Our Team Is The Best Thing
We’ve Ever Built
It takes the insight and experience of one generation to position the next one for success. Dranoff has always been a seamlessly collaborative team – one that relies on open dialogue, granting responsibility and promoting creativity. This definition of teamwork is why Dranoff will continue to create landmark properties for decades to come.
Civic leader, entrepreneur and urban visionary, Carl Dranoff is the president and founder of Dranoff Properties, Inc. The company’s work, though based in and around Philadelphia, is nationally known and widely respected, with projects ranging from the adaptive reuse of historic buildings to ground up skyscrapers and complex mixed-use projects.
Carl is well known in the housing industry for assembling great talent, putting out a fresh and exciting high-quality product and precision execution resulting in completion that is on time and on budget. He has kept his company nimble and has been able to successfully navigate through the ups and downs of the housing cycles, staying ahead of the trends and establishing a strong competitive advantage. His branding of the Dranoff name has made his firm easily the most recognized and sought-after name for luxury housing in the Philadelphia region.
Some of Dranoff’s most well-known projects include Locust on the Park, The Left Bank, The Victor, Symphony House (named “#1 High Rise in the Nation” by Multifamily Executive and Developer Magazine), World Café Live, Venice Lofts, 777 South Broad and Southstar Lofts. One Riverside, completed 2017, was Philadelphia’s first high-rise condominium in 10 years, and the 22-story award-winning tower is completely sold out.
His most recent projects include One Ardmore Place, a mixed-use transit-orientated residential, retail and parking complex in Lower Merion Township, PA and One Theater Square in Newark, NJ, a 23-story structure which is Newark’s first high rise market rate apartment building in 50 years. The upcoming 47-story condominium tower, located at Broad & Spruce Streets across from Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the performing arts, will be a game changer for both Philadelphia and its Avenue of the Arts.
Dranoff Properties has been featured in national, regional, trade and local press including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Multifamily Executive, Builder, Apartment Finance Today, and Urban Land. Carl has previously been named Developer of the Year by the Pennsylvania Builder’s Association, Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, and Multifamily Executive’s Editor’s Choice. Most recently, he was selected by Philadelphia Magazine among its “100 Most Influential People in Philadelphia” as well as Philadelphia Business Journal’s “Power 100”.
Carl earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering at Drexel University and his MBA at Harvard University. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering from Drexel University which cited him as “a nationally recognized civic leader and entrepreneur…whose work has brought a renewed sense of history to Philadelphia and urban Americans throughout the country”.
Julia serves as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at Dranoff Properties, Inc. In this role, she is responsible for managing the real estate portfolio and shaping the company’s strategy and direction through acquisitions, operations, sales and marketing, financing and investments, and development projects. She oversees the development process including site selection, entitlements, planning, funding, and leasing for adaptive re-use and new construction and coordinates proposals, design, pro forma modeling, capital raising, partnerships, and due diligence.
Julia has overseen the creation of many distinctly different mixed-use urban developments that combine luxury residential living with entertainment, retail, parking and transit, and have achieved national acclaim. These properties represent over $500 million in company-developed and owned real estate assets with another $500 million in the pipeline. Julia has also worked on numerous public-private partnerships and with various government agencies to secure project approvals and subsidies.
Prior to joining Dranoff Properties in 2008, Julia gained professional experience at JPMorgan Chase working on strategic projects and business development opportunities for the New York Investment Bank. Prior to JPMorgan, she spent several years as a strategic consultant for Accenture in San Francisco.
Julia earned her B.S.E. in Civil Engineering from Princeton University and her M.B.A. in Real Estate and Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for The Franklin Institute, the Mayor’s Task Force for Historic Preservation, the Advisory Board of the Urban Land Institute, and is President of the Dranoff Family Foundation. In 2017 Julia was cited as a “Woman to Watch” by PhillyBiz.
Caryn Connelly
Vice President of Finance
Michael Asnes
Vice President of Construction
Vice President of Finance for Dranoff Properties, Inc. Caryn oversees all accounting and finance responsibilities for the company and its properties. This includes all financial reporting and audits, measurement of property operations, cash flow projections and financial requirements and due diligence materials to third parties. In addition, she is responsible for the management of all Human Resource activities within the company. Prior to joining Dranoff Properties, Caryn served as a Senior Accountant/Auditor for CBIZ Business Solutions, formerly Jones Hayward & Lenzi, LLC. Caryn is currently serving her community as a member of the Fundraising committee of Infant Jesus Parish in Woodbury Heights, NJ. Caryn is a graduate of Rutgers University Camden. Caryn joined Dranoff in 2000.
Mike serves as Vice President of Construction at Dranoff Properties, Inc., overseeing all aspects of the development process for selected new projects. He is responsible for overseeing the bid process selection of contractors and managing the design team, Michael also works with the marketing and sales team to ensure each project is delivered on time in the company’s specifications. In addition he oversees Facilities Management at numerous existing Dranoff Properties to ensure that each team is prepared to handle both daily and annual maintenance responsibilities. Prior to joining Dranoff Properties, Mike served as a project manager at Barclay White Skanska. There he led project teams at the general levels. Michael has a B.S. in Construction Management from Wentworth Institute of Technology. Michael also has a Business Management Certificate from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Michael joined Dranoff in 2005.
Marianne Harris
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Marianne Harris, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, is a highly respected real estate professional. Her track record in the luxury market makes her the most accomplished broker, by sales volume, in the Philadelphia region, conveying 54% of Philadelphia’s million dollar plus condo transactions in 2017 and $400 million in aggregate sales over the past decade.
Marianne’s deep understanding and 30 years of experience selling luxury living are evident in every facet of the company’s work from architecture, interior design, finishes, and amenities. Anticipating the desires and expectations of luxury buyers is her specialty. Her impressive track record includes sellouts of Center City Philadelphia's most prestigious high-rise addresses, including One Riverside, Ten Rittenhouse, The Residence at Two Liberty, and Symphony House.
As a member of the Dranoff Properties’ executive staff, Marianne collaborates closely with the development, construction, and design teams advising on market trends, pricing and buyer preferences. She manages the sales team and showroom and oversees all buyer transactions.
Before her time at Dranoff Properties, Marianne was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Bentley Homes, the leading developer of Main Line and Chester County luxury communities. She won the Pinnacle Award from the Home Builders Association of Chester/Delaware County for Marketing Director of the Year while at Bentley. Marianne also managed sales efforts for The Rubin Organization (now PREIT) and Rouse Urban Housing and Rouse Chamberlin, both owned by the renowned developer Bill Rouse. She began her career at Historic Landmarks for a Living where she first met Carl Dranoff, the CEO and founder of Dranoff Properties.
Marianne is a graduate of St. Joseph’s University and resides in Center City.