CPE Podcasts

It’s no secret that the proliferation of AI has propelled data center demand to new heights these past two years. This resulted in unprecedented pressure on the nation’s power grid, leading developers and operators in search of new solutions. In this environment, power availability is the most important factor in developing new data centers.In this inaugural episode of Alternative Disruptors, guest Alex Stoewer, CEO of Greenlight Data Centers, drives home this point. His new company develops 'right-size' data centers, with a speed-to-market approach, capitalizing on pockets of power across the U.S., especially in smaller markets, where it can deliver modern facilities without the constraints that hyperscale projects face."For the majority of data center functions, especially now with AI and GPU-based computing, it's really all about the power," Stoewer said. "The power is the real estate. If you go and gain control of a certain amount of power in a place where a data center is viable, in a place where the latency is reasonable, and you have all the other ingredients that you need—that power is the land, effectively."What's more, Greenlight actively avoids competing with big hyperscalers for that power by targeting locations where obtaining 20 to 50 megawatts quickly is viable. Besides this availability, incentives are also a big factor in the decision-making process. Take a listen as Commercial Property Executive Senior Associate Editor Tudor Scolca-Seușan talks about these issues with Stoewer.Here's a summary of their discussion:

• (00:00) Welcome to Alternative Disruptors
• (01:27) How Greenlight Data Centers came to be
• (04:29) Power-first approach
• (06:30) Finding pockets of power across the U.S.
• (09:13) Due diligence
• (13:30) A different strategy than hyperscale
• (15:44) The importance of incentives
• (19:36) Community and economic impact
• (21:33) Transparency in the data center sector
• (23:03) Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond
• (25:22) Lightning round: risks, traits, and myths

Welcome back to Sustainability Street, our podcast on the intersection of commercial real estate and the world we live in.

For this episode, I'm going inside CRE's power predicament: The U.S. power grid is having a hard time keeping up with ever-increasing demands for power from industrial users and and rapidly expanding data center providers.

My guests for this episode are Josephine Tucker, Americas head of energy and sustainability for JLL, and Meaghan Elwell, global president of JLL’s industrials business within Work Dynamics.

Tucker and Elwell break down the causes of the supply and demand imbalances and the widespread repercussions. They also highlight the innovation that this situation has sparked.

"Right now, what we see is only about 2 percent of land that is industrial zoned is actually ready—build ready with power and utilities already there," Elwell said. "And then on top of that, if the power isn't there, it can take up to six years."

Here are some of the topics we covered:

• (3:35) Why energy needs are surging
• (7:18) Power is the new real estate
• (9:11) Power, place and people
• (11:33) Data centers vs. everyone else
• (14:09) The role of renewables
• (17:23) Real demand vs. future demand
• (24:59) Collaboration is the key
• (27:26) Creative solutions

Demand for data centers has never been higher. AI's rapid advancement and the associated compute requirements have been key drivers of development nationwide.

“Even when potentially facing a large tariff, it’s not necessarily stopping people from developing data centers because it’s a long-term play,” said McRae Thompson, senior managing director & leader of the Real Estate Tax Advisory group at FTI Consulting, in the latest FTI Experts’ Hub podcast episode with Commercial Property Executive Senior Editor Laura Valean.

Tune in to find out what it takes to develop data centers today!

Alison Beddard has a degree in nutrition and dietetics, and was always encouraged by her family to go into the sciences field. But everyone kept telling her she would be great in sales, so she gave it a try and took on a brokerage job. And for three years, she only grew. Then the Great Financial Crisis of 2008 hit, and she lost everything she had built. That’s when she found CREW Seattle—right when she was looking for support and guidance to broaden her professional network.

Get to know Beddard, CREW Network's new CEO, by listening to her conversation with CPE Senior Editor Laura Valean!

When it comes to office fundamentals, Boston truly continues to shine, keeping a leading development pipeline nationally, stable sales and vacancy rates. Yet, the metro did not remain immune to the current economic environment. As construction costs remain high and the life science sector is slowing, landlords now rely less on rent cuts and more on creative incentives, Hunneman’s Executive Vice President & Managing Principal, Peter Evans, points out in today’s episode of Step Into My Office.

From the Back Bay’s resilience, the struggles of Class B space and the rise of amenity-rich trophy towers, Evans explains how Boston’s market is stabilizing and why the next year might be more about finding balance than a rebound. We explore the playbook that supports deals today, which tenants are opting for flex office and debunk some myths around the “flight to quality” movement that took over the office market.

Here’s what we discussed about:

• Sublease supply flattens, sales activity picks up (01:37)
• Law and finance expand, life sciences stall, tech remains steady (03:00)
• Submarkets that shine vs the ones that lag (04:02)
• What’s reshaping the leasing strategy? (05:40)
• Trophy amenities redefine “magnet vs. mandate” workplaces (09:38)
• The story behind flight to quality (14:00)
• Deals via concessions, not cuts (18:57)
• Flex evolves, but tenants are “graduating out” into traditional space (21:21)
• Boston’s 12-month outlook (23:58)

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 Marta Schantz, director of sustainability for AvalonBay Communities.

During her time at ULI, Schantz was one of the leading voices for sustainability in commercial real estate as the co-director of the Randall Lewis Center for Sustainability and ULI’s GreenPrint Center for Building Performance. And she was a frequent guest on this podcast.

