Between Two Chairs - Demystifying Commercial Real Estate

What do a military family, the Women's Investment Summit, and self storage have in common? Lauren Rothlisberger of Everett & Harvey and Serious Storage.

In this episode Lauren shares her investment journey from residential rental properties into self storage and the nuances of being a General Partner. Her path hasn't been easy, because let's be real, real estate deals aren't easy, but it has been extremely well thought out.

From the conscious tie to family with the business name to the details of scaling a business while living overseas, Lauren's background as a military wife plays...

The World Cup starts today, June 11 and Miami will host our first match on June 15. Planning for this event, that will put Miami on the world stage again - we just wrapped up F-1, started as soon as Miami was awarded the 2026 World Cup four years ago.

From fan transportation to and from the games and events, to the logistics of moving players, equipment, food and beverage to the stadium and events, there are a lot moving parts. Luckily for Miami, a lot of the infrastructure projects including the airports, stadiums and roadwork, had already been underway...

What do Scrooge McDuck, The Square Grouper, Goldman Sachs, commercial real estate and taxes have in common? The answer is Jon Hilley, founder of 1031 Specialists. In this episode, we dive into why so few sellers do 1031 exchanges, what differentiates 1031 Specialists from other intermediaries and the Golden Strategy.

Jon brings his wide range of experience, curiosity and his "Client Happiness Project" to elevate the 1031 experience. "We are in the joy business".

FEA Economic Impact Studies of 1031 Exchanges

What’s really driving Miami commercial real estate right now? In this episode, we break down the forces behind the market’s momentum—from record tourism and global events to tech growth, international investment, and shifting consumer demographics.

Using the latest tourism trends and real-world examples, we explore how major demand drivers like Formula One, the World Cup, Art Basel, and eMerge Americas ripple through Miami’s commercial landscape. This isn’t just a hospitality story. It’s a conversation about how visitor growth fuels retail, industrial, office, mixed-use development, infrastructure, and the broader business ecosystem across South Florid...

In real estate it is all about location, location, location... In this episode we sit down with Bob Gillespie, Managing Partner of REACH Commercial at Second Century Ventures, to talk about what really drives success in PropTech. Bob shares his journey from computer science and startup operations to venture investing, and explains how REACH Commercial identifies technologies that can make commercial real estate faster, smarter, and more profitable.

The conversation explores why commercial real estate has historically lagged in technology adoption, what makes a startup investable, and why Bob believes the founder often matters more than the...

A practical, CRE-focused look at why wealth migration is reshaping South Florida’s office, multifamily, retail, and industrial markets—and what comes next.

Miami isn’t just adding people—it’s absorbing capital, talent, and corporate gravity. In this episode, we break down the wealth migration into Miami and greater South Florida and what it signals for commercial real estate across the region.

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, what about a picture that has been manipulated by AI? According to an article in Florida Realtors Magazine, real estate fraud hit $275 million last year. Fraud has been increasing rapidly and AI is making it more difficult to detect fraudulent pictures, videos, documents and content.

Sarina Ziv, cofounder of Proofmark, explains how rapid AI adoption is making it harder to trust what we see—and why that matters most when money, property, identity, and legal claims are on the line. She describes Proofmark’s origin in a warning-sign moment: receiving media that...

From Brickell and Downtown Miami to Wynwood, Coral Gables, Kendall, and Aventura, coworking has become one of the most practical and creative responses to how people actually live and work in South Florida today. What started as a niche option for freelancers has grown into a core part of Miami’s business ecosystem. Tune in to this episode to learn why this office model works so well here. Including:

In a city...

In this Earth Day–inspired episode, hosts Fernando Arencibia Jr. and Jennifer Wollman discuss how sustainability, resiliency, and climate strategy are reshaping South Florida’s commercial real estate market, moving the conversation beyond traditional drivers like supply, demand, and capital markets. They explore Miami-Dade County’s Sustainable Buildings Program and other regional initiatives that promote LEED-certified construction, long-term operational efficiency, employee wellness, and climate preparedness, emphasizing how these efforts can reduce costs, preserve asset value, and command higher rents. The episode highlights landmark developments such as 1450 Brickell, Brickell City Centre, and the Miami Design District—recognized as the world’s first LE...

South Florida is blessed with a beautiful environment; from beaches, to the Everglades, the wildlife and tropical foliage all contribute to an amazing quality of life. In Miami we have UDB to protect the Everglades, which in turn protects the Biscayne Aquifer. The importance of considering the environment in our developments and buildings is important to maintaining a quality of life and place that is worthy of leaving to our grandchildren and theirs and theirs.

