The Dealmakers’ Edge with A.Y. Strauss
The Dealmakers’ Edge with A.Y. Strauss dives deep into the world of commercial real estate, bringing you exclusive stories, insights, and strategies from the industry’s top investors, developers, and dealmakers. Hosted by Aaron Strauss, founder and managing partner of A.Y. Strauss, a leading real estate law firm, this podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at what drives success in commercial real estate. From uncovering the unique edge of industry leaders to exploring the challenges and triumphs they’ve faced, this podcast is a must-listen for commercial real estate investors, developers, brokers, and professionals looking to sharpen their skills and sta...
The Entrepreneurial Advantage: Building Businesses and Multi-Generational Wealth with Mark Murphy
Mark B. Murphy is the CEO of Northeast Private Client Group, a national financial planning and wealth management firm serving entrepreneurs and business owners. He specializes in strategic financial planning and helping clients build multi-generational wealth. In 2025, Forbes ranked Mark #1 among Best-in-State Financial Security Professionals in New Jersey, #10 on its Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list, and #15 nationally among Top Financial Security Professionals.
Mark is also a bestselling author and speaker whose book, The Ultimate Investment: A Roadmap to Grow Your Business and Build Multigenerational Wealth, reached #1 on Amazon. He holds a B.S. in Finance from Indiana University...
Bridge Lending in a Changing Market: Sponsor Selection and Credit Discipline with Aaron Kurlansky
Aaron Kurlansky is a co-founder and Principal of Sheridan Capital, where he oversees portfolio decision-making, asset acquisition and management, and the firm’s commercial loan origination business. He currently manages more than $750 million in assets and has originated more than $10 billion in commercial loans over the course of his career.
Aaron began his real estate career in property management at Crescent Heights of America in 2000 before moving into mortgage lending with First Meridian Mortgage, where he later became Senior Vice President. After the financial crisis, he and his partners spent nearly a decade acquiring distressed debt across co...
Real Estate Credit & Deal Flow: Finding the Right Opportunities with Sebastian Post
Sebastian Post, CFA, is Managing Partner and Co-Head of Investments at Lionheart Strategic Management, where he is responsible for sourcing new investments, capital raising, and managing operations. He also serves on the firm’s Investment Committee. Lionheart invests across real estate credit and equity strategies throughout the United States.
Sebastian joined Fisher Brothers in 2011 and was involved in the creation of Lionheart Strategic Management, which launched its third-party fund management business in 2017. Over his tenure, he has worked across the origination and execution of real estate equity and credit investments, helping grow the platform to more than $1 bi...
Distressed Assets, Real Returns: Exploring Real Estate Risks & Opportunities with Eli Edwards of Fortress Investment Group
Eli Edwards is a Managing Director and Head of Real Estate Equity, US at Fortress Investment Group, based in Menlo Park. Since joining Fortress in 2011, he has focused on opportunistic equity and distressed debt acquisitions across property types and markets throughout the United States.
Prior to joining Fortress, Eli worked in real estate investment banking at Barclays and previously worked at Bank of America on defaulted CMBS loans. He received a B.S. in Economics from Duke University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
INSIGHTS FROM ELI EDWARDS ON MARKET SELECTION AND INVESTMENT STRATEGY
<...Family Offices & Purpose-Driven Capital: A Conversation with Ron Diamond
Ron Diamond is the Founder and Chairman of Diamond Wealth, a syndicate of more than 100 family offices ranging in size from $250 million to $30 billion, with whom he has invested for more than 20 years. The firm focuses on private markets, including private equity, real estate, venture capital, credit, and special situations. He is also the Founder, Host, and CEO of Family Office World Media and helped create the Family Office Program for TIGER 21. Ron currently serves on the Advisory Board and Steering Committee for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Family Office Initiative and has taught family office...
From Caravan to Empire: The Remarkable Ascent of Alfie Best
Alfie Best is the founder of Wyldecrest Parks, a residential mobile home park operator with 120 parks across the UK. He has built the company into Europe’s largest residential park operator, with a business valued at more than £1.2 billion, and is now planning to establish operations in the United States.
