Real Estate REality Check | Real Estate & Business Career Success Education and Training

Today on Real Estate REality Check, I have a rather easy assignment, given that I am going to attempt the not-so-impossible by bringing our guest out from his shell. The not-so-shy, the always informative and truly effervescent reformed yet long recovered attorney, who is now the Senior Executive Managing Director of Investment Sales for Meridian Capital Group, spends his days not only representing many of the name players in our industry, but also the true stars and integral backbones of NYC, namely the mom-and-pop owners of multifamily, industrial, office and retail properties. Yes my real estate brethren, I give to you the one and (definitely) the only David Schechtman. Thanks for joining us my friend, just a few days after your recovery from a perspective changing moment in your life which we will get to a bit later ... needless to say David, we have some things to talk about, here beside the rising and to many, not so rising tide of real estate, life and the consequential tumult from the pandemic.

Today we are fortunate to have with us on Real Estate REality Check someone who I consider to be (pun intended) not only on the cutting, suburban and urban edge of real estate professionally speaking, but also, without dating myself too much, a friend whose persona reminds me of the title of the 1980’s song “Cool Cat” by Freddie Mercury and Queen ... yes my real estate brethren, I give to you the Executive Vice President and COO of Urban Edge Properties, Chris Weilminster.

Today we have with us on Real Estate REality Check, two renowned leaders who have played an integral role during their illustrious careers in making a difference for their clients, those that they work with, as well as for the CRE industry, namely the dynamic duo and vice chairpersons of investment sales and retail leasing, respectively, for Compass, my dear friends Adelaide Polsinelli and Robin Abrams. Thank you so much for joining us, and for being the charter members of our new series called “The Mothers of REinvention,” which plays off of the name of music legend Frank Zappa’s old band, “The Mothers of Invention.”

Today on Real Estate REality Check we have with us someone who less than a decade ago took on a U2 like “I Will Follow” mindset when it came to his passion to make something out of nothing, notwithstanding that at the time, he then possessed the equivalent of the title of an Elvis Costello song called “Less Than Zero” when it came to his base of knowledge in the world of CRE. In spite of those challenges, he went on to build a “value-added tech driven data engine employing sophisticated algorithms and artificial intelligence” that some may describe as a “CRE data democracy.” He did (and I may add, continues to do) so by not only subconsciously embracing the song titles “Harder Better Stronger Faster” by Daft Punk and "It's in the Way That You Use It" by Eric Clapton, but also by heeding the wisdom of, among others, Jeff Bezos and his “Day 1” mindset, so as to minimize the chances of Reonomy meeting up with the business equivalent of the schoolyard bully who wants to take its lunch and give them a metaphorical wedgie, to that of Ben Franklin’s mantra of “Diligence is the mother of good luck,” and W.B. Yeats as well, who said “There are no strangers here, only friends you haven't yet met,” all of which he employed to ultimately co-found Reonomy (which, as a consequence of a networking play date, with props out to an old Grateful Dead tune and his co-founder, because “Mr. Charlie” told him so). I give to you my real estate brethren, from the streets of London, the one language shy of being a polyglot and the man who had the business he co-founded in college become the subject of a 60 Minutes segment, the truly fascinating CEO of Reonomy, my new friend Rich Sarkis.

Today we have with us a native New Yorker possessing a multitude of degrees, the first being that of street smarts earned while pounding the pavement of NYC, followed by a degree in Psychology from Boston University, a Master of Arts in Sports Management from NYU, and then in community service, including his 9 years as a senior member of the management team which helped establish Chelsea Piers as the third largest tourist attraction in New York City. Bill Abramson, in line with the Muhammad Ali mantra of “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth,” has served as Co-Chairperson of the Union Square Partnership and Treasurer of The Village Alliance among many other community minded endeavors, is the Director of Brokerage for the renowned full service management and brokerage firm Buchbinder & Warren.

