The Crexi Commercial Real Estate Podcast | CRE Insights & Strategies From Major League Baseball to Land Acquisition with Connor Johnstone
Tune in to Lennar’s Connor Johnstone on Atlanta land acquisition, data-driven underwriting, trends, and tech tools speeding deals for developers.
The Crexi Podcast connects CRE professionals with industry insights built for smart decision-making. In each episode, we explore the latest trends, innovations and opportunities shaping commercial real estate, because we believe knowledge should move at the speed of ambition and every conversation should empower professionals to act with greater clarity and confidence.
In this episode of The Crexi Podcast, Shanti Ryle sits down with Connor Johnstone, a land acquisition manager at Lennar. They discuss Connor's transition from a professional baseball career to the real estate industry, emphasizing the importance of problem-solving, embracing failure, and leveraging technology.
Connor shares insights on the development of an internal tool designed to streamline underwriting processes, which has significantly increased efficiency in evaluating land deals. The discussion also touches on the current state of the housing market in Atlanta, the challenges faced by first-time home buyers, and the role of technology in shaping the future of home-building. Tune in to learn about innovative strategies and key trends impacting today’s commercial real estate landscape.
- Introduction to The Crexi Podcast
- Meet Connor Johnstone: From Baseball to Real Estate
- Connor's Journey: Physics, Coding, and Real Estate
- Lessons Learned: Embracing Failure and Innovation
- Building Efficient Tools for Real Estate
- The Power of ChatGPT and Learning Coding
- Practical Applications of AI in Land Acquisition & Development
- Leveraging Data in Home Building
- The Future of Home Building Technology
- Challenges in the Housing Market
- The Rise of Build-to-Rent Communities
- Long-Term View on Entry-Level Housing
- Rapid Fire Questions and Wrap-Up
About Connor Johnstone:
Connor Johnstone is a land acquisition manager at Lennar, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, where he plays a key role in identifying, underwriting, and securing development opportunities across the Atlanta metro area. Based in Smyrna, Georgia, Connor works on the front lines of Lennar’s new community development strategy, focusing primarily on housing solutions for first-time homebuyers.
Before entering the real estate world, Connor played professional baseball, an experience that shaped his discipline, teamwork, and strategic mindset—qualities that now inform his approach to development and deal-making. With a background in physics from Wake Forest University and a self-taught proficiency in coding, he has built internal web-based tools that streamline underwriting and decision-making for his division—innovations now being explored for company-wide use.
Connor’s approach blends traditional land acquisition principles with a forward-thinking use of technology, helping Lennar evaluate deals more efficiently and precisely in a rapidly changing housing landscape. As affordability challenges and build-to-rent opportunities continue to reshape the market, Connor’s insight into site selection, market fit, and operational efficiency positions him as a valuable voice in the future of residential development.
For show notes, past guests, and more CRE content, please check out Crexi’s blog.
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