There's a big gap in the market for a fun, fearless weekly pod that does for CRE what The Town does for Hollywood: 2 knowledgeable insiders discuss the biggest trends and deals and occasionally bring in an expert guest to shed light on a specific issue.
The Promote Podcast is your insider guide to the money and mania of the CRE markets. It's co-hosted by Hiten Samtani and no-BS institutional insider Will Krasne. Now a Top 100 pod on Apple in the “Business & Investing” category. Here’s what to expect:
Available now on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever your get your pods. If it’s your jam, please subscribe, review and share.
Ep57: The Frum Fraudfather & Pied à Terre Purgatory
Apr 22
This week, we finally tackle the story of Mark Nussbaum – the real estate attorney who became the nexus of the underground Orthodox CRE dealmaking world, facilitating hundreds of millions of dollars in deals and "show capital" before it all collapsed spectacularly in a wave of lawsuits, criminal fraud allegations, and even the suicide of a close collaborator, Mendy Steiner. Nussbaum's tale is a lens into the gray economy of the frum, where huge deals are often done on a handshake and under the aegis of a close-knit community. We also explore New York's new push for a pied-a-terre tax, which has serious momentum with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul in lockstep. Finally, we look at how Dubai billionaire developer Hussain Sajwani's luxury condo at the site of the Surfside tragedy has yet to sell a single unit – a new development launch is like an IPO - you only get one shot at setting the narrative.
Plus, our Punch List rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: SREIT's $1.7B refi, SL Green's Hyundai Tribeca rescue, more Stargate troubles and Ares' C-PACE bet.
This week, we break protocol to bring you a no-holds-barred interview with the poster child of the Sunbelt syndicator boom/bust, Alan Stalcup of GVA Management. Fueled by OPM, ZIRP, and an insatiable appetite for deals, Stalcup rode to the very top of the multifamily mountaintop, amassing 30,000 units in an acquisition spree for the ages. When rates turned, however, his firm became one of the highest-profile casualties, setting off a wave of defaults, investor & lender lawsuits, and explosive allegations of fraud.
In this unplugged conversation with The Promote, Stalcup talks through his rise – how a software salesman became one of the biggest landlords in the country through savvy fundraising, rapid acquisitions and fast exits – his butting heads with the likes of Fortress Investment Group and his lenders, and the aftermath of GVA's collapse. We talk through property management, syndicator raises and what happens when you become Patient Zero of a much broader reckoning.
This week, we chop it up on how God is Smiling Upon Alts: The federal govt has put forward much-anticipated regulation that creates a smorgasbord of investment options for retirees – with major implications for CRE. Next, we discuss how Manhattan office has broken the $300 a foot barrier – twice in a month! And finally, we bust out our Marley Slims and head to Brooklyn, where Orthodox dealmaker Simon Dushinsky's unorthodox playbook at the Rabsky Group is dominating the development landscape.
Plus, our "Punch List" rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: New York real estate succession with Andrew Chung coming in to lead Extell; the Q of federal govt. usage of its real estate footprint; DHS' in-limbo $38B warehouse purchase plan; and RXR's recap of a prominent office-resi project.
This week, we talk some takeaways from institutional real estate’s March Madness, the PREA conference – we’ve got the latest on what the industry's biggest allocators & fund managers are thinking about. Then, we SNF around that quirky asset class’ latest megadeal - Chuny Herzka’s $1.7B acquisition of the Centers healthcare portfolio. And finally, the changing of the guard at Camden Property Trust and BGO's takeover of Bell Partners are great excuses to discuss 2 of our favorite themes – AUM Gobbling & the private-leaning shift in the capital markets.
Plus, our "Punch List" rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: Apollo HQ2; tenants pouncing on distressed buildings dies; and the Dubai real estate scene.
This week, we dive into the life & times of two quintessential Men with Deep Pockets: Billionaire British Brothers David & Simon Reuben have become some of the most aggressive buyers of trophy hotel and retail assets across the country – many of them in various states of undress & distress. We then look at Apollo’s new NNN partnership with Realty Income - an alliance that says much about how both AUM Gobblers and vanilla REITs are saying they’ve got what the other needs. And finally, failed mega-retailer JCPenney is now the scene of a bruising battle with a jilted would-be buyer.
Plus, our "Punch List" rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: retail titan David Simon dies; Fannie & Freddie stocks freefall; Iran conflict raises questions about the Middle East's biggest CRE allocators.
This week, we dive deep into the M&A deal that's all anyone in institutional CRE can talk about. Savills – yes Savills! – is buying Eastdil Secured for $1.1B. That gives the Brits some serious capital-markets firepower stateside, but the devil lies in the details of the golden handcuffs. Next, we strap on our Lucchese boots and head to Dallas, where legendary dealmaker Ray Washburne has grand plans for a convention center. We discuss his HoF deal for Highland Park Village and how he's part of a dying breed of CRE cowboy we’re obsessed with.
Plus, our "Punch List" rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: JPM marking down private-credit portfolios; BTR neutering bill passes Senate; chaos at US Attorney's office hampers mortgage-fraud investigations; and Ben Ashkenazy's big LA deal.
This week, we have no choice but to tackle the topic of war. The conflict with Iran continues to roil markets and CRE's biggest allocators are in sixes and sevens. Fewer young people are going to college, which puts a big question mark on what's historically been one of the biggest drivers of real estate activity. And finally, with special servicers like Rialto continuing to play an outsized role in the market, some of their more exotic strategies are coming under a pretty harsh spotlight.
In Ep. 50 (!), we trace Larry Silverstein's odyssey with the World Trade Center redevelopment, analyzing the new blockbuster Amex deal and the insurance, legal and financing battles that the developer has fought since 9/11. Next, we jump on our Zambonis and check out Jamestown’s push for a hockey team in Atlanta. And finally, Blackstone has a data center offering that it wants to share with the universe - of retail investors, that is.
We also do a "Punch List" rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: CRE players' outsized roles in the Iran attacks; Hudson Pacific's billion-dollar losing streak; the Mamdani-Trump Sunnyside Yards bromance; and the Korein family going to the mat with Steve Roth's Vornado.
This week, we look at the tragicomedy that is TSX Broadway, the Maefield/L&L/Fortress Times Square megadevelopment that came undone and left hundreds of foreign investors in the lurch. We discuss how complex ground-up projects can lay waste to capital stacks, and what can happen between partners under pressure. We then look at the latest alarm bells ringing in the high-octane world of data center development – Blue Owl is staring down a multibillion-dollar void, and OpenAI’s marquee Stargate project has had major challenges powering up. Finally, we explore the rise of the rich renter – a trend that’s reshaping the multifamily – and condo markets.
We also do a "Punch List" rundown of the newsiest industry happenings: Shvo selling Transamerica Pyramid in SF; the Kushner battle over Veris Residential; Witkoff's Roosevelt Hotel cameo; ICE's $38B warehouse shopping spree; and Stonepeak's marina moves.