In this episode of The Dealmaker’s Edge, Aaron Strauss is joined by Stephen Bittel, founder and chairman of Terranova Corporation. With over four decades of experience, Stephen shares his remarkable journey in real estate and offers insights on leadership, market strategy, and the importance of empathy in business. From his early days in Miami to m…

Russ Krivor, CEO and Founder of Sovereign Properties, joins the podcast this episode. They discuss Russ's journey in real estate, the importance of education, navigating entrepreneurship, raising capital, market insights, the future of senior living, and the significance of building relationships in business. Russ shares valuable lessons learned th…

On this episode, managing partner Aaron Strauss sits down with Robert Logan of B&D Holdings to explore the strategies driving their impressive growth in industrial real estate. Rob Logan is a Principal at B&D Holdings. Based in New Jersey, B&D Holdings is a privately held investment and development firm with a real estate portfolio of over 200 prop…

Yannis Papadakis is a Business Development Manager and Podcast Host at CREXi. Based in Los Angeles, CREXi is a commercial real estate community, marketplace, and technology company that simplifies transactions and accelerates business for brokers, buyers, agents and tenants. Yannis is responsible for building relationships with commercial real esta…

Jordan Kavana is the Founder and Chairman of ARK Homes for Rent, established in 2021. ARK Homes for Rent is a real estate investment company that owns, operates, and manages a nearly $2 billion portfolio of rental properties located across the Sunbelt of the United States. For nearly three decades, Jordan has built and led several successful ventur…

Boots Dunlap is the Co-founder and CEO of RRA Capital. With offices in midtown New York City and Phoenix, Arizona, RRA Capital is a real estate investment firm that provides customized debt products at institutional pricing for real estate sponsors across the United States. Notably, RRA is a Veteran-founded, owned, and operated real estate investme…

Adam Heine is the CEO and President of both Consolidated Development Corporation and Camden Securities Company. He is also the founder of Great Hill Investments, LLC. At Camden Securities, Adam is responsible for overseeing all aspects of investment, development, and property management. Since joining Camden in 2009, he has successfully overseen th…

David Lubin is the founder and managing partner of Clairmont Group. Based in New York, Clairmont Group is a fully integrated real estate investment and management firm that invests in mixed-use, multifamily, hospitality, retail, office, and industrial assets. In his role, David oversees the firm’s strategic direction as well as acquisitions, develo…

On this episode, Aaron Strauss is joined by Michael Sommer, Chief Development Officer at Kushner Companies. Michael oversees development and construction efforts across the entire Kushner portfolio which includes residential, commercial, retail, hospitality, and industrial properties, over 12.9 million square feet currently under development, and o…

Carl Wright is the founder and president of Wright Partners, a real estate development firm focused on the development, ownership and management of retail, industrial and healthcare properties. The firm is the exclusive developer for Patient First for Philadelphia and New Jersey as well as a preferred developer for brands like AutoZone, CVS and Nat…

Managing partner Aaron Strauss sits down with Seth Weissman, founder and managing partner of Urban Standard Capital (“USC”). The Goldman Sachs and Perry Capital alum takes listeners through his career journey, lessons learned, and the steps he took to build USC into a fully integrated real estate private equity firm managing over $600 million in re…

On this episode, managing partner Aaron Strauss sits down with Michael Seeve to discuss his career, favorite deals, the current market, and his advice for those new to the real estate industry. Michael serves as President of Mountain Development Corporation (MDC) and guides the firm’s activities in close coordination with its executive team, profes…

On this episode, managing partner Aaron Strauss sits down with Ezra Stark, CEO of Stark Enterprises. Founded in 1978 by Robert Stark, Stark Enterprises is a full-service commercial real estate development firm focused on Mixed-Use, Retail, Office, Student Housing, and Parking Facilities located across 7 States. As CEO, Ezra has grown Stark’s footpr…

Gary Lipsky has been a real estate entrepreneur for over 20 years. He is the founder of an award-winning multifamily syndication business and has acquired over 3,000 apartment units valued at over $250MM. Gary is the host of the Real Estate Investor Podcast (available on Apple podcasts), where he interviews industry experts to provide a broad range…

Enjoy the show? Have a guest in mind? Email us at podcast@aystrauss.com to let us know your feedback and who you want to hear on the next episode. Connect with Aaron and the A.Y. Strauss team: Our website (www.AYStrauss.com) Aaron's website bio page (Aaron's bio page) Aaron's LinkedIn account (LinkedIn) Our Twitter account (@AYStrauss)…

On this episode, managing partner Aaron Y. Strauss is joined by Michael Maturo, founding Managing Partner and President at RXR Realty (“RXR”), a multi-billion-dollar private real estate company, headquartered in New York. The RXR platform manages 84 commercial real estate properties and investments with an aggregate gross asset value of $21 billion…

In this episode, managing partner Aaron Strauss sits down with Mark Cover, CEO for the Southwest region at Hines. Founded in 1957 by Gerald D. Hines, Hines is a privately-owned global real estate investment firm with over $95 billion in assets under management and more than 96 million square feet of assets for which it provides property-level servi…

