CPE Podcasts

Commercial Property Executive
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CPE Podcasts is a multi-series channel produced by Commercial Property Executive, exploring issues and trends across the U.S. commercial real estate industry. Find out more on our website: www.cpexecutive.com

  1. Step Into My Office: Inside Denver’s Distressed Office Rebound

    1D AGO

    Step Into My Office: Inside Denver’s Distressed Office Rebound

    Distressed office buildings are becoming a defining part of the current market cycle, especially as higher vacancy, tighter lending conditions and slower demand continue to pressure owners. But distress does not always mean an asset is obsolete. In many cases, the challenge is financial, creating an opportunity for other buyers to reinvest and compete for tenants.Real Capital Solutions is one of the firms taking that selective approach. With over $5.1 billion in investment since 1984, the company is targeting assets with strong fundamentals but challenged capital structures, focusing on properties that can still perform well with the right leasing strategy and repositioning.In this episode of Step Into My Office, CPE’s Olivia Bunescu talked with Real Capital Solutions Founder & CEO Marcel Arsenault about Denver’s office reset and the firm’s approach to buying into distress. Arsenault touched on the idea that office is both an operating and a people business, what lenders still get wrong about the sector, which assets the firm is targeting and what office recovery will look like going forward. Here’s what they discussed: How’s the office market right now? (01:42)Office as an operating business, not a passive asset class (03:06)The lender pullback (05:21)Identifying real opportunities in distressed office (08:42)Financial distress vs. operational distress (11:28)Why is Denver different? (13:04)Neighborhoods and building types RCS is watching (14:38)Cap rates, cash flow and the role of lenders in the recovery (16:04)Why some obsolete office buildings may not be fixable (20:19)First moves after acquiring a distressed office asset (22:30)The outlook for Denver and the national office sector (25:19)Real estate is ultimately a people business (28:03)

    30 min
  2. Alternative Disruptors: Life Science Real Estate in Transition

    4D AGO

    Alternative Disruptors: Life Science Real Estate in Transition

    Life science real estate has been widely regarded as one of the most resilient sectors of the property market in the U.S. After a surge in new construction that started during the COVID-19 pandemic, the sector is now faced with sharp-rising vacancies in some of the biggest clusters.Long-term drivers like talent, funding, onshoring and biomanufacturing still point to major opportunities, however. In the latest episode of Alternative Disruptors, host Tudor Scolca-Seușan talks with Colliers Executive Vice President Joe Fetterman about where this asset class is headed in 2026 and beyond.Fetterman discusses how the sector evolved in recent years, from the robust enthusiasm felt by investors in 2019 and 2020, to the interest rate increase period and the slow absorption levels in 2024 and 2025.There is hope for the future, however. Fetterman explains why the life science sector’s story is not black and white: while demand for R&D lab space has softened, biomanufacturing is gaining momentum due to onshoring efforts, the U.S. pharma consumption market and blockbuster drug capacity needs.The conversation also covers how investors find opportunities amid oversupply and potential distress, including the case of ‘reversions’ from lab to innovation use or office. Fetterman also touches on the rise of AI and its potential to disrupt the sector.In this episode, you’ll also hear about why the top clusters (Boston, San Diego and San Francisco) are bound to recover faster, as well as which emerging markets have the most potential to become a major hub and why.Here’s a breakdown of the discussion:* (00:00) Intro* (01:08) post-COVID reality check* (04:49) Labs vs. manufacturing split* (08:09) Where opportunity is now* (12:59) Demand drivers and capital* (18:53) Manufacturing durability and AI* (21:06) Top clusters and ecosystems* (24:19) Vacancy, oversupply and recovery* (27:43) Manufacturing location decisions* (30:29) Emerging markets* (34:04) 2026 outlook and wrap-up

    37 min
  3. Sustainability Street: The Rise of Intelligent Buildings

    MAY 14

    Sustainability Street: The Rise of Intelligent Buildings

    Welcome back to Sustainability Street, CPE’s podcast on the intersection of commercial real estate and the world we live in. Smart buildings have gotten really smart. In this episode, R-Zero Chairperson & CEO Jennifer Nuckles and I chat about how intelligent buildings have moved from advisory to actual operational control at a time when property owners are hyper-focused on improving NOI. Today, intelligent, self-optimizing properties can automatically lower owners’ energy costs along with their carbon footprints. According to Nuckles, AI-powered building management systems have enabled energy to transition from “a fixed unavoidable expense to a controllable material driver of operating expense and valuation.” These systems are also facilitating sustainability’s shift from an externally motivated activity to a line item with direct profit and loss and valuation consequences. “Sustainability initiatives are now indistinguishable from margin expansion initiatives, and the office of the CFO is really paying attention," Nuckles noted. Here are some highlights from our conversation:(01:27) Nuckle’s sustainability journey (04:07) Energy costs and dynamic buildings (06:04) Doing the math on smart buildings (08:25) From static to real time (10:15) Sustainability and smart buildings (13:45) Why your data layer is so important (15:47) Optimizing current assets over building new (17:55) Cutting the cost of regulatory compliance (19:49) How office and industrial are converging (21:18) The next frontier in intelligent buildings (22:02) More resources on technology trends

