Stay ConnectedInside CRE features interviews with commercial real estate leaders who share industry and career insights. NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, is the development industry’s leading source for education, advocacy and connections that drive your business forward. Inside CRE is brought to you by CLA.
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Copyright: © 2023 NAIOP Podcast: Inside CRE
Is the era of tariff-free goods on the North American continent coming to an end? Shannon O’Neil, Senior Vice President and Director of Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of “The Globalization Myth: Why Regions Matter,” joins us for this especially timely episode. Shannon discusses how tariff uncertainty and shifting global trade patterns will impact commercial real estate markets across North America, the potential renegotiation of the USMCA, and Mexico’s growing role in global supply chains. She shares why she believes that regionalization – not globalization – has had the biggest economic impact of the last 40 years and details a counterintuitive strategy for creating more jobs in the U.S. Recorded on Jan. 15, 2025.
Opening our third season of Inside CRE, Christopher Ware, NAIOP’s Vice President for Business Development and Strategic Initiatives, speaks with Alex Thomson, founder of Prevail Consultants and 2025 NAIOP Chair. With two decades of experience in commercial real estate, Alex has gained expertise in every aspect of the business, spanning acquisitions, entitlements, development, financing and dispositions. Notably, he’s also NAIOP’s first Canadian chair. In this episode, Alex discusses his priorities for the association during his tenure, his family’s longstanding spirit of volunteerism, and why a career in CRE won out over one as a mountain guide. He comments on the unprecedented political changes occurring in Canada with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent resignation, and explains the collaborative approach taken by NAIOP’s Canadian chapters in addressing legislative issues. Get to know Alex – including his surprising hobby (influenced by Robert Burns) and what kind of peated scotch he recommends. Recorded Jan. 14, 2025.
Aquiles Suarez, Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at NAIOP, has the considerable task of overseeing the association’s advocacy efforts at the federal, state and local level, and managing the association’s political action committee, NAIOP-PAC. In his signature candor, Aquiles shares with Marc his take on what Republican control of the White House and Congress means for the country and for commercial real estate, the impacts of tariffs proposed by the Trump administration, and the tax debate that’s coming in 2025. He also discusses the two Supreme Court decisions that stand to impact CRE, a NAIOP-supported adaptive reuse bill, and the organization’s top legislative priorities going into 2025. Recorded on Nov. 20, 2024.
Generational changes happening now are creating a fundamental shift in our society and the way people live and work, says Nikki Greenberg, a world-leading futurist focused on the trends and technologies shaping cities of the future. She joins NAIOP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Shaine Anderson talk about the path that led her from licensed architect to futurist; the differences in motivating, training and retaining the next generation of workers; and five principles to help leaders adopt a future-ready mindset today. Nikki explains the concept of “Outcome As a Service” and shares small, practical steps that leaders can take to introduce more innovation into their organizations. She also offers an important reminder for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the tech tidal wave: “No one is an expert – we’re all just playing around.” Recorded on Oct. 18. 2024.
David C. Smith is the head of Americas insights for the Cushman & Wakefield global think tank. He joins the podcast and puts in a pitch for the office sector, which he said is experiencing a reckoning similar to the “retail apocalypse” that made headlines back in the mid-2010s through 2020. David discusses topical office trends including reduced square footage per worker, flexible office configurations and the flight to quality. He explains the cyclical vs. structural headwinds faced by the office sector, why “urban nodes” are one of the greatest opportunities over the next decade, and the optimal mix of downtown real estate (42% should be office) for maximizing GDP. Recorded on Sept. 23, 2024.
Brian Natwick, Chairman and CEO of Crescent Communities, our 2024 Developer of the Year, joins guest host Kathryn Hamilton, NAIOP’s vice president for marketing and communications, for this episode. “At the end of the day, real estate is an experience,” Brian points out – a principle that guides the firm’s approach to creating exceptional development projects. He shares the three definitive points in time that shaped the company; what Disney taught him about the value of creating experiences; and the value of a “guest chef” strategy. He’s brutally honest about the underwriting challenges and capital markets paralysis in recent years; tells us why he’s bullish on the Sunbelt; and explains what he means when he says Crescent is a place where you end your career, not start it. Recorded on Sept. 9, 2024.
Carey Heyman, CPA and managing principal of the real estate industry at CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), joins us this time on the NAIOP podcast with guest host Christopher Ware, NAIOP’s Vice President for Business Development and Strategic Initiatives. Carey discusses his background, career journey and insights into the commercial real estate market. He also shares how CLA advises clients on managing cash flow and mitigating risk in their real estate portfolios; tax planning strategies for real estate owners, operators and investors; the potential impact of interest rate cuts; the need for proactive engagement with elected officials regarding potential policy changes; and more. Recorded on Aug. 29, 2024.
