Fully Occupied

Paul Tran is a seasoned entrepreneur with a history of founding, scaling, and selling successful restaurants and franchisees, including the largest franchisee of The Halal Guys. He shares his experiences with growing a portfolio of franchise sites and advice on what aspiring franchisees should look for. Tune in for Paul's insights on how to build a successful franchise empire and restaurant brand.

Ben Berman, President of BermanCRE, joins Matt to talk about the current state of the leasing market. He discusses opportunities in the retail and industrial markets, the impact of COVID-19 on the industry, and the disconnect between capital markets and the leasing market. Tune in for his advice on how landlords bolster their portfolios to withstand unstable economic conditions.

Robert Cartwright, Head of Global Hospitality at Fidelity Investments, discusses the implementation of hospitality in the workplace. He joins Matt to share his background in the hotel industry and how he brought his expertise to Fidelity. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Rob and his team leveraged the situation to redefine the employee experience. Tune in as he shares effective strategies for creating a workplace culture that prioritizes employee well-being, leading to increased productivity and satisfaction.

Gary Kao is the SVP of Business Development and Operations and on the founding team at Dealpath, a platform with a mission to smooth out the workflows for transactions for institutional owners. He joins Matt Giffune to share Dealpath's story, platform capabilities, its evolution over the last 9 years, and what they have in store for the future. Tune in for Gary's predictions on what the future of real estate tech looks like for the rest of 2023 and beyond!

Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli is the Co-Founder and CEO of WATS (Waste Administration and Tracking Software). She joins Matt to talk about how commercial buildings can improve the way they handle all the waste produced on a daily basis. Meredith shares how she built WATS to help owners and tenants track all of the waste that gets generated through their commercial spaces.

Pickleball has become America's fastest-growing sport, and Ace Pickleball Club is the leader in developing premium indoor pickleball facilities. Chief Growth Officer, Diego Pacheco, joins Matt to talk about their real estate strategy, what they look for in deals, and how they're developing over 50 franchises across the United States. Tune in to learn more about the trending sport and how Ace Pickleball Club is keeping up with the demand.

Ethan Chernofsky is the SVP of Marketing at Placer.ai, a foot traffic analytics platform for anyone with a stake in the physical world. Ethan joins Matt to discuss how retailers and retail investors can use analytics and data to make better decisions for not only store locations, but how they connect with their audiences. The trends he's seeing at Placer line up with what we're seeing here at Occupier, so tune in for his insights into what the future of retail holds!

Dillon Okner is a Co-Founder of SiteRise, a platform that helps companies, especially emerging retail brands, centralize their entire process for site selection and build out door opening for retail stores. Dillon has over 15 years of experience building out in-house software to help brands like Apple and Tesla expand their initial retail presence. He joins Matt to talk about some of the key challenges that retailers face when it comes to store planning, and how can technology solutions address these challenges.

Brandon Peterson is the CEO & Founder of Geokey, a mobile access control platform that has revolutionized the way multi-family apartment communities manage and secure their access points. He joins Matt to share how Geokey can help developers, investors, and property managers increase NOI and operational efficiency.

Kristina Tipton is the Director of Market Research at Near, a global, full-stack data intelligence platform that curates one of the world's largest sources of intelligence on people and places. Kristina joins Matt to share trends and findings from a recent CRE report. To understand the emerging trends in shopping centers, Near analyzed consumer behavior data for malls across the US. Tune in for data insights on shopping centers and how that data helps inform CRE decision-makers.

Len Dugow is the Founder and CEO of DASH, a revolutionary PropTech platform that provides a one-stop solution for a licensed residential real estate agent’s marketing needs. He shares how his career as an executive branding and marketing luxury residential platforms led him to realize that there's a better way to share content about residential properties with brokers, agents, and developers. Tune in to learn how DASH helps efficiently access accurate and up-to-date content of new construction projects.

Chris Ressa is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at DLC Management, one of the nation's leading retail real estate companies with properties across the US. Chris joins Matt to discuss the debate of digital vs. physical stores. They also dive into Chris's predictions on where the retail real estate market is headed. Chris is also the host of the Retail Retold Podcast.

Michael Broder is the founder of RCKRBX, a SAAS platform that's providing voice-of-the-customer (VOC) data to multifamily developers and owners. For years, the multifamily industry has made decisions based on anecdotal evidence, making it difficult to draw clear hypotheses, quantify business cases, and mitigate risk-particularly as tenant preferences are not properly accounted for. RCKRBX is moving developers to data-based evidence to where and how they should locate, build, and conform their multifamily buildings.

