Leading Voices in Real Estate

On this episode of Leading Voices, Laura Foote, the Executive Director of YIMBY Action (the national organization for the “Yes in My Back Yard” movement) joins Matt and doesn’t hold back as she shares how we can influence policymakers—especially at the local level—to reduce barriers to building more housing that will address the huge housing shortage in the U.S. YIMBYs are the pro-housing counterpart to the NIMBY’s who so often block density and development. YIMBY Action is a national network in nearly 20 cities that understands the extreme housing shortages in our communities and takes political action to advocate for “abundant, affordable housing and inclusive, sustainable communities”. 

CEO of Boston Properties, Owen Thomas, joins Matt for the first conversation of 2022 on Leading Voices in Real Estate. Boston Properties is the largest office REIT, developing, investing, and managing Class A office buildings in Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C, with a portfolio of 193 properties. Owen exemplifies leadership in our industry with distinct parts of his career. First, he climbed the ladder at Morgan Stanley through a 24 year career, a large part of which was running their real estate state group, then serving as Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Stanley Asia. After his “retirement” from Morgan Stanley, Owen became Boston Properties’ CEO, where he’s served in the organization for close to a decade. Finally, he has made a commitment to the industry in key leadership positions, including serving as the immediate past Global Chair of the Urban Land Institute and his significant contribution to ULI’s Net Zero Imperative Initiative working to reduce our industry’s carbon footprint. Beyond sharing his career story, Owen provides insights on where he sees the office sector heading into the new year.In addition, Owen is Director of the Urban Land Institute Foundation, a Director of the Real Estate Roundtable, a member of the Executive Board of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts and a member of the Economic Club of New York. He is a Director of Episcopal Charities of New York and formerly Chairman of the Pension Real Estate Association and Director of the University of Virginia Investment Management Company. Owen attended and is a former Trustee of Woodberry Forest School, received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Jordan Moss, Founder and CEO of Catalyst Housing Group, joins Matt on this episode of Leading Voices in real estate to discuss his company, Catalyst Housing, which has focused on creating housing opportunities for the “missing middle”. Jordan founded Catalyst Housing Group in just 2015, which now controls or is under contract for 6,000 units, about $2.5 billion of asset value. This housing, which Jordan calls “Essential Housing”, is structured to preserve long term affordability for the essential middle-income workforce including nurses, teachers, and first responders (among others) who earn too much to qualify for traditional affordable housing, but are priced out of the communities where they work. On the podcast, Jordan describes the unique structure of public ownership that he pioneered and the critiques of the model, and his company’s work combining investment, innovation, and impact in our industry.Over the past two decades, Jordan has been actively engaged in the investment, acquisition, development, financing, and management of more than $4 billion of institutional multifamily transactions. Jordan founded Catalyst Housing Group in 2015 to combat rising income inequality, specifically through addressing California’s growing middle-income housing crisis.An active real estate technology investor/advisor, Jordan launched the Catalyst Innovation Lab, which focuses on incubating, piloting, and scaling innovative solutions, tools and partnerships that drive operating margins, building efficiencies and portfolio sustainability across the Catalyst portfolio and throughout the multifamily sector.Jordan formed the Essential Housing Fund to foster additional innovation across the complete spectrum of housing affordability – from homelessness to homeownership. The nonprofit’s current endeavors include scaling new shared-equity models addressing our country’s racial wealth gap, subsidizing rents for public school employees, and furthering diversity and inclusion efforts within the multifamily industry and beyond.ResourcesCalifornia Scheming (Forbes December 2021)