Born into a Romani Gypsy family in Leicestershire, Alfie started buying and selling cars and vans at 14. After nearly losing his property portfolio during the 1990 recession, he rebuilt through the mobile phone industry, growing an 18-store business before selling it to a Vodafone subsidiary. He later moved int...
Building a Multifamily Platform Through Market Cycles with Ryan Brome
Ryan Brome is the Chief Operating Officer of Investments at Forum Investment Group, an institutional platform with nearly $6.5 billion in total capitalization. He leads investment management operations across Forum’s development, ownership, and credit businesses, overseeing the investment lifecycle from sourcing through portfolio management and helping align the teams, processes, and risk controls supporting the platform’s growth.
Ryan has more than 15 years of experience across real estate and capital markets. Before becoming COO of Investments, he served as Forum’s Senior Managing Director and Head of Capital Strategy and previously led Capital Development. Earlier in his career...
From Legal Execution to Business Leadership with Andrew Morris
Andrew Morris is a Managing Director at Blue Owl, where he supports the firm’s Real Assets business as a member of the Legal Team. His work spans the firm’s net lease, real estate credit, and digital infrastructure strategies.
Before joining Blue Owl, Andrew served as Associate General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at First Eagle Alternative Credit. Earlier in his career, he practiced at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, advising private fund sponsors on legal, regulatory, fund formation, and capital markets matters. He earned his JD, cum laude, from the University of Penn...
Strategic Capital Solutions in a Recalibrating Market with Seth Fisher
Seth Fisher is a Principal and Head of Special Situations at Prime Finance and a member of the firm’s Special Situations Investment Committee. He is responsible for investment, portfolio construction, and asset management activity for the strategy, which Prime now refers to as Strategic Capital Solutions.
Prior to joining Prime Finance, Seth was Chief Investment Officer of Equity Investments for Starwood Property Trust’s REIS segment, where he led middle-market investment activity tied to CMBS exposure and commercial real estate special situations. Earlier in his career, he held roles across predecessor business lines at LNR Property, incl...
Best Of: How Courage and Consistency Close Deals with Henry Stimler
Henry Stimler serves as an Executive Managing Director on Newmark’s Capital Markets Strategies team, where he specializes in originating and structuring in multifamily debt and equity with an emphasis on large bespoke portfolio transactions. Based in the firm’s New York headquarters, Stimler is known for guiding traditions Tri-State investors into new high growth markets across the U.S., including the Midwest, Texas and South Florida, while also sourcing global equity from key international cities like London, Tel Aviv and Johannesburg. Prior to joining Newmark, Stimler founded and served as Director of London Green Capital, a debt origination firm...
Finding the Right Partners and Building for Generations with Sharon Solomon
Sharon Solomon is a principal at Northlake Development Group, a family office development business with a pipeline of residential and multifamily projects across Santa Fe, New Mexico and South Florida. At Northlake, Sharon leads development strategy, capital planning, and partnership structuring, building the firm alongside her two sons as a multi-generational platform.
Prior to launching Northlake, Sharon spent 25 years in financial services, including 11 years at RBC Capital Markets, where she served as US Head of Brand and Client Strategy. Before RBC, she was a member of the executive team at Carlin Financial Group and a founder of...
Raising Capital and Co-GP Investing with Abraham Cooper
When Abraham Cooper left JLL in January 2020 to launch Polly Park Capital, the world shut down within weeks. He saw it as an opening. By summer, he had financed Hudson Heritage, a $65 million construction loan for a ShopRite-anchored mixed-use community in upstate New York and one of the few retail construction loans to close anywhere in the country during the pandemic.
Polly Park was built as a merchant bank with two business lines. On the advisory side, Abraham has placed capital for transactions ranging from a $360 million construction financing for a senior living community in Tysons Corner...
Raising Common Equity and Building an Investor-First Practice with Adam Steinberg
Adam Steinberg is a Principal at Ackman-Ziff Real Estate Group, where he co-heads the equity business and chairs the equity approval committee. Since joining in 2004, Adam has focused exclusively on raising common equity for clients, closing transactions aggregating billions of dollars of capital across traditional and alternative asset classes.