"Real estate is not just a transaction. For an owner it is stewardship. It is durability. It is thinking about today for...

In this episode we dive into an Instagram post by Ryan Serhant that starts with "ChatGPT blew up my $50 million deal". We use a lot of large language models to help us automate tasks, give us alternate scenarios that we may not be taking into consideration, but if you are using ChatGPT as a real estate advisor, you need to beware of confirmation bias. Large language models tend to confirm ideas and beliefs we already have so it is going to feed you the information you want to hear. A way to get over that is better prompts, uploading...

From 3 - 30%...that is Beth Azor's goal for increasing the number of women who invest in real estate. Is it doable? Absolutely! Through the collaboration and relationships made at the Women Real Estate Investment Summit, women who want to invest are able to network with women who are already investing or who syndicate real estate deals.

Tune in to hear some of the highlights of this years summit.

Affectionately known as Ruben the Cuban, Ruben Ruban is a senior advisor at SVN who specializes in mixed use developments and asset repositioning. He is also the 2026 President of CCIM’s Miami Chapter, as well as the host of the CRE Cafecito Podcast.

With his Panama hat and cigar in pocket, he epitomizes the Miami Cuban flair and brings that sense of warmth, culture, and diversity that makes Miami such a great place to live, work, play & invest.

In this episode, Ruben leads us through some of the deals he has done, his thoughts on wh...

In this episode, we explore what it really means to build generational wealth through commercial real estate—and why the mindset required is fundamentally different from the traditional transaction-driven approach many investors take.

The conversation challenges the common short-term investment cycle and introduces a powerful alternative: thinking in decades and even centuries, not quarters or years. Instead of focusing solely on immediate returns, we discuss how long-term ownership of strategic assets—such as land and trophy properties—can create enduring financial stability for families.

But generational wealth isn’t simply about acquiring more assets. It requires...

Tune in to this episode to learn more about the Florida Council of 100's Ambition Accelerated Campaign highlighting Florida's Gold Coast as center for the next generation of growth.

Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade have been booming and though outsiders discuss a bust, those of us with boots on the ground are not seeing it largely due to the dedication people like Stephen Ross and Ken Griffin are pouring into the area.

"Where you choose to build a business determines how much time is spent driving growth versus navigating bureaucracy" - Ken Griffin

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If I can invest in the stock market, crypto or gamble my life savings away without having to prove that I have the financial warewithal to do so, why do I have to be an accredited investor to invest in real estate? In this epsiode, we discuss the lawsuit that is challenging the accredited investor rule and how unlocking access to real estate investing would "...fuel life-changing innovation, and prove that America's markets work best when they are open to everyone...."

February’s theme, The Power of People & Place, comes to life in our conversation with South Miami Mayor Javier Fernandez—attorney, former State House Representative, and civic leader guiding a “town going through a period of growth and dynamic change.”

In this episode, we explore the social side of development—how cities evolve, how community identity is preserved, and why intentional growth is the difference between thriving and being forced to react.

Mayor Fernandez shares a compelling comparison between cities like Paris and London—dense, walkable, mixed-use environments that feel human-scaled and integrated.

His insight...

This month’s theme — The Power of People & Place — comes to life through the children’s book A World Wonder by Laura Wiffler. with its message that speaks directly to the heart of commercial real estate: the spaces we build shape the way people experience community.

In this episode, we explore how differences in people and buildings create the fabric of a neighborhood — whether we are building, buying, redeveloping, or leasing, what we are ultimately shaping is the community experience.

Using Miami as our case study, we connect themes from the book to our own backyard:<...

"Mixed Urban Is A Trend, Not Trendy"

The 2026 CCIM Miami Monroe Outlook Conference delivered a clear message: Miami’s commercial real estate market is not collapsing — it’s recalibrating.

In this episode, we break down the biggest takeaways from industry leaders including Jeffrey Havsey of Moody’s Analytics, Terry Fraser Reid of Miami Freedom Park, Michael Berkowitz of Berkowitz Development Group, South Miami Mayor Javier Fernandez, Carrie Smith of Franklin Street, Grant Killingsworth of CBRE, Edison Vasquez of ComReal, and Mitash Kripalani of Cushman & Wakefield.

