Posts filed under ‘Cocktail Confessions’
Cocktail Confessions – Volume 6
By Jerry Anderson, Escom Properties, Inc.
Welcome to the sixth installment of Cocktail Confessions. The goal of Cocktail Confessions is to track down three industry movers and shakers, feed them some cocktails, and get their take on the topics of the day. Their answers are published exclusively on the Pulse.
If you have questions you’d like asked for future segments, please leave them in the comments section below.
In this installment we are pleased to have Mark Nordland of Nordland Partners; Mark Stevens, Associate Vice President at 
Cassidy Turley; and Peter Fitzgerald of Concord Leasing & Advisory Group.
Question 1: What was the biggest risk you’ve ever taken professionally? How did it work out?
Mark Nordland: In 2010, after I left Ryan Companies, I had to decide whether to jump to a different industry, take a less desirable job in commercial real estate or start my own company. I determined that the down market provided an opportunity to start up while the industry was licking its wounds and hopefully get projects started that would prove successful as the market recovered. I partnered with Dan Regan and the two of us have been able to capitalize on a growing demand for healthcare facilities and lack of quality industrial space. It’s been a bumpy road, but looking back it’s the best thing that ever happened to me professionally.
Mark Stevens: My biggest risk was leaving a successful team at United Properties where I was considered a junior broker and transitioning to Cassidy Turley (Formerly CTMT) to build my own team. Only having 4 ½ years in the business at that transition point, I quickly learned what it really took to compete and win new business. I consider my risk to be rewarding and it taught me to appreciate and respect the business and the people that have been successful over a long career.
Peter Fitzgerald: We founded Concord in 2010 in the midst of a very challenging commercial real estate environment. This was daunting but we were confident the market would eventually improve. We wanted to be in good working order by the time leasing and acquisition activity resumed.
Question 2: What inspires you on a daily basis? What gives you the “fire” to tackle all the daily obstacles you face? (more…)
Cocktail Confessions – Volume 5
By Tony Carlson, Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC
Welcome to the fifth installment of Cocktail Confessions. Cocktail Confessions is a publication which tracks down three industry movers and shakers, feeds them some cocktails, and gleans answers to specific questions. Their answers are published exclusively on the Pulse and are meant to provide interesting commentary and insights for the NAIOP constituency.
If you have questions you’d like asked for future segments, please leave them in the comments section, below.
In this installment we are pleased to have David Kordonowy, current NAIOP Minnesota Vice President and President/CEO at Steiner Development; Norma Jaeger, Vice President at Transwestern; and Ben Bastian, Analyst at CBRE Capital Markets. They were each asked the same four questions, and their responses are outlined below.
Question 1: Where do you see the biggest opportunity in commercial real estate in the next five years?
David Kordonowy:
Biggest opportunity – I have no crystal ball to see 5 years into the future, partly because I’m still trying to figure out what the heck happened the past 5 years. But at least we survived. I am not seeing one Big Opportunity; rather, I am seeing many small opportunities, strung together, that will result in the growth and success of our company. I do know with certainty that Steiner has a great team of experts that are smart, trained, and highly motivated to deliver the best service, advice, and solutions for our customers. We are in hot pursuit of a select group of national retailers seeking build-to-suit services (development and construction), plus we expanded our tenant rep business to service small to mid-size companies.
Norma Jaeger:
Troubled properties over the next few years will provide opportunities for those doing receivership work and buyers looking for opportunities. Secondly, MOB’s are still a great niche that will continue for the foreseeable future.
Ben Bastian:
Five years, Tony?!?!? I can’t predict what I’m doing next month or even this weekend. However, we’re starting to see lenders stretch on LTV and other metrics, so over the next year I anticipate lenders will try harder to get money out the door. They’ve been very selective and only lending on the best deals. While Fannie and Freddie continue to be busy with apartments, I expect core office and industrial deals to remain the bulk of the transactions. I also expect there will continue to be a lot of opportunity for investors who have cash available to capitalize on acquiring property at an extremely low basis as existing owners and seller/servicers attempt to clear their books of troubled assets.
