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The Promote Podcast
The Promote Podcast
Author: ten31 Media
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Your Commercial Real Estate Insider guide. From profiles of the biggest dealmakers to skyline-shaping transactions, we bring you the deals, breakdowns and war stories that move the market — for insiders, by insiders. From bad-boy guarantees to CMBS tranche warfare to syndicator sins, we cover it all.
Each week, The Promote Podcast explores three of the most interesting and consequential stories in CRE, taking you well beyond the headlines and into the heart of the action. Hosted by the award-winning “Bard of CRE,” Hiten Samtani, founder of ten31 media and author of The Promote newsletter, along with no-BS institutional insider Will Krasne. Also check out our 3x/week newsletter for industry insiders at https://www.thepromote.com/
Each week, The Promote Podcast explores three of the most interesting and consequential stories in CRE, taking you well beyond the headlines and into the heart of the action. Hosted by the award-winning “Bard of CRE,” Hiten Samtani, founder of ten31 media and author of The Promote newsletter, along with no-BS institutional insider Will Krasne. Also check out our 3x/week newsletter for industry insiders at https://www.thepromote.com/
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This week, we discuss how the Chrysler Building has laid waste to the best-laid plans of so many global titans. With Tishman Speyer reportedly coming back for another go at the Art Deco icon, we trace its rich and rollicking deal history, from Jack Kent Cooke to Abu Dhabi. We then discuss how the ICE immigration crackdown is putting another big question mark on the Sunbelt multifamily market and leaving landlords in limbo. And finally, we discuss Apollo's sister act: REIT ARI is selling its $9B loan book to insurance arm Athene, and patting itself on the back for doing so. We also do a "Pardon the Interruption" style rundown of the biggest industry happenings: Carlyle's NYC self-storage mammoth sale to StorageMart; Brookfield's misplaced OZ fund; Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh; and Donald Bren's Chicago tower listing. Sponsors:1) This episode is supported by Bravo Capital, a leading HUD and bridge lender. See how their precision underwriting means quicker approvals and higher proceeds for sponsors by visiting bravocapital.com2) This episode is supported by LoanBoss, the industry-leading debt management software. Featuring one-click covenant testing, instant cash flow forecasting, and our favorite nerdy delight: Live forward curves! Check them out at loanboss.comTo advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE breakdowns, behind-the-deal stories, scoops, discounted swag and events and more. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15Further reading/listening:The Chrysler Building: Doomed Art Deco tower of global power How tycoon behind Chrysler Building and Selfridges was forced outCurtains for Aby at ChryslerImmigration Crackdown Creating 'Havoc' For Some Apartment OwnersMe, Myself & ApolloFrom Investment to Savings: When Finance Feeds on Itself
This week, we discuss second acts: Ziel Feldman has left the scandal-ridden past of his glitzy New York condo development firm HFZ Capital Group behind, and he's reinvented himself as an affordable housing player through his silent partnership in GoodHomes. We trace the wild arc of his career and his far more below-the-radar new game. Proptech's loudest voice and most prolific fundraiser Fifth Wall is now yelling into the fundraising void; we talk about how the firm's issues are emblematic of the broader sector. We also do a "Pardon the Interruption" style rundown of the biggest industry happenings: S2's REIT hiccups, Charles Cohen's latest foreclosure, Willis Tower woes, and Michael Shvo's media mastery. Sponsors:1) This episode is supported by LoanBoss, the industry-leading debt management software. Featuring one-click covenant testing, instant cash flow forecasting, and our favorite nerdy delight: Live forward curves! Check them out at loanboss.com2) This episode is supported by Bravo Capital, a leading HUD and bridge lender. See how their precision underwriting means quicker approvals and higher proceeds for sponsors by visiting bravocapital.comTo advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15Further reading/listening:Ziel Feldman's Next ActS2 REIT Makes Capital CallThe Ugliest Divorce in Manhattan Real EstateHow HFZ became the face of Manhattan’s condo woesFifth Wall cuts staff, pauses fundraisingFifth Wall’s Brendan Wallace On What’s Next After Closing $866M Proptech FundProptech graveyard 🪦/infirmary 🤒: Running listShvo Business
