Number Crunch

Trump-branded Properties in Manhattan Lost a Fifth of Their Value During the Trump Presidency

Maybe some more gold plating will help them recover

21%: That’s how much the value of Trump-branded properties in Manhattan fell during Donald Trump’s presidency, according to New York City real estate data firm UrbanDigs, as reported by Curbed.

Manhattan real estate values across the board have fallen by an average of 9% during the same period, with most of that drop occurring during the pandemic, meaning Trump properties have lost more than twice as much value as other Manhattan real estate. The drop for Trump properties began long before the pandemic: The average price per square foot of a Trump property in 2016 was $2,065 but dropped after Trump’s inauguration to $1,903, then fell further during the pandemic to $1,619.

Prior to his presidency, licensing the Trump name to real estate developments was one of the Trump organization’s most lucrative lines of business. But the reputational fallout from Trump’s presidency, especially after the January 6 Capitol riot, has all kinds of branding partners looking to ditch the Trump brand. Even Trump’s longtime banker Deutsche Bank cut ties with the former president and his companies last month.

You know you’ve screwed up when your brand is too toxic for the world’s most scandal-prone bank.

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