Some of the highlights include:

Miami Downtown Development Authority Chief of Economic Development and Strategy, MJ Green joins us to talk about Miami's major moment. We dive into the challenges, such as how to bring new business in while keeping the small businesses that help create Miami's culture; the focus of the DDA on individuals: safety, cleanliness, and events and business: incentive programs, networking, permitting assistance; and insights on where we are heading. Glydways, Brightline, Metrorail, Metromover and Freebee are all part of the transportation network that is going to help us get there. Learn how the DDA can assist you in transactions you...

It is an election year, which means Florida Realtors and the Florida Legislature start their meetings and session much earlier than usual. The conversations this year are all about affordability and potential policies that can make Florida more affordable. Insurance, housing, property taxes, permitting and zoning all affect affordability and legislators are looking at all of these items. Think Bigger is something Beth Azor encourages her women investors to do and we think it is appropriate in this context as well. Thinking bigger allows for a big picture view of how a policy aimed at one sector may affect...

"The financial economy is built for people on salary, the whole thing," explains Brandon Wright, serial entrepreneur and CEO & Founder of Tongo, Monthly bills assume you’re paid twice a month. Credit scores reward predictable paychecks and penalize irregular income. Yet the majority of real estate agents, brokers, and investors are self-employed.

In this episode, Brandon shares how his own entrepreneurial journey revealed the disconnect between modern work and outdated financial infrastructure—and how that insight led to the creation of Tongo. We explore the real financial challenges faced by indepenent contractors and small business owners, from cash...

Join us as we break down a small strip center listing we had in a transitioning market. How does pricing affect the number of offers you get? How do you work with multiple absentee owners, owners who don't want to counter any offers, what happens when you are circumvented after an NDA is signed. One thing about commercial real estate is that no two deals are ever the same and we learn something with every transaction. Pull up a chair and see if you learn anything as we dissect this deal.

Grease traps, storm drains, and septic tanks may not be glamorous—but ignoring them can derail a deal, delay an opening, or lead to major unexpected costs.

In this episode, we get down and dirty with the experts at Day & Night Septic to uncover why these systems deserve serious attention during the due diligence phase of commercial real estate transactions—not just for purchases, but for leases as well, especially NNN leases where maintenance and repair obligations may fall squarely on the tenant.

Section 21-49.2 of the Code of Miami-Dade County requires the seller or less...

The commercial refrain since 2022 or 2023 has been "Survive 'til '25". The extremely rapid rise in interest rates brought a lot of uncertainty to the market, especially for those assets with loans coming due at a time when rents were lower, vacancy rates were higher and, as a result, valuations were lower. Well, '25 is in the rear view mirror and the 4th quarter in South Florida, at least at our company, was strong in terms of both leasing and sales. Is this a sign of a 2026 CRE resurgence? Tune in to hear from ULI and The Counselors of Real...

Merry Christmas! We wish you a very warm (we are in South Florida after all), healthy, and happy holiday season full of memory making! In this episode we highlight Black Friday and retail sales at this time of year. Year end sales tell us a lot about the commercial real estate market, the health of the economy and give us a glimpse of where we are heading at the beginning of next year. We give a brief overview of Visit Florida's 2024 report to get a glimpse of how tourism affects our local cre markets. We also do a lot...

2025 was the first full year of real estate under the new NAR rules, it was also the year when AI really took off. Changes overall are happening rapidly so what does the Broker of the Future look like? Join us in this episode where we discuss some of the challenges and opportunities for real estate brokers.

In this episode of Between Two Chairs, we sit down with Jennifer Gerson, Director of Community Engagement at Dade County Federal Credit Union from Dade County Federal Credit Union (DCFCU) to explore how a long-standing financial institution is driving community empowerment throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Fernando and Jennifer are passionate about the power of community—growing it, nurturing it, and helping people and small businesses thrive—and DCFCU embodies that mission through financial literacy, accessible lending, and deep local engagement.

Listeners will learn what makes credit unions unique, who can become a member, and how DCFCU's prog...

In this episode, Fernando gives us an overview of the economic data and policy topics presented at the National Association of Realtors Annual Convention. He touched on Lawrence Yun's presentation on the national commercial market and the economics behind it. He touched on the office market, retail demand, industrial and multi-family markets. We compared it to our local Miami MSA and touched upon the national issues with flood/hazard insurance and federal tax policies.

Melissa Kirsch, the deputy editor of Culture and Lifestyle at The New York Times, wrote an article about the Chain of Gratitude. The “consistent and intentional effort to acknowledge the good things in your life” is so important for our health, emotional and mental well being. In her article, Melissa challenges us to take gratitude a step further by tracing the origin of that gratitude.

