The Weekly Take from CBRE

StripMallGuy (@realEstateTrent) was born two years ago when a real estate professional was looking for a new way to expand his network and his business. Today, the anonymous account is one of the most widely followed real estate handles on Twitter. We caught up with StripMallGuy at ICSC, and he shared insights on using his online presence to create a brand, build relationships and uncover business opportunities.

Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg and his team studied more than 16,000 projects—from skyscrapers to high-speed rails to Oscar-winning films—to learn the secrets of their success, and some failures.

Pensford Financial’s JP Conklin and CBRE’s Kelli Carhart dive deep into the debt capital markets with thoughts on hedging strategies and other valuable insights.

Walton Street Capital’s Federico Martín del Campo and CBRE’s Lyman Daniels explain why Mexico has seen an influx of international capital, particularly into its robust industrial and hotel sectors, thanks to its proximity to the U.S. and other advantages.

White Castle is a staple of popular culture, appearing in everything from Beastie Boys lyrics to “Harold & Kumar’s” eponymous film. CEO Lisa Ingram offers insights on how the century-old, family-owned company—inventor of the slider—determines where and when to open new Castle locations.

Author and Columbia University professor Hitendra Wadhwa offers insights on how business leaders can inspire people and organizations to live and work with purpose.

When EDENS, the retail real estate owner, operator and developer, evaluates a location, it starts with a simple question: “What will inspire the community?” CEO Jodie McLean, architect of the community-minded approach, offers insights on the art and science of understanding markets, people and retail placemaking.

Want a thriving city? Build. So says Harvard urban economist Ed Glaeser, who talks about why cities remain a magnet for talent and how they can improve affordability.

While many retailers were shuttering stores during the pandemic, menswear retailer Psycho Bunny took the opposite approach. Chief Development Officer Kenny Minzberg and CBRE’s Drew Schaul discuss Psycho Bunny’s strategy to aggressively add brick-and-mortar stores to their wholesale and e-commerce ecosystem.

Wellbeing has become increasingly important in return-to-office strategies. Delos’ Paul Scialla and Brookfield Properties’ Brian Pagac offer insights on how people, companies and buildings benefit from wellness initiatives and WELL certification.