Prior to Ackman-Ziff, Adam spent four years as a principal at Partners Group, investing on behalf of an opportunity fund. Before that, he helped build a capital markets group at AEW Capital Management and worked as a capital advisor at Boston Financial Group, which was later acquired by...
Cannabis Law and Commercial Real Estate with Jennifer Cabrera and Sahar Ayinehsazian
Cannabis is showing up in more CRE conversations than ever, and most of the people having those conversations are figuring it out as they go. The asset class looks familiar enough on the surface that standard deal instincts seem to apply. They rarely do.
Jennifer Cabrera and Sahar Ayinehsazian have guided landlords, lenders, and investors through enough of these deals to know where the assumptions break down. The financing options exist but require a different approach to find. The regulatory framework is specific enough that getting local counsel early changes outcomes. And the market is maturing in...
Scaling Multifamily and Building a Tech-First Lending Solution with Derrick Barker
Derrick Barker is the co-founder and CEO of Nectar, a real estate tech financing company that provides liquidity to commercial real estate sponsors across the country. Nectar has completed more than 140 deals across 29 states, deploying over $40 million to lower middle market and middle market operators who need access to equity trapped in their existing assets.
After leaving Goldman Sachs, Derrick built his real estate portfolio to more than 4,700 units and $400 million in asset value across multiple brands, including Civitas Communities, a multifamily platform focused on transforming distressed assets into quality housing, and DOMOS Co-Living, a co-living concept...
Pioneering Student Housing and Scaling a Development Business with Jared Hutter
Purpose-built student housing wasn't always an institutional asset class. When Jared was tracking the sector in college, two public companies dominated it and most developers hadn't touched it. His first deal in Syracuse required staking out an unresponsive seller on his morning commute just to get a conversation going — and delivered 40% net returns in 18 months when it sold to a publicly traded company.
From that first project, deal sizes have grown from $18 million to $100 million-plus, and the capital stack has evolved alongside them. What started with friends-and-family money has shifted toward institutional partnerships as the sector matured an...
Capitalizing on Market Cycles and Office Distress with Jeff Gronning
Jeff Gronning is the CEO of Cannon Hill Capital Partners, a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm formed through a management-led buyout of the investment management business of Columbia Property Trust. Prior to founding Cannon Hill, Jeff served as Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at Columbia Property Trust.
Before Columbia, Jeff spent 15 years at Normandy Real Estate Partners, where he co-led the growth of a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm. Prior to Normandy, he served as CFO of Morgan Stanley's real estate investing division.
Insights from Jeff Gronning on...
Servant Leadership and Market Dominance with Chad Lavender
Chad Lavender is the President of Capital Markets for North America at Newmark. He has more than 15 years of commercial real estate experience, particularly in healthcare and senior housing. Over his career, Chad has completed more than $50 billion in transactions across the U.S., beginning his journey in markets like Alabama and Dallas.
Prior to joining Newmark, Chad worked in high-rise development before moving to lead the National Seniors Housing Group at HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler), growing it into the number one senior housing platform in the country. He also worked as an investment advisor with Apartment...
Contrarian Investing and Building for the Long Term with James Ryan
James Ryan founded RYCO Capital in 2018 and has led the firm since its inception. Since establishing the company, James has personally overseen all aspects of its growth and operations. His team has grown and expanded, and he has been a contrarian to great success, acquiring multifamily properties across New York City.
Prior to founding RYCO Capital, James held leadership and finance roles across real estate development and early-stage technology firms. He earned his BA in Political Science from Yale University.
Insights from James Ryan on Contrarian Investing in New York City Multifamily
<...Leading the Future of Affordable Housing with Jason Bordainick
Jason Bordainick started his first company from a dorm room at the University of Virginia. Off Campus Partners became the nation's largest online marketplace for student housing and was eventually acquired by CoStar. That success gave him credibility, momentum, and the confidence to take on something harder.