In this episode we dive into our chain of gratitude and count you, our listeners among our blessings. Wishing you a warm Thanksgiving full of new memories, good food, and time to spen...

In this episode, we sit down with Andrea Davis, CCIM—broker, educator, and author of SimpLEASEity and Simply Own It! The American Dream. With decades of experience helping business owners and investors in Metro Phoenix, Andrea brings a rare combination of clarity, practicality, and inspiration to the world of commercial real estate (CRE).

Andrea breaks down why owning commercial real estate remains one of the most accessible and powerful paths to building wealth—and why it continues to be a core piece of the American Dream. From buying her own office condo for Davis Commercial AZ, to guid...

Dear Street is a perfect book for Miami at this point in time. Miami has been booming and, though we don’t have 4 seasons here, we do have a lot of people who have been grumbling lately about Miami. Some of the things they grumble about include: traffic, affordability, construction, climate (heat, humidity,), traffic...This book reminds us:

1) to appreciate our community

2) the acts of one person can have a positive effect on the community overall

3) find the positives in an area, property, person, event

If you are finding a lot of...

Spoiler alert: We’re starting this one at the end — because our guest, John Crossman, closes with a challenge that perfectly sums up the spirit of this episode: “Be more like Robin Webb," a broker, CCIM, and amazing human that we lost earlier this year.

In an industry often seen as competitive, commercial real estate is, at its best, deeply collaborative. And few people embody that more than John Crossman — CEO of CrossMarc Services, industry thought leader, and passionate advocate for faith, leadership, and community.

In this episode, John, Fernando and I talk about:

In this episode, we break down how the DISC assessment —a simple yet powerful behavioral tool—can transform the way you manage your commercial real estate business. Whether you’re leading a brokerage team, negotiating deals, or nurturing client relationships, understanding DISC can help you communicate more effectively, close more transactions, and build stronger partnerships. This episode will help you increase your emotional intelligence, gain incredible insights into yourself, your clients, people you work with, even family members. We describe traits of the 4 different personality types to help you identify them and discuss how to leverage this information.

Repurposing underutilized buildings is something a lot of value add investors are familiar with. But what about repurposing an entire neighborhood? Thea Goldman was a part of the team that revitized Wynwood and changed it from a run down, tired, industrial district that ran into hard times into a vibrant arts and culture neighborhood. From Joey's Pizza, the catalyst to igniting this neighborhood, to the Wynwood Business Improvement District, Thea takes us on a tour of how Wynwood became what it is today and provides a rough blueprint for the long, arduous process it takes to make "a place...

Real estate involves a lot of money, unknowns, and a significant time commitment, so all of those things lead to FEAR. Fear Of Missing Out and Fear Of Making A Mistake, are both real fears, but with different behaviours associated with them. FOMO is related more to impulsive behaviour whereas FOMM is related to hesitation and both play a huge role in investing. Being able to identify which one of these you lean towards, will help you become more aware and keep you from making an investment mistake (by being too impulsive) or of missing out on an investment...

The City of Coral Gables is known as The City Beautiful for a reason. Designed by George Merrick in 1925, this City is centrally located, walkable, and a favorite of consulates and global headquarters including FIFA, Diagio, Bacardi among others. Several new projects, inlcuding The Plaza, have low vacancies and high rents due to demand for office and retail in the city center.

This episode provides insights on community, career mobility, and property opportunities from healthcare spouse and agent Joel Mora. Relocating for a job is always difficult for a family, but it happens frequently with workers in the medical field, especially in the early phases of a career. In this episode, Joel Mora, a healthcare spouse, discusses the logistics involved and focuses on the City of Weston, FL. Home to the Cleveland Clinic, this small town is where many healthcare workers live, since is within a 10 mile radius of approximately 6 major hospitals. Learn more about Weston's commercial real estate, their high...

In this episode we summarize the Healthcare & CRE Symposium put on by Miami Commercial at the beautiful St Regis in Bal Harbour. There were several interesting challenges and opportunities for both the medical and real estate communities, so tune in to get a more detailed overview, but here are 3 of them:

1- traffic

2- affordability

3- tort environment/fraud

What is the 2/10 rule of retail?Who are the biggest spenders at grocery stores? What can lessons from malls teach us about retail?

Retail real estate is changing faster than ever—and few understand those shifts better than John Crossman, Founder & President of CrossMarc Services. Fresh from his talk at the Florida Realtors annual conference, John shared powerful insights into where the industry is headed. In this episode, we break down his key takeaways and explore what they mean for investors, brokers, and communities alike.