Meet the Brave Journalists Who Exposed the Alexander Brothers’ Secrets

A niche trade publication, often regarded as the authoritative source for New York’s real estate sector, played a pivotal role in the downfall of luxury brokers Alon, Oren, and Tal Alexander.

The Alexander brothers were found guilty today on all charges following a gripping, month-long trial held in Manhattan. They each face potential sentences of up to 15 years in prison after being convicted of rape and sex trafficking.

Their convictions represent the culmination of numerous lawsuits brought forth by several women and an assertive legal pursuit.

Although industry insiders claim that rumors of their sexual misconduct circulated as an ‘open secret’ for years, the brothers’ downfall began when a dedicated team of female journalists at The Real Deal launched an investigation into their actions.

In June 2024, The Real Deal, a publication predominantly read by executives, investors, and real estate professionals, reported that two lawsuits alleging sexual assault had been filed against the prominent agents Tal and Oren Alexander, as well as their brother Alon Alexander.

The lawsuits, filed in New York Supreme Court, detailed allegations of drugging and sexual assault and led to a cascade of further allegations, a federal investigation, and the brothers on trial.

But it wasn’t easy—it took three dogged female reporters going up against ugly threats from the brothers themselves and a $500 million lawsuit against the publication to get it done.

Now, the Daily Mail can reveal how they withstood the storm, taking down the most dangerous men in the real estate industry, piece by piece.

Alon and Oren, left, at their bond hearing in 2024

The investigation began when Katherine Kallergis, (left) a Miami-based reporter on The Real Deal’s residential beat, received a tip in June 2024 that a woman was close to filing a lawsuit. Ellen Cranley (right), the deputy managing editor of The Real Deal explained how the women broke the story of the Alexander brothers

The investigation began when Katherine Kallergis, a Miami-based reporter on The Real Deal’s residential beat, received a tip in June 2024 that a woman was close to filing a lawsuit with allegations against the brothers, either in Florida or New York. 

‘She got a tip that made her think someone was close to finally filing a sexual assault complaint against the brothers,’ Ellen Cranley, the outlet’s deputy managing editor in New York, said.

‘Katherine looked, she found two complaints by two different women that had been filed in March. They had been sitting there for a few months and no one had discovered it.’

The complaints against Alon and Oren alleged two assaults occurred in 2010 and 2012, when Oren was founder of the brokerage firm Official, and Alon was a private security firm executive. The suits also alleged the brothers had engaged in a similar pattern of behavior against other women over the years.

Dozens of women have come forward since the story broke. As of February, over 20 civil lawsuits have been filed by women accusing the brothers of sexual assault. 

The brothers were arrested in December 2024. During their trial, 11 female witnesses said they were raped or sexually assaulted by the men.

The courtroom is a far cry from the high-flying life the Alexanders had before. As TRD put it, they were ‘the kind of brokers who didn’t just sell the lifestyle, they *were* the lifestyle.’

Before the lawsuits surfaced, the Alexander brothers flaunted their wealth on social media, partying on yachts and planes all around the world. 

Between that and their controversial reputation within the luxury property world, TRD covered them regularly. 

Cranley, Kallergis, and another reporter, Sheridan Wall, knew the brothers personally, and Cranley even moderated a panel with Oren shortly before breaking news of the accusations.

But, she said, their acquaintance never stood in the way of the truth.

TRD coverage often described the trio as aggressive dealmakers who would do anything to block a deal if it didn’t favor them. 

Alon and Oren in 2015 at the height of their real estate success 

‘They were known around Miami and New York as people you had to watch out for on deals,’ she said. ‘If you were working near them in the same market, watch your back.’

Their rise was fueled in part by their involvement in a massive real estate deal tied to billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, which helped catapult them into the highest tier of luxury brokerage and made them stars in the industry.

‘That deal ended up minting their careers,’ Cranley said. ‘And so we covered them all the time.’

The trio of reporters had also heard sexual assault rumors circulating in real estate circles, but they never rose to the level of publishable evidence.

‘I’d say all of us who have been on the residential beat had heard whispers about their behavior since we started covering it,’ Cranley said.

Tal Alexander, 39, and twins Oren and Alon, 38, are each facing numerous federal sex trafficking charges; they have pleaded not guilty to all charges

Those whispers had floated around industry gossip for years, but without verifiable documentation, they couldn’t be reported. TRD needed a court filing or someone on the record. Still, they didn’t dismiss them entirely.

