The Walker Webcast

Willy was joined by David Ignatius, renowned American journalist, associate editor and columnist at The Washington Post, and bestselling novelist. With decades of experience covering global intelligence, diplomacy, and conflict, David brings a rare insider’s perspective on the dynamics shaping U.S. foreign policy.   Together, he and Willy examined ongoing international conflicts, how the U.S. is f...

Kicking off the new year, Willy was joined by Carolyn Dewar, founder and global co-leader of McKinsey & Company’s CEO Practice and co-author of the New York Times bestseller, A CEO for All Seasons. Drawing on decades of experience advising the world’s top CEOs, Carolyn shared practical insights applicable at every stage of a career - from the mindsets that distinguish top performers to the importa...

On a special, in-person Walker Webcast, Willy sat down with Jeffrey Soffer, Chairman and CEO of Fontainebleau Development and one of the most influential figures in luxury real estate and hospitality. They discussed the evolution of the Fontainebleau brand, Jeffrey’s career path, how design and development are reshaping luxury living, the Las Vegas and Miami markets, what’s ahead for high-end hosp...

This special compilation episode features twelve of the extraordinary executives who have joined Willy to share the clarity, values, and courage required to lead in today’s world. These leaders represent global institutions, trailblazing startups, and culture-shaping organizations. From resilience under pressure to reinvention through uncertainty, their insights show what it truly means to grow, a...

On a special, in-person episode of the Walker Webcast, Willy was joined by Jonathan F.P.  Rose, Founder & President of Jonathan Rose Companies, and Scott J. Alter, Principal & Co-Founder of Standard Communities. They took to the stage at AHF Live in Chicago to tackle some of the hottest topics facing affordable housing.  They explored market dynamics, growth drivers behind their businesses, the ma...

On this Walker Webcast, Willy sat down with Chris Nassetta, President & CEO of Hilton, to discuss his experience running one of the world’s most iconic hospitality companies. They explored Chris’ entry into the hospitality business, how to lead through complexity, strategies for building resilience, the tough decision to relocate the Hilton headquarters, the integration of AI in the industry, why...

On a special episode of the Walker Webcast, Willy sat down with his father, Mallory Walker, Former Chairman and CEO of Walker & Dunlop, at the UVA Real Estate Conference. Together, they discussed the origins and early years of Walker & Dunlop, how the company evolved under Willy’s leadership, Mallory’s experience earning his degree at UVA 40 years after attending undergrad, advice for people enter...

On this Walker Webcast, Willy was joined by Jay Hartzell, President of Southern Methodist University (SMU) – one of the nation’s premier research and teaching universities. At a time of historic momentum for the university – record applications, investments in technology, and an athletics program on the ascent – Jay brings a bold and forward-lookingvision to SMU. He and Willy discussed key moments...

On this Walker Webcast, Willy was joined by legendary explorer and bestselling author, Erling Kagge. Erling was the first explorer in history to reach the North Pole, South Pole, and the summit of Mt. Everest on foot. He was also the first to walk alone to the South Pole, and the lessons he learned along the way about silence and the meaning of life are invaluable. He sat down with Willy at the Su...

On this week’s Walker Webcast, Willy was joined by aviation-industry trailblazer David Neeleman, the Founder and CEO of Breeze Airways. Over the past three decades, David has launched some of the most successful airlines in the world — including JetBlue, Azul Brazilian Airlines, and WestJet. He and Willy discussed David’s entrepreneurial origin story, his entry into the aviation industry, his miss...

On a special episode of the Walker Webcast, we aired Willy’s in-depth conversation with Stephen Scherr, Co-President of Pretium, recorded live from the 2025 Pretium Symposium. This episode featured Willy as the interviewee, offering his insights from the other side of the table. Hear his perspective on how rate cuts may impact the real estate market, the role of banks in a lending and office rebou...

Willy was joined by Jonathan Goldstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Cain, an investment firm with approximately $14 billion in assets under management. They discussed Jonathan’s upbringing and the strong foundation his family instilled in him, key lessons in leadership that he’s carried forward, pivotal moments throughout his career journey, the biggest risk he’s ever taken, insights into the hospitalit...

