For a few moments, the gathering at the Waldorf-Astoria on Wednesday looked like a wedding. Why else would a bunch of 20- and 30-somethings don something as old-fashioned as a boutonniere? There they were, mingling around no fewer than three open bars, and wearing plump white rosebuds pinned to their lapels and blouses.

But then there was the chatter. The market has to catch up. I can’t tell you about the deal yet. I’m a broker now, commercial leasing. There’s still a lot of demand. It’s almost 61 of purchase price. He has residential buildings all over New York.

This was not a wedding (although one couple in the room, Justin Green and Jenny Slayton, are getting married in two months), this was the REX Annual Luncheon.

Boutonnieres identified the more than 60 young real estate executives who worked on the event, organized under the auspices of the Real Estate & Allied Trades Division of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York.

By the time the crowd sat for lunch and a keynote speech by the mayor of Newark, Cory Booker, more than 600 people had assembled, helping to raise more than $300,000 for the federation’s programs, including a summer day camp for children with cancer.

“Its not just all about business,” a REX committee member, Adam Turk, said after posing with two other committee members he became friends with on a trip to Israel organized by the federation. “The goal of people here is to help others. It’s a lot more personal than business.”

“This organization understands that we’re stronger together than we are apart,” Brian Neilinger said at the podium. “I love going to an 8 a.m. meeting at UJA. I get something out of it that I don’t get at the office.”

Neither Jewish nor in real estate, the keynote speaker, Mr. Booker, demonstrated his passion and commitment to helping his city. Upset by the high rate of crime reported in January, he said he has been going out on patrol Saturday nights.

“I am in a backyard in the middle of the night, and some neighbors come out and ask, ‘what are you doing, mayor?’ And I say, ‘we’re looking for some narcotics,'” Mr. Booker said.

The story won him admiration from the audience (and with any luck, some future real estate deals to help revitalize Newark).

Mr. Booker won them over even further with his closing remarks. “In reality, I’m just trying to give my parents nachas,” he said.

If the event had a bride, it was Lynn Zises, the honoree, who got involved with REX in 2001 at the urging of her grandfather, Meyer “Mike” Steinberg. Like most brides, Ms. Zises had a huge number of family members and friends with her at the event, including her husband, Douglas Krugman, her engaged brother, Mr. Green, her parents, Susan Zises Green and Selig Zises (who celebrated his 66th birthday that day), and her cousin, maternity clothing designer Liz Lange.

“She has an amazing group of friends that she has grown and maintained,” Joseph Tolton, who has known her since the eighth grade at Columbia Grammar, said.

The Mayor Knows How To Throw a Party

The best tips for gracious entertaining in New York City come out of Gracie Mansion, as demonstrated recently at the Gracie Mansion Conservancy’s annual fund-raising dinner.

Simply put: have your guests arrive through a lovely waterfront park, allow them to approach the front door by climbing steps to a porch, and make sure the mayor is in attendance.

Well, no one can replicate Gracie Mansion — that’s why the event raised $800,000 to keep it beautiful and open to the public.

There were some party tricks one can repeat at home: Hire Zezé Flowers to do the centerpieces and a number of restaurants to prepare dinner (at Gracie, different dishes came from Nobu, the Four Seasons, and the Modern).

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agordon@nysun.com