The gang explores how niche assets like data centers, healthcare housing, and music buildings are creating new opportunities for investors seeking resilient, high-yield returns. They break down the capital market forces driving these sectors, examine signals of a possible recession, and debate New York City’s ambitious Local Law 97 and its impact on building owners. The episode wraps with a fun round of Real Estate Tech Survivor, where our hosts weigh in on which technologies are built to last.

Show Notes:

0:10: Intro

0:43: The Rise of Investments in Niche Assets

13:30: Are We Heading into a Recession?

22:40: Ryan and Brad debate NYC’s Local Law 97 (carbon emissions limits for buildings)

35:49: HILO Highlights- David’s time in Western Canada and the importance of customer service

47:30: Real Estate Tech Survivor

If you love what you hear, please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us grow and improve!

Be sure to visit our website at www.creunplugged.com and www.thesisdriven.com for all the latest news and updates.

Have thoughts or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line at info@creunplugged.com.

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This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

What does the next chapter of real estate tech really look like? We sit down with Alon Gorbonos, founder of RE Angels and veteran of the global investing scene, for a candid convo on the evolution of venture capital, the AI-fueled startup wave, and what it actually takes to scale innovation in a tighter, tougher CRE market. From PropTech to ConTech to FinTech (and a few dad jokes in between), we unpack where tech meets traction—and why the smartest bets are getting smaller, scrappier, and more sustainable.

Show notes:

0:11: Nadine and Ryan Intro

5:45: AI lowers barriers for startups

7:15: Welcome Alon Gorbonos

7:52: Alon’s journey from McKinsey to fund founder

14:42: Prediction’s for CRE’s digital transformation

21:23: Contech, FinTech, PropTech: who’s underfunded?

25:00: Bottom up or top down? Adoption insights for Contech

28:44: Transformation of current construction roles

34:50: Impact of AI on traditional VC model

39:47: Qualities of an agile VC

42:38: Real estate trends to keep an eye on

49:00: How Alon unplugs?

50:45: Where would Alon be if not in VC?

54:10: HILO commercial break

55:39: Ryan and Nadine’s recap

If you love what you hear, please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us grow and improve!

Be sure to visit our website at www.creunplugged.com for all the latest news and updates.

Have thoughts or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line at info@creunplugged.com.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel at @CREUnplugged1 and be sure to follow CRE Unplugged on LinkedIn and Instagram!

This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

In this CRE Unplugged x Thesis Driven crossover, Ryan, Nadine, and Brad unpack the ripple effects of newly imposed tariffs and the fresh wave of uncertainty hitting the market. They dig into the hype (and reality) of reshoring manufacturing—and whether bringing production back home could actually reshape industrial demand and CRE investment strategy.

As hybrid work continues to win out over return-to-office mandates, the crew explores how this shift is rewriting the rules on office usage, workplace design, and company culture. Then it’s onto the rise of bootstrapped tech: with AI, no-code tools, and dirt-cheap infrastructure, will more owners start building their own solutions from scratch?

And yes, Nadine jumps into her first real estate snake draft—making bold picks across asset classes and talking big picture bets for 2025. From macro headwinds to innovation tailwinds, this one’s a sharp take on what’s really moving the market.

Show Notes:

0:10: Intro

0:40: How are the Tariffs currently affecting the real estate market?

14:08: The impact of the decreasing cost of building technology

28:01: Hybrid Work is prevailing as RTO Mandates struggle to gain ground

41:24: HILO Highlights: David Abrams discusses his latest guests on TEN and his new blog about how CX is changing the workplace?

47:30: Real estate categories draft

If you love what you hear, please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us grow and improve!

Be sure to visit our website at www.creunplugged.com and www.thesisdriven.com for all the latest news and updates. Have thoughts or suggestions?

We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line at info@creunplugged.com.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel at @CREUnplugged1 and be sure to follow CRE Unplugged on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and X!

This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

The construction industry is evolving fast—and at the center of it all is the race to build smarter, faster, and more responsibly.

In this episode of CRE Unplugged, hosts Nadine Ezzie and Ryan Elazari sit down with Josh Hullum, Executive Director of Construction at Affinius Capital to unpack how teams are navigating grid constraints, shrinking carbon footprints, and making smarter bets on materials and markets.

Josh shares how his team cut embodied carbon by 40% on a California industrial park, why mass timber and wellness are more than trends, and how data centers are colliding with the limits of our power infrastructure.

From AI-driven design to the green premium, this episode is a playbook for building better—without compromise.

Show Notes:

0:10: Nadine and Ryan share life updates

4:48: The fast evolution of the construction industry

6:10: Introducing Josh Hullum8:55: Josh’s career journey

12:46: Challenges to building Data Centers

16:55: Primary markets for Data Centers/The availability & race to power

19:59: What’s fueling demand in the industrial sector and where the next opportunities lie.

22:23: Josh highlights a development project he’s proud of—and what's making it a success.

30:55: How Affinius is utilizing AI?

32:08: “The Green Premium”

35:59: Staying motivated when facing market or project challenges

38:21: “The Perfect Building”

44:18: Advice to entering the CRE industry

47:22: How does Josh Unplug?

53:45: Nadine & Ryan’s Takeaways

If you love what you hear, please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us grow and improve!

Be sure to visit our website at www.creunplugged.com for all the latest news and updates.

Have thoughts or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line at info@creunplugged.com.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel at @CREUnplugged1 and be sure to follow CRE Unplugged on LinkedIn and Instagram!

