Deconstructed - The Future of CRE (Commercial Real Estate)

In this episode of Deconstructed, Vivek Kartha, CEO of WorkSpace, talks with Dennis Grzeskowiak of Bellwether Asset Management. Bellwether started as an independently owned company of three people eight years ago. Today, they manage over $50B in assets with a fast-growing team of over 70.

Dennis shares his three key components of asset management that draw clients to them when they’re feeling pressure in the marketplace—including the goals they provide that make Bellwether a true client partner.

We discuss why for most companies an external solution like Bellwether is a better solution than trying to develop an internal solution.

Dennis also shares the competitive advantages they have over their competitors, including larger solutions like Lone Star and Deutsche Bank.

We also discuss changes that happened in 2020 and what they meant for commercial real estate and Bellwether individually.

Dennis talks about making tech decisions, including the real considerations beyond how the technology is applied.

Finally, the episode ends with great advice for new talent entering the industry—insight based on Bellwether’s two-year training program for new analysts.

This podcast is brought to you by WorkSpace. Remove the friction between assets, data, and people. With a suite of intuitive products, WorkSpace streamlines daily operations for property teams, asset managers, C-Teams, and beyond.

WorkSpace was built for CRE professionals like you. Make quick and confident decisions to deliver greater investor returns. Learn more and contact us at GoWorkspace.com.

In this episode of Deconstructed, Vivek Kartha, CEO of WorkSpace, is joined by Brett Abrams, Global Head of Portfolio Administration at Cushman & Wakefield.

The episode starts with a discussion about the strange year commercial real estate has had. Brett discusses the differences between companies that were data-ready and those that weren't—including the challenges that data-ready companies were able to overcome that caused other companies to struggle.

He talks about the transition companies were able to make as the year progressed. He also reveals what became a top priority for companies and the question all companies must answer through data moving forward.

Brett also shares why most companies weren't ready for what they faced in 2020, and the detrimental mistake many companies make because of "good" data. He also addresses how companies will treat data in the future, including specific data points that have become a critical part of business continuity planning.

Brett mentions a few "two-button exercises" that all companies should efficiently perform with data. It’s also a simple way to judge whether or not they should outsource something to a data manager.

We also discuss the three ways Brett and his team look at technology systems to make decisions, and the importance of asking the right questions.

Finally, Brett shares how they juggle keeping up with new technologies and what they see as a significant need for the future of commercial real estate.

This podcast is brought to you by WorkSpace. Remove the friction between assets, data, and people. With a suite of intuitive products, WorkSpace streamlines daily operations for property teams, asset managers, C-Teams, and beyond.

WorkSpace was built for CRE professionals like you. Make quick and confident decisions to deliver greater investor returns. Learn more and contact us at GoWorkSpace.com

In this episode of Deconstructed, we sit down with Brian McLaurin. Brian has an extended history of sales in the commercial real estate software space, including working as a VP of Sales at MRI Software and senior enterprise account executive at Argus.

Throughout the episode, Brian shares his expertise in the real estate industry, giving his thoughts on how companies and individuals should choose prop-tech and what the real estate industry needs right now.

There’s plenty of advice dished out too. When it comes to choosing real estate technology, Brian suggests that companies and individuals figure out their company goals and where they’re going. Then, they should find solutions that promote those goals instead of investing in the latest new trends without thinking the decision through.

Brian also gives his intake on what the real estate industry needs. That is, people with an open mind and a strong desire to learn how the sector works. Brian believes that those who want to have a clear understanding of the industry are more likely to excel in whichever part of the sector they specialize in.

The conversation wraps up with Brian giving his verdict on the much-discussed work from home vs. office debate.

Want to choose the right real estate solutions for your business? Tune in for Brian McLaurin’s expert advice.

Learn more about Brian McLaurin’s impressive background and skill in real estate software by checking out his LinkedIn page.

In this Deconstructed podcast episode, we speak with James Scott, the lead researcher at MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab. MIT REIL is a research and development laboratory that measures and assesses the financial and economic performance of innovation in real estate, design, and planning.

James sits down with us to share his expertise on how Covid-19 has opened people’s eyes up to real estate technology and what its adoption over the past year looks like in practice. He also tells us his story of how he joined MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab and talks us through the ins and outs of the company.

The Digital Twin and the Future

One example of adoption James gives is the digital twin, a project that the MIT REIL is working on. A digital twin is the digital interpretation of a physical asset, process, or system. This digital twin enables predictive modeling to deliver proactive modifications for assets. This innovative process can provide greater strategic value for the real estate industry.

James wraps up the conversation by discussing the future of real estate, stating that he believes there will be some type of hybrid or flexible office space that will use real estate technologies.

Learn more about MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab and the company’s projects here.

On this episode of Deconstructed: The Future of CRE, Brad Klatt, Executive Chairman at Logical Buildings, sits down with us to share his insight on the current real estate market cycle, and dives into some emerging commercial real estate trends.

Brad talks about how the market downturn over the past year is hard to compare to previous cycles because this one came about suddenly without much notice. In other cycles, there were a variety of catalysts that served as a warning for a market crash.

He highlights trends we should be paying attention to, including businesses leaving large cities on the East Coast and moving their operations to the Sunbelt. He says these businesses in the Southwest are focused on being technologically advantaged, sustainable, and climate-thoughtful.

Brad explores some of the work they do at Logical Buildings, including how they’ve become one of the most significant energy management software companies in the US. He notes that integrating technology in the real estate sector is crucial for improving risk management, cutting costs, and visualizing what people can achieve.

He closes the show by encouraging young real estate talent to still get out in the field for a few years amidst this technology-heavy shift so that they can truly understand the assets that they’re working with.

Learn more and sign up to be notified about future episodes at https://www.goworkspace.com/

On this introductory episode of the Deconstructed Podcast, your host Vivek Kartha, provides an introduction for what listeners can expect from this show. He covers:

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Brought to you by WorkSpace

This episode is brought to you by WorkSpace. Remove the friction between assets, data, and people. With a suite of intuitive products, WorkSpace streamlines daily operations for property teams, asset managers, C-Teams, and beyond.

Workspace was built for CRE professionals like you. Make quick and confident decisions to deliver greater investor returns. Learn more and contact us at GoWorkSpace.com