Episodes

7 days ago
7 days ago
After a spike in interest rates rattled commercial real estate, many feared a wave of defaults. But as economist Jim Costello explains, CMBS lenders and debt funds helped the market stay afloat—so far.

Monday Jun 09, 2025
Monday Jun 09, 2025
Tom Fox, a key figure behind Hudson Yards, shares insights on balancing development and public interest, highlighting how collaboration—not conflict—between activists and developers can create projects that are both sustainable and community-focused.

Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
With interest rates staying higher for longer, commercial real estate is being forced to adapt. On the Decoding Real Estate podcast, Eastern Union CEO Abe Bergman explains why borrowers are still in decent shape, how private lenders are filling the gap left by cautious banks, and why flexible, short-term financing has become the strategy of choice. Despite industry concerns about loan maturities and stalled bank lending, Bergman sees opportunity in the shift and outlines what could change when a new Fed Chair is appointed next year.

Monday Apr 14, 2025

Thursday Mar 20, 2025
Thursday Mar 20, 2025
PropTech investor Zach Aarons joins *Decoding Real Estate* to discuss the industry’s challenges, from office market struggles to high interest rates. Despite setbacks, he sees opportunities in AI and AR for real estate. Hear his insights on where PropTech is headed next.

Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
The office market is at a crossroads. While some cities have rebounded, others still struggle with vacancies. Michael Mandel, CEO of CompStak, breaks down key leasing trends, office valuations, and the flight to quality. Is a full recovery on the horizon, or has office demand changed forever?

Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
This isn’t the first time the real estate industry has gone through a crisis. The subprime mortgage crisis in 2008 devalued real estate across the globe and caused the Great Recession. It also led to a prolonged period of low interest rates that the property industry assumed was the norm.. In this episode, we talk with Paul Jhung about what lessons are to be learned from that period and what it means for the path forward in this new interest rate environment.

Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
The high interest rates have hit borrowers hard, but it hasn’t been all roses for lenders either. Some institutions like regional banks have either slowed down their commercial lending, or gotten out of the market all together. In this episode, we talk to Debra Morgan about the temporary and permanent effects the rate hikes will have on the lending environment.

Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
No matter how high the interest rates get, the country is still in desperate need of more affordable housing. Like every other property type affordable housing has struggled to find affordable capital. In this episode we talk to Beth Mullen about what the high interest rates are doing to the affordable housing industry and how it will be able to remain an attractive investment if rates stay high.

Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
The high interest rates are only part of the problem. With lenders thinking more critically about their balance sheets and regional banks worried about staying solvent, lending sources have also dried up. In this episode, we chat with Ron Kaplan about the challenges commercial real estate borrowers are facing and what can be done to overcome them.