I Made it Through the Rain: Thriving in economic uncertainty

What’s attracting young people, businesses and investment capital to Nashville? Highwoods’ Alex Chambers and CBRE’s Elizabeth Goodwin explain how the Music City has created a cool culture.Insights to Share: ·      Nashville has attracted talent and businesses due to its affordability and high quality of life.·      Nashville’s local government has fostered the city’s growth by  investing in entertainment and sports, prompting a surge in related industries, as well as tech and retail. ·      With growth poised to continue, driven by the influx of new residents, Nashville offers an opportunity for private investors to buy Class B office properties.

With the U.S.’s fourth-strongest labor market and massive live-work-play appeal, Tampa, Florida is one of the country's hottest real estate markets according to a recent Wall Street Journal analysis,  Tampa investor/developer Darryl Shaw and CBRE’s Mike DiBlasi explain how the city has become a magnet for institutional capital, expanding employers and top talent and what other mid-size markets can learn from it.Insights: Developers who want to build in culturally important areas need strong partnerships with the local community leaders and municipal government.Tampa’s historic Casa Ybor development demonstrates what’s possible when a long-term vision is coupled with consistent population growth.Tampa is experiencing a surge of development across commercial real estate sectors as a result of public-private investment in their downtown waterfront.

In a wide-ranging discussion, RXR CEO Scott Rechler opines on everything from the future of cities to leveraging AI in decision-making to office-to-multifamily conversions.Insights to Share: ·      Commercial real estate investors can find opportunity in a higher-cost environment.·      The outlook for office is brightest in areas where talent wants to live, work and play.·      RXR uses market intelligence combined with data to inform their strategies. Key data sources include VTS, cell phone activity, AI and predictive analytics.

“What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?” asks celebrity author Ben Nemtin in his best-selling book of 100 bucket list items. Ben shares thoughts on finding your purpose, protecting your mental health and achieving your most ambitious goals.Insights to Share: ·      Overcome fear. People who avoid taking risks because they are afraid to fail can often fall short of their goals. Empowering people to be their true selves is a critical component of a strong work culture.·      Set ambitious goals. People who set ambitious goals for themselves are more likely to be successful in careers and life.·      Take action. It is not enough to simply set goals; people need to act on them. Small steps forward create positive momentum.

Real estate investment markets are stirring after an extended pause, and capital may be ready to come off the sidelines. KKR’s Roger Morales and CBRE’s Kevin Aussef share insights on what assets, strategies and markets stand to benefit from an expected pick up in commercial real estate activity later this year.Real estate investment markets are stirring after an extended pause, and capital may be ready to come off the sidelines. KKR’s Roger Morales and CBRE’s Kevin Aussef share insights on what assets, strategies and markets stand to benefit from an expected pick up in commercial real estate activity later this year.

 Student housing has become a darling of the multifamily asset class. Real estate investor Brian Dinerstein and CBRE’s Jaclyn Fitts explain how the sector has bounced back from pandemic-era challenges and offers enticing opportunities for investors.Insights to Share: Student housing has been better insulated against rising interest rates than conventional multifamily housing.Large public colleges and universities provide the best environment for institutional grade multifamily student housing.Student housing now is a much different product than what was developed two decades ago.

Growth strategist Rebecca Homkes delivers insights and ideas for companies navigating a challenging economic landscape. With wit and real-world examples, she challenges leaders to think of uncertainty as a neutral and temporary state – and where that line of thinking can lead.Insights to Share: ·      Survive, Reset, Thrive is a playbook for fortifying companies through times of change and challenge.·      Market uncertainty is neither good nor bad. It is a neutral fact to be dealt with.·      Companies who are willing to think creativelyare more likely to emerge from challenges successfully.

What’s the best way to prepare for a thriving commercial real estate career today and in the future? Leaders of real estate programs at the University of North Carolina, Ohio State and Clemson enlighten us.Key Takeaways: • Learn to be resilient and flexible. • Interdisciplinary approaches provide a broad real estate education. • There is a history of collaboration between higher education systems and the commercial real estate industry. • Experiential learning is an effective way to build skillsets. You’ve got to do the thing!This Episode's GuestsDustin Read, Ph.D.Director, Master of Real Estate Development Program, Clemson UniversityDustin leads the Master of Real Estate Development Program at Clemson University. Previously, he was involved in leadership in the real estate programs at Virginia Tech and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Some of his research interests include affordable housing, land use policy, and public-private partnerships. Dr. Read is a NAIOP Research Foundation Distinguished Fellow, an inductee into the Institute of Real Estate Management’s Academy of Authors, and a seven-time recipient of honors from the American Real Estate Society for his contributions to real estate theory and practice.Donald D. SheetsExecutive Director, The Ohio State University Center for Real EstateDonald has over two dozen years of leadership experience on Wall Street across several investment management firms, one of which he founded nearly a decade ago and recently sold. In addition to leading the Center for Real Estate at The Ohio State University, he also is on the faculty at Harvard University and serves as Chair of the Harvard Alumni Real Estate Board. His predecessor faculty appointments were at Columbia University, New York University and Auburn University.Jeff TuckerExecutive Director, Wood Center for Real Estate Studies, University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business SchoolJeff is new to his role leading the real estate program at the University of North Carolina, having started in mid-2023. Tucker has more than 20 years of experience in private equity, with the last 16 focused on real estate. He most recently served as co-chairman and CEO of Century Bridge Capital, a firm based in Beijing and Dallas that is focused on middle-class residential developments in China.

Deepki CEO Vincent Bryant and CBRE’s Emma Buckland share insights on how data analytics helps property owners attract tenants, meet sustainability goals and enhance asset values.Insights to Share: Property management data has become much more standardized and transparent in the last ten years.CBRE’s strategic partnership with Deepki helps property management teams support investors’ sustainability goals.Meeting sustainability objectives can strengthen asset value and is strategically smart amid the growth of regulations.

Despite widespread adoption elsewhere in the world, modular construction has been slow to take hold in the U.S. Assembly OSM CEO Andrew Staniforth makes a compelling case for the construction technique’s affordability, sustainability and speed—as well as reasons why the practice is still in its infancy domestically.Insights to Share: Modular construction is an option that provides a compelling combination of affordability, sustainability and speed.A tight labor market and strong real estate fundamentals make modular construction more viable.Affordable housing is a challenge that will require non-traditional thinking—like modular construction—to solve. “Naturally occurring affordable housing is just an Econ 101 problem like supply and demand. The more housing that you build, it will lower the price. And I think as we start getting to scale, we hope to be able to move the market.”Andrew StaniforthCEOAssembly OSM