, the work I think about most is air rights. Nearly 20 years ago, I was involved in some of the largest air rights transfers across the five boroughs. I watched Red Hook, Gowanus and Long Island City transform into vibrant neighborhoods. Many parcels I appraised or worked on as an attorney now anchor high-rise towers, commercial hubs and public plazas. Once a kid from Queens taking the 7 train to Stuyvesant, I now cross the Queensboro Bridge and barely recognize the skyline. Being part of that change is my proudest achievement.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities for innovation in commercial real estate or your area of expertise?
The biggest opportunity I see is integrating valuation analysis and legal structuring earlier, particularly in office-to-residential conversions. A project may remain viable on a pro forma, yet incremental capital can alter the risk-return profile for each investor. When soft costs surge, construction financing tightens or entitlements stall, a capital shortfall triggers questions about control, funding obligations and exit strategies. Without early integration, projects often resort to reactive renegotiations, litigation or distressed sales that destroy value across the capital stack.
How is innovation changing the way you approach your work?
On a micro level, in development disputes, accountants track cash flow, attorneys review contracts and appraisers assess value, often in silos. I bring them together at the outset, mapping how change orders and cost overruns drive valuation and testing appraisal assumptions against legal obligations. On a macro level, AI is reshaping both of my roles: machine learning surfaces valuation trends across millions of transactions, and natural language processing flags nonstandard clauses. I use it cautiously. AI excels at pattern recognition but lacks contextual intuition, and it makes mistakes.
What excites you most about the future of commercial real estate?
What excites me most is the city’s next reinvention. Air rights, among the city’s most intangible yet transformative assets, literally and figuratively changed the look and feel of New York. I have seen post-industrial corridors of vacant lots and rusting infrastructure become dense, mixed-use communities beneath a glass-and-steel skyline. Now COVID and AI have put things in flux, but New York is always in flux. Those who accept that the rules keep changing will flourish; those who cling to the past will be left behind. As a lifelong New Yorker, I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Woods Lonergan is proud to see Logan recognized among this year’s Ones to Watch, and thanks the New York Real Estate Journal for the honor. His comments on capital shortfalls, development disputes, and valuation reflect the questions at the heart of the firm’s real estate litigation work.