Willy sat down with renowned economist Dr. Peter Linneman for another installment of the Most Insightful Hour in CRE where they unpacked the latest insights from the Fall Linneman Letter. Peter shared his perspective on the forces shaping today’s economy, including GDP growth, hidden weakness in the labor market, Fed rate cut predictions, whether deficits and government shutdowns really matter, th...

Willy sat down with Muriel Bowser, Mayor of Washington, D.C. In this highly anticipated conversation, she and Willy discussed her efforts to diversify the city in the wake of federal uncertainty, the role of sports in revitalizing the district, how they’re attracting top talent, affordable housing initiatives, D.C.’s next chapter, and so much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...

Willy sat down with Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and bestselling author of Permission to Feel and the new book, Dealing with Feeling: Use Your Emotions to Create the Life You Want.  Marc has dedicated his career to understanding the power of emotions in shaping our decisions, relationships, and overall well-being. He shared science-backed tools for...

Willy was joined by Tom Gilbane, Managing Member and Co-President of Rockpoint, at the 2025 Zelman Housing Summit.  He and Willy discussed Rockpoint’s investment strategy, Tom’s outlook on the office and multifamily sectors, trends in rent growth, and the impact of AI across CRE asset classes. They also covered the state of the life sciences industry, sustainability standards, Tom’s perspective on...

Willy was joined once again by Ryan Marshall, President and Chief Executive Officer of PulteGroup, Inc., at the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) Fall Conference.  They took to the stage to discuss how demographic shifts are reshaping the homebuilding market, the leading indicators PulteGroup relies on to navigate change, and the evolution of its brands to serve distinct...

Willy was joined by Jonathan Reckford, Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity International, an organization that is turning the vision of affordable housing into a global reality. They discussed Jonathan’s career journey, leadership lessons, Habitat’s global advocacy efforts, the challenge of affordable housing, and so much more. Watch or listen to the replay.  Learn more about your ad c...

In this special episode of the Walker Webcast, we featured Marc Porat’s powerful keynote on the transformative role of artificial intelligence at the Walker & Dunlop Summer Conference. Marc has spent his career at the intersection of technology and society, founding pioneering companies and anticipating the future of how we live and work. In this webcast, he shares his perspective on the exponenti...

Willy welcomed back one of the most respected voices in the housing industry, Walker & Dunlop’s Hall of Fame housing market analyst and executive vice president and co-founder of Zelman, Ivy Zelman. She and Willy covered the hot topics impacting today’s rapidly evolving housing landscape, including tariffs, inflation, interest rates, rising inventories, consumer trends, student loans, immigration,...

Willy welcomed back Will Ahmed, the visionary founder and CEO of WHOOP - the leading wearable fitness tracking company that’s reshaping how the world thinks about health and human performance. He and Will unpacked WHOOP’s expanded mission into lifespan and longevity, recovery trends in professional athletes, the integration of medical-grade capabilities into their technology, the impact of physiol...

On this episode of the Walker Webcast, we featured the timely and insightful remarks of Kate Moore, Chief Investment Officer at Citi Wealth, live from the Walker & Dunlop Summer Conference. Kate unpacked what’s driving investor paralysis, how consumer behavior is shifting, what higher-for-longer rates mean for portfolios, and why corporate confidence is faltering behind closed doors. She also give...

Willy sat down with Michael Levy, CEO of Crow Holdings, a Dallas-based real estate investment and development firm with over $33 billion in assets under management.  They discussed Michael’s broad macro view of the CRE market, opportunities he’s seeing across the asset classes, secular trends shaping the industry, opportunities in private credit, as well as his career journey, managing through the...

On a special episode of the Walker Webcast, Willy sat down with Dr. Theodore Schwartz—one of the nation’s leading neurosurgeons and author of Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery—at the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. Together, they discussed Dr. Schwartz’s approach to patient care and balancing transparency with compassion, making the decision to become a neurosurgeon, the power of the huma...

On this special episode of the Walker Webcast, recorded live at the Walker & Dunlop Summer Conference, guest host Gary Pinkus — Walker & Dunlop board member and former Chairman of McKinsey & Company — sits down with Gillian Tett, award-winning journalist, author, Chair of the Financial Times’ Editorial Board, and Provost of King’s College, Cambridge. You won’t want to miss Gillian’s unique perspec...