Podcast
The Promote Podcast
Hosted by ten31 Media · EN
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, along with no-BS institutional insider Will Krasne. Now a top 80 pod on Apple in "Business & Investing." Also check out our 3x/week newsletter for industry insiders at https://www.thepromote.com/
52episodes
Episodes
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Only Mortals: The Reichmanns, Pt. III
Today00:40:53Summary readyThe final part of our special trilogy on the Reichmanns traces how the mother of all megaprojects became a siren song for Olympia & York. Everything that had brought them to these heights – the creative financing, the cinematic self-belief, the ability to convince others and themselves they could pull it all off – worked against them at London's Canary Wharf, and we talk through the aftermath of the collapse and the legacy they left behind. Featuring all-time characters like Kentucky hustler G. Ware Travelstead, Canadian pirate Robert Campeau and the Iron Lady herself, this is the climax of one of the most epic journeys in all business.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.2) 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!3) This episode is supported by Real Property Captive, the first group captive insurance for mid-market owners. Check out their platform to tap into the same insurance framework used by the market’s biggest players and get dividends from unused premiums.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to deep dives, bonus content and expert perspectives. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link:For feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple 🙏For brand partnerships: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFurther Reading/Listening Men of Destiny: The Reichmanns, Pt. I (Start Here)Apex Predators: The Reichmanns, Pt. IIThe Reichmanns: Family, Faith, Fortune, and the Empire of Olympia & YorkTowers of Debt: The Rise and Fall of the ReichmannsIn Britain, A Struggle To Stay AfloatThe Collapse of a Master BuilderMargaret Thatcher's Speech Inaugurating Canary WharfSecretive tycoon is key to unlocking gem of a dealBuilding for Eternity, R' Moshe Reichmann Biography
SummaryApex Predators: The Reichmanns, Pt. II
1w ago00:42:00Summary readyPt. II of our special episode on the Reichmanns takes us to the ultimate proving ground of Manhattan. We do a tick-tock of how Olympia & York pulled off the CRE deal of the century, buying 10 million square feet of prime office space for just $33 a square foot and beating up some of the city's blue bloods along the way. Then, they go even bigger: the development of the World Financial Center in Battery Park City is a showcase of all their talents – risk appetite, design, salesmanship, negotiating, creative leverage – coming together at scale. We also look at their legendary alliance with the Bronfman family and their adventures in corporate raiding. 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.2) 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!3) This episode is supported by Real Property Captive, the first group captive insurance for mid-market owners. Check out their platform to tap into the same insurance framework used by the market’s biggest players and get dividends from unused premiums.Up your CRE game: Consider becoming a premium subscriber to The Promote to unlock access to deep dives, bonus content and expert perspectives. Take 10% off annual subscriptions by using this link:For feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple 🙏For brand partnerships: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFurther Reading/ListeningMen of Destiny: The Reichmanns, Pt. I (Start Here)The Reichmanns: Family, Faith, Fortune, and the Empire of Olympia & YorkTowers of Debt: The Rise and Fall of the ReichmannsInside CRE’s Deal of the CenturyCanadian Company Becomes a Big City LandlordThe Bronfmans' Leveraged Leviathan
SummaryMen of Destiny: The Reichmanns, Pt. I
2w ago00:37:50Summary readyThis special episode dives deep into the story of the Reichmanns, an extraordinary family that probably contributed more to the financialization of CRE than anyone else. It’s a tale of survival, grit, chutzpah, genius (on many fronts), generosity, unchecked ambition, heart-stopping leverage, and eventually, ruin. We follow the family's incredible journey from the Orthodox synagogues of prewar Beled, Hungary to the international free zone of Tangier, to the North American base in Toronto, and eventually, the apex predator of Manhattan. We discuss the tragedies that shaped the Reichmanns and their approaches to both commerce and philanthropy, the deals that set up the juggernaut in Toronto, and the characters at the heart of one of the world's richest, most powerful, and most secretive clans. 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!2) 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.3) This episode is supported by Real Property Captive, the first group captive insurance for mid-market owners. Check out their platform to tap into the same insurance framework used by the market’s biggest players and get dividends from unused premiums.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: For feedback: Write us at podcast@thepromote.com And please rate us and write a review on Apple 🙏For brand partnerships: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFurther ReadingThe Reichmanns: Family, Faith, Fortune, and the Empire of Olympia & YorkTowers of Debt: The Rise and Fall of the ReichmannsZeckendorf: The autobiograpy of the man who played a real-life game of MonopolyFaith And FortuneLetters from Esther #14: What Death Can Teach Us About Life