‘We hear rumors, but we don’t report on rumors. We file them away,’ Cranley said.

Immediately following the tip, Kallergis and Wall began to comb through filings.

‘When we pulled them, it was the most solid thing we’d ever heard about these whispers,’ Cranley said.

‘It honestly felt like discovering fire. It was crazy they were just sitting there.’

The filings also included named plaintiffs rather than anonymous accusers, prompting an urgent week of reporting, calling the women and a deep legal review before publication. They also had to get a response from the brothers and knew there would be problems.

‘There was definitely paranoia someone else would find the filings too,’ Cranley said. ‘It felt like a ticking time bomb all week.’

They brought the story to editor-in-chief and publisher, Stuart Elliott, who made the call to publish the piece despite the subject matter being outside their normal coverage.

Reporter Sheridan Wall played a big role in taking down the Alexander brothers. She is now covering their trial in New York

‘Some people asked why would we cover that? It’s tabloid, it’s gossip,’ Cranley said. ‘But we knew it was incredibly important to drive this story.’ 

Then it was a week of emails, negotiations, and requests for comment before publishing. 

According to Cranley, Oren privately told several people he believed he could convince the outlet to spike the story despite word of the lawsuits now circulating in industry circles.

The brothers then confronted the reporters, first trying to talk them out of publishing it by denying the claims and saying they were considered ‘friends’. They then tried to strong-arm the publisher, Amir Korangy, only to be met with a blunt refusal.

‘I’m not trying to trade some celebrity buying a house in Miami for you guys raping people. 

‘This is not a trade that we’re doing,’ Korangy said at the time.

The tense exchanges occurred until the story was published on June 8, 2024.

The brothers then sued TRD for defamation for $500Million.

‘The Real Deal turned unverified allegations into a clickbait campaign,’ a spokesperson for the Alexanders said in a statement. ‘They had the evidence showing these claims were false — and published them anyway.’

The trial began in Manhattan in late January. All three were found guilty on all counts on March 9

The complaint said TRD claimed Oren had threatened the publication after they found the filings, which the plaintiffs say is also false.

According to TRD, Oren thought he had a close relationship with the three women and warned them he would encourage advertisers to pull their business from the site.

After TRD published the story, the impact was immediate.

Oren reportedly told business associates he felt like passing out after seeing the article. He also cried during several phone calls with friends and clients.

Yet despite the shock, he remained convinced the allegations were part of a conspiracy to take him down.

He told people he planned to hire a social media forensic investigator to uncover what he believed was a coordinated effort by competitors to destroy him.

Among those he reportedly contacted were a former federal prosecutor from the Southern District of New York — where his criminal case is being prosecuted — as well as someone from Black Cube, the controversial Israeli intelligence firm once hired by disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein during the investigation into his own misconduct.

Cranley said reaction across the real estate industry was immediate, with tips and leads pouring in. Many insiders expressed relief that the allegations were finally being reported.

A photo released by the court shows the three brothers partying on a boat with one alleged victim redacted 

‘When the story came out, we got a lot of reactions like, ‘Finally someone reported this,’ she said.

She said the story also exposed the challenge journalists face when rumors circulate for years without documentation.

‘It highlights the gap between rumors and what’s reportable,’ Cranley explained.

She also said that a big problem was that the real estate industry largely avoided the kind of reckoning seen in Hollywood during the #MeToo movement.

‘Deals trump everything in that world,’ she said. ‘There are big blind spots for enforcement and consistent culture across companies.’

The fallout was swift. The brothers’ brokerage company soon lost its founders and top earners, with Oren departing first and additional lawsuits emerging against the other brothers.

TRD followed up the story with dozens more, following every lead that came their way. They interviewed dozens of accusers and have dominated the story since the very first one. 

‘I don’t know an exact number, but it’s definitely dozens and dozens since finding the filings,’ Cranley said. 

And after once covering the Alexanders as star brokers, the women now find themselves watching them in court.

‘Seeing the brothers in court was surreal,’ Cranley said. ‘At a pretrial hearing they were shackled and wearing prison outfits. It was jarring compared to the polished public image they had before.’

Now, she said, journalists sit just rows away from the family as the legal battle unfolds.

‘It’s bizarre to go from routine professional conversations with sources to covering them in a major criminal case,’ said Cranley.

‘Looking back, I don’t think we ever would have imagined that any allegations or rumors would amount to what we have now heard about in court.’