Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders Conor Flynn, CEO at Kimco Realty — Realty Reality, Post Pandemic: Responsible REITs are more than just landlords
Summary:
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) can be pretty misunderstood as investment opportunities, particularly amongst younger investors. Their slow-and-steady pace and relative lack of volatility can lead investors looking for quicker action to focus on other asset classes. However, REITs have historically produced long-term capital appreciation and high, consistent dividend income at relatively low risk. For growth-oriented investors, they should be worth consideration.
Conor Flynn is the CEO of Kimco Realty, and my guest on this episode of Welcome to the Arena. Kimco is a real estate investment trust listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol KIM. It's America's largest publicly traded owner and operator of open air, grocery-anchored shopping centers and mixed-use assets with approximately 540 properties and more than 93 million square feet of gross leasable space.
In this episode, I speak with Conor about the strategic choices that have positioned Kimco with their highest credit rating and strongest balance sheet to date, and what action they took to support their tenants during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Highlights:
- Conor describes catching the real estate bug early in life, and how that led to his position at Kimco Realty (03:52)
- Conor explains how Kimco has remained adaptable throughout its six decades in operation (08:53)
- Conor unpacks the concepts of "necessity-based retail" and "the last mile" (10:47)
- Conor acknowledges the ways Kimco stood by its tenants during the pandemic (13:57)
- Conor talks through the strategies behind Kimco's acquisition of Weingarten Realty, and its investment in Albertsons (16:34)
- Conor explains Kimco's capitalization and credit access (21:54)
- Kimco's strategy for creating shareholder value (24:09)
- Conor explains why he is keeping a watchful eye on inflation (27:08)
- Kimco's dedication to ESG initiatives (28:21)
Links:
Feedback:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co.