Last November, Shantz left the non-profit side and joined AvalonBay Communities as director of sustainability. So this is the first time she is bringing an in-house expert perspective on decarbonization, green new construction, building performance standards and more to the podcast.

She and I discuss AvalonBay's ambitious environmental sustainability goals, including its sweeping plans for solar energy, and we talk about what she's learned since assuming her new role.

"I was always on the outside with all of my prior roles," Schantz said. "I got to tout all of these best practices, innovative case studies, share the shiniest, newest innovations. And on the inside, it's sometimes a little less shiny, but with a much more direct impact." 

Here are some key moments from our conversation:

• The making of a sustainability director (2:15)
• AvalonBay's ambitious plans (3:37)
• Shedding light on solar (5:13)
• Green new construction (7:27)
• What Schantz knows now (10:23)
• The current environment for sustainability (13:21)

Macroeconomic instability and tariff talks were front and center in the second quarter, yet the commercial real estate sector showed a surprising degree of resilience, the latest Global Commercial Property Monitor released by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in London found.

What should you expect going forward? "Many of the current themes that are causing uncertainty at the macro level are most likely going to linger through the second half of 2025," said Tarrant Parsons, head of market analytics, in the latest RICS Monitor podcast episode.

Tune in to get all the details!

According to Alex Nyhan, it’s a great time to be a neighborhood retail owner. Booming retail sales, digital retailers’ drive to establish a brick-and-mortar presence, and the desire to get close to the customer are all powering occupancy.

In this lively discussion, the CEO of First Washington Realty tells how the company is bringing fresh ideas to a 140-property that spans 22 states and Washington, D.C. He details a brand-new experiential concept at their property in West Hartford, Conn., as well as a redevelopment project that’s breathing new life into a vintage property in Kansas City.

Nyhan brings an eclectic background to his role as First Washington’s leader. He spent several years working in Latin America between college and graduate school, an experience that informed a challenge he faced years later as First Washington’s CEO.

He’s earned an MBA and a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard, served as an adviser for the World Bank and handled complex real estate deals for Washington, D.C.’s economic development department. After making the transition to commercial real estate, he held leadership positions for Forest City Enterprises.  

But the diversity of Nyhan’s experience extends beyond real estate. He’s also an accomplished musician who plays keyboards in a band that performs in the Washington, D.C., area. For a change of pace, we’ll even take a few minutes at the end of our conversation to talk music. Take a listen.

Welcome back to Sustainability Street, our podcast on the intersection of commercial real estate and the world we live in. 

While the ideal balance between in office and at-home work is still a work in progress for many companies, one thing is clear: Workplace wellness is top of mind for employers even as, or more so, with the definition of the workplace expanding.

My guest for this episode is Rachel Hodgdon, president & CEO of the International WELL Building Institute, which recently announced that adoption of the WELL building standard now exceeds 6 billion square feet.

Hogdgon and I discuss how companies are navigating the ongoing debate about hybrid work and using IWBI's tools to decide what's best for their individual enterprises.

Regardless of how many in-office days employers require, she said, employers—and building owners as a result—are learning quickly that they are now in competition with the home environment.

 "If you don't earn the commute by creating a place that is more conducive to at least certain types of work, where employees feel more productive than they could at home, then you're gonna lose out in terms of recruitment and retention," she said.

Listen to the episode to hear more insights from Hodgdon. Here’s a sample of the topics we discussed:

• Hogdon's personal journey (1:26)
• The 6 billion-square-foot milestone (3:38)
• Office culture vs. the desire for flexibility (5:57)
• Helping CEOs understand their employees (10:02)
• Optimizing the workplace for return to office (15:14)
• The ROI of wellness (23:30)
• Next frontier in wellness data (24:49)
• Food for thought on wellness (29:32)

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Dallas may be known for its sprawling layout, business-friendly climate and good fundamentals, but its office sector tells a more layered story. Whereas the vacancy rate is still lagging and some landlords are rethinking their investment strategies due to underperformance and volatility, some fundamentals still shine.

One segment of the office market is defined by outdated buildings dragging up vacancy, whereas the other is led by high-quality trophy assets drawing strong tenant interest. Financial institutions remain the main tenant base, but investors can find opportunities everywhere if they look at the bigger picture.

In this episode of Step Into My Office, I am joined by Newmark’s Head of SE Research, Ching-ting Wang and Executive Managing Director of Global Research, David Bitner, as we zoom into the market’s performance. Although some fundamentals might pose challenges, office absorption across the metro still performs well, especially in submarkets such as Uptown Turtle Creek and suburban areas. The evolution of workplace strategies, paired with current volatility in the sector, calls for caution, but also optimism.Most of the time, it’s about perspective, they say. So, what will shape the next chapter of Dallas’ office market and how is it comparable to other markets across the US?

Here’s what we discussed about:

• Vacancy rate highs, but positive absorption(01:39)
• Which submarkets are most resilient? (05:13)
• Is ease of access the new flight-to-quality? (09:36)
• Cost vs quality: what do tenants choose? (12:06)
•  What is missing from the office recovery? (15:09)
• Class segmentation and landlord behavior post-pandemic (18:55)
• What’s fueling development in a high-vacancy market? (23:25)
• Suburban areas shine for flex office (25:43)
• Adaptive reuse is still limited to dense CBD zones (27:19)
• Is Dallas a younger version of Los Angeles? (31:09)
• The next chapter for office (35:30)