CRE® Specialty Interest Groups

CRE Specialty Interest Groups are interactive Business Forums providing Counselors invaluable opportunities to regularly collaborate, exchange information, offer perspective, and pose questions to CREs of similar specialty in an atmosphere of trust and cooperation.

Asset and Property Management

An interactive discussion of asset and property management issues. What are we up against?  What are the possibilities and concerns that characterize today's marketplace and how do we address them? 

Hatton

Jill Hatton, CRE
Chair and Committee Member,
Mass PRIM Real Estate & Timber Committee

Wilkerson, Donald

Donald Wilkerson, CRE
President/CEO,
Gaston and Wilkerson Management Group

Commercial Development

Whether you spearhead development using your own capital or work with an institutional investor, there are multiple challenges and opportunities. This group will talk through what it takes to “Spot the Deal and Get it Done,” considering:

  • What asset classes are most profitable?
  • What markets are most appealing and WHY?
  • How do you compete?
  • How are you, or your client addressing ESG compliances and DEI concerns related to your project? How is your product changing?
  • How do you counsel clients to identify the next best project and grab it ahead of the competition?
Rowan, Dana

Dana Rowan, CRE
Managing Partner
The Exeter Companies

Couillard, Michel NEW 2017

Michel Couillard, CRE
President, CEO
Busac Real Estate

ESG – Defining the “E”, “S”, and “G” in Real Estate

Many real estate decisions are influenced by ESG factors – Environmental, Social (people), and Governance  – to both augment bottom lines and give back to communities.  Companies are finding that making socially responsible choices are mutually beneficial to both building and thriving responsibly and sustainably and to turning a profit.

This Interest Group will discuss both aspects of ESG – the public impacts and the profitability.  Make ESG work for your real estate decisions.

McGregor, Kirsten

Kirsten McGregor, CRE
Principal & Founder
Sagax Associates, LLC

Patton, James NEW 2021

James Patton, CRE
President & CEO
Patton Consultants, Ltd.

Finance/Investment

Borrowers are seeking debt restructure. Funds in distressed arenas are actively raising money. Where is future capital going to come from? What is the situation if you're a borrower or lender today and down the road?

Hendry

Lonnie Hendry, Jr., CRE
Senior Vice President, Head of CRE & Advisory Solutions
Trepp, Inc.

Miers

Chris Miers, CRE
Head of Investor Relationships
Prime Finance

Housing

Join fellow Counselors at the Housing Interest Group Meeting for fresh data on rent payments, vacancy rates, and revenues, as well as updates on federal housing policy. Update your colleagues on what you are seeing. Bring your questions and experiences.

Weinberg, Brad

Brad Weinberg, CRE
Partner
Novogradac & Company LLP

Betancourt, Kim

Kim Betancourt, CRE
Director of Economics and Multifamily Research
Fannie Mae

Infrastructure

Counselors play an important role advising on public sector infrastructure projects, designing solutions for complex problems, and often assembling public private partnerships on everything from roads to utilities to structures and more. How are these deals coming together? What is state-of-the-art? How do we overcome the unique challenges of these projects?

Crawford, Korin

Korin Crawford, CRE
Executive Vice President
Griffin|Swinerton

Fulton, Orion

Orion Fulton, CRE
Advisory Services Business Leader
Arup

Institutional Investment

Institutional investment in commercial real estate continues to evolve, especially over the past two years due to the pandemic. Asset selection, as well as demographics, are redefining the criteria pension funds, endowments, foundations, and high net worth families look for in this investment class. Join us to discuss the latest issues in institutional investment in real estate including asset allocation, return horizons, changing demographics, and many other aspects in this ever-changing landscape.

Mason Curran

Lori Mason Curran, CRE
Investment Strategy Director
Vulcan, Inc.

Ann Miller

Sharon Ann Miller, CRE
President
Hillcrest Finance, LLC

Leasing: Tenant Rep and General

CREs create solutions, especially in adverse situations. How are market participants reacting to market disruptions?
Cheney, Andrew NEW 2018 - cropped

Andrew Cheney, CRE
Principal
Lee & Associates

Lockwood, David

David Lockwood, III, CRE
EVP and Chief Operating Officer
Colliers International South Carolina, Inc

Legal and Insurance

So much has happened so quickly in today's convoluted and uncertain world that it is difficult to fully analyze and digest the vast number of issues relating to property rights and individual liberties that surface on a daily basis. Let's Talk.

Murukami-M-Square

Mark Murakami, Esq., CRE
Director/Shareholder/Attorney
Damon Key Leong Kupchak Hastert

Rivera, Mikaela

Mikaela Rivera, CRE
Attorney
Waas Campbell Rivera Johnson & Velasquez LLP

Life Sciences

The Life Science Specialty Interest Group would be for Counselors whose work is regularly focused on life science-related sectors – specifically life science research facilities, laboratories, pharmaceutical and biologic manufacturing, and the like. We plan to provide an interactive discussion of issues specific to this relatively niche asset class. What are key trends within the biotech sector? What unique challenges are this sector facing? Where are the next emerging life science clusters? Are we seeing an uptick in onshoring of cGMP facilities? How do you source and access reliable data (stats, comps, etc.)?
Elizabeth Scale

Elizabeth Berthelette, CRE
Director of Research
Newmark

Prickett, Doug NEW 2020

Doug Prickett, CRE
Senior Managing Director
Transwestern Investment Group

SALT: State and Local Taxes

State and Local Taxes – The increased sophistication in the valuation of real estate for property tax purposes has evolved over the years as SALT professionals recognized the taxing jurisdictions’ methodology of assessing real estate did not segregate the additional assets inherent to the value of the entire property and necessary for business operations.   These additional assets include Business Personal Property (machinery, equipment & inventory) as well as intangible (not taxable under property tax) assets including Brand Value, Workforce in Place, third party leases for auxiliary services, etc.

The Counselors of Real Estate SALT SIG has taken the lead in property tax education with guest speakers analyzing recent cases and discussing new approaches the property tax appeals.  We have also been strong advocates for change within the industry and the courts to standardize the definition of the taxable interest being assessed. 

Jones, Todd NEW 2018

Todd Jones, CRE
Principal, RealAdvice

Conway

K.C. Conway, CRE
Principal and Co-Founder
Red Shoe Economics, LLC

Diapaolo

Sharon DiPaolo, Esq., CRE
Attorney/Partner
Siegel Jennings Co., L.P.A.

Valuation/Appraisal

In this unusual time, how do you appraise commercial real estate properties? A new set of assumptions have emerged - and uncertainties abound. What will be the (new) normal now and in the future?

Graziano, Anthony M_NEW 2009

Anthony Graziano, CRE
CEO, Integra Realty Resources

Tandjung

Robby Tandjung, CRE
Executive Vice President, Altus Group

For more information, please contact Samantha DeKoven (Sdekoven@cre.org) or Larisa Phillips (Lphillips@cre.org).