Cornell Real Estate Review

We sat down (virtually) with Jesse Prince, CEO and Peter Romano, VP of Operations of HappyNest. 

HappyNest putting real estate into the hands of real people by making it simpler than ever to invest in commercial properties. The more you invest over time, the more your nest egg grows.

On this episode we are joined by Spencer Burton, Co-founder and Head of Real Estate Investments, and Brandon Taubman, Chief Information Office, at Stablewood Properties. Stablewood Properties is a data-infused Real Estate Operator formed by a team of veteran real estate and analytics professionals.

The Cornell Baker Program's very own Chris Roller and Sam Berry are joined by specials guest Jake Marmulstein, Co-Founder and CEO, of Groundbreaker - an all-in-one suite of tools for small to medium-sized commercial real estate investment firms that raise outside capital.

Our guest on this episode is John Lewis (BSILR '98). John serves as the Title Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer at The Harbor Bank of Maryland, located in Baltimore, MA. John is head of all lending, Sales and Distribution, Technology, and the branch network of The Harbor Bank of Maryland, and all activities for The Harbor Bank of Maryland Community Development Corporation and Harbor Financial Services. John joined us to talk about their Opportunity Fund initiatives as well as how they define community impact while achieving desired performance returns.

Our guest on this episode is Scott Walsh (B.Arch '99). Scott serves as Project Director and Vice President of Residential Development for Lendlease. He has worked with the company since 2016 and oversees all aspects of development for the company’s signature condominium development 277 Fifth Avenue. Over his career, he has successfully led the sellout of over $700 million in luxury condominiums and the leasing of over 5,000 residential units. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University and his Master of Science in Real Estate Finance and Investment from New York University. 

Our guest on this episode is Justin Wai (SHA ‘06), Managing Director of Blackstone’s Hong Kong Real Estate Group. Since joining Blackstone in 2007, Mr. Wai has focused on acquiring and managing real estate investments in Greater China, including the establishment of Blackstone’s logistics portfolio in China, the acquisition of Tysan Holdings and the establishment of Blackstone’s non-performing loan investment platform in China. Before joining Blackstone, Mr. Wai worked as an analyst at Macquarie Bank's Real Estate Investment Banking team in Hong Kong, primarily covering the Hong Kong real estate sector as well as the region's various REIT and business trust markets. Mr. Wai is also a member of the Leadership Council of Blackstone Foundation, the University Council of Cornell University, and the Advisory Board of Hong Kong Government’s Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged.

Our guest on this episode is Karl Mistry (Baker ’04), Group President for the Virginia and Maryland regions of Toll Brothers.  Mistry details his 14-year tenure at Toll Brothers (NYSE: TOL) including his trajectory to regional president and the value of growing with a firm.  He has added a fresh perspective to the storied organization which has proven to be a recipe for success as demand for their mid-Atlantic developments has increased with his oversight.

Mistry also talks about the single-family home building industry and what it’s like to work for a Fortune 500 luxury homebuilder.  Tune in as we discuss the single-family market, capital market environment, and Mistry’s sentiment towards the future of property technology and its ability to disrupt the industry.  Mistry also gives his perspective on success. With plenty of advice for young professionals, Mistry sheds light on what it takes to succeed.