The Real Estate Espresso Podcast

On today’s show we are taking a look at the changing landscape in retail real estate. This is the third in a series of episodes focused on the retail landscape.  Last week we looked at the impact of e-commerce on bricks and mortar retail. We also looked at the global supply demand dynamics in the US market. On today’s show we are focusing on experiential retail. This is based on the thesis that customers will come into your store if you give them another reason to come into the store other than just to buy something.  As it turns out, when people come to a store, they tend to buy anyway. Sometimes it’s an impulse buy unrelated to the event. At other times, the event that brought you into the store stimulates the purchase.  It used to be the case that stores would turn over their inventory only a few times a year. The large department stores would turn over their fashion lines every 90 days with the changing of the seasons. That meant there was only 4 reasons to come into the store in a year. Companies like The Limited revolutionized the industry by changing their inventory monthly.  The more reasons you can give people to set foot in your store, the higher the chance they will buy something. Once a customer buys something, then there are more opportunities to upsell on something else.  On today’s show we’re going to look at some examples of what some retailers are doing to create a sticky customer experience. By offering more than just products, retailers create an emotional connection with customers, making the shopping experience memorable and enjoyable.  --------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Dave Dubeau is based in Kamloops, British Columbia. He is focused on helping other investors and syndicators develop relationships with potential partners by inviting them as a guest on a podcast. He's written a book on the process and is passionate about educating people on the process. To connect with Dave and to learn more, visit https://20accreditedinvestorsbook.com/bonus. The coupon code "espresso" will give you access to more resources. -------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

George Ross is famous for his role as Executive Vice President in the Trump Organization and as Donald's advisor since his very first deal at age 27. In today's conversation George shares his thoughts on the opportunities that are opening up for real estate investors in the coming months. -------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Today’s show is the second in a mini-series on retail real estate. Yesterday we touched on the changing landscape of retail. On today’s show we are going to look at the overall macro picture for retail real estate from a supply and demand perspective. We’re going to highlight five markets across the US that are showing signs of tight supply.  On today’s show we are looking at the findings from the most recent retail real estate report published by CBRE. --------------- Our firm is Y Street Capital where our mission is to "Build Communities That People Feel Compelled To Call Home". If you would like to learn more about what we do, register for our investor portal. We won't spam you with tons of emails. This will give you access to information about what we do. To register, visit https://ystreetcapital.invportal.com/login ---------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Today’s show is the first in a mini-series on the changing landscape of retail.  We’ve been hearing about the death of retail for more than five years now. There is no question that retail is changing. Perhaps the biggest effect is the blurry line between online and offline.  It used to be the case that customers would drive to their favourite shop and see what they had in stock. Customers would browse the aisles and make their buying decision based on what was in the store.  That was rarely a perfect shopping experience and most customers would walk out empty handed. Shopping malls reduced the frustration factor because there would be another potential supplier a few doors down in the same mall.  But the mega shopping mall with 400 stores can take 20 minutes to get in and out of by the time you park the car, walk to the mall entrance, find the store you’re looking for and walk the entire length of the mall only to find out that they don’t carry what you’re looking for.  Prior to the pandemic, online accounted for about 8% of retail sales, a continuation of steady increases in the percentage of retail sales taking place online. Along came the pandemic and online sales virtually doubled to more than 16% of all retail.  Then as the world emerged from the pandemic, online sales fell to about 14% of all retail before rebounding to about 16% in 2024.  But not all in-store sales are truly in-store sales. An unknown percentage are "Clicks to Bricks" sales where the browsing happens online and the transaction happens at the cash register. This is still about the immediacy of the purchase which the ecommerce world has improved, but not solved. ------------ **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

On today’s show we are looking at the flurry of executive orders that was signed by the incoming administration in Washington. There were a lot of them covering a wide range of issues. The ones that are getting the most attention and making headlines are those that affect the most divisive issues like deportations and international trade. There have been no less than 35 executive orders in two days. But this is a real estate podcast. On today’s show we are going to dissect a few of the executive orders from this week and highlight those that in particular could have an impact on real estate investors.  So today, I’m going to focus on only two of these executive orders. We will focus on others in the coming days as we are able to dissect them.  #1 Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture #2 Delivering Emergency Price Relief for American Families and Defeating the Cost-of-Living Crisis ------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

On today's show we are talking about the recently announced changes to the HUD lending programs for apartments in the United States. The HUD programs are direct competitors to the agency loans that you might get from Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The possible loan proceeds have been increased by relaxing the debt coverage requirements and increasing the loan to value and loan to cost limits. This is a significant improvement and can make the difference for a lot of investors. -------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

On today’s show we are comparing two different types of construction contracts, the cost plus contract and the fixed price contract. We will describe the major differences between the two and outline the major gaping hole that exists in both from which there is almost no protection. As the names imply, a fixed price contract, sometimes called a guaranteed maximum price contract is supposed to guarantee the most that you would ever pay to get a project completed. A cost plus contract adds up the cost of the work performed by the subcontractors and then adds a percentage on top of that total price to pay the general contractor or the construction manager. You might negotiate an attractive percentage for the general contractor. Generally speaking, the construction manager will build in a substantial contingency into the guaranteed maximum price contract in order to protect their profit margin in the event of a cost overrun. On paper it looks like the guaranteed maximum price is higher than the cost plus contract. When you are getting quotes from subcontractors and you compare these two numbers, the cost plus contract will almost always appear to be less expensive. But there are 3 loopholes that exist for the guaranteed maximum price contract that don't protect the owner. On today's show we outline these risks. ---------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Sam Sells is based in Austin Texas where he specializes in impact investing across multiple markets. Municipalities are playing a role in providing the incentives to solve the affordable housing crisis with specific populations in mind. This includes criminal rehabilitation, veterans, asylum seekers, to name just a few. On today's show we are talking about the economic model that makes impact projects viable in the current environment. To connect with Sam and to learn more, visit impactgrowthcap.com or learn more about his fund at impactgrowthfund.com. ----------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Brandon Barnum is a principal at HOA.com where their software products include an entire suite of HOA management tools. The latest is an AI agent which interacts with residents and answers their most pressing questions. It also acts as a platform to connect with trusted suppliers. To connect with Brandon, visit HOA.com or visit his personal website at brandonbarnum.com --------------- **Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)