James Nelson serves as Principal and Head of Avison Young’s Tri-State Investment Sales group based in New York City. Throughout his illustrious 25-year career, James has facilitated the sale of over 500 properties and loans, amassing an impressive total valuation exceeding $5 billion. Since the inception of James' sales team in 2018, their impressi…

Ellie Perlman is the founder of Blue Lake Capital Group, a private investment and management firm focused on multifamily real estate in the United States. Ellie draws from over fifteen years of experience across real estate investment, law, and property management. At current, Blue Lake Capital owns and manages over 3,300 multifamily units across t…

Chris Okada is the CEO of Okada & Company, a privately-held, full-service commercial real estate brokerage and investment company based in New York City. To date, the Okada & Company has completed more than $1.5 billion of commercial sales and leasing transactions. Chris is also the founder of The Okada Acquisition Company, which focuses on acquiri…

John Usdan, CEO of Midwood Investment & Development. Founded in 1925 as a residential brokerage, Midwood is a vertically integrated investment, development and management platform focused on best-in-class mixed-use commercial and residential properties. John has spent the past 42 years helping Midwood amass a portfolio that includes over 130 proper…

In our newest podcast episode, Aaron Strauss sits down with Matthew Weinstein, Partner & Head of Credit at Axonic Capital. Drawing from a background in CRE credit strategies, Matthew guides Axonic’s asset allocation, sector allocation, trading and investment management of over $4.5 billion AUM. Alongside the firm’s CIO/Managing Partner Clayton DeGi…

Dan Kodsi is the CEO of Royal Palm Companies (RPC), a role he’s held since 1991. RPC is a leading Florida-based real estate and development firm that, under Dan’s leadership, has delivered over 6,000 units across mixed-use developments, multi-family, residences, and hospitality assets totaling over $3.5 billion in managed and completed projects to …

Salman Khan is the founder and managing principal of Stabilis Capital Management, a privately held investment firm focused on senior-secured, short-duration bridge loans collateralized by commercial real estate and commercial & industrial assets across the U.S. He founded the firm in 2010 and has raised over $1.7 billion since its inception. Stabil…

Step into the mind of a legendary real estate developer - our latest podcast guest, Ian Bruce Eichner, who’s development accomplishments include over 14 million square feet across New York City skyscrapers, Miami Beach condo towers, and The Cosmopolitan resort and casino in Las Vegas. Founder of Continuum Company, Eichner has been a force in the na…

In this episode, Aaron Strauss sits down with Carlos Rodriguez, Sr., the founder, chairman, and CEO of Driftwood Capital. Carlos breaks down the highs, lows, and milestones behind building a vertically integrated hospitality and lending platform. Carlos and his team manage Driftwood Capital’s $3 billion portfolio which includes 15,000 keys across 8…

Cory Elbaum is a Managing Director on the U.S. Real Estate team at Angelo Gordon. Angelo Gordon is a leading, privately-held alternative investment firm, currently managing approximately $52 billion across a broad range of credit and real estate strategies. Cory oversees the firm’s real estate activities in the New York Tri-State area (New York, Ne…

Andrew Stewart, CEO of Cronheim Mortgage, takes a deep dive into the most surprising trends in commercial real estate debt financing. In this latest installment of The Dealmakers Edge, Stewart sits down with host Aaron Strauss to provide an insider’s view of the hottest asset classes to watch for in 2023; managing the unrelenting pressure of making…

In this episode of The Dealmakers Edge, managing partner Aaron Strauss persuades Scott Sherman of Torose Equities to reveal his secrets about how to zig when others zag in commercial real estate, why the office space market will come back in certain markets in 2023, and how that will turbocharge the careers of the next generation. Scott Sherman is …

Firm managing partner Aaron Strauss sits down with Pine Tree CEO and Founder Peter Borzak to discuss building, growing, and positioning a $3 billion/20 million SF retail portfolio for opportunities in 2023 and beyond. (Courtesy of Pine Tree, LLC): Peter Borzak is the Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Pine Tree. In that role, he has been developing, a…

Russell “Russ” Flicker started his career working for some of the biggest names in commercial real estate (and the world). The co-founder and managing partner of AWH Partners is an alum of The Blackstone Group and The Trump Organization as well as the former CIO for Ian Schrager Company. An entrepreneur at heart, Russ took his years of institutiona…

Marci Griffith Loeber is the Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer of Griffith Properties. Based in Boston, Griffith Properties is a women-owned real estate investment firm focused on core-plus and value-add opportunities in Life Science, Industrial, Flex, and Office assets located in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United…

For Swapnil Agarwal, building a multifamily value-add impact fund is personal. He experienced firsthand the challenges that face these low-income communities - first in India and then in Texas when his family immigrated at age 15. He shares his keys to succeeding in commercial real estate, the story behind Nitya Capital, and how his team is paying …