This week, we discuss a redemption tour by GVA’s Alan Stalcup, Patient Zero of the Sunbelt multifamily boom/bust. He’s battling PGs, LPs and maybe even the SEC, but Stalcup is unapologetic. He sat down with Hiten for a pretty unplugged conversation, and we chat through our key takeaways. We then dive into the 24-6 world of dealmaking in Skilled Nursing Facilities, a totally undercovered corner of CRE with big numbers and some batshit maneuvering. The Genesis bankruptcy case is all anyone in that world can talk about right now. We also do a "Pardon the Interruption" style rundown of the biggest industry happenings: Soho House Take II, Marty Burger's redo, Summit's Pinnacle deal going through, and a nightmare condo buyout scenario in Miami.Sponsors:1) This episode is supported by Bravo Capital, a leading HUD and bridge lender. See how their precision underwriting means quicker approvals and higher proceeds for sponsors by visiting bravocapital.com2) This episode is supported by LoanBoss, the industry-leading debt management software. Featuring one-click covenant testing, instant cash flow forecasting, and our favorite nerdy delight: Live forward curves! Check them out at loanboss.comTo advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15Further reading/listening: The Alan Stalcup Interview: Speaking With Patient Zero of the Sunbelt Syndicator Bust The Nursing Home Power RosterLandau Fails SNF TestGenie Rubbed the Right WayDial Tress for Distress
This week, we’re talking a glitch in the Morse code: MCR has failed to come up with the cash to consummate the take-private of Soho House, setting off a mad scramble. There’s more bad chemistry in the life-sciences space, with the venerable Beacon Capital Partners battling its operating partner and lenders in the space losing patience. And finally, we dive into the most closely-watched CRE bankruptcy auction in the country: The Pinnacle rent-stabilized portfolio in New York. Sponsors: 1) This episode is supported by LoanBoss, the industry-leading debt management software. Featuring one-click covenant testing, instant cash flow forecasting, and our favorite nerdy delight: Live forward curves! Check them out at loanboss.com2) This episode is supported by Bravo Capital, a leading HUD and bridge lender. See how their precision underwriting means quicker approvals and higher proceeds for sponsors by visiting bravocapital.comTo advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15Further reading/listening:Taconic's Lab LeakSoho House’s $2.7 Billion Deal to Go Private Hits a Last-Minute Funding SnagDeathbed for life science incubator? Portal Innovations sues partner Beacon CapitalZohar Levy, the Man who Would be KingBidder For Pinnacle's 5,000-Unit Portfolio Has Ties To CEO Joel Wiener's Brother
This week, we talk Chicago – America’s Second City is now becoming top of mind for national multifamily players. We break down 2 significant deals: LaTerra’s monster AIMCO portfolio buy and S2’s debut. We then slip into our jerseys and look at the arcane world of stadium development – and all the freebies and surrounding action that comes with it. Finally, we schlep the streets of Brooklyn, where Carlyle & Greenbrook have pulled off a massive Freddie refi of their walk-up empire. Sponsor: This episode is supported by LoanBoss, the industry-leading debt management software. Featuring one-click covenant testing, instant cash flow forecasting, and our favorite nerdy delight: Live forward curves! Check them out at loanboss.comTo advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15Further reading/listening:Deconstructing Data Center Megadeals with DigitalBridge's Marc Ganzi (DB is being acquired by SoftBank)Carlyle Takes the StairsAimco to sell Chicago-area multifamily portfolio for $455 million as REIT liquidatesChiefs Get Largest Public Funding Package Ever For New Stadium In KansasFreddie Walks Carlyle/Greenbrook HomeChicago leads the nation in apartment rent growth amid tight supply
