Season 3, Episode 12: In this episode of No Cap, Jack Stone and Alex Gornik sit down with Ben Brown, Co-President of Brookfield’s Real Estate Group and Head of the Americas, to talk about the pivotal moments that shaped his career and the strategies behind some of Brookfield’s biggest deals.

From breaking into Brookfield during the financial crisis to leading $10B+ acquisitions like GGP and Forest City, Ben shares the lessons learned, the risks taken, and the culture that keeps Brookfield ahead in a shifting real estate market. He also opens up about where he sees opportunity today, from retail and housing to data centers and hospitality.

TOPICS

00:10 – Introduction

01:39 – Early career and first steps in real estate

07:58 – Joining Brookfield during the financial crisis

12:30 – Why 2018 became a record year of deals

15:05 – Inside the GGP acquisition and retail strategy

25:00 – How Brookfield structures capital

29:33 – Forest City and investing in urban cores

36:57 – Shifts in apartments, logistics, and strategy

42:28 – Where Ben sees opportunity now

49:00 – Hospitality plays in the US, India, and Europe

53:42 – Brookfield’s edge in capital markets

59:02 – Culture and teamwork at scale

Shoutout to our sponsor, InvestNext. One platform to raise and manage capital for real estate investment.

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About No Cap Podcast

Commercial real estate is a $20 trillion industry and a force that shapes America’s economic fabric and culture. No Cap by CRE Daily is the commercial real estate podcast that gives you an unfiltered “No Cap” look into the industry’s biggest trends and the money game behind them. Each week, co-hosts Jack Stone and Alex Gornik break down the latest headlines with some of the most influential and entertaining figures in commercial real estate.

About CRE Daily

CRE Daily is a digital media company covering the business of commercial real estate. Our mission is to empower professionals with the knowledge they need to make smarter decisions and do more business. We do this through our flagship newsletter (CRE Daily), which is read by 65,000+ investors, developers, brokers, and business leaders across the country. Our smart brevity format combined with need-to-know trends has made us one of the fastest-growing media brands in commercial real estate.