RE #157: Chris Rising - Co-Founder & CEO of Rising Realty Partners

Christopher Rising manages the day-to-day business activities of Rising, while also serving on its Investment Committee. Drawing on his experience as Senior Vice President, Asset Transactions at MPG Office Trust, Inc. (NYSE: MPG), Christopher is skilled at managing acquisitions and creative development. At MPG, he worked directly with the CEO to improve finances through debt reduction and restructuring.

On this episode, Chris discusses his early career learning the industry under John Cushman of Cushman & Wakefield before leaving to form his own company. He and Chris also discuss Rising's emphasis on Impact Investing & ESG and how that plays in working with large tenants like Google and Amazon. They also deep dive into their predictions on the future of Office and Work as we exit the pandemic. Finally, they turn the table to ask Powers about his willingness to take risks, Fort Capital's focus on technology adoption, and the future of Texas and California in the midst of the massive migration seen in the United States. Enjoy!

Follow Chris on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/FortWorthChris

Learn more about Chris Powers and Fort Capital: www.FortCapitalLP.com

Follow Chris on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chrispowersjr/

Follow Fort Capital on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/fort-capital/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZFdQ6KjbRFM

(02:32) - Chris’ background and career

(08:08) - Was John Cushman always teeing up his company to be as big as it was?

(09:55) - Rising Realty Partners

(13:37) - How do you define impact investing and ESG? 

(20:51) - Why are office and commercial retail real estate the biggest emitters of carbon?

(22:13) - What’s the low-hanging fruit that you can go in to fix their carbon output?

(23:59) - How quickly does ESG requirements come up with ‘big-boy’ tenants like Google and Amazon?

(26:41) - Biden’s Push for Government Buildings to be ‘Green Certified’

(29:10) -  Rising’s Investment in Office and the Future of Work

(37:32) - Crowdfunding 

(44:26) - Experience Optimization Services

The Tables Turn

(47:49) - Chris Powers’ Willingness to Take Risks

(52:08) - Powers’ Focus on Technology

(54:07) - The Digital Economy Coming to Real Estate

(54:50) - Microsoft or Google for operating systems?

(55:16) - Maintaining Discipline with Adapting Technology

(1:01:54) - The Massive Population Growth in Texas and the Future for the States like California

The FORT is produced by Straight Up Podcasts