Get to know two special guests who lead the Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation at Penn State. Peter Cocoziello is the founder, president and CEO of Advance Realty Investors, a New Jersey-based real estate development, investment and management company, and the founding chair of the Institute. Scarlett Miller is a professor of industrial engineering and of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering at Penn State and serves as the Institute’s inaugural director. Peter and Scarlett joined Marc (a proud Penn State alumnus) to discuss how the Institute will work to develop new solutions to improve the built environment, support sustainable development, address rapidly evolving real estate policies and regulations, and more. Recorded on Aug. 15, 2024.
In advance of NAIOP’s largest annual conference, CRE.Converge, Oct. 8-10 at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, hear from two seasoned CRE pros working in the region. Cassie Catania-Hsu, managing director and market leader for Las Vegas, CBRE, and Julie Cleaver, vice chair for NAIOP’s Education committee, discussed the city's unique experience economy; developing in a land-constrained market; the impact of sports and entertainment; trends in the greater Southwest and more. Recorded on July 23, 2024.
Erin McDannald, CEO of Elevated, started working with data centers back in 1998 during the dot-com boom, so she’s seen the sector evolve over decades. She joins podcast guest host Jennifer LeFurgy, Ph.D., NAIOP’s vice president of knowledge and research and executive director of the NAIOP Research Foundation, to share why she believes data centers are a critical piece of infrastructure. With construction spending on data centers up 69% year over year according to the Census Bureau, Erin explains the key demand drivers (not just AI), and how in many ways, data centers are leading the charge in implementing smart energy, preventative maintenance, and developing methods for more efficient cooling. She doesn’t shy away from discussing the challenges inherent with the sector, either: community concerns, the cost of cooling, supply chain issues for critical components and more. Recorded July 2, 2024.
An author, futurist and senior advisor to the Arizona State University Threatcasting Lab, Greg Lindsay guides institutions such as NATO and the United States Secret Service in identifying, disrupting, and mitigating future threats. He joins the podcast with guest host Shaine Anderson, NAIOP’s EVP and COO. Lindsay shares what’s up next for AI and automation – not Skynet or HAL 9000, but software that can act on its own and interface with real world systems. He discusses the massive data center buildout to support AI development, what it means for financial markets, the power grid, and whether intellectual property laws will be able to catch up. The very analog Sears catalog even gets a special shout-out. Recorded on June 11, 2024.
Spencer Levy is global client strategist and senior economic advisor at CBRE, the largest commercial real estate services firm in the world. He studies statistics in his free time, so he was happy to offer his analysis on the ripple effects coming with a new era of deglobalization, share a Tom Petty quote, and discuss two specific opportunities that have come with the recent devaluation of the office sector. With the U.S. presidential election looming, he drove home the point that while global politics matter, the most important issues that CRE pros should be worrying about are the local ones: electrical availability, water availability, the ease of doing business, the cost of property and casualty insurance. Spencer also talks about the uniqueness of data center properties, why he’s bullish on multifamily, and what he learned about the psychology of real estate from horse racing. Recorded on May 22, 2024.
As CEO of Cityview, named the most active multifamily developer in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal for the past four years, Sean Burton stays busy. He joins the podcast with our guest host, NAIOP Vice President of Knowledge and Research Jennifer LeFurgy, Ph.D., to share market fundamentals for multifamily development, the buzzy sub-sectors with the biggest momentum, and how Cityview is working to address the extreme housing shortage in L.A. He also explains his personal passion for public service and the thinking behind this bold statement: The current market presents the best multifamily buying opportunity since the Great Recession. Recorded on April 4, 2024.
As managing director and chief U.S. economist at CoStar Group, Christine Cooper, Ph.D., provides insights and analysis of national and regional macroeconomic conditions across the nation. She joined the podcast to share CoStar’s near-term forecast for the industrial sector, discuss the risk factors still out there with the supply chain, and why the Fed’s interest rate cuts haven’t materialized so far this year. Christine predicts that we haven’t seen the end of office delinquencies this cycle, talks about how retail has benefited from “disciplined development,” and explains the critical and often overlooked connection between the housing market and the industrial market. Recorded on March 27, 2024.
Can we stick the “soft landing”? Rebecca Rockey, Deputy Chief Economist and Global Head of Forecasting at Cushman & Wakefield, joins the podcast to catch us up on the current state of the economy with an eye to commercial real estate. She pinpoints the areas of the economy under significant pressure, defines “rolling recession,” and addresses the disconnect between public perception of the economy and what the data demonstrates. The good news? She’s feeling confident about her forecast for this year, which includes an acceleration in the second half of 2024. Recorded on Feb. 21, 2024.