We're technically off this week. BUT, Business Insider dropped a banger of a read on Floyd Mayweather's tangled financial web, and somewhere at the center of that web is a character of great interest to The Promote Cinematic Universe: Jona Rechnitz was a New York real estate developer who was caught up in a massive NYPD corruption scandal before heading to LA and reinventing himself as a diamond dealer and Mayweather whisperer. Rechnitz is the archetype of a netherworld character who somehow keeps popping up in real estate: the hustler with the incredible Rolodex and fuzzy origin story, someone who manages to whip up controversy wherever he goes but keeps escaping any real consequences. In May, we dove deep into his fascinating story, and we're re-upping that episode here. In the episode, we also take a look at "structural corruption" in the development of supertalls, focused on a dispute at 432 Park Avenue.NOTE: This is a re-run of an episode that originally aired on 5/14/2025 Episode sponsor: AirGarage – find out more about their full-service parking management solution at Airgarage.comTo advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15Further reading: Inside Floyd 'Money' Mayweather's lavish, debt-filled post-boxing lifeJona Rechnitz Atavist profile and The Promote's CRE-focused summaryHarry Macklowe profile:432 Park lawsuit: Downside to life in a supertall:
This week, we talk illiquid death – the Bluerock listing debacle says so much about the mark-to-magic happening in the nontraded REIT market. We then head to Hollywood where showbiz is turning into badbiz for Hackman Capital, HPP and others who went all-in on soundstages. And finally, we head to Charm City to check in on Kevin Plank & Goldman Sachs' Baltimore Peninsula megaproject – MAG is out, Hines is in, and Bank OZK is pissed. To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15Further reading/listening:Bluerock Total Income Plus - Accredited InsightWhen Your Private Fund Turns $1 Into 60 CentsThis Hollywood Property Mogul Stands to Lose No Matter Who Wins WarnerHines in, MAG at Baltimore peninsula Steve Ross takes his talents to West Palm Beach
This week, we’re talking exotic alts – the far-flung corners of CRE that are starting to catch serious institutional interest. Think car washes, aviation hangars and the like. We're joined by Ian Ross, managing partner of SomeraRoad, to talk through the fascinating niche of aviation infrastructure and how it's been supercharged by the Big Beautiful Bill. Then, we walk through Taconic Partners' failed grand experiment with life science real estate in NYC – $2B deployed, not much to show for it. To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Follow our guest on LinkedIn: Ian Ross Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15Further reading/listening:Taconic Invested $2B To Be NYC's Leading Life Sciences Developer. Then The Market FrozeBonus Depreciation Boom Times in Private AviationNet Leash Car Wash Sales SurgeAUM Gobbling, Explained
This week, we look back at the skyline-shaping impact of 2 starchitects who’ve just left us – Robert A.M. Stern and Frank Gehry – and then jump into a broader discussion about the pros & cons of name-brand architects. We dive into the industrial deal of the year, EQT’s 9M sf sale to Aum gobbler Artemis. And we have an exclusive tick-tock of a hotel megadeal in San Francisco, Newbond & Conversant's heist of 3,000 rooms in one fell swoop – it's a great window of what it takes to get a distressed CMBS trade across the finish line.To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15Further reading/listening:Hiten on Bloomberg's Odd Lots discussing the ultra-luxury marketInside the Hotel Heist of the YearSixth Street's AUM GobblingPostscript: Robert A.M. Stern, the Limestone JesusPostscript: Frank Gehry
In our special mailbag episode, co-host Will Krasne tackles your most unhinged CRE questions: who'd be the dream cast of a CRE version of Million Dollar Listing, the best projects through which to launder funds, and which industry niches are IQ-optional.To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15
This week, we dive deep into the maverick career of Seattle skyscraper titan Martin Selig - a true man in full who at his pomp controlled more than a third of the city's downtown, but is now at risk of losing it all. As of this summer, Selig has lost 19 of his buildings to third-party managers or lenders. He’s been unable to make good on over $850 million in loans. We break down his meteoric rise, his ability to survive through cycles that ended the careers of lesser men, and why this time may truly be the end. To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link: https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade?offer_id=b700858f-21e0-47a2-9695-a93055d3ed15Further reading/listening:https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-20-fi-194-story.htmlhttps://www.seattletimes.com/business/developer-seligs-one-man-show-plays-well-in-current-downturn/https://www.seattletimes.com/business/martin-selig-helped-shape-downtown-seattle-now-hes-the-face-of-its-office-woes/ https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/29/realestate/focus-seattle-creating-an-office-empire.html https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/developer-donates-922000-to-try-to-get-estate-tax-erased/ WAhttps://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/another-piece-of-seligs-seattle-office-empire-sold-at-fire-sale-discount/Talking Tycoons: Tom Cousins