SummaryStairway to Heaven & Parkmerced's Odyssey
3w ago00:37:52Summary readyThis week, it’s time for some California dreamin': We ascend Orange County’s Ziggurat, a stairway to heaven or SoCal’s biggest development clusterfuck, depending on your flavor. The hulking structure and the quest to sell it showcase government incompetence at its most extreme. We then head up to San Francisco, where a whirlwind of fascinating dealmaking has gone down at the city's largest rental complex, Parkmerced – New York-based Yellowstone has just taken over the development portion of the property, ending a long quest by Robert Rosania to hold on.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.2) This episode is supported by Real Property Captive, the first group captive insurance for mid-market owners. Check out their platform to tap into the same insurance framework used by the market’s biggest players and get dividends from unused premiums.3) 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!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:
SummaryMailbag: CRE Mt. Rushmore, Would You Rather & Wildest Tenant Stories
4w ago00:26:21Summary readyIn our second mailbag episode, co-host Will Krasne tackles your most unhinged CRE questions: self-managing vs. 3rd party, nightmare tenant interactions, his CRE Mt. Rushmore and many more. 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.2) This episode is supported by Real Property Captive, the first group captive insurance for mid-market owners. Check out their platform to tap into the same insurance framework used by the market’s biggest players and get dividends from unused premiums.3) 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!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/ListeningShowtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980sRoss takes his talents to [West Palm] BeachUnto the Sons: King of Prussia Passes the CrownGary Barnett: The Father of Billionaires' Row
SummarySkyscraper Triage & Data Center Power Struggle
4w ago00:37:57Summary readyThis week, we ride up a rickety construction elevator to the 21st floor of the Pfizer Building, where a major scare threatens to consume New York’s signature office-resi conversion project. We do a 360-degree analysis, from the bricks n’ sticks to the financials and the all-important narrative, looking at the stakes for developers Nathan Berman & David Werner, lender Madison Realty Capital and city & state stakeholders. Then, we check in on a battle of hearts and minds in Virginia, where Blackstone has walked away from a data-center megaproject. The behemoth and many of its peers are grappling with a growing national discontent that has to be putting some investment question marks on this emerging asset class. Plus, our Punch List rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: Airbnb's NYC buy; Norges' retail JV'; SF developers walk; Charles Cohen gets off the mat.Sponsors:1) This episode is supported by Real Property Captive, the first group captive insurance for mid-market owners. Check out their platform to tap into the same insurance framework used by the market’s biggest players and get dividends from unused premiums. 2) 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.3) 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!Further Reading/ListeningAby & SonsCharles Cohen revives West Palm office project Dead mall back on market: Buyers walk away from distressed sale of San Francisco CentreIn San Francisco’s hot-again office market, you need a glow-up to succeedAnatomy of a BucklePfizer’s Bitter PillApartments for Rent in a Former Office, but You Have to Live in MidtownDeveloper of Troubled Midtown High-Rise Had Tried to Avoid the SpotlightBlackstone’s QTS Abandons Massive Data Center in VirginiaBrookfield Bets on AI at Scale Never Tested Before in $50 Billion PushBrookfield’s Compass Bails on Massive Virginia Data CenterAI’s Unlikely Benefactor: Blackstone’s 77-Year-Old CEO Steve SchwarzmanJon and Mindy Gray Bet on AI Science Research to Prevent Cancer
SummaryS2pocalypse Now & Pimco's Puppet Master
Jul 800:37:02Summary readyThis week, we wade into the underbelly of big-ticket restructuring, looking at Pimco’s $1.8B lifeline on its disastrous bet on the Columbia Property Trust office portfolio, and how the lenders that stepped in after the default have set themselves up for a massive payday. The whole journey is a valuable lens into the opportunities available deep in the nethers of the capstack. Next, we have to revisit the saga of S2 Capital's Scott Everett, the GP who’s now declared that his $400M multifamily fund is a total loss– we sensed this was coming, but it still hits. We dive into both the business and reputational aspects of the wipeout. Plus, our Punch List rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: RFR Realty succession; Sergey Brin's NYC rent-stabilized misadventure; Miami condo buyout aces; Kayne Anderson gobbled up.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.2) 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!Further Reading/ListeningAby & SonsSergey Brin’s Steep Loss Highlights New York Landlords’ PainKayne Anderson’s New Chief Says Real Estate in ‘Supercycle’ as Unit Is SoldThe Terminator of MiamiReset BasisFiDi Telenovela Set For Happy EndingS2’s Reit Reckoning Great Scott! S2 Wipes Out on $400M Fund