Political commentator and journalist Chris Cillizza spent four years as an editor at large at CNN and regularly appeared as a political analyst on the network’s airwaves. He joins Aquiles Suarez, NAIOP’s senior vice president for government affairs, to talk about the upcoming presidential election, including his predictions for the hot-button issues prioritized by each candidate, the kitchen-table concerns that will drive Americans’ view of the economy, and how journalists can regain the public trust. He even shares a memorable anecdote about a local representative foiled by a golden toilet. Recorded February 13, 2024.
Nearshoring expert Rafael McCadden joins the podcast to share his outlook on how industrial real estate in Mexico has evolved and continues to expand. Projected to attract $35 billion in foreign investments over the next five years, Mexico is now the premier trade partner for the U.S. McCadden has more than 30 years’ experience as an industrial and logistics strategist representing corporations in multiple markets throughout Mexico. McCadden talks with guest host Shaine Anderson on the advantages and challenges for Mexico’s industrial markets. Recorded January 31, 2024.
Our 2024 NAIOP Chair Brian Walker, president of Pittsburgh-based Burns Scalo Real Estate, kicks off season two of the Inside CRE podcast. Brian shares his goals for the year (and the headwinds to fight through), why “operating brilliantly” can be more critical than savvy deal-making, and how to prioritize communication in a confusing market. He and Marc discuss the renewed importance of creating value and opportunity throughout a project lifecycle, how climate change is working its way into valuations, and the area he’s challenging himself to focus more on. Brian has some interesting stories – hear how he considered a run for office and received a death threat (!) within the same week. Recorded Jan. 18, 2024.
Nicholas Pell sees the big picture – he has to. As president and chief investment officer for Link Logistics, formed by Blackstone in 2019, he is responsible for managing the company’s immense U.S.-based industrial real estate portfolio spanning over 500 million square feet, which a full 5% of U.S. GDP flows through. In this episode, Nick talks to Marc about operating in the current choppy capital markets, why he expects a strong leasing environment in 2024, and the challenges inherent when focusing on infill development, as Link does. Six data scientists sit outside Nick’s office; he explains how Link is embracing the potential applications of AI and finding new ways to get data into the hands of decisionmakers more efficiently, underwriting better and faster. He also shares one thing that never gets old: making the deal. Recorded Nov. 27, 2023.
Peter Zeihan has an uncanny ability to predict tomorrow's headlines. The geopolitical strategist talked with guest host Christopher Ware, NAIOP’s vice president for business development and strategic initiatives, on current U.S. demographic shifts, how the labor force is changing, and why he thinks now is the best time for businesses to hire and borrow. He explains China’s precipitous population decline, how the cost of manufactured goods will increase, and why we need to double the size of the industrial plant in North America. This episode covers a lot of ground thanks to Zeihan's expert understanding of demography, economics, energy, politics, technology and security. Recorded on October 25, 2023.
Dave Harrison, president of VanTrust Real Estate, our 2023 Developer of the Year, joined guest host Kathryn Hamilton, NAIOP’s vice president for marketing and communications for this episode. Harrison – who proudly describes his company as a “small-ball baseball team” – shares his favorite project to date (he still lives there), why he prefers whiteboards over spreadsheets, and the bold declaration the company made in the Wall Street Journal during the pandemic. Harrison explains how VanTrust’s asset mix has evolved, why price per square foot in office properties doesn’t matter anymore, and the company’s mantra of developing with a difference – all the way down to the dirt. Recorded on Sept. 26, 2023.
Marc sits down with Julie Whelan, CBRE’s Global Head of Occupier Thought Leadership, whose team is tasked with identifying major trends impacting occupiers across all industries. As many organizations adopt a hybrid model for their workforce and office utilization needs continue to change, you can imagine Julie has plenty to discuss. She dives into the rightsizing happening today; draws parallels between the office sector’s current uncertainty and retail (remember brick-and-mortar’s predicted demise?); shares her advice for big cities facing the dreaded urban doom loop; and explains why building owners should always explore what her colleague calls “the $100,000 solution.” Recorded on Aug. 31, 2023.
Mark, meet Marc. Mark Rose, chair and CEO of Avison Young, joins Marc on the podcast for a discussion about building a workplace culture that matters; what his experience tells him about challenges in the current economic climate; the rumor he’s heard about the Fed; and why he “couldn’t be more optimistic” about the office sector. Mark shares recent data about longer-term leases that may surprise you, talks about actively mentoring 14 professionals, and why he believes office space will return to the days where it was a key part of a company brand. Recorded on August 2, 2023.