This week, we explore why more multifamily REITs are offering themselves up at the altar - there just doesn’t seem to be a real path forward for many of these midsize players in this capital-markets environment. We then look at Marriott’s mercy killing of Sonder and the lessons to take away from yet another high-profile proptech implosion. And finally, the Mooch’s OZ fund was kinda like the Mooch’s White House tenure. Short and painful.To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com - we're taking questions for a special mailbag episode! And please rate us and write a review on Apple.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Founding memberships open now at https://www.thepromote.com/upgradeProgramming Note: We're off for Thanksgiving Week. We'll see you back here week after that!Further reading/listening:Marriott-Sonder Deal: https://www.thepromote.com/p/the-promote-marriott-s-sonderlust-trimont-grabs-the-crown#inside-marriotts-sonderlust Mooch OZ: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-13/scaramucci-s-opportunity-zone-bet-likely-to-be-zero-for-clients Centerspace: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-11/apartment-landlord-centerspace-is-said-to-explore-potential-saleSonder Winddown: https://investors.sonder.com/news-releases/news-release-details/sonder-holdings-inc-complete-immediate-wind-down-operationsCortland's PE Courtship: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jpms-roosevelt-run-cortlands-pe-courtship/id1801355295?i=1000718664676
This week, we chat about 2 big events in the senior housing space: Blackstone’s fire sale of a $1.8B portfolio and the Sonida-CNL merger. It’s a pretty gnarly business to operate, but there’s lots of room for creative structuring. Next, we look at the behind-the-scenes wrangling at one of Brooklyn’s buzziest projects: Jonathan Landau is attempting to build Brooklyn Heights’ tallest condo, but has a quarter-billion dollar hole to fill. And finally, BXP (aka Boston Properties) is cashing in on legacy assets to fund its development pipeline. Supertalls ain’t cheap! To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com and please rate us and write a review on Apple or Spotify.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Founding memberships open now at https://www.thepromote.com/upgradeFurther reading:Inside the Capstack on Landau’s Brooklyn Moonshot: https://www.thepromote.com/p/inside-landau-s-brooklyn-capstack-bx-dst-deetsBlackstone Is Offloading a Flopped $1.8 Billion Investment in Senior Housing: https://www.wsj.com/articles/blackstone-is-offloading-a-flopped-1-8-billion-investment-in-senior-housing-4a7b85d9The Nursing Home Power Roster: https://www.thepromote.com/p/nursing-home-power-roster-an-embezzlement-autopsy
In a world awash with capital, it’s the same names who are vacuuming up increasing shares of it: We dive into Blackstone alpha cub Chad Pike's take-private megadeal for industrial REIT Plymouth, his most significant deal since being shunted to the BX sidelines. We then discuss how major US players such as Hines and Brookfield are now heading to the Gulf, not just to raise capital for US projects, but to build out those lucrative skylines. And finally, buying leftovers has never been sexier - CRE secondaries are the hottest game in town. To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com and please rate us and write a review on Apple or Spotify.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Founding memberships open now at https://www.thepromote.com/upgradeFurther reading:Jon Gray profile Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/jon-gray-blackstone-profile-succession-schwarzman-interview-ceo-bumble-oatly-2021-1Behind Blackstone Cub's $1.25B Haul: https://www.thepromote.com/p/the-promote-dial-m-for-mortgage-fraud#behind-blackstone-cubs-125-b-haulProperty Giant Hines to Expand into Booming Saudi Arabian Market: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-24/property-giant-hines-to-expand-into-booming-saudi-arabian-market Deep Dive- Inside the LPAC: https://www.perenews.com/deep-dive-inside-the-lpac/
