Real Estate Forum

Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate at Columbia Business School
  • 5.0 (20)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Presented by the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate at Columbia Business School, The Real Estate Forum podcast offers insights into the evolving real estate landscape—from candid conversations with thought leaders to cutting-edge research from the Milstein Research Lab. Hosted by Raphael Sidelsky, episodes feature Columbia alumni, faculty, and industry experts exploring the ideas and innovations shaping the future, from capital markets and development to sustainability and strategy. ⁠https://business.columbia.edu/realestate

  1. Nearshoring & Industrial Real Estate: Mexico’s Manufacturing Boom

    4D AGO

    Nearshoring & Industrial Real Estate: Mexico’s Manufacturing Boom

    Hosted by Raphael Sidelsky, this episode features Gregorio Schneider, Chief Investment Officer at TC Latin America Partners and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Business Finance Division at Columbia Business School. Gregorio shares his career journey from banking in Mexico to building a leading investment platform focused on industrial, logistics, and infrastructure opportunities across Latin America. Together, they explore how USMCA, labor costs, and regional supply chain shifts are driving manufacturing and logistics growth throughout Mexico. The conversation dives into key industrial markets including Monterrey, Tijuana, Juarez, and Mexico City, highlighting market dynamics such as vacancy rates, infrastructure constraints, and sector-specific growth. Gregorio also explains how investors are adapting strategies in today’s market cycle through build-to-suit developments, stabilized asset acquisitions, and long-term nearshoring plays. The episode concludes with insights on tariffs, automation, currency impacts, and why regionalization between the US and Latin America could shape the future of industrial real estate. Read Gregorio's featured viewpoint "The Southern Border and the Nearshoring Debate" on the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estates website here: https://business.columbia.edu/insights/milstein-center/southern-border-and-nearshoring-debate 00:00 – Introduction & Gregorio’s Market Perspective 27:51 – Adapting Strategy Through the Real Estate Cycle 28:32 – Demand Pipeline & USMCA Uncertainty 29:13 – Build-to-Suit Return Profile Explained 30:41 – Cash-on-Cash Returns & Exit Cap Rates 31:43 – Currency Risk & Dollar-Denominated Structures 32:23 – Automation, AI & the Future of Manufacturing 33:41 – Regionalization vs. Globalization 34:39 – Compression of U.S.–Mexico Cap Rate Spreads 35:19 – Book Recommendation: “The Globalization Myth” 36:00 – Life Philosophy, Running & Real Estate Cycles 36:46 – Closing Remarks & Additional Resources

    38 min
  2. Conviction & Recalibration: Lauren Hochfelder on Strategy and Steering $75B in Real Assets

    MAY 6

    Conviction & Recalibration: Lauren Hochfelder on Strategy and Steering $75B in Real Assets

    Lauren Hochfelder, Managing Director and Head of Global Real Assets at Morgan Stanley, joins Raphael Sidelsky to share insights from her 25-year career in real estate and investment banking. Lauren discusses her journey from studying ethics, politics, and economics at Yale to leading Morgan Stanley’s global real estate, infrastructure, and credit businesses. She explores key real estate investment themes, including demographic-driven senior housing, industrial demand fueled by e-commerce, and global opportunities in markets like Japan. Lauren highlights the value of institutional memory, rigorous research, and collaborative team culture in making informed investment decisions. The conversation also touches on balancing a demanding career with family life and how real estate continues to serve as a hedge against inflation, even amid evolving market dynamics.

    56 min
  3. Building for Decades: Howard Hughes CEO on Master-Planned Communities & Strategy