Gas stations are evolving beyond their traditional roles. Michael Salafia joins Matt to talk about how the gas stations that STAX Equity builds and operates, like SQRL, are so much more than just a place to fill up. But rather, safe places to eat, grab a coffee and charge your electric vehicle.

Jesse Stein, Airbnb’s Global Head of Real Estate, joins Matt to talk about the recently-launched and fast-growing Airbnb-Friendly Apartments program. Airbnb-Friendly Apartments allow renters to find apartments that they can list part-time on Airbnb to earn extra income as the cost of living continues to rise across the country. Over the last six months, Airbnb has grown the program from 175 participating buildings in 25 markets to more than 250 participating buildings across 37 markets in the U.S.

Tyler Carlson is the Co-Founder of Resquared, a local business prospecting platform that uses artificial intelligence to search and contact small business owners in any U.S. or Canada markets. They have data for retail, restaurant, office, medical, and light industrial uses. Tyler joins Matt to discuss the importance of having accessible data and how technology is changing the commercial real estate space. Tune in for his tips on selling to local businesses!

Aaron Brondum is the Vice President of Customer Success at Prescriptive Data. Prescriptive Data is focused on providing cost savings and enhanced thermal comfort in built spaces through the intersection of Operational Technology (OT) with Information Technology (IT). Aaron joins Matt to talk about how commercial real estate owners can use artificial intelligence to help drive down energy usage and be more prescriptive about how energy is used in buildings.

Simon Davis, Founder and CEO of Purposeful Intent, returns to Fully Occupied to talk about the changes in work-life balance in the commercial real estate industry. He and Matt discuss the return to work debate and how to manage the new distributed workforce. Purposeful Intent is an ongoing series of curated executive forums enabling open discussions and thought leadership around the Future of Work and the Future of Living.

As the commercial real estate sector continues to grow more than ever, it's important for professionals to stay ahead of the curve. Whether it’s more efficient prospecting, deal-making, management, or investing, it's become abundantly clear that data sharing is key. Michael Mandel, Co-Founder and CEO of CompStak, joins Matt to discuss the importance of lease comparable data and how CompStak is helping people make better real estate decisions.

Kyle Inserra is a 17-year restaurant industry veteran and commercial real estate professional who leverages his experiences to help restaurants develop more efficient operations, implement effective strategies, and establish comprehensive growth plans. He joins Matt to discuss the current trends and challenges facing the restaurant industry. Tune in for Kyle's strategies for expanding a restaurant business and growing its real estate portfolio, and to learn what his favorite cuisine is!

Austin Lo is the Founder and CEO of Peek, a complete solution for property owners and managers to deliver an immersive self-serve leasing experience that’s available to renters 24/7–online or in-person. The pandemic sped up an already-rapid change in the multifamily industry – digitization and centralization. But many building owners and managers are having trouble keeping up with the changing tides. Austin joins Matt this week to talk about this shift to centralization, and the role of technology in creating all-in-one systems for building managers and owners that simplify the leasing process.

Mike Hart, Chief Information Officer at Avison Young, joins Matt this week to talk about the evolution of commercial real estate (CRE) data and how technology shapes the industry. Mike has seen the industry go from using manual processes to collect and analyze data, to technological advancements that make it much easier to access and analyze data. The use of technology creates transparency in CRE data and a connection with clients, as they are increasingly seeking data-driven insights to inform their real estate decisions. Tune in for Mike's insights into the evolution of CRE data and how proptech is shaping the brokerage space.

Karly Iacono, Senior Vice President at CBRE and Host of the CRE Fast Five Podcast, joins Matt this week to discuss the ever-changing retail real estate market. Karly shares the trends and strategies she's seeing retailers deploy when scaling brick & mortar portfolios. Tune in for Karly's industry insights and advice for investors looking into the retail real estate space.

Lauren Bahr and Denise Hinkle introduce a 3-part series to cover Occupier's 3 keys to accelerating your real estate initiatives: Organization, Consistency, and Product (OCP!). 

In Part 1, Lauren and Denise dive into the importance of organization - creating a strong foundation, defining clear goals, and implementing effective systems. They share their insights, experiences, and advice for accelerating real estate initiatives through better organization, communication, and collaboration.