In 2010, he and his childhood friend Andy Cavaluzzi decided to build a business in affordable housing preservation. Expertise, relationships, and regulatory fluency created steep barriers to entry in the space. They had vision but no track record in the asset class, no institutional backing, and no family real estate firm...
How Courage and Consistency Close Deals with Henry Stimler
Henry Stimler serves as an Executive Managing Director on Newmark’s Capital Markets Strategies team, where he specializes in originating and structuring in multifamily debt and equity with an emphasis on large bespoke portfolio transactions. Based in the firm’s New York headquarters, Stimler is known for guiding traditional Tri-State investors into new high growth markets across the U.S., including the Midwest, Texas and South Florida, while also sourcing global equity from key international cities like London, Tel Aviv and Johannesburg. Prior to joining Newmark, Stimler founded and served as Director of London Green Capital, a debt origination firm...
Navigating Market Cycles and Risk Management with Ran Eliasaf
Ran Eliasaf is the founder of Northwind Group, a real estate private credit platform based in New York. He founded the firm in 2008 and oversees all investment activity. Throughout his career, Ran has executed more than 300 real estate transactions totaling over $5.5 billion, investing in commercial properties in New York City and healthcare and senior-living properties across the U.S. In 2017, he spearheaded the creation of Northwind’s credit platform and launched the firm’s discretionary closed-ended debt funds, which now manage more than $2 billion in assets.
Under Ran’s leadership, Northwind has evolved into an institutional-grade private credit...
Reinvention and Resilience in Real Estate Development with Diego Hodara
Diego Hodara is the founder and CEO of Titanium Realty Group, a real estate investment and development company focused on mixed-use and residential assets in transit-oriented markets across the New York metropolitan area. Titanium Realty Group has close to 2,000 units under development or completed in Jersey City, NJ, and Port Chester, NY, representing more than $800 million in total project value. Diego holds a master’s degree in Real Estate Finance and Investment from NYU, as well as degrees in Architecture, Urban Planning, and an MBA from the University of Uruguay.
Insights from Diego Hodara on Reinvention an...
The Secret to Building a High-Performing Team That Actually Lasts
When you strip business down to its core, it’s about people. Every deal, every partnership, and every bit of growth comes from how well your team works together. Real culture comes from integrity, empathy, and a shared belief in doing things the right way.
Strong teams start with trust. They create an environment where people can make mistakes, recover, and keep moving forward. Leaders who protect that culture and put their people first build something that lasts. They attract talent that wants to grow and stay part of something meaningful.
In this episode of Th...
Why Relationships and Discipline Matter Most in Real Estate Financing with Evan Bell
Evan Bell is Managing Partner and co-founder of Lorimer Capital, a direct portfolio lender that provides creative financing solutions for commercial real estate opportunities across the eastern U.S. He has over two decades of expertise in structured real estate credit products and started his career as a real estate finance attorney, representing major institutions like Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Lehman Brothers, and Wachovia Bank on mortgage and mezzanine financings, which totaled over $10 billion.
Prior to launching Lorimer Capital, Evan served as co-founder and Principal of Unity Capital, where he played a major role in leading the company...
Tenant Advocacy and Building Legacy in New York Real Estate with Norman Bobrow
Norman Bobrow is the president of Norman Bobrow & Co., Inc., one of New York's leading independently-owned, tenant-focused commercial real estate brokerages. A third-generation real estate professional and lifelong New Yorker, Norman launched the firm in 1980 with a clear mission to represent tenants exclusively and deliver results with precision, integrity, and relentless advocacy. Over the course of his career, he's personally negotiated more than 3,000 leases and overseen the acquisition of more than 300 properties nationwide.
Norman comes from a real estate family and was involved early on watching his father participate in small syndications. Despite struggling with dyslexia and...
Opportunistic Real Estate Investing with Time Equities' Jonathan Dulberg
Jonathan Dulberg has nearly 20 years of experience acquiring and operating real estate throughout the U.S. and Europe for both institutional and privately-held real estate firms. Since 2010, he has been at Time Equities Inc., a New York-based investment and development firm, where he serves as the Director of Acquisitions.
