Real Finds Podcast: Commercial Real Estate Unfiltered

Why Institutional Capital Is Wrong About Workforce Housing With Jon Siegel

Most multifamily investors are chasing brand new, low-risk product. Jon Siegel thinks that herd mentality is exactly why the biggest opportunity in apartments is sitting in plain sight. As Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of RailField Partners, a Bethesda-based multifamily investment firm operating across the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Texas, and now the Midwest, Jon spent years inside Fannie Mae's multifamily group before advising on billions in transactions and ultimately buying institutional-grade apartments himself. His take: the value-add playbook that made everyone look like a genius in 2021 is dead, and the investors still waiting for that market to come back are going to keep waiting. In this conversation, Jon breaks down why so many bridge-loan-era deals are stuck with no equity left, what savvy investors are actually waiting for before jumping back in, why institutional capital refuses to touch 1970s and 1980s vintage workforce housing even when it is 95 percent occupied in supply-constrained submarkets, and why that reluctance creates real opportunity for disciplined buyers. He also gets candid about political risk, rent control, and why the multifamily industry keeps losing the public narrative. What we cover:- Why "extend and pretend" has clogged the multifamily market for four years- The 2021 syndicator playbook: bridge loans, kitchen renovations, and the math that broke- What a good multifamily deal actually looks like in 2026- Real lease trade-outs: the signal savvy investors are waiting for- Oversupply in the Sun Belt vs. steady rent growth in Midwest markets like Indianapolis- The workforce housing opportunity institutional capital won't touch- Red flags in older vintage product, and why submarkets matter more than markets- Seller psychology: the seven stages of grief before a deal gets done- Rent control, algorithmic pricing, and the political risk multifamily isn't taking seriously- Patience and persistence: the two traits behind long real estate careers New episodes drop every Wednesday at 3 PM CT on YouTube and Spotify. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. The Real Finds Podcast is hosted by Gordon Lamphere, J.D., a fourth-generation commercial real estate broker and Vice President of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co., Chicagoland's oldest private commercial real estate firm, founded in 1879. Recognized by independent industry publications among the region's top brokers, Gordon and his team close 100+ transactions annually across industrial, office, retail, medical office, land, and investment properties in Greater Chicagoland and Southeastern Wisconsin. Learn more at vvco.com or call 847-846-6902. Connect with Jon Siegel:Website: https://www.railfieldrealty.comEmail: jsiegel@railfieldrealty.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonsiegel1/ Timestamps:0:00 - The 2021 syndicator playbook that broke1:27 - Why real estate: from radio station to Fannie Mae2:20 - How the capital stack has been rebuilt after 20226:10 - Bridge loan distress and why the market is stuck13:00 - What everyone is waiting for and what a good deal looks like now17:20 - Oversupply, development pipelines, and pivoting to the Midwest22:49 - The workforce housing opportunity institutions won't touch26:27 - Red flags in older vintage product30:07 - Discipline, seller psychology, and getting deals closed34:06 - What we're not talking enough about: regulatory and political risk38:02 - What changes most in CRE over the next 10 years41:46 - One minute of advice: patience and persistence45:33 - Who should be on the podcast next47:34 - How to reach Jon #CommercialRealEstate #Multifamily #WorkforceHousing #RealEstateInvesting #MultifamilyInvesting #ApartmentInvesting #CREPodcast #RealFindsPodcast