This week, we look at explosive allegations of mortgage fraud that have caught up 2 prominent regional banks. Zions and Western Alliance woes stemming from shenanigans at a California CRE investor once again show how vital regional banks are to the industry’s capital markets – and how distress in that space can ruin the whole party. Next, we look at Walmart’s intriguing new playbook – the retail behemoth is on a mall shopping spree. And finally, there’s a LITERAL crackdown allegedly happening at one of the country’s most notable supertalls- Harry Macklowe and CIM Group's 432 Park Avenue. To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com and please rate us and write a review on Apple or Spotify.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Founding memberships open now at https://www.thepromote.com/upgradeFurther reading:Troubled Real Estate Firm at Center of Banks’ Latest Loan Pinch: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-17/troubled-real-estate-firm-at-center-of-banks-latest-loan-pinch Why Did Walmart Just Buy a Shopping Mall?: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/business/walmart-shopping-malls.html?unlocked_article_code=1.u08.Zxzg.LSLcjr4T2Nsw&smid=url-shareA Tower on Billionaires’ Row Is Full of Cracks. Who’s to Blame?: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/nyregion/432-park-avenue-condo-tower.htmlAge of Accountability for Supertalls: https://www.thepromote.com/p/supertall-retribution-ackman-s-baby-berkshire-playbook#age-of-accountability-for-supertallMacklowe Case Study- the GM Building: https://mackloweproperties.com/pdfs/GMBuilding.pdf
This week, we have a special episode diving deep into the skyscraper that encapsulates our political and financial age: 666 Fifth Avenue. Now known as 660 Fifth Avenue, this tower brings together a dizzying array of characters – from Jared and Charlie Kushner to the former finance minister of Qatar and an imprisoned Chinese mogul – and elements such as cocky scions, insane appraisals, overheated CMBS, hardball pref, media wars, White House wildcards, and so much more. We trace the history of the building from being Jared Kushner's splashy and later disastrous buy to the Brookfield bailout and ultimate redemption. Next, we look at a botched condo buyout in Miami and the opportunities and dangers of that playbook. And finally, we examine how Banco Santander is playing rough with borrowers it inherited from Signature Bank.Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Bullpen, a talent shop solely dedicated to the commercial real estate industry. Bullpen can recruit trusted CRE pros at all levels, from analysts to C-suite, and can fill both fractional and full-time positions. The Promote listeners get $1,000 off their first search when you mention who sent you. Check out at bullpenre.com to get started.To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com and please rate us and write a review on Apple or Spotify.Promote Insider: Our premium tier for CRE insiders is now live. To lock in Founding Member rates, visit https://www.thepromote.com/upgradeFurther reading:Jared Kushner profile - NYMAgBehind the record deal for 666 Fifth Avenue - TRD Jared Kushner, a Trump In-Law and Adviser, Chases a Chinese Deal - NYTKushners, Trump In-Laws, Weigh $400 Million Deal With Chinese Firm - NYTCharlie Kushner, Unfiltered- TRDDeal Gives Kushners Cash Infusion on 666 Fifth Avenue - NYT660 Reasons to Smile - The PromoteBanco Down to Brawl - The PromoteFlorida Supreme Court denies rehearing in condo buyout case- TRD
This week, we asked the taboo question about New York office to residential conversions. Do the numbers work? There's been enough distress from some of the OGs, including Nathan Berman, that it warrants that question amid all the private-credit billions flowing into the space. We then look at how a single man, Zara founder Amancio Ortega, can drive pricing across product types and markets – even though his buys may not really be pegged on real-world investment metrics. And finally, we go a little bit tabloid to talk about the case of David Bren, the embattled son of real estate tycoon Donald Bren – some real talk about fundraising and scions in there.To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFor feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com and please rate us and write a review on Apple or Spotify.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Founding memberships open now at https://www.thepromote.com/upgradeFurther reading:Donald Bren - The Billionaire's Town: https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2025-irvine-california-housing-donald-bren/A billionaire’s son sold investors on the ‘ultimate man cave.’ Was any of it real?: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-10-06/david-bren-beverly-hills The Follieri Charade: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2008/10/follieri200810?srsltid=AfmBOorhtO3gFoiBk5pL3BXDzBXUyPfwoJ-SVNmXUDTBR6Y9h7X_rayDCaveat Lender: https://www.thepromote.com/p/caveat-office-resi-lender-roosevelt-masala#caveat-lenderA Costly Rescue Recap: https://www.thepromote.com/p/inside-the-debt-fund-game-underwater-rescues#a-costly-rescue-recap
