How did a young property developer create the leading media brand for Australia’s property development industry? And - at the same time – start an acclaimed property development business? That’s the story of Adam Di Marco. He’s the co-founder of The Urban Developer which delivers news, events and education to Australia’s property development industry. Media aside, Adam is also the founder of the Di Marco Group which develops design-led apartments in Brisbane. Recent projects include Amer...
Newil & Bau is an acclaimed Helsinki apartment developer. Much loved by the city's smart set, their homes are superby designed. And built to the highest standards. Their projects have included converting an Alvar Aalto-designed office to residential use. And constructing a brand new apartment building designed by the legendary American architect, Steven Holl. In this episode, Newil & Bau founder, Petri Ylivuori, explains how his business works.
How do you develop apartments and town houses that are (truly) sustainable? And which reward the developer with a solid financial return? Ask Liam Wallis. He’s the founder of Hip v Hype, an acclaimed developer who’s boutique-scale developments are dotted around inner Melbourne. In today’s episode, Liam shares with you how he develops. And why his projects are ethical, socially conscious and environmentally focussed...
How do you develop low-key luxury hotels and resorts? And then operate them to astonishingly high standards? To find out, I turned to Arnaud Zannier. Arnaud is the founder of Zannier Hotels which operates five boutique sites across three continents. They’re located in the French Alps, Cambodia, Vietnam and Namibia. And more are on the way. In this conversation, Arnaud reveals how he: Acquires each site. Plans what each site will offer. Oversees the build phase. And ensures day-to-day operatio...
How do you develop food halls people love? And help new food entrepreneurs build businesses that thrive? They’re two vital goals for today’s guest. Will Donaldson launched the food hall business, Politan Row, in 2014. Starting with a single site in New Orleans, he has since launched markets in cities across the US. These include Chicago, Miami, Houston and Atlanta. In today’s podcast, Will shares with you how he builds markets that drive massive footfall. And why his operating model helps foo...
Can food markets revitalise tired towns and cities? And help them regain a sense of place? According to food market developer, Nick Johnson, the answer is yes. An enthusiast of independent food retail, Nick is the founder of Market Operations. Market Operations has developed three celebrated food markets in the greater Manchester area of England: Altrincham Market, Mackie Mayor and Picturedrome. Prior to entering the food market world, Nick spent decades developing commercial real estate in M...
How do you breathe life into an empty site while it awaits re-development? Ask Carl Turner. He’s the founder of celebrated architecture practice, Turner Works. Plus a developer and operator of commercial real estate. Carl’s CRE projects include London’s hit mixed-use developments, Pop Brixton and Peckham Levels. In theory, both projects are temporary as they occupy land slated for redevelopment. As a result, they’re known as ‘meanwhile spaces’. Done well, meanwhile spaces allow a landlord to ...
Can operating your own hotels, bars and restaurants boost the value of your commercial property portfolio? To find out, take a look at design-led property developer, We Are Content. We Are Content owns commercial buildings in the heart of Zurich and Basel. These include apartments, mixed-use buildings and hotels. Some of these are home to We Are Content’s own hospitality businesses. For example, the company operates two celebrated boutique hotels: Zurich’s Helvetia and Basel’s Volkshaus (the ...
If you're interested in how good design can bring joy to apartment living, you need to meet Michael McCormack. He's co-founder of Melbourne real estate developer, Milieu Property. Started ten years ago, the business has developed a reputation for crafting beautifully conceived apartments. And a cult-like following amongst the creatives who typically own (and occupy) them. Not surprisingly, Milieu’s engaging buildings have also won a string of important architecture and design awards. Property...
Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a global network of Michelin-starred restaurants? Or a collection of celebrated hotels? If so, the man to ask is Loh Lik Peng. Peng is the restaurateur, hotelier and property developer behind a slew of iconic restaurants and hotels across Europe and Asia. Most of these form a part of his umbrella organisation, Unlisted Collection. Unlisted Collection operates sites in Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney, London, Dublin and County Kerry in Ireland. And ove...