During this episode, we are rebroadcasting a Leading Voices favorite with Lisa Picard, CEO of EQ Office. EQ Office is the vertical of Blackstone that oversees the office assets of one of the world’s leading investment firms and its acquisition of the portfolios of Sam Zell’s Equity Office, CarrAmerica, Trizec, and other office assets. Lisa’s story exemplifies one of the most compelling career trajectories in real estate and passionately articulates the meaning, the ripple effects, and opportunities around innovation in real estate. This is a pre-pandemic discussion of the office business which will be a great background for our conversation right after the New Year with Boston Properties’ Owen Thomas about the current state of the office business.Lisa Picard is a woman with a vision. Thanks to technology, the office development space has evolved from a B2B market to B2C, and she’s on the front lines of in an industry resistant to change.“We’re really not producing products per say; we’re creating ideas. And so, … organizations’ access to ideas is really through collaboration, connection, of having really high-quality talent.”CuriosityLisa grew up in Southeast L.A. County with her twin sister and Depression-era parents who taught her to cherish and respect her resources. This instilled in her a fascination for her urban environment, and she went on to study Urban Planning at California State Polytechnic University.After graduation, she worked closely with the City of L.A., and she saw how developers had a different view book than she did. She wanted in and applied to MIT to dive deeper into development, planning, urban economics, and finance.Just before heading to MIT, at the age of 22 her father suddenly died and her mother the summer after, and Lisa had what she calls her mid-life crisis at 22. As painful as the grieving process was during her time at MIT, it taught her the importance of embracing each moment fully and staying true to herself.Navigating the Development FieldAfter MIT, Lisa moved back to San Francisco and began her journey with the Bristol Group where she had the freedom to grow and learn what a deal looked like and how to create one. From there, she joined the Hines team in Seattle and rode out the rollercoaster of the dot-com era. Next, she was approached by Canyon Ranch, where she learned the power of experience and brand.“Humanistically, there’s always got to be an invitation… when I say an invitation that’s the brand piece, that’s the promise of whatever it is, when I have that engagement with a piece of real estate.”When she was let go by Canyon Ranch, she felt like she had lost her sense of identity. She moved back to Seattle, and learned how to value herself as simply “Lisa Picard.” She started Muse Developments focused on multi-family development, and was soon approached by Skanska to expand their business in Seattle. She agreed and joined them in merchant building.Her vision for bringing humanity and experience-driven spaces into each of her projects made a big impact on Seattle, but she felt called to influence other cities. So when Equity Office approached her, she was ready to join them.TodayAs the CEO of Equity Office, Lisa is focused on the vision and positioning of projects, like the Willis Tower in Chicago, in a way that satisfies the desires of the market.She looks at it with the mindset that every worker needs a balanced diet of productivity: concentration space, collaboration space, and community space. This is what the modern workforce desires, and that is the value and level of service she is striving to deliver as she repositions assets.Being a WomanAt first, Lisa admits that she tried to fit in. But thanks to her mentors who instilled confidence in her and empowered her to believe in herself, she learned her worth. She hopes to do this for other women.AdviceWhen you work in the urban environment and real estate, what you put into the environment affects people. It changes the urban environment and you have to give a sh*t. You have an obligation to people and your surroundings.

On this episode of Leading Voices, Matt is joined by David Stanford, founder of RealFoundations. RealFoundations is a professional services firm focused on “helping companies that develop, build, own, operate, service, occupy, or invest in real estate make smarter, more profitable decisions. We make real estate run better.” David and Matt discuss the thesis that, as real estate companies become of institutional scale, the “operating platform” of the business can move the needle more than the transactional side of the business. David and Matt dive deep into how strategy, operations, technologies, culture, and training can move the needle with significant NOI swings.David has over 30 years of experience providing strategic financial and operational improvement services to clients in the property and building industries. David leads RealFoundations’ Owner/Operator and Investment Management practices and is responsible for the corporate development activities of the firm. Additionally, he is responsible for implementing the global presence and alliance program of RealFoundations.David is highly experienced in providing large-scale operational and technology services to private and public real estate owner/operators and institutional investors. He has directed client teams in the execution of large business improvement projects, long-range technology plans, packaged technology selections and solution implementations. David is also highly experienced in assisting management teams with strategy, development, and operating model transformations. Some of his clients include the most respected real estate organizations in the world, including Blackstone, GIC, J.P. Morgan, Greystar, Walmart, KIMCO, Hines Interests, Brookfield, and Invitation Homes.Prior to founding RealFoundations David was a Partner of Ernst & Young’s real estate practice in Dallas. He also worked in the Transaction Advisory group of Kenneth Leventhal & Company.David graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting & Finance.

