Welcome back to Sustainability Street, our podcast on the intersection of commercial real estate and the world we live. For this episode, I am chatting with Jessica Long, NAREIT's senior vice president of Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability, following the release of the sixth annual REIT Industry Sustainability Report. The report tracks ESG progress for the 100 largest REITs by market capitalization in five areas: transparency and reporting, leadership & governance, resources & resilience, workforce & culture and community and business connections. Here are some highlights of the topics we discussed: The public path to sustainability (2:39) Energized by results (7:35) Room for improvement (11:45) A maze of frameworks & standards (16:40) The business case for DE&I and ESG (19:10) Reimaging real estate amid the climate crisis (23:30)

EV charging has become a must-have amenity for apartment dwellers as well as commercial tenants. But the planning and placing of EV chargers is no small task for property managers. Welcome back to Sustainability Street, our podcast on the intersection of commercial real estate and the world we live in. My guest for this episode is FirstService Residential's George Barriere, general manager of the Marina Palms Yacht Club & Residences, a 470-unit condominium complex in North Miami Beach, Fla. When EV usage began increasing at Barriere's luxury property, he installed the ADS-TEC Energy Charge Box, which consists of a battery-booster box and two fast-charging dispensers. Tune into hear how and why he chose this system to meet his residents' current and future charging needs. As Barriere puts it, if residents have the charging capability they require, they will buy more EVs. If they buy more EVs, buildings will need more chargers. Here a sample of the topics we discussed: Rising demand for charging (3:13) Multifamily pain points (4:59) A million different business models (6:53) A solution for the future (8:42) The value proposition (15:48) Who bears the cost? (20:23)

Wendy Mann came into the workforce in the late '80s, and until the early 2000s, roughly 98 percent of the CEOs she worked for were men. As they began retiring, an increasing number of women took their places. Additionally, more women have now become leaders of the organizations that represent the real estate industry. Why did that happen? Women are great multitaskers, great problem-solvers and great collaborators and these skills became more required for success as time passed, according to CREW Network’s CEO. Man spoke to Laura Calugar, senior editor with Commercial Property Executive, in a new podcast episode of our quarterly CREW Up series with CREW Network leaders and, among other things, she had a message for all real estate CEOs. Tune in now!

The commercial real estate retail market has been quite a roller-coaster over the past decades. And Annie Malo, a specialized attorney at Holland & Knight, has witnessed all the disruptions the industry has had to adapt to. With an extensive retail leasing and development practice, Malo has been representing national retailers and developers for years. Commercial Property Executive Senior Editor Laura Calugar asked her to share what she’s seeing and hearing when it comes to the retail market.

When you’re developing a high-profile, high-stakes project, how do you balance all the complex priorities? That’s the challenge that MCB Real Estate is taking on with Baltimore’s Harborplace, one of the nation’s most prominent current redevelopments of an urban waterfront. In this episode of "Investment Matters," you’ll meet MCB’s president, Gina Baker Chambers. She takes us inside the company’s mission to create projects that are economically sound, environmentally sustainable and serve the community's needs.   Yet fulfilling this mission calls for a special level of commitment. As Baker Chambers puts it, “You have to have faith, you have to be creative, you have to have a certain amount of tolerance for pain, and really good lawyers.” Baker Chambers is no stranger to major challenges. Fifteen years ago, she was one of the original team members at Artemis Real Estate Partners, where she played a key role in raising the firm’s first fund during the aftermath of the Great Financial Crisis. The insights she gained still resonate in today’s climate. Take a listen.

The total value of offices that were in danger of defaults, foreclosures or other forms of distress rose to more than $38 billion at the end of the first quarter of the year, according to data from MSCI Real Estate. In this context, no wonder many office landlords are considering handing back the keys of their properties to the lenders. But is that the best approach? What are the implications from a tax standpoint? Are there alternatives to capitulation? In the second episode of FTI Experts’ Hub, our quarterly podcast series with FTI Consulting specialists, Commercial Property Executive Senior Editor Laura Calugar talks to Managing Director Scott Drago, who advises clients on a broad range of real estate and transactional tax matters.

