Lusk Perspectives

Water is increasingly behaving in ways that defy our plans. How should cities prepare when the risks keep changing? Roni Deitz (Arcadis) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to explore how water is reshaping real estate, infrastructure, and long-term investment. Starting with recent storms like Hurricane Helene and their devastating impacts, the conversation expands to examine...

Making more affordable housing is challenging, but it's far from impossible. Kyle Ransford (Cardinal Investments) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to offer a practical look at operating in today's multifamily market. The conversation covers Ransford's path from early-90s dealmaking to building a portfolio focused on workforce and affordable housing across Southern Californi...

What does it actually take to rebuild after a disaster—and who gets to build back? Longtime Altadena resident and development professional Joel Bryant (Bronzeville, Inc.) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to cover the real-world mechanics of post-wildfire rebuilding. Drawing on his decades of experience in multifamily projects, Bryant explains how homeowners are navigating s...

What's driving the uneven recovery at the core of California cities, and how is that impacting housing and investment? Sean Burton (Cityview) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) discussing the forces and fundamentals reshaping urban markets. The conversation moves from post-pandemic population shifts and the surge in AI-driven demand to the regulatory dynamics influencing Sout...

California's recent wave of pro-housing legislation has opened the door for more development on single-family lots and urban infill sites, but how much progress have we really made?  Shane Phillips (UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to trace California's evolving policy landscape, from accessory dwelling units to long-overdue CE...

How are retailers adapting to a changing consumer base and evolving real estate needs? Rachel Elias Wein (WeinPlus) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to explore what's next for retail. From data centers to neighborhood shopping centers, consumer behavior is driving change. The conversation spotlights how ownership models, store management, and customer habits are reshaping c...

What do supply numbers tell us about LA County's housing crisis, and how can research guide next steps? Jorge De la Roca (USC Price) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to discuss the findings of the 2025 State of Los Angeles County Housing (SOLACHAN) Report At the center of their conversation is the modern city dilemma: while cities drive economic vitality, they also create s...

What shaped Related California's approach to housing, and how has it adapted across market shifts? William A. Witte and Gino A. Canori (Related California) join Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to reflect on more than three decades of development, from pioneering uses of tax-exempt bonds to navigating today's capital markets. The conversation begins with policy and finance, inclu...

How can cities adapt to rising climate risks and shifting infrastructure needs? Christopher Boone (Dean, USC Price School of Public Policy) joins Richard K. Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to discuss how sustainability and resilience are reshaping housing, cities, and policy. From rebuilding after California wildfires to lessons from London's limited social housing, the wide-rang...

Selma Hepp (Cotality) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to unpack the third year of low home sales as affordability and insurance reshape demand across the US. From Florida's downturn to California's inventory bump, the conversation explores local shifts and their contributions to national trends. Hepp also shares how new climate risk tools could change pricing and property...

What's driving today's housing market shifts? How can economic principles help us navigate life and career choices? Daryl Fairweather (Redfin) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) and offers a glimpse at US housing markets before diving into insights from her new book *Hate the Game*. The conversation starts with Florida's drop in home price appreciation, California's middle-of...

With fewer transactions to measure, what's happening in real estate capital markets, and what's next? Kev Zoryan (Arselle Investments) joins Richard K. Green (USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to explore the state of capital markets and how today's environment is reshaping investment strategy. Zoryan shares his path from private equity to launching his own firm addressing the succession gap he sees...

Jerrold D. Green (Research Professor, USC Annenberg and President & CEO, Pacific Council on International Policy) joins Richard K. Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to discuss a short list of global hotspots from a United States perspective. Green delivers insights and offers detailed context on Israel-Gaza, China, Mexico, Ukraine-Russia, and the unique position the US holds within...

How will the US economy perform in 2024? Claudia Sahm (Founder, Sahm Consulting) joins Richard K. Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to discuss the US economy's recovery from COVID along with additional shocks and infer the implications of the Federal Reserve's playbook for 2024. Sahm's key points: - The US economy undeniably turned a corner in 2023 - The US recovery remains stronge...

Clayton Dube (Director, USC U.S.-China Institute) joins Richard K. Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to discuss the condition of U.S.-China relations and the latest developments in China's global influence on trade, supply chain issues, technology, and more. Dube highlights a challenge Chinese officials are watching closely in the coming years: stalling economic growth. To approach...

Joyce Chang (Managing Director & Chair of Global Research, JPMorgan Chase & Co.) delivers an overview of global economic trends to watch heading into 2023 and beyond. In the near term, Chang sees a mild recession taking effect in late 2023, with a true "soft landing", as identified by the Federal Reserve, being unlikely. She notes that overall cycles may be shorter, with a likelihood of 4-year rec...

Lusk Director Richard K. Green delivers highlights from the 2022 Casden Multifamily Forecast. Before Green gives a breakdown of Southern California multifamily real estate markets, he pauses to discuss four uncertainties impacting the region. Inflation, interest rates, net migration, and the impending recession are all top-of-mind issues that could dilute the forecast's potency should any of the f...

An industry panel discusses the changing dynamics of office work in real estate and beyond. By now, it's apparent that some version of remote work is here to stay for a dominant number of firms. Remote and hybrid work can solve serious employee issues like flexibility, commute times, and even productivity. However, the new work arrangements are not without drawbacks. Moderator Mary Lynne Boorn (As...

Racial bias in home appraisals and assessments is not just an anecdote. Norm Miller (Hahn Chair & Professor of Real Estate Finance, University of San Diego and Vice President, Homer Hoyt Institute), Ruchi Singh (Assistant Professor, University of Georgia), and Richard K. Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) discuss the statistically significant racial and ethnic biases in appraisals a...

Industry practitioners in lending and policy discuss the research and recommendations in the recently released paper "ADU Construction Financing: Opportunities to Expand Access for Homeowners." The joint paper, produced by the UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation and the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, compiles national data and stakeholder interviews to provide a picture of the hurtl...

Richard Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) delivers a presentation on how the ongoing conflict in Ukraine could impact the global economic trajectory as many countries, including the United States, attempt to cool inflation without triggering a recession. Green dives into more specific factors contributing to the USA's resiliency or vulnerability to global economic shocks. He shares...

Austin Beutner (Founder and Chair, Vision to Learn) joins Richard Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) for a discussion on what it takes to accomplish real change in Los Angeles.    Beutner asserts that the twin forces of leadership and governance have the power to solve many of the ongoing and intensifying issues in the county like homelessness, education, and land use. As Superinten...

Dana Goldman (Dean, USC Sol Price School of Public Policy) joins Richard K. Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to provide a look into how the economics of health care contribute to decisions about health policy and the strides that medicine is still making to close gaps in access to care. Pulling from a variety of case studies, Dean Goldman shows why markets don't always work in pro...

Claudia Sahm (Director, Macroeconomic Research, Jain Family Institute) joins Richard K. Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) to look at the US Economy and how the Federal Reserve is responding to inflation, unemployment, and interest rates. Sahm cites that the big picture points to economic recovery, especially while the Fed incorporates the principle lesson of the 2008-2009 financial...

Richard K. Green (Director, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate) highlights data and analysis from the 201 Casden Multifamily Forecast Report. Before Green dives into forecasted rent, vacancies, and deliveries for Los Angeles, Inland Empire, Orange County, San Diego and Ventura submarkets, he offers an economic context for where Southern California stands. In the context discussion, Green delivers ins...