Leading Voices in Real Estate

Head of Wells Fargo's Commercial Real Estate, Mark has lead the bank to the #1 commercial real estate lender for the last 10 years.

Our first episode in 2020 features Amy Price, Managing Partner and Co-Head of the U.S. business for BentallGreenOak. After the recent merger between Bentall Kennedy and Green Oak, which she helped orchestrate, the company has grown to become a $48B real estate investment manager with a global footprint. Amy is a senior female leader in the real estate investment management business. We talk about overall trends and challenges in this sector and how she has navigated and built her career, first at Morgan Stanley and now at BGO.

David Brickman was appointed CEO of Freddie Mac in July 2019. He has been with the company for over two decades, previously serving as a longtime leader of its multifamily division. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, Freddie’s sister GSE, have both been in government conservatorship for eleven years and there finally seems to be a feasible pathway back to private status.

As we wrap up Thanksgiving and head into the 2019 holiday season, we wanted to re-release an episode about hope, empowerment, and giving back with Cedric Bobo, Co-Founder of Project Destined. Project Destined is a social impact nonprofit that trains inner-city youth and military families to be active partners in sourcing and financing real estate investments.

Disruptors in real estate, particularly in the PropTech sector, are topics that Matt has tackled on several Leading Voices in Real Estate episodes. He expands on this conversation with Brad Greiwe, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Fifth Wall, the largest venture capital fund focused on the global real estate industry and property technology. Still in his 30s, Brad already has substantial career achievements (including co-founding Invitation Homes) and has created a VC fund that is differentiated from others. For instance, half of Fifth Wall’s billion-dollar VC funds come from investors inside of the industry. Additionally, the company consults with real estate clients on how to get ahead of the curve in terms of technology and innovation to drive a more sustainable performance. Brad’s entrepreneurial spirit and gravitas demonstrate how he is establishing leadership for the next generation and is at the forefront of the convergence of technology and the built environment.

This week, Matt speaks with Paul Smithers, CEO of Innovative Industrial Properties, the first and only NYSE REIT serving the cannabis space. It’s hard to imagine that this type of business would exist even a decade ago, but with the changing landscape of real estate investment groups and the legalization of marijuana across the U.S., Innovative Industrial Properties tapped into an industry with huge growth potential.

It’s no surprise that coworking spaces are shaking up the business world. Many companies are abandoning their traditional offices, selling assets like desks and rolling chairs, and downsizing square footage to move into modern outsourced workplaces, like Industrious and WeWork. With this growing trend, competition is increasing, though no two models are identical and profits can be hard to achieve. This week’s timely discussion with Jamie Hodari, CEO and Co-Founder of Industrious, drills into what sets his company apart from competitors. Industrious, the largest premium flexible workspace provider in the U.S., has raised over $222 million and expects to be profitable in Q1 2020.

The late 1980s saw massive changes in the real estate industry. The passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and then the S&L crisis that followed transitioned the industry into a modern, institutional business. During this time, Dr. Peter Linneman had just started reworking the real estate program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Dr. Linneman was an outsider economist who saw the obvious future in information, transparency, and capital flows. This week’s conversation dives into Dr. Linneman’s experience, from his perch at Wharton where he learned from and then counseled the then giants in the industry on this transformation as well as trained the future generation of leaders in the business.

After our summer hiatus, Leading Voices in Real Estate returns for its fourth season. To kick it off, host Matt Slepin shares the current trends of listeners and the direction for the new season.

Leaving a legacy is easy for Phil Freelon, who founded one of the largest African American–owned architecture firms. Enjoy this rebroadcast in celebration of his life and legacy.

Larry Webb, founder and CEO of The New Home Company, talks about lessons learned in the homebuilding industry and his approach to business. Thanks to JLL for sponsoring this episode.

Bobby Turner is the Principal and CEO of Turner Impact Capital, one of the country’s largest social impact investment funds, and previously the leader of Canyon’s real estate investment platform. He shares how his careers have taught him how to balance impact and profit, and the importance of pursuing social good through the lens of business. Thanks to JLL for sponsoring this episode.

Listen in to hear Gene discuss the discipline and passion it took to build this commercial real estate business from the ground up in the ‘60s, and how his family values and culture have shaped its impressive trajectory. Thanks to JLL for sponsoring this episode.

In this episode, Chris and Matt talk about the lessons learned from hosting their podcasts and their experiences interviewing leaders in commercial real estate. You’ll also learn more about their journeys as they swap questions in this joint interview. This episode is made possible by our sponsor JLL. Learn more at jll.com/voices.

Bill Bayless is the co-founder and CEO of the only publicly traded student housing company, American Campus Communities (ACC). Bill co-founded the company in 1993. One of the true pioneers in the student housing business, Bill initially conceived of ideas that are now part of ACC’s mission when he was an undergrad at West Virginia University, recognizing that both students and their parents were being underserved. This episode is made possible by our sponsor JLL. Learn more at jll.com/voices.