Kenneth Hester is a commercial real estate professional and co-founder of the Pesce | Hester Commercial Team at Douglas Elliman Commercial. Under his co-leadership, the team has earned the #1 commercial team ranking at the firm for six consecutive years (2020–2025). In his decade at Douglas Elliman, Ken has teamed with partner Chris Pesce to close more than $500 million in commercial transactions across Long Island, with expertise spanning retail, office, industrial, multifamily, land, and investment sales throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Prior to real estate, Ken spent years as a restaurant owner-operator — hands-on experience that gives him a rare dual perspective in commercial brokerage. Having personally managed leases, build-outs, permitting, and daily business operations, Ken understands a transaction from both sides of the table. Retail and restaurant tenants gain an advocate who has walked in their shoes, while landlords benefit from firsthand insight into what makes a tenant succeed in a space.
Within the team's position-based structure, Ken leads the on-the-ground execution of every deal — property showings, guided tours, site inspections, and site-level due diligence. He also performs price evaluations for properties offered for sale and for lease, giving owners grounded, market-based guidance on asking prices and rental rates. Backed by exhaustive knowledge of Long Island's commercial inventory, Ken ensures the physical side of every transaction moves in lockstep with negotiations.