Today we are fortunate enough to have with us on Real Estate REality Check someone who has personified my Albert Einstein (“Try not to be a man [or woman] of success, rather be a man [or woman] of value”), Snoop Dogg (“Master your craft”), Drake (“Started From the Bottom”) and Beastie Boys (“Skills to Pay the Bills”) mantras, yes my real estate brethren, Alyssa Zahler. Alyssa, who over her career has built a foundation of knowledge, experiences and relationships working in production on programs and for media companies such as Hardball with Chris Matthews, the Beijing Olympics, CNN, and Bloomberg LP, parlayed those experiences by joining Newmark’s commercial leasing department. Once there, she played an integral role in growing the development portfolios of a number of landlords, while simultaneously representing high growth companies in the media and technology spaces. In early 2020, Alyssa parlayed her skillset to become the Director of Commercial Leasing for Brooklyn based and family owned Two Trees Management, owners of a $4 billion real estate portfolio containing among other properties, 3MM square feet of office, retail and industrial product.

After a nearly 7-month hiatus, I am happy to have on as my first guest back on Real Estate REality Check someone who I consider to be the equivalent of the Pulp Fiction character Winston Wolf when it comes to making a difference for the restaurant industry that has been, in the words of Mick Jagger, absolutely “SHATTERED” by the impact of COVID-19. Even if you have been doing your best impression of “The Bubble Boy” character from Seinfeld, Andrew Rigie, the Executive Director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, has been like Elvis Presley ... you know, as in EVERYWHERE, as he goes about channeling Winston Wolf’s mantra of “I solve problems” for the 100’s of thousands of NYC restaurant workers that have been devastated by the pandemic. Andrew knows that without food and beverage coming back to being an integral part of our lives and the fabric that makes NYC so great, the road to recovery is going to be a long and treacherous one.

PODCAST RECORDED ON March 3, 2020

Introduction:

Willy Walker, an avid skier, cyclist, family man and Boston Marathon runner who once clocked in with an outstanding time of 2:36, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Walker & Dunlop, one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States. I came away from my hour long chat with Willy recognizing that I was not only a bit smarter from it, given some of the pearls of wisdom he threw my way, but also cognizant of his passion to make a difference and his conscious and/or subconscious belief in two quotes and a song title that I believe play an integral part in one’s path to success ... namely that of “Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard” (Kevin Durant), “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle” (Honest Abraham Lincoln), and “Can’t Knock the Hustle” (Jay-Z).

Episode Notes:

At 0:55, Willy Walker discusses planting seeds and his empowering chat with Jim Collins, author of the bestselling book Good to Great. At 2:52, Willy touches upon Walker & Dunlop acquiring and integrating companies and human capital being the real value in its business. At 4:34, Walker shares Colin Powell’s thoughts on decision making and taking calculated risks. At 5:46, he dives into taking Walker & Dunlop public in 2010. At 7:40, Willy speaks on change, opportunity and “countercyclical moves.” At 13:05, Walker addresses culture and scaling at Walker & Dunlop, and informs us of a past “cancer” within the organization. At 16:38, he chats about the recent acquisition of Aaron Appel’s AKS Capital Partners team. At 19:44, Willy provides some negotiation pointers and explains the importance of watching and listening. At 23:49, Walker dishes on adding value and his passion for the business. At 27:07, he talks about Walker & Dunlop’s range of clients, understanding the time value of money and taking care and upgrading assets. At 32:17, Willy voices his thoughts on diversity in the workplace and the pertitance of building a “bench” through recruitment and investment. At 36:14, Walker chats about networking and maintaining relationships. At 41:36, Walker dishes on his “no phone policy” during meetings, and discusses his retreat last year where he “learned to unplug.” At 46:42, Willy dives into Walker & Dunlop’s partnership with GeoPhy through artificial intelligence and machine learning. At 50:35, Walker believes that tough times increase collaboration, while allowing one to see what someone is actually made of. At 55:08, Willy Walker closes out the podcast sharing part of his recent conversation with Jim Collins, and discusses Walker & Dunlop making calculated bets.  

