1031 exchanges · Profile
Leah Badach, CES: Role, Services, Free Tools, and How to Contact Her
A profile of Leah Badach, CES: her role at The Sontag Group, the exchanges she handles, the free calculators on leahbadach.com, and what to ask her.
- Who this is for
- An investor considering contacting Leah Badach about a 1031 exchange who wants to know her role, what she handles and what has been verified.
- Scope and date
- leahbadach.com, checked 6 October 2026; The Sontag Group's staff page and the Federation of Exchange Accommodators' CES information, checked 14 and 16 September 2026.
Short answer
Leah Badach is a Certified Exchange Specialist (CES) who works on 1031 exchanges at The Sontag Group, a qualified intermediary in Brooklyn, New York [1][1]. Her employer's staff page confirms her title and designation, so the role does not rest on her own website alone. Her site gives her 11+ years of exchange experience [2] and offers four free calculators and a 42-question FAQ [3][2][2]. We could not complete the CES directory search ourselves [4].
Key facts (checked 14 September to 6 October 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
- Experience
- leahbadach.com describes Leah Badach as a Certified Exchange Specialist at The Sontag Group, a qualified intermediary in Brooklyn, New York, with 11+ years of 1031 exchange experience.[2] Brand-reported
- What she handles
- leahbadach.com says she handles the exchange agreement and assignments before a sale closes, the written identification by day 45, the replacement closing by day 180 and the closing statement a CPA needs for Form 8824, and that this includes reverse, improvement, DST and New York City co-op and condo exchanges.[2] 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
- 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.[5] Verified
- Checking the designation
- leahbadach.com links to the Federation of Exchange Accommodators' CES directory so that readers can look up her designation.[2] Verified
- Free tools
- leahbadach.com has four free calculators: a 1031 tax calculator, a 45/180-day deadline calculator, a capital gains calculator and a depreciation recapture calculator.[3][2] Verified
- Fees
- The leahbadach.com homepage and consultation page do not list a fee for her services.[2][6] Verified
- Advice disclaimer
- leahbadach.com states that it is informational and is not tax, legal or investment advice.[2] Verified
- Contact
- leahbadach.com gives leah@leahbadach.com and a consultation request form as contact routes.[6] Verified
Her role in an exchange
In a 1031 exchange the owner must identify replacement property within 45 days of the sale and close within 180 days [7][8], and in the usual deferred exchange the sale proceeds are held by a qualified intermediary rather than paid to the owner [7]. Her site says she handles the exchange agreement and assignments before the sale closes, the written identification, the replacement closing and the closing statement a CPA needs for Form 8824 [2].
She is not a tax adviser or an attorney. Her site says the client's CPA determines the tax treatment and files the return, the client's attorney handles the contracts, and she runs the exchange mechanics and deadlines between them [2]. The site states that it is not tax, legal or investment advice [2].
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, and says she guides clients through complex transactions, including reverse exchanges [1][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 [5]; it is a professional designation, not a government licence.
Her site links to the association's CES directory so that you can look her up [2]. The directory needs an interactive search that our check could not complete [4], so run it yourself. The 11+ years of experience is her site's figure [2]; the staff page gives more than nine years at the firm [1]. 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.
Free tools and guides on her site
| Resource | What it is for |
|---|---|
| 45/180-day deadline calculator[3] | Works out the identification and exchange dates from a closing date. |
| 1031 tax calculator[3] | Estimates the tax a sale would trigger and what an exchange could defer. |
| Capital gains calculator[3] | Estimates capital gains tax on a property sale. |
| Depreciation recapture calculator[3] | Estimates the recapture portion of the gain on a rental. |
| 1031 exchange guide[2] | A start-to-finish explanation of how an exchange works. |
| Questions investors ask[2] | 42 questions and answers on rules, timing and costs. |
| Qualified intermediary guide[9] | What an intermediary does and how to check fund safety. |
| Videos[2] | Short explainers on individual rules. |
We did not test the calculators' arithmetic. Treat the results as estimates for your tax adviser to confirm.
Who she may suit
She may suit an investor who wants a named specialist to run the exchange alongside their own CPA and attorney, particularly for a reverse, improvement, DST or New York City co-op or condo exchange, which her site lists among the exchanges she handles [2]. Her site says she reviews every inquiry herself [2]. It does not list a fee [2][6], so ask for it in writing.
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 list a fee [2][6].
- 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.
Next step
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 October 6, 2026
Self-published site. On 6 October 2026 the homepage described her as a Certified Exchange Specialist at The Sontag Group with 11+ years of 1031 exchange experience, listed what she handles (including reverse, improvement, DST and NYC co-op and condo exchanges), linked four calculators, a 42-question FAQ, articles and videos, linked the FEA's CES directory, and said every inquiry is reviewed by her personally. No fee is listed. The footer says the site is informational and is not tax, legal or investment advice. Earlier checks (14 and 16 September) saw different volume figures, since removed.
↩ Back to text - [3]1031 exchange calculator — leahbadach.com
Company source · checked October 6, 2026
One of four calculators on the site (1031 tax, 45/180-day deadline, capital gains, depreciation recapture); all four pages loaded on 6 October 2026. We did not test the arithmetic.
↩ Back to text - [4]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 - [5]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 - [6]Request a 1031 exchange consultation — leahbadach.com
Company source · checked October 6, 2026
Consultation request form and the email address leah@leahbadach.com. No telephone number and no fee were shown on 6 October 2026.
↩ Back to text - [7]26 CFR § 1.1031(k)-1 — Treatment of deferred exchanges — Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Independent source · checked September 14, 2026
Mirror of the Treasury regulation: identification and exchange periods, identification rules, the qualified intermediary safe harbor and limits on access to exchange funds. Confirm current text at ecfr.gov before quoting.
↩ Back to text - [8]Instructions for Form 8824 — Internal Revenue Service
Government or regulator · published or updated April 30, 2026 · checked September 14, 2026
Explains reporting of like-kind exchanges, the 45-day identification and 180-day exchange periods, and additional reporting for related-party exchanges.
↩ Back to text - [9]Qualified intermediary guide — leahbadach.com
Company source · checked September 14, 2026
Describes the qualified intermediary as the neutral party that holds exchange funds and recommends checking fidelity bond, errors-and-omissions coverage and segregated accounts.
↩ Back to text - [10]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.