Season 3, Episode 8: Jonathan Kaufman Iger is turning Sage Realty into the first true commercial real estate brand.
In this episode, the CEO of Sage shares how a 100-year-old family business is evolving to meet the demands of modern office users. From tenant experience to hospitality-driven operations, Jonathan explains why most landlords are getting it wrong—and what it takes to build trust, loyalty, and a competitive edge in today's bifurcated market.
We discuss:
– Sage’s shift from ownership to brand identity
– Lessons from leasing, portfolio resets, and UK exits
– Workplace services that actually matter to tenants
– The real reason gyms and lounges often fail
TOPICS
00:00 – Cold open and NYC credibility
03:10 – Family roots in New York real estate
11:00 – Taking the long road to Sage
21:00 – Building UrbanGrad and early Facebook ads
28:30 – The conversation that changed everything
35:15 – Refocusing the portfolio on NYC office
43:20 – Lessons from WeWork and building a brand
50:15 – Turning Sage into a tenant-first platform
58:00 – How Sage personalizes service at scale
1:07:00 – Final thoughts on hospitality and vision
Shoutout to our sponsor, InvestNext. One platform to raise and manage capital for real estate investment.
For more episodes of No Cap by CRE Daily visit https://www.credaily.com/podcast/
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NoCapCREDaily
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.