Introduction:

Although stated in a different context by David Byrne recently during his hit Broadway show American Utopia, Matt Giffune, the co-founder of Occupier, does have a bit in common with Mr. Byrne when it comes to the benefits of collaboration. Just as David said, “By giving more, I get more,” the same can be said of the benefits that a user receives from Occupier's online deal and portfolio management collaboration software for tenants of commercial space.

Episode Notes:

At 1:52, Matt Giffune opens up the podcast with his thoughts on “getting small wins” and “playing the long game.” At 3:24, Matt touches upon mastering the fundamentals, always believing that he is “still at the bottom,” and his mentality that there’s always room for improvement. At 6:24, Giffune notes his previous role as broker in Boston, along with the inefficiencies that exist within the industry. At 8:03, he talks about leaving JLL and his transition to working at VTS. At 9:54, Matt dives into how Occupier came to fruition, and how it filled a hole in the marketplace. At 12:32, Giffune explains how Occupier’s product differentiates itself from its competitors. At 14:43, he shares how technology has changed and allows him to stay hyper-connected to anything he cares about. At 17:46, Matt notions that spreadsheets are “dangerous” if not used for the right application. At 19:21, Giffune speaks on how Occupier provides a medium for real estate professionals to “do the right thing” with the leasing process. At 22:17, he gives his take on the PropTech sector of the industry. At 24:44, Matt mentions how working at VTS provided the opportunity for him to step outside of his “broker skin,” and exposed him to see how other companies operate. At 27:06, Giffune elaborates on developing relationships and being a big believer in serendipity, by sharing a story from his brokerage days. At 29:38, he touches upon WeWork and the realm of co-working. At 33:22, Matt suggests that there is “no magic pill” to take to be successful in the real estate industry, and instead believes that one must “absorb, listen, and ask.” At 35:23, Giffune credits his wife for being his safety net in life, and his dad for being a great sounding board for him to bounce ideas off of. At 39:50, Matt dishes on failure, the willingness to make mistakes, and the need for one to place themselves in the “pain cave” in order to grow. At 41:48, Matt Giffune closes out the podcast on how he wants to be remembered: He hopes that people think that he treated them with respect, and that he had great taste in music.

Introduction:

Today’s guest is Brad Gerla, an Executive Vice President at CBRE and the 2014 award winner for REBNY’s Sales Brokers Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award for 11 Madison Avenue. Given the manner in which Brad exudes a youthful yet passionate and relentless nature to make a difference for landlords and tenants alike, he reminds me of what Albert Einstein was conveying in his quote “Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.”

Episode Notes:

At 1:49, Brad Gerla discusses finding the balance between having fun and the business of real estate. At 3:28, Brad notes the importance of “doing your homework” on your clients as you are negotiating on behalf of them. At 5:27, Gerla stresses to know the business inside and out, and advises not to go half-assed into anything – whether that be a pitch, presentation, or meeting. At 6:57, he dives into his start in the business, and elaborates on his mentor Jim Gross. At 9:43, Brad speaks on leasing office buildings and knowing the product, as well as space tours being your time to impress. At 12:17, Gerla highlights CBRE’s platform and the firm’s resources. At 13:51, he touches upon the Harlem Lacrosse charitable initiative. At 15:54, Brad informs us of being a voracious reader, and the opportunity one can receive through reading. At 19:10, Gerla credits networking to being a key in business, and recollects meeting Larry Haber at the ICSC convention in Las Vegas a couple of years ago. At 21:35, he shares how he approaches the “game of life” – family, health, and business. At 23:17, Brad talks about the over 60 lacrosse team in which he plays on. Gerla also notes that it’s easy to stay focused when one is on a winning team in business. At 25:24, he discusses Leasing REality’s and AGMB’s David Byrne January event, and how he goes about making a difference in the community. At 27:53, Brad reminisces about winning REBNY’s Sales Brokers Most Ingenious Deal of the Year Award for 11 Madison Avenue in 2014. At 30:21, Gerla dishes on being a “glass half full” guy, and how he confronts challenges. At 31:35, Brad Gerla closes out the podcast mentioning how his real estate stories would make for great reading.