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
Newest firstAll episodes
Blackstone Cubs, Secondaries Sizzle & Hines of Arabia
Nov 500:32:08Summary readyIn 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/
SummaryFugazi First Positions & Cracking Billionaires' Row
Oct 2900:30:33Summary readyThis 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
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The Skyscraper That Broke America
Oct 2200:37:20Summary readyThis 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
SummaryFathers, Sons & Fast Fashion Tax Shields
Oct 1500:30:45Summary readyThis 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
SummarySF Apartment Therapy & the Short King of Data Centers
Oct 800:31:46Summary readyThis 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
SummaryBrookfield's $10B YES! & RXR's OPM Masterclass
Oct 100:33:51Summary readyThis 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
SummarySobrato's Silicon Sizzle & Macklowe Unfurled
Sep 2500:32:21Summary readyThis 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/
SummaryRoss takes his talents to [West Palm] Beach & Barnett Prefs Up
Sep 1700:31:36Summary readyLike a lot of older guys, Steve Ross moved to Florida. Unlike them, however, the billionaire real estate developer didn't go there to retire, but instead to take on an even more audacious skyline-shaping challenge: West Palm Beach. This week, we trace Ross' whirlwind of big-ticket dealmaking down south that combines real estate, private equity, education, sport, and glamour – much to take away for the aspiring city shaper. We then look at Gary Barnett's latest financing coup: a $1.2B pref commitment for a range of development projects. And finally, we explore the legal challenge to the "nuclear" bill that killed off Texas' most controversial property-tax loophole: The Traveling HFCTo advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.com Further reading/listening:Can This Developer Make West Palm Beach Into the Hottest City in America?Goat Exits Stage South Billionaire Stephen Ross Believes in South Florida—and Is Spending Big to Transform It Gary Barnett: The Father of Billionaires' RowInside Gary Barnett's Deer Valley MasterclassBarnett Prefs UpThe Quiet Kings of CapitalTraveling HFCs: Backlash to the BacklashThe Mother of all Tax Loopholes
SummaryTupac vs Biggie, CRE Edition
Sep 1000:38:02Summary readyThis week, it's Tupac vs Biggie, commercial real estate edition: We dive into a deal on each coast that brings together all the things that we think make CRE the greatest show on earth. Rapacious lenders, billion-dollar-dreams, broken capital stacks & creative financing. In New York, we look at the saga of 172 Madison Avenue, Yitzchak Tessler's moonshot condo project that ended in multiple bankruptcies. And in Beverly Hills, we look at the star-studded history of the One Beverly Hills site, and how a motley crew of billionaire Todd Boehly, "Russian James Bond" Vlad Doronin, and Beverly Hills wheeler-dealer Beny Alagem are putting together a $5B hospitality mecca.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.Which segment did you prefer – Tupac or Biggie? Write us at podcast@thepromote.com and let us know. To advertise: Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.com Further reading:New Pacific's Beverly Hills coup: https://behindthedeals.com/2017/01/22/behind-the-deals-the-story-and-lessons-behind-new-pacific-realtys-acquisition-and-sale-of-the-beverly-hills-robinsons-may-for-a-450-million-profit/Tale of the Tessler Tape: https://www.thepromote.com/p/tessler-tapes-drillman-s-sweet-16#tale-of-the-tessler-tapeCheckmating Tessler: https://www.thepromote.com/p/checkmating-tessler-a-brooklyn-bachur-s-office-feastOne Beverly Hills - a Capstack for the Ages: https://www.thepromote.com/p/meridian-s-nycb-burden-a-capstack-for-the-ages#a-capstack-for-the-agesHow a ‘Russian James Bond’ Conquered the World of Luxury HotelsHilton’s Waldorf Beverly Hills Used a Mole to Steal Secrets From Rival, Lawsuit Says
SummaryMormon Money & Cardone Waterfalls
Sep 300:26:47Summary readyThis week, we’re talking the Mormon real estate playbook – how the LDS church built a serious property portfolio and also run it like serious people. We then discuss syndicator Grant Cardone’s intricate plan to rescue a distressed Boca rental – with a Bitcoin twist. We also chop it up on how fund managers' courtship of retail money is leading to pushback from big institutional LPs.Want to reach our audience of top CRE decision-makers? Reach out to partnerships@thepromote.comFurther reading:https://www.thepromote.com/p/through-the-cardone-looking-glass#inside-cardones-boca-bankruptcy-bethttps://lrlfinancial.substack.com/p/101-via-mizner-bankruptcy-analysishttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-08/retail-investors-threaten-private-equity-s-aura-of-exclusivityhttps://www.thepromote.com/p/private-credit-s-old-gold-another-rabsky-riddle#old-is-private-credit-goldhttps://www.ft.com/content/f7387912-1079-43d4-a9a2-2308989400d4https://www.thepromote.com/p/divine-dry-powder-regional-bank-wildcatting#divine-dry-powder
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