Marc sits down with Richard Branch, chief economist at Dodge Construction Network, a leading source of data analytics and insights on the commercial construction industry. Branch has us time-travel to the peak of the office market in 1985 (when the tax code allowed for extended depreciation); shares the latest data from Dodge on office renovation projects; and explores the link between the office market and popular culture, from “Mad Men” to “Office Space” to the end of the corner office. He discusses the hotel industry’s “aggressive rebound” post-economic crises; makes the case for why the office sector is here to stay; and shares the opportunities he sees for adaptive reuse in big cities and build-to-suit office space made for the hybrid work environment. Recorded on June 14, 2023.
Dana Peterson, chief economist and center leader for economy, strategy and finance at The Conference Board, joined our guest host Christopher Ware, NAIOP’s vice president for business development and strategic initiatives. Peterson – who delivered keynote remarks at I.CON East this year – paints a broad macroeconomic picture, discussing the implications of the recent regional bank failures; deglobalization and the manufacturing renaissance; and why the tight labor market isn’t going away. Peterson also explains the Fed’s recent “hawkish skip” in interest-rate increases; the state of global monetary policy; and two positive forces impacting the industrial CRE sector that may help it weather the next recession. Recorded on June 16, 2023.
The exceptionally upbeat Rhonda Payne, workforce equity advisor and DEI educator, founder and CEO of Flock Theory, talks to Marc about avoiding “the ostrich approach” to measuring workforce diversity, offers straightforward explanations of equity and equality, and shares the philosophies that often guide DEI initiatives (for better or worse). Payne acknowledges how difficult it can be for companies to shake the systems they’ve inherited, and why a seat at the table doesn’t count for much unless power is also shared. She talks candidly about establishing a true talent strategy that sticks, shares a CRE association success story, and explains why DEI is a long game. And as Marc pointed out, commercial real estate leaders know a little something about playing the long game.
Recorded on Feb. 1, 2023.
Amid a volatile economy where recession predictions abound, Marc talks with Rebecca Rockey, economist and global head of economic analysis and forecasting at Cushman & Wakefield. Rockey shares her outlook for the next 6-12 months, with lows (“warning signs are going off”), highs (industrial’s supercharged returns), and in between (the trifurcated office market). Rockey addresses whether the Fed’s goal of a soft landing is possible, explains the longer-term issues faced by the U.S. and other global economies, and lays out the serious challenge coming soon to the industrial sector. Come for the economic forecast and stay for Rockey’s hurricane analogy at the end of the episode.
Recorded on March 21, 2023.
A conversation on the state of the global economy is bound to cover a lot of ground. Marc talks with Reva Goujon, a geopolitical strategist and director at Rhodium Group, about current inflationary drivers, shifting trade partnerships, increased tech regulation, and China’s structural slowdown, which will have worldwide impact. She offers insights for the commercial real estate industry, including resilient supply chain strategies, addressing the tight labor market, and how to “separate the cyclical from the structural.”
Recorded on January 31, 2023.
Marc continues his conversation with Kate Nolan Bryden, senior vice president at MRP Industrial, and Celeste Tanner, president and chief development officer of Confluent Development. The group talks talent recruitment and retention (“We need to show them how much fun we’re having!”), some of the flawed logic out there on talent development, and which area is the number-one place companies can’t compromise. Bryden and Tanner also discuss “micro-mentors,” Jedi mind tricks, and nailing the right mentorship mix.
Recorded on Nov. 29, 2022.
Marc is joined by Kate Nolan Bryden, senior vice president at MRP Industrial, and Celeste Tanner, president and chief development officer of Confluent Development. Bryden and Tanner share how they’ve seen the CRE industry evolve since the start of their careers, their approaches to managing divergent teams, and the challenges that come with an industry “stuck at a one-percent rate of innovation over a century.” Hear Tanner’s quote about “turning nickels into dollars” that both Bryden and Selvitelli said they had to write down.
Recorded on Nov. 29, 2022.
Marc talks with Kim Snyder, president of the U.S. West Region for Prologis, the largest commercial real estate developer in the U.S., and 2023 NAIOP Chair. Kim and his team cover some of the hottest industrial markets in the country, including Southern California, the Inland Empire, Las Vegas and Phoenix. In this episode, Marc and Kim dive into challenges for the industrial sector, inflation pressures and their implications, what’s on Prologis’ “whiteboard,” Kim’s guitar collection, and more.
Recorded on Oct. 11, 2022.
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