    25 min
  4. Inside Industrial: Kansas City’s Build-to-Suit Wave

    MAY 11

    Inside Industrial: Kansas City’s Build-to-Suit Wave

    Kansas City’s industrial market has seen a meaningful share of new deliveries translate directly into occupancy, with build-to-suit activity playing an outsized role in recent absorption. In the third episode of Inside Industrial, JLL’s Kevin Wilkerson and Phil Algrim joined CPE’s Diana Firtea to discuss how disciplined development, competition for sites and power availability are influencing Kansas City’s next phase of industrial growth. Wilkerson pointed to a string of large build-to-suit deliveries completed over the last 12 to 18 months, including projects for Ace, Amazon, Church & Dwight, Blue Buffalo, McKesson and Pimco Bakeries. The guests also noted that speculative development has remained disciplined, with a limited pool of active developers and rising competition for development-ready land. They described how data center demand has pushed some land pricing above levels that industrial projects can underwrite, adding another variable for developers trying to pencil new starts. On feasibility, they cited Kansas City’s strong electrical grid for traditional industrial uses, but said power constraints become more complex for manufacturing and data center projects, where Evergy’s energy study process can add meaningful cost and time early in site selection.

    16 min
  5. Investment Matters: Institutional Eye

    MAY 5

    Investment Matters: Institutional Eye

    When I want to get a handle on the big picture of commercial real estate investment, I always find it helpful to pick the brain of an executive from a global institutional investor. That’s why I jumped at the chance to sit down and talk with Mike Byrne, the chief investment officer & head of private equity and debt at AEW Capital Management. AEW has been around for 45 years, and Mike himself has been with the company since 2003. During our conversation, Mike walked me through the big issues he’s tracking. He offers compelling insights about office, industrial, retail and multifamily—plus a few words of caution. Mike also tells us about the formative years of his career, including the job that he says was “almost like getting an MBA in our business.” And whether you’re relatively new to real estate, or you’ve been a professional for a while, Mike has thought-provoking ideas about building your career. Just a brief note about the timing of this recording. We spoke shortly before the Middle East conflict started, so we weren’t able to address the potential impact on real estate finance and investment. But I think it’s fair to say that Mike’s observations about market dynamics still hold true. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you’ll check out CPE’s Capital Markets newsletter, our free, twice-monthly roundup of the latest trends, analysis and data in commercial real estate investment. It’s easy to subscribe—just go to https://www.commercialsearch.com/news/subscriptions/. Hope you enjoy our conversation!

    42 min
  6. Sustainability Street: Building With Less Carbon, Not More Cost

    APR 17

    Sustainability Street: Building With Less Carbon, Not More Cost

    Welcome back to Sustainability Street. CPE's podcast on the intersection of commercial real estate and the world we live in. Not so long ago, addressing embodied carbon in construction project was thought to be cost prohibitive. Increasingly, that is not the case. My guests for this episode, are Rebecca Esau, a manager with the Rocky Mountain Institute's Carbon-Free Buildings Program, and Tolga Tutar, senior sustainability director with Skanska. We discuss a report they've co-authored that demonstrates how developers are lowering embodied carbon cost effectively through early planning, available tools and more efficient materials. And we talk about how new developments in technology, circularity and carbon-storing bio-based materials will improve the business case for low-carbon buildings. Here are some highlights from our conversation: (1:54) Zeroing in on embodied carbon(5:23) Embodied carbon then and now(12:17) Proving the case for cost parity(20:26) Mass timber delivers savings(22:02) New life for old buildings(23:01) Elevating the bid leveling process(27:36) The importance of early planning(34:39) The next frontier in reducing embodied carbon(41:03) For more information… Follow, rate and review CPE’s podcasts on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe to CPE’s  YouTube channel!

    45 min
  7. The Learning Curve: From College to Career in Industrial Brokerage

    APR 13

    The Learning Curve: From College to Career in Industrial Brokerage

    In the inaugural episode of The Learning Curve, Kidder Mathews Senior Associate Tobias Hipp sits down with CPE's Mikayla Sciortino and shares his firsthand experience of what his career in industrial brokerage has entailed thus far and what has kept him going over the first few years.

    23 min
  8. Commercial Design Lab: How AI Is Reshaping Architecture Workflows

    APR 8

    Commercial Design Lab: How AI Is Reshaping Architecture Workflows

    The first episode of Commercial Design Lab, a new podcast hosted by CPE Senior Associate Editor Beata Lorincz, explores how AI is beginning to reshape architectural workflows, from early-stage design and zoning analysis to building performance optimization. Sandeep Ahuja, Co-Founder & CEO of AI-powered architecture practice cove, discusses the limitations of traditional processes and the growing role of automation for architects and their practices.

    24 min
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About

CPE Podcasts is a multi-series channel produced by Commercial Property Executive, exploring issues and trends across the U.S. commercial real estate industry. Find out more on our website: www.cpexecutive.com

Information

  • Creator
    Commercial Property Executive
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    179
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Commercial Property Executive
  • Show Website
    CPE Podcasts

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