What does the future hold? More volatility, a greater need for fundamentals, and a society in which people live well past age 100. On this episode, Aaron Strauss sits down with one of the most respected academics and economists in commercial real estate to discuss his illustrious career, the 3 common traits of successful dealmakers, and his latest …

On this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge, Lawrence “Larry” Taylor sits down with managing partner Aaron Strauss to discuss a true rags to riches story—from humble beginnings in Pennsylvania coal country to building a real estate investment empire in Los Angeles. Highlights include: Negotiating his first real estate deal at age 11. A life-changing co…

On this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge, Jamie Hodari sits down with managing partner Aaron Strauss to discuss starting a flexspace industry leader, his mental edge for negotiations, and the pioneering way Industrious looks at the future of work. Highlights include: How a dirty conference room table & IKEA led to innovation. The key questions for a…

When Daniel Klein’s grandfather told him the family business needed him, he couldn’t say no. He took a pay cut, moved home, and started learning every component of building a healthy, recession-proof commercial real estate company. Fast forward twenty years later, and Klein has led the company to amass a $2 billion real estate portfolio. Listen as …

Before law school, John T. Thomas knew he wanted to get to Wall Street. However, he could never have anticipated that one day he would be ringing the bell and taking a company public. On this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge, Mr. Thomas sits down with managing partner Aaron Strauss and walks him through what can only be described as an incredible ca…

Before managing Alex Rodriquez’ real estate portfolio, Stuart Zook had a long history of finding pockets of opportunity before anyone else. He shares his court-side stories with Host Aaron Strauss on the Dealmakers’ Edge podcast. Highlights include: “Sharing” an office with billionaire Chicago Bulls & Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Naviga…

The veritable “King of Texas Real Estate,” Herb Weitzman talks with host Aaron Strauss about his long and storied career, the origins of the seminal Weitzman Group, and what those new to the commercial real estate industry need to do to succeed. Highlights include: • Hitting the ground running before graduating college. • How to be an investment-mi…

In this episode, Aaron sits down with Anthony Rinaldi, Founder and Managing Principal at Saxum Real Estate. Under Rinaldi, Saxum has quickly become one of the nation’s fastest growing real estate private equity firms with over 7 million square feet under management and offices in New Jersey, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Rinaldi shares some of his persp…

Jonathan Pratt, Senior Vice President at Capital One, is a leader in applying data-driven insights for underwriting, lending and dealmaking. He talks with host Aaron Strauss about how creative, forward-thinking strategies can be best leveraged in commercial real estate. Highlights include: • Bringing a tech industry mindset to commercial real estat…

David Valger, Founder & Partner of DVO Real Estate, brings thoughtful and nuanced insights to commercial real estate. He talks with host Aaron Strauss, about his niche approach to investing in multi-family. David brings an institutional approach to entrepreneurial investing and shares his decades of experience with Aaron about how he does it. Highl…

Molly Bordonaro, former U.S. Ambassador and The Green Cities Managing Partner, brings a unique perspective to commercial real estate. She talks with host Aaron Strauss about how investing in and developing physical structures are key to supporting community, equality, and our planet. Highlights include: • What it was like, at age 26, to be a woman …

Listen to what it’s like to start and grow a successful commercial real estate firm with a grocery-anchored center portfolio. First National Realty Partners Co-Founder & Managing Principal, Chris Palermo talks with host Aaron Strauss about becoming one of the major players in the highly competitive retail commercial real estate market. Highlights i…

Did you ever want to know what it’s like to buy and develop commercial real estate in the Metaverse? Join host Aaron Strauss as he chats with Andrew Kiguel about some of the biggest plays in Metaverse real estate. Highlights include: What a plot of land is like in the Decentraland, Sandbox, and Mana. Influences in Metaverse culture from the seminal…

Host Aaron Strauss and featured guest Eric Barvin discuss how his firm – Barvin – offers unique investment opportunities to high-net-worth individuals otherwise excluded from the chance to expand their portfolio with multifamily properties, and how his team continues to earn the respect and referrals of those investors by emphasizing transparency, …

Sean Dalfen, president of Dalfen Industrial, reveals the keys to success in real estate, but warns that they have nothing to do with instant gratification. He tells host Aaron Strauss how three generations of Dalfens have steered the business’ strategy for nearly a century, and how the firm currently manages its portfolio of last-mile industrial re…

Inspired by the bustling, ever-changing neighborhoods of his youth, featured guest Adam Altman believes that the most profitable real estate investment portfolio is fueled by a clear understanding of the people – merchants, employers, employees, government officials, etc. – behind the community. Altman and host Aaron Strauss discuss how that demogr…

Passion. Alignment. Ambition. Hard Work. Featured guest Inna Khidekel tells host Aaron Strauss that these elements – along with a heart of service, a head for business, and an entrepreneurial spirit – are at the core of her own impressive career and the incredible success of her firm, Bridge Investment Group. Learn how Bridge, under Inna’s leadersh…