Want to know how to boost your return on mixed-use buildings? If so, don’t miss my interview with London commercial property developer, Sascha Lewin. Sascha is the founder of W Real Estate. And he’s now emerging as a significant player in London’s mixed-use development scene. In today’s conversation, Sascha reveals how he finds, funds, develops and tenants his properties. Listen in and you’ll discover: Why he likes developing commercial real estate. How he built his skills. Why he’s focused o...
You don’t need me to point out that many shopping malls are in crisis. But did you know that one of the sector’s big underlying problems is this: mall owners typically know little about the individuals who shop with them. Or what will trigger a specific person to visit the mall more often (and spend more when they do). The result? Many mall owners have few ways to (measurably) boost footfall and sales. That makes it hard to know – in fine detail – which of their marketing ideas work. And whic...
Mark Toro is admired as one of America’s smartest commercial real estate developers. So you’ll be surprised to learn he doesn’t think of himself as a developer per se. That’s despite having developed over 9 million square feet of mixed-use projects since founding North American Properties Atlanta in 1996. Those millions of square feet have included retail, office, multifamily and hotel space. So if Mark doesn’t think ‘developer’ describes him accuratly, what does? He says that, first and fore...
Crispin Kelly is a man on a mission: to prove that superb architecture is a vital part of commercial real estate development. Since launching Baylight Properties 30 years ago, he’s focused on multifamily and office developments in central London. But an enthusiasm for suburban living has also seen him develop housing in suburban areas of England. Outside of his commercial work, Crispin champions the importance of architecture through his charity, the Baylight Foundation. He also chairs Open C...
Are you interested in the specific ways a successful New York property developer built his business? If so, you cannot afford to miss this interview. Starting from scratch, Scott Metzner has spent the past thirty years building a substantial property development business in Manhattan. Beginning with a single walk-up, Janus Property now develops and reinvigorates entire city blocks. And right now, Scott is in the middle of his largest project yet. In fact, The Manhattanville Factory District i...
Is the physical store still relevant in an age of online shopping and remote working? According to today’s guest, the answer is an emphatic yes. Doug Stephens is a retail futurist who, as CEO of Retail Prophet, advises the leadership of global brands on what’s next for retail. His client list includes Walmart, IKEA, Disney, LVMH and Microsoft. He’s also the author of the best selling books The Retail Revival and Re-Engineering Retail. In a nutshell, Doug’s view is that the future is bleak for...
Are you wondering what’s next for out-of-home dining? And food retail in general? If so, you must listen to this conversation with Andrea Rasca. He’s the man behind London’s WILDLY popular eatery, Mercato Metropolitano. A food entrepreneur for 30 years, Andrea is now shaking up how the sector works. That means changing what we eat. And how food is produced, distributed and sold. Put simply, the former Eataly executive is on a mission: to change everything to do with food. In fact, he doesn’t ...
Does your commercial real estate marketing get results? If not, you’ll LOVE today’s show. Joining me is CRE marketing communications expert, Dan Innes. Dan is the founder of Innesco, a commercial real estate marketing communications agency based in London. He says if you’re hunting for serious ROI, you must first nail down your marketing objectives. Next, you need to wrap your head around the four media types you can use to hit those objectives. Only then can you create a winning strategy. An...
In the wake of lock-down, do you still need a traditional office? After all, millions have apparently stayed productive – despite working from home. The result? Many office tenants now see a chance to slash rents by keeping their staff at home – and cutting back on office space. Needless to say, if tenants do shrink their offices en masse, there’s a big ‘ol question mark about the value of office buildings. Not to mention nearby retail and residential. So how big might the move out of traditi...
Could you boost your commercial property returns by doing a better job of communicating with stakeholders? For example, planners, potential tenants and potential buyers. If so, tune into my interview with public relations expert, Penny Norton. Penny is the editor of a new book called ‘Promoting Property’. The book explains what PR is. And how it can be used to extract more value from commercial real estate (and other property-related activities). For example, there are whole chapters on mixed...