Patton possesses more than 30 years of experience as an economist, a real estate consultant, and a developer. Before joining NYU Schack, he served for 13 years as COO of Helmsley-Spear Inc., where he brokered more than $1 billion worth of transactions. He served for seven years as president of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). In this role, he advised the Urban Action Development Grant Program on its conversion from a system of grants to one of subordinate loans.