This week, we discuss an intriguing deal in the data-center space – TeraWulf is raising $3B in debt to build data centers for Google, in an intertwined transaction that's becoming a prototype for getting these massive developments going. We dive into the maverick mogul behind Terawulf, Paul Prager, who's using his heft to turn Maryland's Eastern Shore into the new Hamptons. We then take stock of the carnage in San Francisco's multifamily market, where the biggest players are winning and losing thousands of units all at once – and leaving their lenders in the lurch. Finally, we explore why institutional investors are finding alpha between the low-thread-count sheets in the extended-stay space. Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Bullpen, a talent shop solely dedicated to the commercial real estate industry. Bullpen can recruit trusted CRE pros at all levels, from analysts to C-suite, and can fill both fractional and full-time positions. Check them out at bullpenre.com to get started.To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.com For feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com and please rate us and write a review on Apple or Spotify.Promote Insider: Our premium tier for CRE insiders launches Oct. 15. To lock in Founding Member rates, visit https://www.thepromote.com/upgrade
This week, we dive into Brookfield's $10B mega-acquisition of manufactured-home player YES! Communities, and how it's emblematic of the next frontier of institutional CRE investing – we chop it up on the liquid debt markets for affordable housing, putting money to work at scale and Stockbridge's FAT upcoming promote. We then examine RXR's OPM masterclass in Manhattan with Gemini, a $3.5B office vehicle that is making splashy buys and generating even splashier fees in the process. We then visit the modest environs of Wilmington, DE, where Buccini Pollin is in the midst of an intriguing office-resi bet.To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.com For feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com and please rate us and write a review on Apple or Spotify.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to expert CRE content. Founding memberships open now at https://www.thepromote.com/upgradeFurther reading:https://www.thepromote.com/p/rxr-s-feeapalooza-sobrato-s-sv-sizzle#rx-rs-feeapaloozaBrookfield in talks to buy US landlord from Singapore’s GIC in $10bn deal
This week, we take a closer look at one of the biggest winners from Nvidia's Silicon Valley real estate rampage: The Sobrato Organization amassed a 12M sf portfolio through a combination of guts, vision and HEAVY leverage, and are now reaping the rewards as Nvidia goes shopping. We then look at how some big players, including Toll Brothers, are bowing out of multifamily development, and explore who's stepping into the void. Finally, with his adventures on the high seas on pause, Harry Macklowe is back to adventuring on the Manhattan skyline: But who the hell wants to give the rapscallion developer the cash to do it? Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Bullpen, a talent shop solely dedicated to the commercial real estate industry. Bullpen can recruit trusted CRE pros at all levels, from analysts to C-suite, and can fill both fractional and full-time positions. Check them out at bullpenre.com to get started.To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.com For feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com and please rate us and write a review on Apple or Spotify. Further reading:Carl Berg a Man on a Mission: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/07/26/focus1.html?page=allJohn Sobrato Interview: https://www.nobhillgazette.com/people/the_interview/up-close-and-personal-with-john-sobrato/article_b517646f-dc65-5386-acb2-d3e456e4ee4e.htmlMacklowe vs. Macklowe: https://therealdeal.com/magazine/new-york-november-2017/macklowe-vs-macklowe/





