The Dealmakers’ Edge with A.Y. Strauss

Enjoy the show? Have a guest in mind?  Email us at podcast@aystrauss.com to let us know your feedback and who you want to hear on the next episode.  Connect with Aaron and the A.Y. Strauss team: Our website ( www. AYStrauss.com )   Aaron's website bio page  ( Aaron's bio page )  Aaron's LinkedIn account ( LinkedIn )  Our Twitter account ( @AYStrauss )

On this episode, managing partner Aaron Y. Strauss is joined by Michael Maturo , founding Managing Partner and President at RXR Realty (“ RXR ”), a multi-billion-dollar private real estate company, headquartered in New York. The RXR platform manages 84 commercial real estate properties and investments with an aggregate gross asset value of $21 billion. Prior to becoming President of RXR, Mr. Matur...

In this episode, managing partner Aaron Strauss sits down with  Mark Cover, CEO for the Southwest region at Hines. Founded in 1957 by Gerald D. Hines, Hines is a privately-owned global real estate investment firm with over $95 billion in assets under management and more than 96 million square feet of assets for which it provides property-level services. As CEO for the Southwest region, Mark is res...

James Nelson serves as Principal and Head of Avison Young ’s Tri-State Investment Sales group based in New York City. Throughout his illustrious 25-year career, James has facilitated the sale of over 500 properties and loans, amassing an impressive total valuation exceeding $5 billion. Since the inception of James' sales team in 2018, their impressive performance has culminated in closing ove...

Ellie Perlman is the founder of Blue Lake Capital Group , a private investment and management firm focused on multifamily real estate in the United States. Ellie draws from over fifteen years of experience across real estate investment, law, and property management. At current, Blue Lake Capital owns and manages over 3,300 multifamily units across the U.S. Ellie’s professional journey has been fea...

Chris Okada is the CEO of Okada & Company , a privately-held, full-service commercial real estate brokerage and investment company based in New York City. To date, the Okada & Company has completed more than $1.5 billion of commercial sales and leasing transactions.  Chris is also the founder of The Okada Acquisition Company , which focuses on acquiring prime office, retail, and multi-fami...

John Usdan , CEO of Midwood Investment & Development . Founded in 1925 as a residential brokerage, Midwood is a vertically integrated investment, development and management platform focused on best-in-class mixed-use commercial and residential properties. John has spent the past 42 years helping Midwood amass a portfolio that includes over 130 properties across the U.S., and several million sq...

In our newest podcast episode, Aaron Strauss sits down with Matthew Weinstein , Partner & Head of Credit at Axonic Capital . Drawing from a background in CRE credit strategies, Matthew guides Axonic’s asset allocation, sector allocation, trading and investment management of over $4.5 billion AUM. Alongside the firm’s CIO/Managing Partner Clayton DeGiacinto, Matthew oversees Axonic’s asset allo...

Dan Kodsi is the CEO of Royal Palm Companies (RPC) , a role he’s held since 1991. RPC is a leading Florida-based real estate and development firm that, under Dan’s leadership, has delivered over 6,000 units across mixed-use developments, multi-family, residences, and hospitality assets totaling over $3.5 billion in managed and completed projects to date. In 2011, Dan founded Participant Capital as...

Salman Khan is the founder and managing principal of Stabilis Capital Management , a privately held investment firm focused on senior-secured, short-duration bridge loans collateralized by commercial real estate and commercial & industrial assets across the U.S. He founded the firm in 2010 and has raised over $1.7 billion since its inception. Stabilis is currently deploying its fifth fund. A g...

Step into the mind of a legendary real estate developer - our latest podcast guest, Ian Bruce Eichner , who’s development accomplishments include over 14 million square feet across New York City skyscrapers, Miami Beach condo towers, and The Cosmopolitan resort and casino in Las Vegas. Founder of Continuum Company , Eichner has been a force in the national real estate development industry for over...

In this episode, Aaron Strauss sits down with Carlos Rodriguez, Sr. , the founder, chairman, and CEO of Driftwood Capital . Carlos breaks down the highs, lows, and milestones behind building a vertically integrated hospitality and lending platform. Carlos and his team manage Driftwood Capital’s $3 billion portfolio which includes 15,000 keys across 80 hotels. Enjoy the show? Have a guest in mind? ...