This week, Matt is joined by Iain Miln, the Senior Vice President of Development at essensys. The essensys Platform has been designed and developed to help solve the complex operational faced by landlords and flex workspace providers as they scale. It connects, controls, and automates the provisioning and delivery of digital services, such as enterprise-grade WiFi, access control, room-booking, and seamless connectivity cross-portfolio and building-wide. Iain and Matt discuss the rise in the flex workspace trend, how technology is improving landlord's and occupier's experiences, and how companies today are enabling digital workplaces.

Amy Calandrino, CCIM, SIOR is the Founding Principal of Beyond Commercial, a Certified Women Business Enterprise (WBE) and Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) certified commercial real estate firm based out of Orlando, Florida. She joins Matt to discuss her experiences and expertise in helping small businesses with their commercial real estate needs and managing their time efficiently. Tune in for Amy's insights on the local area, and perspective on negotiations, and to learn what her day-to-day is like!

Paul J. Massey is the CEO of B6 Real Estate Advisors, a commercial real estate investment sales company that lives at the intersection of people, data, and technology. B6 provides commercial real estate owners and stakeholders with a next-generation experience to optimize their investments through territory-specific investment sales. Paul shares his insights on the state of the commercial real estate market and where it's headed. Tune in to learn about Paul's vast experiences in CRE in New York, and his run for mayor!

This week, Matt is joined by Jason Hardy, the Co-Founder and CEO at Ownly. Ownly brings e-commerce to the residential real estate industry, creating a frictionless home-buying experience. They discuss how the platform makes real estate transactions easier through its proprietary and patent-pending technology, connecting qualified buyers and sellers. 

Kris Krisco is the CEO of Buildout, an all-in-one commercial real estate platform that enables brokerages to become leaders in their markets and grow their businesses faster. The cloud-based solution provides unique time-saving benefits by automating the document creation process and streamlining everything else involved in listings properties. Kris shares with Matt how the pains he was experiencing as a broker led to the inception of Buildout, the importance for brokers to adopt technology, and what the future looks like for commercial real estate brokers.

This week Matt is joined by Lydia Winkler, Co-Founder and COO of RentCheck. RentCheck technology helps property operators reduce expenses by empowering residents in the inspection process. They discuss the importance of involving tenants through the process and how guided inspections built for residents can help property managers increase profits, increase visibility, and improve resident satisfaction. Tune in to learn how RentCheck makes inspections easier and saves time by enabling residents to complete them on their own.

Demian Repucci is the CEO and Founder of Parslii, a research and scoring system that produces property reports for urban commercial retail and restaurant properties. As a former restaurant owner, Demian shares his experiences in the commercial real estate, hospitality, and restaurant industries and how that led to the idea for Parslii. Demian and Matt discuss what it's like to rent retail space for a restaurant, the key data points needed in the retail real estate space, and where Parslii fits in to improve the tenant experience in the leasing process.

This week, we have a special podcast episode diving into our ASC 842 Survival Kit best practices to help you attain lease accounting compliance. No matter how many leases you have, the transition to the new ASC 842 standards may be overwhelming. Lauren Bahr, CPA and VP of Finance at Occupier, goes over some common ASC 842 implementation pitfalls, and her top ASC 842 survival tips.

For more ASC 842 resources, check out our ASC 842 Survival Kit.

To kickstart 2023, we are mixing up our regular CRE content. And bringing Anya Ostry of CBRE, back on with her husband, Tonal Fitness Coach Jackson Bloore. Jackson joins Matt to talk about actionable steps to improve your health and wellness. If you're a hardworking professional or just looking to get started on your New Years' fitness resolutions, tune in for advice and guidance from Jackson!

For our last episode of the year, Andrew Flint, Co-Founder of Occupier, joins Matt to summarize what they are seeing in the commercial real estate and proptech space in 2022. They discuss trends across the retail, restaurant, office, and healthcare industries, inflation and economic uncertainty, and share their predictions for 2023.

Read Occupier's 2022 Year in Review: https://www.occupier.com/blog/2022-year-in-review/ 

Lauren Bahr, VP of Finance at Occupier, was recently a guest on The Role Forward Podcast, hosted by Joe Michalowski from Mosaic. Lauren talks about why people still use spreadsheets and Excel, despite technological advances. She also discusses how to keep the finance and accounting professions alive. Tune in to learn why the future of finance and accounting is all about automation and how to optimize your lease accounting and management processes leveraging technology.