    APR 22

    Building for Decades: Howard Hughes CEO on Master-Planned Communities & Strategy

    Host Raphael Sidelsky sits down with David O'Reilly, CEO of Howard Hughes Holdings, to discuss his path from engineering and investment banking to leading one of the country’s most innovative real estate platforms. The conversation explores the company’s master-planned community model, its long-term “flywheel” approach to development, and how projects like Summerlin and Ward Village create value over decades. David also shares insights on current market conditions, disciplined capital allocation, and the firm’s evolution toward a Berkshire Hathaway-style structure, including the potential role of insurance in scaling long-term growth.  00:00: Intro – Raphael Sidelsky welcomes David O’Reilly  02:00: Career Path – From engineering to investment banking to CEO  06:00: Lessons Learned – Finance and capital markets insights  12:00: Howard Hughes & MPC Model – Master-planned communities and flywheel approach  20:00: Balancing Short- & Long-Term – Profits, land, and growth strategy  30:00: Signature Communities – The Woodlands, Summerlin, Ward Village  38:00: Market & Capital Allocation – Current conditions and disciplined investing  45:00: Holding Company Strategy – Berkshire Hathaway-style growth and insurance  50:00: Closing Thoughts – Long-term value and strategic insights

    35 min
  4. Keith Breslauer on Patron Capital and Real Estate Private Equity Investing in Europe

    APR 8

    Keith Breslauer on Patron Capital and Real Estate Private Equity Investing in Europe

    Keith Breslauer, founder and managing director of Patron Capital, joins host Raphael Sidelsky to discuss the evolution of Patron into a leading pan-European private equity real estate platform. He shares how the firm built its value-add and opportunistic strategy across Western Europe, expanded into mezzanine credit and separate accounts, and partnered with Mitsubishi Estate to scale the platform. Keith also discusses the importance of governance, disciplined leverage, and local operating expertise, as well as Patron’s charitable housing initiative supporting women and families affected by domestic abuse. The conversation also explores ESG, mid-market opportunities across Europe, and the leadership values that shape Patron’s culture and long-term vision. 00:00 – Introduction 00:35 – Meet Keith Breslauer 03:11 – From Capital Markets to Real Estate 06:58 – Building Patron Capital & Investor Trust 14:35 – Patron’s Business Lines & Investment Strategy 18:44 – Investing Across Europe vs. the U.S. 23:37 – ESG, Student Housing & Office Opportunities 27:48 – Culture, Ethics & Leadership Principles 36:00 – Personal Motivation & Teaching 38:40 – Advice for Young Real Estate Professionals 41:48 – Future of Real Estate & AI Impact 45:00 – Patron Capital Legacy & Philanthropy 47:00 – Personal Philosophy & Gratitude 49:00 – Closing Remarks

    50 min

  5. MAR 25

    Workforce Housing and the Missing Middle: Meredith Marshall on Scaling BRP Companies in NYC

    Host Raphael Sidelsky sits down with Meredith Marshall, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of BRP Companies, to discuss his journey from electrical engineering at AT&T Bell Labs to building a leading mixed-income and workforce housing platform. He explains how BRP has grown into a multi-billion-dollar developer by focusing on the “missing middle,” leveraging public-private partnerships, tax credit financing, and institutional capital. Meredith shares insights into transformative developments in Jamaica, Queens and Harlem, including the Urban Empowerment Center, and highlights the importance of transit-oriented development and policy alignment to address housing shortages. He also reflects on scaling BRP alongside major partners such as Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group, his leadership philosophy of empowering teams, and how innovation and disciplined execution are shaping the future of urban development. 00:00 – Podcast Introduction00:35 – Meredith Marshall’s Career Path03:40 – Lessons from Investment Banking04:45 – Investing Across Africa06:10 – Founding BRP Companies07:30 – Partnership with Goldman Sachs08:45 – BRP Today10:10 – The “Missing Middle” Housing Opportunity12:30 – Housing Constraints in New York15:15 – Transit-Oriented Development Strategy17:00 – Jamaica, Queens Development Case Study21:40 – Urban Empowerment Center in Harlem26:20 – Site K at the Javits Center30:00 – Closing Thoughts and Future of Housing Development

