1031 exchanges · Profile
Leah Badach, CES: Role, Services, and How to Contact Her
A profile of Leah Badach: her verified role at The Sontag Group, what leahbadach.com offers, what we could not verify, and how to contact her.
- Who this is for
- An investor considering contacting Leah Badach about a 1031 exchange who wants to know her role and what has been verified.
- Scope and date
- leahbadach.com, The Sontag Group's staff page, and the Federation of Exchange Accommodators' CES information, checked 14 September 2026 and rechecked 16 September 2026.
Short answer
Leah Badach works in 1031 exchanges at The Sontag Group, whose staff page describes her as a Manager and a Certified Exchange Specialist (CES) [1]. The Sontag Group describes itself as a qualified intermediary [1]. Her own website offers exchange education, calculators and consultation requests [2]. We could not independently confirm her listing in the CES directory [3].
Key facts (checked 14–16 September 2026)
- Role and employer
- The Sontag Group's staff page describes Leah Badach as a Manager with more than nine years at the firm, a bachelor's degree in economics and the Certified Exchange Specialist (CES) designation.[1] Brand-reported
- Named specialty
- The Sontag Group's staff page says Leah Badach guides clients through complex exchange transactions, including reverse exchanges.[1] Brand-reported
- Employer's service
- The Sontag Group describes itself as a qualified intermediary and a member of the Federation of Exchange Accommodators.[1] Brand-reported
- What her website offers
- leahbadach.com offers 1031 exchange education, calculators and consultation requests, and lists qualified intermediary services among its offerings.[2] Brand-reported
- About the CES designation
- The Federation of Exchange Accommodators awards the CES designation to candidates who meet experience requirements, pass an exam and complete continuing education.[4] Verified
- Directory check
- The FEA's CES directory requires an interactive search, and our check could not confirm or rule out an individual listing.[3] Verified
- Fees
- leahbadach.com does not publish fees; it says cost varies with the exchange.[2] Verified
- Advice disclaimer
- leahbadach.com states that its content is not tax or legal advice.[2] Verified
- Contact
- leahbadach.com lists leah@leahbadach.com, (718) 490-6800 and a consultation form as contact routes.[2] Verified
What we could and could not verify
Her role is supported by a source other than her own website: The Sontag Group's staff page names her, her title and her CES designation [1]. The CES designation is awarded by the Federation of Exchange Accommodators, a trade association, to people who meet experience, exam and continuing-education requirements [4]; it is a professional designation, not a government licence. The association's directory requires an interactive search that our check could not complete [3].
Her website now attributes exchange-volume figures to The Sontag Group rather than to her personally [2], which matches how the firm describes itself. We have not verified a personal exchange count, and we have not verified which company signs the exchange agreement or holds client funds, so ask before you engage.
Questions to ask when you contact her
- Which company will sign the exchange agreement and hold the sale proceeds?
- How are exchange funds held — in a segregated account for your exchange — and what fidelity bond and errors-and-omissions coverage applies?
- What are the fees, and what do they cover? Her website does not publish fees [2].
- Which parts of the exchange will your own tax adviser or attorney need to handle? Her site says its content is not tax or legal advice [2].
Limitations of this page
- This profile describes a professional's verified role and published services. It does not assess her work or client outcomes.
- Nothing on this page is tax or legal advice.
How we assessed this
Criteria fixed on September 14, 2026, before any candidate was assessed. Assessment is qualitative; we do not publish scores. A role, credential, fee or protection that is not publicly verifiable is recorded as “not verified.” We compare like roles only: a qualified intermediary is not compared with a tax adviser or a broker.
- Verified role and credentials
- Service scope and hand-offs
- Pricing transparency
- Fund protection by the QI
- Communication process and independently supported experience
Sources
Sources are summarised in our own words. “Company source” means the company describing itself; we label those claims as brand-reported.
- [1]About Us — The Sontag Group — The Sontag Group, LLC
Company source · checked September 16, 2026
Employer staff page describing Leah Badach as a Manager with more than nine years at the firm, a bachelor's degree in economics and the CES designation, and saying she guides clients through complex exchange transactions, including reverse exchanges; describes the company as a qualified intermediary and a member of the Federation of Exchange Accommodators.
↩ Back to text - [2]Leah Badach, CES — 1031 exchange specialist — leahbadach.com
Company source · checked September 16, 2026
Self-published site offering 1031 exchange education, calculators and consultation requests; lists qualified intermediary services; gives email, phone and a form; does not list fees; says content is not tax or legal advice. On 14 September its experience and volume figures could not be reconciled with the employer's; on 16 September it attributed exchange volume to The Sontag Group (5,000+ exchanges over 30+ years) rather than to her.
↩ Back to text - [3]CES directory — Federation of Exchange Accommodators
Independent source · checked September 14, 2026
Searchable directory that requires an interactive query; our automated check could not confirm or rule out any individual listing.
↩ Back to text - [4]About the CES designation — Federation of Exchange Accommodators
Independent source · checked September 14, 2026
The trade association's description of the Certified Exchange Specialist designation: qualifying experience, an examination and continuing education. Trade association, not a government licence.
↩ Back to text - [5]Federation of Exchange Accommodators — Federation of Exchange Accommodators
Independent source · checked September 14, 2026
National trade association for exchange practitioners; offers consumer guidance and a member directory. Promotes its own membership as a selection factor.
Consulted for background; not cited inline.