Disclosure: This episode originally aired on The Role Forward Podcast on November 28th, 2022.

Paul Stanton is the Co-Founder and Partner at Proptech Bankers, a boutique investment bank focused exclusively on the property technology industry. Paul joins Matt to talk about the current state of the capital markets for proptech companies including recent valuations, M&A activity, and future of the industry. Tune in for Paul's predictions for consolidation, M&A, valuations, and fundraising in the proptech space for the next 12 months.

Real estate and proptech have only recently begun gaining traction in universities. Robin Barone, adjunct professor at NYU, sits down with Matt to talk about why it’s important for these topics to be embraced in school. Tune in if you're interested in pursuing a career in the proptech space and technology in the built world, or if you're already in the real estate industry and curious about how technology impacts your career.

Christophe Garnier is the Founder and CEO of Upflex, a premier SaaS provider for the hybrid workplace. Christophe sits down with Matt to share Upflex's story and solutions to the continuous uncertainty on what the future of the office looks like, what the future of the office building looks like, and how flexible working space factors into all of this. Tune in to hear his perspective and predictions on the future of flex and how Upflex is embracing it.

Brandon Medeiros is the Co-Founder of Alidade, where they transform readily available data into an actionable real estate strategy to achieve company goals and accelerate decision making. Brandon joins Matt to share how he's seen remote/hybrid work models impacting office demand. They discuss what tenants demand from a physical space, how they expect to use it, and how owners are reconfiguring the way office buildings are being built, structured and deployed to tenants.

Colman Edwards, Senior Director of Technology at Countsy, manages the implementation team where they setup technology startups on their platform tools. He sits down with Lauren Bahr to discuss the steps in typical vendor selection processes, the most crucial considerations to take into account, and what red flags to look out for. Tune in for his insights on how to find the right software vendor for your firm.

Michael Yang is a Managing Partner at OMERS Ventures, a VC that invests in fintech, healthtech, construction & proptech. Michael joins Matt to share what they look for in a proptech company, how investors are navigating the down market, and what it means for the commercial real estate industry. Tune in for his insights and predictions on the future of proptech.

Dave Ribando, Partner and Founder of Valuations I/O, joins Lauren Bahr to break down the impairment process for leases. He shares common indicators of impaired leases and common pitfalls he's seen in impairment assessments. Tune in to learn how you can avoid those pitfalls in the future and what assumptions you need to make during your impairment assessment.

On this week's episode, Matt is joined by Nyasha-Harmony Gutsa, CEO and Founder of Billy. Billy is a modern digital insurance agency on a mission to make construction insurance fair, fast, and accessible for every contractor in America. Nyasha and Matt discuss why is general liability insurance important for commercial leases and why is construction at such risk. Tune in to learn what construction teams should look for in their insurance provider and the best way to organize and track a company’s insurance.

Lauren (Covell) Bahr, of Occupier, was recently a guest on How to Scale Commercial Real Estate, hosted by Sam Wilson. Lauren talks about how Occupier bringing teams together online to collaborate on the entire lease life cycle. She also breaks down the New Lease Standards and offers valuable advice to navigate the changes in the industry. Tune in to learn tips & tricks on how to optimize your lease accounting and management processes leveraging technology as your single source of truth.

Disclosure: This episode originally aired on How to Scale Commercial Real Estate on August 25th, 2022.

This week, Matt is joined by Gordon Lamphere, a real estate broker and one of CREi’s Top 150 Social Media Influencers. Gordon discusses why it’s important to use social media for CRE, how social media is changing the industry, and some best practices to consider. Tune in for his insights and strategies on how to create valuable quality content and his personal experiences with trending on social media.

Aaron Letzeiser is a Co-Founder of Obie, a software that provides a simple and affordable rental property insurance experience. Aaron joins Matt to talk about how Obie is improving the inefficient and outdated processes by providing full transparency to save landlords and real estate investors time and money. They also touch upon how inflation is affecting the real estate insurance market and what investors should do to prepare for economic uncertainty.

Ben Wright, Head of Flexible Office Solutions at Squarefoot, sits down with Matt to talk about all things flex office space. Ben shares his insights on the shift in coworking pre and post pandemic, how these changes are affecting people in commercial real estate, and how people can keep up with the changes. Tune in to learn about the trends he’s seeing and his predictions for the market in upcoming years.