Question 2: How do you measure success – personally and professionally? (more…)
Cocktail Confessions – Volume 4
By Tony Carlson, Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC
Welcome to the fourth installment of Cocktail Confessions. Cocktail Confessions is a publication which tracks down three industry veterans, feeds them some cocktails, and gleans answers to specific questions. Their answers are published exclusively on the Pulse and are meant to provide interesting commentary and insights for the NAIOP constituency.
If you have questions you’d like asked for future segments, please leave them in the comments section, below.
In this installment we are pleased to have Pat Mascia, current NAIOP Minnesota President and Senior Vice President at Duke Realty; Brenda Studt, Marketing Director of The Excelsior Group, LLC; and Andy Manthei, Director of Brokerage Services for KW Commercial Midwest. They were each asked the same three questions, and their responses are outlined below.
Question 1: What inspires you on a daily basis? What gives you the “fire” to tackle all the daily obstacles you face?
Pat Mascia:
High school and college tuition. Seriously, I enjoy the work that I do and people with whom I work. Every day presents a different challenge so I’m never bored. In addition to the thrill of competing, it’s the challenge of overcoming the obstacles that make the job fun and rewarding. (more…)
Cocktail Confessions – Volume 3
By Kim Johnson, Corporate Art Force
Welcome to Volume 3 of Cocktail Confessions. Cocktail Confessions is a bi-monthly publication in which we track down three industry veterans, drink some cocktails and get them to answer three questions to help us learn their industry secrets. Their answers are published exclusively on the Pulse and are meant to provide interesting commentary and insights for the NAIOP constituency.
If you have questions you’d like asked for future segments, please leave them in the comments section, below.
This issue features Tom Commerford, Vice President Investment Services at Grubb & Ellis|Northco Real Estate Services; Mary Burnton, Vice President at Zeller Realty Group; and Bill Wardwell, Executive VP Brokerage Services at Welsh Companies. They were each asked the same three questions, and their responses are outlined below.
Question 1: How does your company separate itself from its competition and create value during a “down cycle” like we are experiencing today? (more…)
Cocktail Confessions – Volume 2
By Tony Carlson, Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC
Welcome to the second installment of Cocktail Confessions. Cocktail Confessions is a bi-monthly publication in which we track down three industry veterans, feeds them some cocktails, and glean answers to three specific questions. Their answers are published exclusively on the Pulse and are meant to provide interesting commentary and insights for the NAIOP constituency. If you have questions you’d like asked for future segments, please leave them in the comments section, below.
In this installment we are pleased to interview:
Jim Freytag, current NAIOP Minnesota President and First Vice President at CBRE; Greg Munson, Vice President at McGough Companies; and Sonja Breyfogle, Vice President with Northmarq. They were each asked the same three questions, and their responses are outlined below.
Question 1: What was the biggest risk you’ve ever taken professionally? How did it work out? (more…)
Cocktail Confessions – Volume 1
By Tony Carlson, Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC
The NAIOP Communications Committee is excited to launch the first edition of a bi-monthly series entitled Cocktail Confessions: Insights from Industry Vets. Every other month a member of the NAIOP Communications Committee tracks down three industry veterans, feeds them some cocktails, and gleans answers to three specific questions. Their answers are published exclusively on the Pulse and are meant to provide interesting commentary and insights for the NAIOP constituency.
If you have questions you’d like asked for future segments, please leave them in the comments section, below.
Our first industry veterans to be interviewed were Doug Fulton, current president of NAIOP and Senior Director at Cushman & Wakefield, Whitney Peyton, Senior Managing Director of CB Richard Ellis, and Eva Stevens, Executive Vice President Asset Management at United Properties. They were each asked the same three questions, and their responses should make for some interesting reflections.
Without further ado, welcome to the first edition of Cocktail Confessions.
Question 1: What is the best or most interesting deal you’ve ever done? What made it such a good deal? (more…)