Cory Elbaum is a Managing Director on the U.S. Real Estate team at Angelo Gordon. Angelo Gordon is a leading, privately-held alternative investment firm, currently managing approximately $52 billion across a broad range of credit and real estate strategies. Cory oversees the firm’s real estate activities in the New York Tri-State area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut). Prior to joining the f...

Andrew Stewart , CEO of Cronheim Mortgage , takes a deep dive into the most surprising trends in commercial real estate debt financing.  In this latest installment of The Dealmakers Edge , Stewart sits down with host Aaron Strauss to provide an insider’s view of the hottest asset classes to watch for in 2023; managing the unrelenting pressure of making deals; and his keys to success in business an...

In this episode of The Dealmakers Edge , managing partner Aaron Strauss persuades Scott Sherman of Torose Equities to reveal his secrets about how to zig when others zag in commercial real estate, why the office space market will come back in certain markets in 2023,  and how that will turbocharge the careers of the next generation. Scott Sherman is the founder of Torose Equities, which he launche...

Firm managing partner Aaron Strauss sits down with Pine Tree CEO and Founder Peter Borzak to discuss building, growing, and positioning a $3 billion/20 million SF retail portfolio for opportunities in 2023 and beyond. ( Courtesy of Pine Tree, LLC): Peter Borzak is the Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder of Pine Tree. In that role, he has been developing, acquiring, managing, operating, and selling grocer...

Russell “Russ” Flicker started his career working for some of the biggest names in commercial real estate (and the world). The co-founder and managing partner of AWH Partners is an alum of The Blackstone Group and The Trump Organization as well as the former CIO for Ian Schrager Company. An entrepreneur at heart, Russ took his years of institutional experience and struck out on his own when he and...

Marci Griffith Loeber is the Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer of Griffith Properties. Based in Boston, Griffith Properties is a women-owned real estate investment firm focused on core-plus and value-add opportunities in Life Science, Industrial, Flex, and Office assets located in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. Marci’s leadership is informed by over 31...

For Swapnil Agarwal , building a multifamily value-add impact fund is personal. He experienced firsthand the challenges that face these low-income communities - first in India and then in Texas when his family immigrated at age 15. He shares his keys to succeeding in commercial real estate, the story behind Nitya Capital, and how his team is paying it forward while building a multi-billion dollar...

What does the future hold? More volatility, a greater need for fundamentals, and a society in which people live well past age 100. On this episode, Aaron Strauss sits down with one of the most respected academics and economists in commercial real estate to discuss his illustrious career, the 3 common traits of successful dealmakers, and his latest book (“The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevit...

On this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge , Lawrence “Larry” Taylor sits down with managing partner Aaron Strauss to discuss a true rags to riches story—from humble beginnings in Pennsylvania coal country to building a real estate investment empire in Los Angeles. Highlights include: Negotiating his first real estate deal at age 11. A life-changing conversation with LA Lakers owner Jerry Buss. The t...

On this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge , Jamie Hodari sits down with managing partner Aaron Strauss to discuss starting a flexspace industry leader, his mental edge for negotiations, and the pioneering way Industrious looks at the future of work. Highlights include: How a dirty conference room table & IKEA led to innovation. The key questions for an early-stage entrepreneur to ask.   The futu...

When Daniel Klein’s grandfather told him the family business needed him, he couldn’t say no. He took a pay cut, moved home, and started learning every component of building a healthy, recession-proof commercial real estate company. Fast forward twenty years later, and Klein has led the company to amass a $2 billion real estate portfolio. Listen as he shares a philosophical approach to the in’s and...

Before law school, John T. Thomas knew he wanted to get to Wall Street. However, he could never have anticipated that one day he would be ringing the bell and taking a company public. On this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge , Mr. Thomas sits down with managing partner Aaron Strauss and walks him through what can only be described as an incredible career in the commercial real estate sector. Now at...

Before managing Alex Rodriquez’ real estate portfolio, Stuart Zook had a long history of finding pockets of opportunity before anyone else. He shares his court-side stories with Host Aaron Strauss on the Dealmakers’ Edge podcast.  Highlights include: “Sharing” an office with billionaire Chicago Bulls & Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Navigating commercial real estate investments durin...