The Fort

#382 - Hiten Samtani - Founder @ ten31 Media - CRE is the Ultimate Business Bloodsport

Apr 8, 2025

Hiten Samtani, founder and editorial director of ten31, shares his insights on the unpredictable world of commercial real estate journalism. He discusses the importance of bold storytelling and building trust with sources while maintaining an unfiltered narrative. Hiten reflects on his transition from a decade at The Real Deal and the challenges of launching a niche media company. They delve into the complexities of engaging diverse audiences and the unique dynamics of major vs. frontier markets, along with tips for gaining media attention in an ever-evolving industry.

01:07:08

Episode guests

Hiten Samtani

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Hiten Samtani emphasizes the importance of customizing media strategies to effectively engage audiences beyond generic press releases.

The integration of technology, like Vesto, drastically simplifies financial oversight for real estate companies managing multiple banking relationships.

Samtani's newsletter has successfully built a community in commercial real estate by providing relevant insights and fostering dialogue among industry professionals.

Deep dives

The Role of Customized Media Strategies

Using customized media strategies is essential for effectively presenting business narratives. A press release is deemed insufficient as it does not personalize the story or engage the audience meaningfully. The speaker emphasizes that the way to engage the media involves tailoring messages that highlight unique elements of a business deal, such as its size or significance, rather than generic facts. This approach ensures that the media narrative resonates with the intended audience and captures their interest.

Intro

3min

Celebrating Growth in the Commercial Real Estate Dialogue

3min

From Dubai to Journalism: A Transformative Journey

6min

Engaging the Commercial Real Estate Audience

24min

Understanding Housing Finance Corporations and Their Impact on Texas Real Estate

3min

Media Dynamics and Trust

18min

Navigating Media Communication: On the Record, Off the Record, and On Background

3min

Navigating New Financing Terrain in Commercial Real Estate

8min

Hiten Samtani is the founder and editorial director of ten31, a new media company focused on market-moving insider coverage of the most important and least understood industries. He is the author of The Promote, a newsletter that readers have likened to commercial real estate's answer to Matt Levine's "Money Stuff," and a publication that has built the most highly engaged audience in B2B media (open rate: 70%). Hiten founded ten31 after a decade at The Real Deal, where he ran the newsroom and shepherded coverage of the most important stories in real estate.

Chris and Hiten get into the early days of the brand, what inspired it, and why the real estate world needed a publication that’s bold, sharp, and unapologetically honest. They talk about the stories that hit hardest, what makes for a good scoop, and how Hiten has built trust with sources while keeping the content unfiltered and highly readable.

They also cover:

Why commercial real estate is full of big personalities and even bigger stakes
How operators and investors can actually get covered by the media
What it’s like growing a niche media company from scratch
Lessons from Hiten’s years at The Real Deal and why he walked away
Navigating the gray areas of journalism—anonymity, accuracy, and when to publish

Links:

Hiten on X

The Promote CRE newsletter

The Promote Podcast

A specialist playbook on how to get ink for your deal or company

Understanding the different modes of talking to the press

Key industry storylines for 2025

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Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro