Deconstruct

From LA to D.C., tenant protections have emerged as the policy du jour after two years of rising rents cemented affordaiblity as a headline issue. Los Angeles has rolled out a patchwork of renter-friendly policies; the White House made a push for better regulation of the rental market and six states are eyeing reforms that would allow cities to instate their own versions of rent control. So what’s...

Last week, the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates for the eighth time in less than a year, sending benchmark rates to their highest level since 2007. For a mortgage market that has seized in the wake of higher financing costs, another rate hike would seem to be bad news. But Nadia Evangelou, senior economist at the National Association of Realtors, says the slowing pace of hikes could offer mark...

Twitter has stopped paying its rent, auctioned off furniture and let go half of its employees. None of that is helping Shorenstein and JPMorgan refinance a $400 million loan on the company’s San Francisco headquarters. Deconstruct chats with TRD reporter Emily Landes about Twitter's fights at the building and how it's emblematic of the larger impact of tech's shakeup on the San Francisco Office Ma...

Times Square hotels are headed to bankruptcy. Investors are clawing at distressed properties in Chicago. High interest rates are making it harder for investors to transact. And in California, more supply is coming offline, as developers look to hotels for adaptive reuse projects. Deconstruct chats with Atlas Hospitality Group president Alan Reay about the looming distress across the hotel industry...

Times Square is already full of tourists, billboard glitz and Broadway shows. SL Green, New York's largest landlord, is now bidding to build a casino in the entertainment hub. The firm has placed a bid with the city to take up one of three casino licenses up for grab in Downstate New York. The Real Deal's Deconstruct chats with SL Green executive Brett Herschenfeld about why the firm chose Times S...

On Tuesday, Jan. 10, Gov. Kathy Hochul delivers her State of the State address for 2023. Deconstruct has the scoop on where the governor's priorities lie when it comes to New York real estate. Hint: Affordable housing is a huge one.

It's the end of the year as we know it, and investors feel — uncertain. Rate hikes have slowed deals in the second half of 2022 and Fed Chair Jay Powell said there's more pain to come. But how long will all the available dry powder stagnate on the sidelines? Deconstruct breaks down 2023 forecasts for multifamily, retail, industrial and office and chats with Moody's Senior Economist Thomas LaS...

High rates and uncertain times have seen traditional CRE transactions falter in recent months. But for deal-hungry investors, Harrison Street CEO Christopher Merrill says there's an alternative — alternative assets. The executive makes the case that once-fringe investment vehicles like student housing or self-storage hold the recession-proof demand and repricing power investors are craving.

After low interest rates propelled investment sales to a record-breaking year in 2021, commercial brokerages including CBRE, Newmark and JLL, are now feeling the brunt of the impact. They're pushing to cut costs, some have laid off employees, but all agree the macroeconomic environment has made it hard to do business. Deconstruct chats with TRD reporter Patrick Ralph about the reasons behind the b...

As commercial real estate deals have sputtered under the pressure of a rising rate environment, one asset has proved a safe bet: grocery-anchored retail. Sales of shopping centers with a supermarket soared during the pandemic and should hold steady as other trades falter.

With rising interest rates, major institutions have cut back on lending. Issuances of commercial mortgage-backed securities dropped 35 percent in the third quarter, compared to the second. Deconstruct chats with Madison Realty Capital's Josh Zegen about what opportunities are still out there — coming from distress, loans on loans and creative refinancings. Credit: NBCLA

Compass CEO Robert Reffkin had a busy Nov. 10. Hours after speaking at a TRD forum in Miami, Reffkin got on a conference call with analysts to discuss the company's much anticipated earnings results for the third quarter. Compass lost $157 million from July through September — more than it lost in the second quarter. Deconstruct looks at the state of the brokerage, why it's struggling and where it...

Industry experts agree: Converting unused office towers to residential buildings is great in theory, but a moonshot to pull off. Despite the grab bag of obstacles that make these projects so difficult, the developer and office landlord Hines is getting in on the action. The Real Deal breaks down how Hines' Salt Lake City project pencils out and what it signals about the right building for the job....

After the city of Santa Monica failed to submit a state-approved housing plan on time, developers raced to capitalize on the city's failures. Under California state law, developers in cities whose housing plans fall out of state compliance can turn to filing so-called “builder’s remedy” projects that do not require the usual consent of municipal councils or planning commissions. But how did this h...

Investors have flocked to purchase single-family homes across the U.S., as technology has made the asset class scaleable. But, how will the sector fare with inflation, increasing interest rates and a potential recession on the horizon? Deconstruct chats with Doug Brien, the CEO of single-family rental management and investment firm Mynd about why he's still bullish on the asset class.

Ahead of its third quarter earnings, TRD's Deconstruct chats with senior reporter Keith Larsen about where WeWork stands and how it’s going about cutting costs under CEO Sandeep Mathrani. The company faces a difficult road in its effort to bounce back from its disastrous 2019 IPO attempt and navigate a struggling office fundamentals at the same time.

We all know how mortgage rates have shot up over the last few months, as the Fed has hiked up rates to fight inflation. But, home prices remain stubbornly high across the country. So, what's the deal? Deconstruct chats with Redfin's chief economist Daryl Fairweather about discussed the impact of the rate shifts on first-time homebuyers and why a slowdown in sales activity has not coincided with a...

It’s real estate trivia this week. A workhorse of the construction industry is now a disappearing resource. The catch: Few recognize the material is quickly slipping through our hands. TRD’s Deconstruct chats with reporter Kathryn Brenzel about the root of the crisis and how the industry can best adapt.

When celebrity broker Ryan Serhant left Nest Seekers in 2020 — striking out on his own months into a pandemic that had all but shut down New York City’s real estate market — the industry thought he was crazy. Deconstruct chatted with the former "Million Dollar Listing" star about his decision, the state of the housing market and why some residential brokerages are struggling right now.

Cannabis might be legal in New York, but no legal dispensaries are out there yet. State lawmakers have budgeted $200 million to build out 150 dispensaries by 2024, but the first licenses are yet to be given out. So how are landlords navigating all of this to bring in dispensaries as tenants? Deconstruct chats with TRD's Cailley LaPara about the issues both landlords and tenants are facing as the s...

Earlier this year, New York City's Department of Buildings approved Wildflower Studios: a $600 million, vertical soundstage project in Queens. Wildflower Ltd, run by Adam Gordon, is behind the project, with the help of Robert de Niro. TRD's Deconstruct chats with Gordon about his first foray into studio real estate, which has become a popular asset class among investors.

Ever wondered how much the top CEOs of real estate firms make? For The Real Deal's August cover story, reporter Joseph Lovinger sifted through records to find out just how much CEOs of public REITs and brokerages made last year. Deconstruct chats with Joseph about how he got the story and what sort of perks these top earners get.

After an insane year for high-end real estate in New York City, things have finally begun to slow. Kicking off a second season, The Real Deal's Deconstruct looks at the state of the luxury market in New York City with Brown Harris Stevens CEO Bess Freedman, who discusses the factors behind this shift and how her firm will adapt.

We're back! The Real Deal’s hit podcast “Deconstruct” is back on Aug. 29 for a second season of breaking down the most important concepts and trends in real estate, with bigger guests and bolder ideas. Hosts Isabella Farr and Suzannah Cavanaugh will kick off the second season of “Deconstruct” by interviewing Bess Freedman, CEO of Brown Harris Stevens, who will dig into the latest in New York City’...

Multifamily was the most popular asset class for commercial real estate investors in the first quarter. This popularity was fueled by extraordinary rent growth and historically low interest rates. Investors could get relatively cheap capital to buy up apartment complexes with steady cash flow. But interest rates are no longer historically low. So will the market start to cool? You'll hear from Mat...