Podcast Episodes

Jim Risoleo, President and CEO of Host Hotels & Resorts, speaks with Matt about the pandemic’s impact on the hospitality sector, how Host Hotels has weathered the storm, and his predictions for business resumption after the pandemic.

This week on Leading Voices in Real Estate, Mitchell Silver, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and a global leader in urban planning, joins Matt to discuss his work for the city and his long career in city planning. Mitchell has been responsible for the management, planning, and operations of nearly 30,000 acres of public space in New York. Matt and Mitchell talk about bringing greater equity to the city’s investment in its parks, particularly in neighborhoods of color, and about the challenges brought by COVID to New York’s public places.

President, CEO, and Founder of Juniper Communities (an owner/operator of seniors housing), Lynne Katzmann joins Matt on this week’s episode of Leading Voices in Real Estate. Lynne has been recognized by various organizations, including Crain’s New York as one of the top women-owned businesses in the tri-state area.

This week on Leading Voices in Real Estate, Matt is joined by Jeff Berkes, President and Chief Operating Officer of Federal Realty Investment Trust. Founded in 1962, Federal is one of the oldest US REITs and is focused on the ownership, operation, and development of high-quality retail properties—from grocery-anchored shopping centers to large-scale mixed-use neighborhoods.

This week, Robin Hughes, President and CEO of Abode Communities, speaks with Matt about her experience and leadership in the affordable housing community. Abode Communities is a nonprofit owner, developer, and designer of affordable housing. Based in Los Angeles, the organization is one of the top 50 affordable housing developers nationally and is the premier provider of environmentally sustainable affordable housing in California.

Vicki Been, Deputy Mayor of Housing and Economic Development for New York City, joins Matt on this week’s episode of Leading Voices in Real Estate. Vicki oversees 25 agencies responsible for both economic development and housing initiatives for the City, a portfolio in which the issues have deepened and accelerated during COVID. Matt and Vicki discuss her work during COVID, positive changes to the urban fabric that will likely persist post-COVID like outdoor dining and closed-off streets as well as her responsibilities for preparing for future health emergencies.

This week, Matt speaks with real estate leader Walt Rakowich, former CEO of Prologis and author of the new book, Transfluence: How to Lead with Transformative Influence in Today’s Climates of Change. In the interview, Walt tells his career story, interspersed with leadership lessons along the way. He discusses lessons in leadership but we certainly recommend that you take a deep dive into his philosophy and practice of servant leadership in Transfluence. Learn more about Walt or order Tranfluence at waltrakowich.com.

John Helm, Managing Director and Founder of RET Ventures, joins Matt for this week’s episode of Leading Voices in Real Estate. RET Ventures is the first industry-backed early-stage venture fund focused on helping build cutting-edge real estate technology companies for the multifamily and single-family rental industries.

Today’s conversation is a re-release of the inaugural episode of Leading Voices, a conversation with then Mayor of Tacoma, WA and now, in 2021, a newly elected Congresswoman, Marilyn Strickland (D-WA). In this conversation, from 2017, Matt and then Mayor Strickland discuss the strategies for redevelopment that she used in Takoma, balancing neighborhood economic redevelopment neighborhood with the needs of the existing businesses and residents.

In this first episode of 2021, Matt interviews Paul Saffo, Silicon Valley based futurist, about long term trends and their impacts on our cities and workplaces. Paul places COVID-19 in perspective and talks about the trends affecting our global civilization, impacts on the real estate business, and the opportunities for the real estate industry “to become good ancestors” through our work in the built environment.