Why Family Real Estate Portfolios Collapse With Dr. Carey Chronis

Dr. Carey Chronis has spent more than 25 years running a pediatric practice in Ventura, California, and somewhere in the middle of it he discovered that the skill of connecting with a four-year-old, a defiant teenager, and a frustrated employee is fundamentally the same skill. His forthcoming book, Connection Rethink: Team Culture from Home to Boardroom, argues that the leaders who win at work and lose at home are usually making one mistake in both places: they jump in to solve instead of stopping to listen. In this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, Gordon Lamphere sits down with Dr. Chronis to unpack why connection is infrastructure, not an afterthought, and why the biggest threat to a multi-generational real estate portfolio is rarely the market. It's the family. We get into the discipline of listening without solving, the trap of micromanaging heirs and employees alike, and the "take two" technique for defusing conflict before it hardens. Most importantly for our audience, we dig into why family offices and multi-generational real estate families see portfolios collapse not from bad deals, but from family stress and misalignment, and what the family dinner table has to teach the boardroom. What we cover: - Why the connection you build with a team and the connection you build with a family run on identical skills - Listening without solving, and how high performers quietly train their people to stop coming to them - Connection as infrastructure: the daily huddle, the weeknight family dinner, and why rituals beat intentions - The micromanaging trap, from the helicopter parent to the founder who won't let an heir deploy capital - Building daily trust by asking what the system got wrong, not who's to blame - The "take two" technique for resetting a conversation that came out wrong - Grading stress across home, work, and friends on a zero-to-ten scale, and knowing when to bring in help- Why family offices and multi -generational real estate families lose portfolios to misalignment, not markets - Phones, screens, and self-discipline: protecting mealtime and the hour before bed - His ten-year view: the built environment shifting from efficiency toward spaces designed for human connection New episodes drop every Wednesday at 3 PM CT on YouTube and Spotify. Subscribe so you never miss a conversation. The Real Finds Podcast is hosted by Gordon Lamphere, J.D., a fourth-generation commercial real estate broker and Vice President of Sales and Leasing at Van Vlissingen and Co., Chicagoland's oldest private commercial real estate firm, founded in 1879. Recognized by independent industry publications among the region's top brokers, Gordon and his team close 100+ transactions annually across industrial, office, retail, medical office, land, and investment properties in Greater Chicagoland and Southeastern Wisconsin. Learn more at vvco.com or call 847-846-6902. Connect with Dr. Carey Chronis: Website: www.CareyChronisMD.com [http://urlscanner.mailmarshal.cloud/?c=22645&d=uofN6idzmDvC0NYHvia-2L5QUu1l5QsdpLk4AwDXPg&s=218&u=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2eCareyChronisMD%2ecom] Book: Connection Rethink: Team Culture from Home to Boardroom LinkedIn: Carey Chronis, MD #CommercialRealEstate #FamilyOffice #RealEstateInvesting #FamilyBusiness #Leadership #TeamCulture #CRE #SuccessionPlanning #MultiGenerationalWealth #RealFindsPodcast

Why Smart Investors Are Buying Dirt With Ron Rohde

On today's episode of The Real Finds Podcast, Gordon Lamphere sits down with Ron Rohde, a commercial real estate attorney, active investor, and one of the most recognizable voices in the industrial outdoor storage (IOS) space. Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Ron runs the Law Office of Ronald Rohde, PLLC, where he advises clients across industrial, retail, office, and multifamily transactions. He is also a direct owner and operator of industrial NNN properties, general counsel to a major retail shopping center platform, the author of a practical guide to industrial real estate investing, and the creator of a widely followed YouTube channel covering deals and commercial real estate law. Few people can speak to IOS from the investor, broker, and attorney seats all at once, which makes this conversation a genuine masterclass.Ron and Gordon dig into why industrial outdoor storage became one of the hottest asset classes of the last five years, how to underwrite a deal on rent per acre rather than price per foot, and why the building on an IOS site still matters more than most investors assume. Ron walks through the class A, B, and C surface tiers, the zoning and neighborhood-objection risks that can quietly wreck a deal, the real cost of landscaping and screening compliance, and how to think about tenant quality, decision speed, and lease execution across company sizes. He also shares candid advice on hiring the right real estate attorney, his view on retail's resilience after Amazon, and where AI is heading in the transaction workflow.What we cover:- What industrial outdoor storage actually is and why it trades differently from traditional warehouse- How to underwrite IOS on rent per usable acre plus triple net- The class A, B, and C surface tiers from dirt to gravel to concrete- Why the building still matters and what tenants now demand- Zoning, by-right use, and neighborhood objection as the biggest red flags- The hidden cost of landscaping, screening, irrigation, and site plan compliance- Financing IOS and how lenders now underwrite yard income- Finding a competitive edge in a crowded, institutional market- How to identify and keep a great commercial real estate attorney- Retail, big box, and irreplaceability as an investment thesis- Decision speed and bureaucracy across small, middle market, and institutional tenants- Where AI fits into the future of commercial real estateThe Real Finds Podcast is brought to you by Van Vlissingen and Co., Chicagoland's oldest private commercial real estate brokerage, founded in 1879 and serving Greater Chicago, Wisconsin, and the broader Midwest. Learn more at vvco.com, email info@vvco.com, or call 847-846-6902.New episodes of The Real Finds Podcast publish every Wednesday at 3 PM CT on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, leave a five-star rating, and drop a comment. Your support helps us keep booking quality guests.Connect with Ron Rohde on YouTube and follow his content on industrial outdoor storage, retail, and commercial real estate law.