    35 min

  6. MAR 11

    Anar Chudgar on Building Conviction Without a Wall Street Roadmap

    Raphael Sidelsky sits down with Anar Chudgar, Co-President of Artemis Real Estate Partners, to discuss her journey from investment banking to leading a $12 billion real estate platform. She shares how Artemis differentiates itself through middle-market investing, emerging manager partnerships, and a strong focus on healthcare and senior housing. The conversation explores today’s higher-rate environment, the shift from credit-driven returns to equity opportunities, and valuation disconnects between public and private markets. Anar also discusses Artemis’ strategic partnership with Barings and MassMutual, how the firm maintains flexibility across asset classes and geographies, and why empathy, patience, and proactive leadership are critical to investing successfully across cycles. 00:00 — Introduction and Artemis overview 02:40 — Career path from investment banking to real estate investing 06:30 — Building and scaling Artemis Real Estate Partners 12:00 — Strategic partnership and platform growth 16:00 — Senior housing and alternative sector investment strategy 24:15 — Market cycles, credit vs. equity, and investment timing 27:45 — Technology, leadership, and career advice 33:00 — Final reflections and closing

    35 min
  7. Data Center REIT Pioneer to Digital Infrastructure Leader: Hossein Fateh on 25 Years Leadership Role

    FEB 25

    Data Center REIT Pioneer to Digital Infrastructure Leader: Hossein Fateh on 25 Years Leadership Role

    In our first episode of Season 2 of the Real Estate Forum Podcast, host Raphael Sidelsky sits down with Hossein Fateh, Founder and CEO of CloudHQ and Cloud Capital, to explore the evolution of the data center industry and why it has become one of the most durable and strategically important asset classes in real estate.   Hossein shares his journey from navigating real estate bankruptcies during the dot-com crash to co-founding and taking public an early data center REIT and ultimately building a global data center platform. He breaks down the fundamentals of powered land, long-term tenant relationships, and development yields, while addressing AI-driven demand, infrastructure constraints, financing innovation, and the myths around data center obsolescence. The conversation offers an inside look at the capital markets, operational discipline, and long-term thinking required to build and sustain digital infrastructure at global scale.  00:00 – Introduction  00:35 – Guest Introduction  01:33 – Early Career and Lessons  02:00 – Building CloudHQ  06:10 – DuPont Fabros Technology  14:58 – CloudHQ and Cloud Capital Today  20:28 – Infrastructure Demand Shifts  26:35 – Community and Environmental Concerns  31:59 – Economic Metrics and Underwriting  40:33 – Global Expansion and Risk Management  42:21 – Long-term Ownership and Exit Strategies  46:46 – Technological Advancements and Obsolescence  56:31 – Future of CloudHQ and Cloud Capital  61:58 – Closing Thoughts and Recommendations

    1h 5m

  8. FEB 20

    Real Estate Forum - Season 2 Trailer

    Welcome to Season 2 of the Real Estate Forum, a podcast from the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate at Columbia Business School. Home to Columbia’s renowned MBA Real Estate Program, the Milstein Center serves as a platform for thought leadership and exchange, connecting world-class faculty and deep industry expertise in the heart of New York City. Hosted by Raphael Sidelsky '99, this season, we go deeper into the forces reshaping today’s real estate landscape—through timely conversations with industry leaders, investors, operators, and developers, alongside insights from Columbia Business School’s world-class faculty and original research from the Milstein Center’s Research Lab. From capital markets and development to innovation, strategy, and sustainability, Season Two explores the ideas and decisions defining what comes next for the built environment. Whether you’re a real estate professional, investor, student, or simply passionate about cities and the spaces we inhabit, the Real Estate Forum delivers informed perspectives from one of the world’s leading real estate programs—based in New York at the center of the global capital markets.Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and join us for Season Two. The Real Estate Forum podcast is produced by The Podcast Consultant with special thanks to Executive Producer Maria Fera.

    2 min
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

Presented by the Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate at Columbia Business School, The Real Estate Forum podcast offers insights into the evolving real estate landscape—from candid conversations with thought leaders to cutting-edge research from the Milstein Research Lab. Hosted by Raphael Sidelsky, episodes feature Columbia alumni, faculty, and industry experts exploring the ideas and innovations shaping the future, from capital markets and development to sustainability and strategy. ⁠https://business.columbia.edu/realestate

Information

  • Creator
    Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate at Columbia Business School
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate at Columbia Business School
  • Show Website
    Real Estate Forum

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