In today's energy-driven economy, microgrids play an increasingly critical role. These local self-contained electrical systems supplement the power supply from the main grid while providing resiliency and the opportunity to incorporate alternative sources of energy. Welcome back to Sustainability Street, our podcast on the intersection of commercial real estate and the world we live in. For this episode on microgrids, my guest is Doug Mackenzie, vice president, Energy Resilience, for JLL's Clean Energy and Infrastructure Advisory team. Mackenzie and I discuss how microgrids help drive profitability and enable sustainability objectives for commercial real estate owners and users. Here’s a sample of the topics we covered: Why CRE needs microgrids? (1:58) Microgrids and data centers (4:34) The microgrid value proposition (12:37) Sharing risks and costs (14:26) Adaptability and flexibility (17:15) Microgrids and AI (19:46)

Commercial real estate sentiment across the globe is gradually recovering, according the most recent Global Commercial Property Monitor survey released by the Royal Institution of Royal Surveyors in London. Senior Economist Tarrant Parsons told Commercial Property Executive Senior Editor Laura Calugar that the first quarter of 2024 was the second successive quarter in which RICS’ indexes turned less negative. "Global economic growth is expected to remain relatively sluggish, but if all goes to plan, it should lay the groundwork for a more meaningful acceleration in 2025," said Parsons toward the end of this podcast episode. Tune in now for the entire conversation!

Construction financing carries a higher risk profile than most other loan categories. But even in today’s uncertain climate, some lenders are not only keeping a hand in this category but embracing it. One example is Kennedy Wilson. In a blockbuster $4.1 billion deal last year, the L.A.-based investment company bought Pacific Western Bank's construction loan portfolio. That move helped double Kennedy Wilson’s debt origination portfolio to $7 billion. In this episode, you'll from Tom Whitesell, who heads the debt investment group at Kennedy Wilson. He tells why construction finance is a sweet spot for the company and looks ahead to how the capital markets will respond when the Federal Reserve eventually does lower interest rates. Whitesell gives a lender’s perspective on which assets are most attractive right now and weighs in on what makes an office building a good candidate for conversion to multifamily. Some of his answers might surprise you.  Episode highlights: Capital market conditions: When will the Fed move? (1:36) The ripple effect of rate cuts (3:56) How quickly will lenders respond? (6:51) Waiting for problem loan cleanup (8:21) Giant steps in the CRE debt market (9:44 ) Managing construction lending risk, and how sponsors get funded (13:05) A young lawyer's drive to be in the room where it happens (19:13) An office-to-multifamily success story (and why they're hard to find) (25:59) Financing industrial projects: avoiding the elephants (32:58) The multiple demand drivers for new industrial product (35:05) Where to find standouts in CRE’s toughest sector (37:46) Going off the clock (40:54) Follow CPE’s podcasts on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! 

Today is the 55th Earth Day! How will you be marking the occasion? Welcome back to Sustainability Street, our podcast on the intersection of commercial real estate and the world we live in. For this special Earth Day episode, I interviewed Marta Shantz of the Urban Land Institute. Marta is co-executive director of ULI's Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability in Real Estate and a fount of knowledge about CRE's reckoning with climate change. The theme of this year's Earth Day is "Plastics vs. the Planet," so Schantz and I discussed how CRE is progressing with the circular economy and other impact-reducing strategies and opportunities. This is a critical time for CRE sustainability. Firms are being more "strategic" than ever about getting to net zero and being greener overall, Schantz said, while having to contend with anti-ESG and now anti-DEI sentiments. Here's a sample of what you'll hear: Tactical sustainability (1:17) Leaders and laggards (2:39) Landlord & tenant collaboration (4:30) ESG, DEI and greenhushing (6:22) Circular strategies and future-proofed buildings (9:25) The IRA and untapped opportunity (13:21)