Why Blackstone Is Pouring Billions Into Net Leases With Sean Hostert

Sean Hostert is a principal, investor, advisor, and founder of Net Lease Observer, widely regarded as the net lease industry's leading independent analyst. A finance major out of the University of Illinois who started his career advising mortgage servicers at PwC after the 2008 crisis, Sean found his way into net lease in 2013 at Cole Capital, a non-traded REIT platform in Phoenix. From the FP&A side of the business, he developed a deep understanding of what makes single tenant net lease a unique animal: an asset class defined not by property type, but by lease structure, sitting at the intersection of fixed income, tenant credit, and real estate.In this episode, Sean and Gordon take a practitioner's tour of the entire net lease universe, from Dollar General outparcels and FedEx distribution centers to the single tenant ownership structures behind Caesars Palace and the MGM Grand. Sean breaks down how to underwrite these deals across tenant credit, real estate fundamentals, and lease structure, why sale leasebacks have become a private equity favorite, and what's actually driving the institutional capital surge from names like Blackstone. If you own real estate, advise owners, or are thinking about your first triple net acquisition, this conversation is essential listening.What we cover:- Why net lease is defined by lease structure, not property type, and how it differs from traditional CRE- The three core ways to buy net lease: sale leasebacks, assuming existing leases, and development financing- How to underwrite a deal across tenant credit, real estate fundamentals, and lease structure- Absolute triple net explained: taxes, insurance, and maintenance responsibilities- Why sale leasebacks appeal to private equity, and the valuation gap that makes them work- Rent escalation norms, cap rate ranges, and what to look for in a typical OM- Who's actually buying: public REITs, private funds, and the fragmented private capital market- Why institutional players are surging into net lease, and the demographic tailwinds behind it- Sean's take on the underwatched middle of the yield curve and self-driving cars' fat-tailed impact on real estateThe Real Finds Podcast drops new episodes every Wednesday at 3 PM CT on YouTube and Spotify. If you enjoyed this conversation, please give us a like, a five-star rating, and a review. Your comments, interactions, and subscriptions truly matter and help us bring on quality guests. Brought to you by Van Vlissingen and Co., Chicagoland's oldest private commercial real estate brokerage, serving Greater Chicago, Wisconsin, and the broader Midwest since 1879. Chicago's Top Commercial Real Estate Agents [https://vvco.com/commercial-real-estate-agent-in-chicago/]Website: vvco.comPhone: 847-846-6902Email: info@vvco.comConnect with Sean Hostert: Net Lease Observer at netleaseobserver.com Find us on YouTube, Spotify, iTunes & more!Timestamps:00:00 Why net lease returns 10-11% annually00:46 Introducing Sean Hostert, Net Lease Observer01:13 Why real estate? From PwC to Cole Capital02:20 What drew Sean to net lease specifically03:37 The unique financial flavor of net lease03:53 Net lease defined: structure, not property type05:23 How an investor should approach net lease08:05 Underwriting: matching your goals to the asset10:10 Common lease structures and absolute triple net13:14 Sale leasebacks in the post-2020 market14:01 The three ways to buy net lease deals16:14 Why private equity loves sale leasebacks19:32 Rent bumps, escalations, and cap rate ranges23:06 Who's actually buying net lease26:18 Acknowledging data and availability bias26:48 The Blackstone effect and institutional surge30:03 Final Four: what we're not talking about enough32:18 What changes most in CRE over ten years32:42 Self-driving cars and the fat-tailed future36:10 Best career advice: lock down the right partner37:35 Who should come on the podcast next39:44 How to reach Sean and Net Lease Observer

The AI Real Estate Goldmine Everyone's Missing With Bruce Garrison

Fiber connectivity has quietly become one of the most decisive factors in data center site selection, and the AI buildout is about to make it far more complex. In this episode of The Real Finds Podcast, Gordon Lamphere sits down with Bruce Garrison, CEO of BIG Fiber, one of the leading names in metro dark fiber infrastructure serving the San Francisco Bay Area, Greater Portland, and Greater Atlanta.Bruce brings more than 20 years in the fiber infrastructure industry, including leadership roles at Kansas Fiber Network and GTS Central Europe. BIG Fiber operates a 100% underground network spanning hundreds of route miles and connecting dozens of on-net data centers across its markets.In this conversation, we cover:- Why fiber rings exist and how redundancy underpins data center uptime SLAs- How hyperscaler campuses now demand three to four diverse routes back to interconnect- Why AI inference could multiply data center endpoints tenfold and reshape the map- The shift from a few large campuses to high-volume, distributed, smaller compute sites- Why fiber is the hardest problem to solve once you move outside the urban core- How modular data centers, cell towers, and enterprise buildings become AI infrastructure- What developers, brokers, and communities should understand about the long-term tax and economic case for data centersFor site selectors, developers, and commercial property owners, this is a clear-eyed look at the infrastructure layer most of the market overlooks until it becomes a dealbreaker.Bruce Garrison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brucegarrisonNew episodes of The Real Finds Podcast drop every Wednesday at 3 PM CT on YouTube and Spotify.Van Vlissingen and Co., Chicagoland's oldest commercial real estate brokerage (founded 1879)Web: https://www.vvco.comPhone: 847-846-6902Email: info@vvco.com#CommercialRealEstate #DataCenters #DarkFiber #AIInfrastructure #SiteSelection #CRE #DigitalInfrastructure #Hyperscaler