SummaryTexas Chainsaw Massacre & The Man Who Knew
Jul 100:37:46Summary readyThis week, we take stock of the legacy of Alan Greenspan, the long-serving Fed Chair who has died at the ripe old age of 100. Greenspan’s moves, for better and for worse, shaped the CRE market as we know it today. Next, we visit the rapidly gentrifying swamp that is Gowanus, where Sam Charney is remaking the neighborhood with a little help from his friends. And finally, we dive back into one of The Promote’s pet topics – the fallout from the end of the Traveling HFC property-tax loophole in Texas. Plus, our Punch List rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: Charles Cohen v Fortress; BTR-killer bill; NYC freezes rent; World Cup takeaways.Sponsors:1) This episode is supported by Real Property Captive, the first group captive insurance for mid-market owners. Check out their platform to tap into the same insurance framework used by the market’s biggest players and get dividends from unused premiums.2) 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.3) 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!Further Reading/ListeningTrump Cancels Plan To Sign Bipartisan Housing Bill, Demanding Voter ID LawCohen's Fortress of PainThe Man Who Knew: The Life and Times of Alan GreenspanThe Flying WalentasesBrooklyn Billionaire: How One Man Made A Fortune Rebuilding DumboThe Closing: Sam CharneyMeet CRE Finance’s Most Eccentric InvestorGaffers of Gowanus The Traveling HFC Hangover
SummaryStern Ambition, Nuveen's Belly Flop & Private Credit's Gypsy King
Jun 1700:39:58Summary readyThis week, we load up on chips n' vinegar and take you with us on an extraordinary journey into British caravan country. Embattled mobile-home king Robert Bull's tale brings together gypsies, Norwegian beauty queens and New York financiers – and yes, it is very much a CRE story. Next, we slip into Dolce & Gabbana and ride to the branded-condo epicenter of Miami, where JDS’ Michael Stern is prepping a rescue recap of his latest development – Stern is a first-draft pick for a real estate pirate, and we get into the backstory. And finally, a strong example of returns not mattering in institutional CRE – Nuveen has disclosed a string of meaty losses on its investing bets. Plus, our Punch List rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: a $1.3 billion arbitration award in an OC real estate dispute; Ken Griffin's empire-building; and Monty Bennett's pillaging of hotel REIT Braemar.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. 2) 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!3) This episode is supported by Real Property Captive, the first group captive insurance for mid-market owners. Check out their platform to tap into the same insurance framework used by the market’s biggest players and get dividends from unused premiums. Further Reading/ListeningMichael Stern: the highs and lows of a New York skyscraper kingThe Closing: Michael SternAn Insider’s Guide to the Miami Branded Condo GameSoffer to the rescue? A Miami Kingpin's Epic AventuraNuveen's Loss FactorCarl Icahn settles the Texaco/Getty Oil lawsuitThe Bankrupting of a Mobile Home Billionaire
SummaryNot Easy Being [SL] Green & TPG's Shelf Life
Jun 1000:38:41Summary readyThis week, we dive into the high-stakes, high-reward (not for shareholders tho) world of SL Green, the mighty REIT that is New York’s largest commercial landlord. From a deal junkie standpoint, SL Green is king of the hill, but no matter what it does, it can’t seem to get Wall Street to love it. Next, we convert our dollars to lek and head to Albania, where Jared Kushner is trying to create the next St. Barths. And finally, we load up those 10-cent bags and go shopping - for grocery anchored retail with TPG and friends. Plus, our "Punch List" rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: Brookfield's DC shutdown; Amancio Ortega's CRE fixer; Bears move to Indiana; LA mayoral race; and Paul Massey folds.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!2) 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. And check out their must-read SNF primer here.3) This episode is supported by Real Property Captive, the first group captive insurance for mid-market owners. Check out their platform to tap into the same insurance framework used by the market’s biggest players and get dividends from unused premiums. Further Reading/ListeningInside the SL Green PlaybookGold in Them Distressed CapstacksSL Green Raises More Than $1 Billion for New NYC Debt FundReset BasisAlbania’s Rama Backs Kushner Resort as Land Ownership ProbedTPG-Led Investor Group Acquires Grocery-Anchored Retail Leader ECHO Realty
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