Matt is joined by Dan Doctoroff, Chairman and CEO of Sidewalk Labs, an Alphabet/Google subsidiary, dedicated to urban innovation, on this latest episode of Leading Voices. Sidewalk Labs tackles “cities’ greatest challenges by creating products and solutions, investing in new companies, and helping developers build more sustainable, innovative, and equitable places around the world”. Dan is a testament to what it means to be a leader in our industry. While Managing Partner of the private equity investment firm Oak Hill Capital Partners, he founded NYC2012, spearheading an Olympic City bid for NYC which resulted in a vision for urban redevelopment of the city. Under Mayor Bloomberg, he served as Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding, where he helped lead NYC’s resurgence after 9/11 through a comprehensive five-borough economic development strategy. This included plans to redevelop areas that are now high-profile destinations like the High Line, Hudson Yards, and Governor’s Island. Dan shares how large-scale redevelopment can happen under great leadership and how his new role with a technology giant can help tackle challenges in urban environments.From 2008 to 2014, Dan was President and Chief Executive Officer of Bloomberg L.P., the leading provider of news and information to the global financial community. Prior to joining Bloomberg L.P., Dan served as Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding for the City of New York. With Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, he led the city’s dramatic economic resurgence after 9/11, spearheading the effort to reverse New York’s fiscal crisis through a comprehensive five-borough economic development strategy. In that role, Dan oversaw the creation of PlaNYC, New York’s pathbreaking sustainability plan. His memoir-manifesto, Greater than Ever: New York’s Big Comeback, chronicled his experience in City Hall.  Before joining the Bloomberg Administration, Dan was Managing Partner of the private equity investment firm Oak Hill Capital Partners. While at Oak Hill, Dan founded NYC2012, the organization that spearheaded efforts to bring the Olympic Games to the city.Dan serves on the Boards of the University of Chicago and Bloomberg Philanthropies. He is the founder of Target ALS, which raises funds for and has established a new model of collaboration to advance ALS research. He is a founder and chairman of The Shed, an innovative new cultural institution on Manhattan’s Far West Side. Dan is a graduate of Harvard College and The Law School at the University of Chicago. A native of Michigan, Dan has lived in New York for the past 37 years with his wife Alisa. 

Ned Spieker joins Sam Zell, Gerald Hines, Art Gensler, Ron Terwilliger, and Leonard Wood as part of our industry legends series on Leading Voices in Real Estate. Like many of our guests, Ned came out of the Trammell Crow Company, where he had been then their youngest partner, and established and built their West Coast Division. He spun his team out in 1987, founding Spieker Properties and taking the company public as a REIT in 1993. As one of the most respected CEOs among REITs at the time, Ned led Spieker Properties to aggregate more than 40 million square feet of office and industrial properties in California and the Pacific Northwest. In 2001, Spieker Properties sold to Sam Zell’s Equity Office Properties Trust as a top of the market trade for more than $7 billion. Ned has since gone on to become one of the most active developers and owners of Continuing Care Retirement Communities in California. Ned shares stories from throughout his successful real estate career, including his ongoing focus on the value of partnerships and a decentralized approach to the business.

On the latest episode of Leading Voices in Real Estate, Matt is joined by Julia Boyd Corso and Marshall Boyd, Co-Presidents of Interstate Equities Corporation. Founded in 1981 by their parents, IEC is a value-add investor and manager of multifamily properties across California and now Seattle, with a niche of acquiring dated apartments and transforming them into attainable, updated, boutique-style assets for the current resident demographic. Julia and Marshall took over the organization in 2007 following the passing of their father when they were 27 and 29 respectively. Some of the themes of this episode surround the challenges of starting in the industry as emerging leaders, the transition of a family company to a private equity business, the benefits of a co-head structure, and climbing the ladder from a syndication model up to a commingled fund business.About JuliaJulia is co-president and chief operating officer responsible for corporate operations, asset management and repositioning of all investments. She sets the strategic direction of the company and its investment activities as a member of its Investment Committee. Prior to joining IEC, Julia worked in management consulting for Accenture. Julia graduated summa cum laude from Emory University with a B.A. in Economics and holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is a member of the Urban Land Institute and the Stanford Real Estate Council.About MarshallMarshall is co-president and chief investment officer as well as a member of the company’s Investment Committee. Prior to joining IEC, Marshall worked on the investment team at TA Associates and in investment banking at Credit Suisse First Boston. Marshall graduated from Middlebury College with a B.A. in Economics and a minor in Spanish. He is vice chairman of the Urban Land Institute’s Multifamily Silver Council and a former board member of The Young Presidents’ Organization.

