2016 Articles
From CRE to NFL: Related Companies' Stephen Ross Still Knows Opportunity When He Sees It
How often does the NFL Draft come up in commercial real estate conversations? Not very, unless you're talking to Stephen Ross, chairman and founder of Related Companies and co-owner of the Miami Dolphins.
And sure enough, during his keynote conversation at DLA Piper's Global Real Estate Summit in Chicago, Ross both expounded on the business where he's built a fortune and explained the Dolphins' selection of Laremy Tunsil in the previous week's draft. Tunsil had been projected to be the top pick; after video surfaced of the University of Mississippi star smoking marijuana, 12 teams passed on offering him a contract. But not the Dolphins. Read the full article.
Millennials Top of Mind for CRE Execs
The question that comes up often in commercial real estate circles: Will Millennials, who have shown a clear preference for urban living, eventually pick up and move to the suburbs?
"In many ways, that's the $64,000 question," said Frank Cohen, senior managing director at Blackstone Real Estate Advisors and one of four panelists at a session titled, "Millennials and the Next Generation of Commercial Real Estate," at DLA Piper's Global Real Estate Summit on May 3, 2016, in Chicago. Read the full article.
Sharing Economy Brings Shifting Priorities to CRE, Summit Panelists Say
With the sharing economy seeping into every corner of American life – including commercial real estate – one moderator at DLA Piper’s 2016 Global Real Estate Summit kicked off a panel discussion with what amounted to a rhetorical question.
“I would guess, if we asked people to stand who took an Uber to the event today, the response would be overwhelming,” said Jeffrey Shapack, CEO of Shapack Partners, who guided the panel discussion titled “The Sharing Economy: The Intersection Between Innovation and Space,” on May 3, 2016, in Chicago. Read the full article.
Why the Flow of Global Capital Isn't Likely to Slow
In the last decade, foreign investors have poured increasing amounts of capital into the US property market, powering a massive increase in acquisitions last year. But now, with prices in many markets passing their pre-financial crisis peaks and a possible economic slowdown lurking, will the river of foreign cash begin to dry up, or flow elsewhere?
Not according to a panel of international investors at DLA Piper's Global Real Estate Summit on May 3, 2016, in Chicago. The panel, moderated by AFIRE Chief Executive James Fetgatter, displayed a diversity of views about global real-estate and investing trends. But the panelists were united in the belief that foreign capital will continue to gravitate toward the US — and a few argued that it could increase. Read the full article.
In Overseas Deals, It's "Their Way or the Highway"
As commercial real estate investors and developers look abroad for opportunities, they must be prepared to immerse themselves in local custom, culture and business. That's the only way to get deals done in foreign lands, according to a panel of experienced international CRE experts.
"A lot of American companies go into these far-off countries with the attitude that it's our way or the highway," said panelist Quintin Primo of Capri Investment Group. Instead, Primo said, quoting Hyatt Chairman Tom Pritzker, the attitude should be "it's their way or the highway." Read the full article.