Jonathan focuses on sub-institutional investments ranging from $10 to $50 million in size. Throughout his career, he has acquired more than $800 million of real estate, focusing predominantly on opportunistic and value-add investments across office, industrial, and multifamily assets. Additionally, he oversees the day-to-day asset management of a two-million-square-foot portfolio spanning...
Mental Fitness and Peak Performance Under Pressure with Jonathan Cohen
As a dynamic speaker whose career spans several domains, Jonathan Cohen has always brought resilience and purpose to the table. His podcast features conversations with high performers across multiple industries who provide their insights and strategies to help people overcome obstacles, shift their mindset, and live with intention. With over 100 interviews of individuals ranging from fighter pilots and Navy SEALS to best-selling authors and nine-figure entrepreneurs, he’s built an audience of over 30,000 across social media and provided different strategies, tools, tips, and tactics they can leverage to lead a higher quality of life.
In this episode of...
Retail Real Estate Innovation and Strategy with Tanger's Justin Stein
With over two decades in retail real estate, Justin Stein brings a unique perspective on how the industry has transformed—and where it's heading next. As Executive Vice President of Leasing at Tanger, he's been instrumental in the company's evolution from a legacy outlet operator to a dynamic, diversified portfolio of open-air shopping centers that blend outlet and full-price retail with experiential destinations.
In this episode of The Dealmakers' Edge, Justin shares how Tanger navigated its transformation during the challenging COVID era, building a new executive team while every store was closed. He discusses the strategic expansion in...
The Relationship-Driven Vision Behind Surmount with Glen Kunofsky
Glen Kunofsky shares how a long-term, client-centered philosophy led to the creation of Surmount, a unified platform combining brokerage, advisory, development, and capital markets services. What began as a brokerage team evolved in direct response to client needs—from navigating sale-leasebacks, to renegotiating leases during downturns, to sourcing capital and delivering development expertise. Glen outlines how each service line emerged from listening to clients and building relationships that endure across market cycles.
In this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge, Glen Kunofsky joins Aaron Strauss to break down the relationship-driven vision behind Surmount and how culture, mentorship, and long...
Scaling Safe Harbor in Distressed Real Estate with Rafael Serrano
Rafael is the Founder and Managing Partner of Safe Harbor Capital Partners and is Chair of the Investment Committee. He has managed over $1B of performing and non-performing commercial and residential mortgage loans, defaulted debt instruments, and distressed real estate assets transactions in both Domestic US and International markets.
From 1992 to 1999, he was the founder and CEO of MTU, a provider of commercial vehicle fleet servicing and maintenance. From 2001 to 2005, Mr. Serrano served as a business management and strategic consultant to British Aerospace Systems (BAE Systems, Inc.) with responsibilities throughout South America. Prior, he served as a...
Leadership Lessons for Dealmakers with Elise Holtzman
Elise Holtzman is the CEO of The Lawyer’s Edge®, an executive coaching and consulting firm where she and her team have spent over 16 years helping law firms build thriving businesses by transforming lawyers into better business developers and leaders. A former practicing attorney, Elise brings first-hand knowledge of the legal profession’s demands and a strategic focus on rainmaking, leadership, and visibility.
Elise is the creator of the Lawyers Making Rain® program and the Ignite Women’s Business Development Accelerator, both designed to help attorneys at all levels grow their impact and client base. She is also the...
Strategic Growth in Urban Real Estate with David Berg
David Berg is a Partner at Infinity Real Estate, where he oversees acquisitions, investment ventures, and the firm’s overall investment strategy. Since joining in 2011 as Investment Director, David has led Infinity’s expansion into the Philadelphia and Miami markets while managing key lender and investor relationships. Under his leadership, the firm is currently developing or repositioning over one million square feet of commercial and residential property.
David has played a central role in shaping Infinity’s growth, executing transactions totaling over $750 million across multifamily, retail, hospitality, and mixed-use assets. His entrepreneurial approach and deep expertise in capita...