Jodie McLean, CEO of the retail owner, operator, and developer EDENS joins Matt on Leading Voices in Real Estate. Founded over 50 years ago in South Carolina, EDENS, now headquartered in Washington, D.C., has a portfolio of 110 properties consisting of mixed-use, shopping centers, grocery-anchored retail, and unique historic retail redevelopments. Jodie shares her “aha” moment when she moved her perspective and leadership from transactional to purpose and mission, resulting in EDENS’ focus on their “enriching community through human engagement”. EDENS knows that “when people come together, they feel a part of themselves and prosperity follows: economically, socially, culturally and soulfully”. Jodie talks about this approach throughout the business, including through the challenges of COVID and EDENS’ development of the historic Union Market District in D.C., where EDENS offices are located and our conversation was recorded.With a tenure of more than 25 years, Jodie has established herself as a key player in EDENS’ growth and expansion to its current marketplace leadership, capitalized by blue chip investors and assets valued at $6.5 billion.Jodie is responsible for EDENS’ strategy to move the portfolio to major urban centers, creating a portfolio of assets that are the center of community life. She was named Chief Investment Officer in 1997, President in 2002 and CEO in 2015. Overall, she has been responsible for the development, redevelopment, acquisition, and disposition of more than $15 billion in retail assets.Jodie passionately believes that retail should evolve beyond a shopping experience, and advocates for connectivity to the communities surrounding the company’s retail centers. To ensure this, each EDENS development is crafted to serve as an authentic gathering place, including a unique merchandising mix and welcoming design elements, fostering a sense of engagement with its neighbors.Jodie serves on several boards including Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and Milhaus. She is also a Trustee of Innovating Commerce Serving Communities (ICSC), the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and The Real Estate Round Table. Jodie is a member of the Liberty Fellowship (Aspen Institute), Class of 2009.A native of Chicago, IL, Jodie holds a B.S. in Finance and Management from the Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, and a degree from South Carolina Honors College.ResourcesThe Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community by Ray Oldenburg

In Leading Voices’ inaugural “back to school” episode, Matt interviews Sam Chandan, the Larry & Klara Silverstein Chair and Academic Dean of NYU’s Schack Institute of Real Estate, one of the largest real estate graduate and undergraduate programs globally. In a wide-ranging conversation, Sam shares the value of an education in real estate and how it prepares future leaders for their careers in the multi-disciplinary business of real estate. In the episode, they discuss the complex issues addressing our industry, including climate change, urbanization, social equity, diversity in leadership, and public health issues. Sam provides a framework on how our industry can cultivate the next generation of leaders through educational programs, mentorship, and other opportunities, and how his personal relationship to establishing the Real Estate Pride Council which provides a connective network for professionals in the built environment who identify with the LGBTQ+ community.Beyond his role with NYU, Sam is also founder of Chandan Economics, an economic advisory and data science firm serving the institutional real estate industry, editor of Urban Epidemiology, a contributor to Forbes, and host of the Urban Lab Podcast. Sam is also chair of the Real Estate Pride Council, an association of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender professionals in the global commercial real estate industry.Sam is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (FRICS), the Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH), and the Real Estate Research Institute (RERI), and an Associate Member of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). His interdisciplinary research explores the urban epidemiology of microbial diseases and the preparedness of global cities and other systemically important urban areas in managing novel public health threats.Sam’s commentary on commercial and residential real estate markets and the broader economy has been featured regularly in national and global press, including the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, CNBC, and Bloomberg. Among his recent publications, he was the lead investigator for Regulatory Design and Real Outcomes, a major study on the regulation of commercial real estate lending commissioned by the Commercial Real Estate Finance Council (CREFC).Sam’s real estate industry-specific research focuses on commercial real estate capital markets and risk analytics, as well as long term changes in space use patterns. He presents regular updates on commercial real estate lending trends to US and global regulators, including the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). He holds an honorary appointment as the Economist Laureate of the Real Estate Lenders Association and has served on the real estate advisory council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.Sam received his PhD in Applied Economics from the Wharton School and was a Doctoral Scholar in the Economics Department at Princeton University. In addition to his doctorate, he holds graduate degrees in economics and engineering and an undergraduate degree in economics, finance, and public policy. He served previously on the faculties of the Wharton School and Dartmouth College. Prior to founding Chandan Economics, Sam was Global Chief Economist and Executive Vice President at Real Capital Analytics (RCA). During his tenure as Chief Economist and Senior Vice President at Reis, he was part of the executive team that took the company public.Sam resides between New York City, Montréal, and Upstate New York, where he is a volunteer firefighter and a member of his town’s emergency medical services corps.