This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

#commercialrealestate #sustainabledevelopment #innovation #buildingthefuture

In this episode of the CRE Unplugged x Thesis Driven collab series, Nadine, Ryan, and Brad dive into four hot-button issues shaking up U.S. cities—and the real estate world. We continue to unpack NYC’s embattled congestion pricing plan (with a surprise Trump twist), break down Cambridge’s landmark rezoning and its impact on housing affordability, and ask the big question: why are mayors of America’s top cities floundering? Plus, we cut through the noise on the return-to-office wave and what it really means for commercial real estate.

Whether you're in real estate, urban policy, or just want to understand the forces reshaping our cities, this power session is your pulse check.

Show Notes:

0:10: Intro

0:47: Congestion Pricing Part 2 / Trump Weighs In

11:59: Cambridge, MA landmark Upzoning and affordable housing policy

20:18: Tanking approval ratings for major U.S. city mayors and the impact on development

28:33: HILO Highlights: David discusses CBRE/Industrious deal and value creation in CRE

36:04: Uptick in RTO buzz: actual shift or CEO posturing?

If you love what you hear, please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us grow and improve!

Be sure to visit our website at www.creunplugged.com and www.thesisdriven.com for all the latest news and updates. Have thoughts or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line at info@creunplugged.com.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel at @CREUnplugged1 and be sure to follow CRE Unplugged on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and X!

This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

Nadine and Ryan sit down with Susan Gerock, CIO of Elme Communities and one of the most respected voices in multifamily tech, to cut through the noise and get real about what’s actually moving the needle in real estate technology. From the one tech investment smaller firms can’t afford to skip to how applying a hospitality mindset to multifamily is reshaping the industry, Susan brings sharp insights and hard-earned lessons on aligning innovation with strategy. She also tackles cybersecurity risks, marketing tech madness, and the biggest mistakes in tech adoption (so you don’t have to learn the hard way)—plus, she shares what happens when a tech rollout goes sideways, and how to course-correct like a pro. Plus, we explore her passion for diversity and inclusion in real estate through initiatives like Real Talk and her work with 826DC. Smart insights, candid takes, and a few laughs along the way—don’t miss this one.

Show Notes:

0:10: Intro / February’s all about the birthdays

5:20: The latest on multifamily

7:10: Introducing Susan Gerock

8:03: Susan’s career journey

14;24: What is Susan’s favorite asset class?

15:07: The role of CIO and aligning real estate tech with a company’s goals

18:39: Leveraging tech to enhance tenant experience and retention

21:43: Hospitality driving the multifamily experience

23:53: The state of marketing tech within multifamily

31:07: Common mistakes in tech rollouts

34:36: Tech implementation gone wrong

38:55: Tech recommendations for smaller CRE companies

43:55: Are we doing enough to protect our data?

50:22: Biggest CRE data blind spot

54:17: Susan’s vote for the one to watch real estate tech

59:20: Susan’s involvement in RealTalk and 826DC

1:07:56: How does Susan “unplug”

In the first episode of this special collaboration series, Nadine and Ryan are joined by none other than Brad Hargreaves, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Thesis Driven and a sharp voice on all things real estate and urbanism. Together, we dive into the biggest trends shaping commercial real estate—from NYC’s congestion pricing and its ripple effects to the rise of exurbs and new cities designed for the next generation.

We also preview upcoming real estate events that are worth watching in 2024. And to top it off, Brad puts Nadine and Ryan to the test with a hilarious game of “PropTech Company or Prog Metal Band?” (Trust us, some of these names will surprise you.

Tune in for sharp insights, bold predictions, and definitely a few laughs.

Show Notes:

0:10: Kickoff

0:37: Introducing Brad Hargreaves

3:03: Breakdown of 2025 real estate/proptech events

10:40: NYC congestion pricing policy showdown

27:52: The rise of exburbs and new cities

40:24: Introducing David Abrams, CEO of HILO & Host of TEN

45:21: Proptech company or Progmetal band?

If you love what you hear, please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us grow and improve!

Be sure to visit our website at creunplugged.com and thesisdriven.com for all the latest news and updates.

Have thoughts or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line at info@creunplugged.com.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel at @CREUnplugged1 and be sure to follow CRE Unplugged on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and X!

This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

What does it take to lead a cutting-edge research and analytics team in one of the biggest names in industrial real estate? Everything—and then some. On this episode, Nadine and Ryan welcome Matt Rand, Managing Director of Research and Analytics at Link Logistics, for a no-holds-barred conversation about leadership, legacy, and data. Matt spills the secrets on mastering the "build vs. buy" tech dilemma, and tackling change management head-on. He breaks down the communication barriers between real estate pros and data scientists and shares his strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome in an ever-evolving industry.

Discover what Matt’s goals are for 2025, and don’t miss his take on how to measure success and the legacy he’s working to leave behind in the real estate world. This episode is packed with insights, laughs, and inspiration you won’t want to miss. Tune in now and get ready to level up your mindset!

Episode Notes:

0:24: Happy New Year!/Intro

4:16: 2025 predictions

8:28: Data analytics 101

10:27: Welcome, Matt Rand! / Matt’s 2025 goals

12:41: Matt’s career journey; from journalism to data analytics

20:49: Build vs buy technology; how Link Logistics decides

23:50: The role of data analytics at Link; where AI will come in

29:44: Running analog vs digital when implementing new tech

32:42: Matt’s approach to change management

41:18: The communication gap between practitioners and data scientists

45:50: How does Matt deal with imposter syndrome and cognitive dissonance?

52:50: Measuring success

55:06: What legacy does Matt want to leave behind?

58:58: Nadine & Ryan’s takeaways