Scaling Smart Real Estate Development with Avner Krohn
Avner Krohn is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Jasko Development, a vertically integrated real estate development firm based in New Britain, Connecticut. Under his leadership, Jasko has delivered a wide range of projects across the multifamily, healthcare, and retail sectors—focused primarily on underserved urban cores in the Northeast.
Avner launched his entrepreneurial career at age 10 and has since spent more than two decades working across real estate development, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse. With deep expertise in finance, public-private partnerships, and ground-up construction, Avner has led the development of over 400 residential units and commercial properties, wi...
State of the Distressed Real Estate Market with Greg Corbin
Greg Corbin is the President and founder of Northgate Real Estate Group, which specializes in the sale and workout of distressed properties. In addition, he has deep expertise in judicial and UCC foreclosures, loan and REO sales, restructuring, and stalled construction sites. He’s widely recognized as one of the most active and sought-after industry leaders, with countless accolades throughout his career.
Greg spent a decade at Besen & Associates before becoming a Director of Sales at Massey Knakal (now Cushman and Wakefield). Then, before starting his firm, Greg spent four years at Rosewood Realty Group as President of...
Servant Leadership, AI, and the Future of Brokerage with Bob Knakal
Bob Knakal is a name everyone knows in commercial real estate. Since 1984, he’s brokered over 2,399 buildings in the New York City area, with a market value approximating $22 billion. For 26 years, he owned and ran Massey Knakal with a focus on building a culture of servant leadership, training people, and dominating the market. He eventually sold the company to Cushman & Wakefield for $100 million in 2014.
Now, Bob is a prominent thought leader in the commercial real estate business. He writes about the market, appears on podcasts and television, and holds university lectures. Recently, he started the investment sales an...
Reputation and Relationship Building in Commercial Real Estate with Jonathan Zamir
Jonathan Zamir is the founder and managing partner of real estate investment firm Keystone Equities. Keystone operates as both a private equity and private credit platform and focuses on acquiring, redeveloping, and repositioning commercial and residential properties in key U.S. markets while also originating and managing debt investments. Under Jonathan’s leadership, the firm has grown a diverse portfolio emphasizing value creation through strategic investment, hands-on management, and disciplined financing.
Prior to founding Keystone in 2010, he started his real estate career with The Moinian Group as portfolio manager and gained practical, street smart knowledge in property ma...
Leadership and Governance in a Multi-Generational Business with Garvin Brown
Garvin Brown recently retired from Brown-Forman Corporation, the company behind Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, founded by his great-great-grandfather in 1870. His career with the company began as a wine salesperson in New York and evolved through various corporate and operational roles. By 2007, Garvin had become chairman, steering the company through key transitions between the fourth and fifth generations of the Brown family.
Currently, Garvin serves on Brown-Forman's family-holding company board and contributes to global initiatives in democracy and development. He is also a board member of Dendrifund, a foundation dedicated to the sustainability of the elements essential to...
Empathy and Leadership in Real Estate with Stephen Bittel, Founder and Chairman at Terranova Corporation
In this episode of The Dealmaker’s Edge, Aaron Strauss is joined by Stephen Bittel, founder and chairman of Terranova Corporation. With over four decades of experience, Stephen shares his remarkable journey in real estate and offers insights on leadership, market strategy, and the importance of empathy in business.
From his early days in Miami to managing an investment portfolio of over $1 billion, Stephen reflects on the lessons he’s learned while building one of South Florida’s leading commercial real estate firms. He delves into the value of cash flow, adapting to market cycles, and how aligni...
Filling the White Space with Russ Krivor, CEO and Founder of Sovereign Properties
Russ Krivor, CEO and Founder of Sovereign Properties, joins the podcast this episode. They discuss Russ's journey in real estate, the importance of education, navigating entrepreneurship, raising capital, market insights, the future of senior living, and the significance of building relationships in business. Russ shares valuable lessons learned throughout his career and emphasizes the need for innovative solutions in the evolving real estate landscape.
Takeaways
Education is crucial for success in business.Entrepreneurship requires timing and recognizing opportunities.Starting small in real estate can lead to significant growth.The current real estate market presents unique investment...