Here's the 2nd in my series of
interviews with people who have made a significant contribution to the global
commercial real estate industry - to me, they are all legendary.
Peter Hobbs
Peter is Managing Director at
London-based bfinance. With nearly 30 years of real asset experience, he is a leading expert in
the private asset classes, covering all stages of the investment process
including valuation, portfolio management and investment strategy. Peter also
has significant experience in real asset research, risk management, as well as
organizational growth and change for companies.
Peter is a regular contributor to industry events and initiatives. In 2015 he was shortlisted for Outstanding Industry Contribution at the IPE Real Estate Global Awards, and in 2017 he chaired the PERE European Conference. He has a PhD from the University of Reading and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MIRCS).
Peter is a regular contributor to industry events and initiatives. In 2015 he was shortlisted for Outstanding Industry Contribution at the IPE Real Estate Global Awards, and in 2017 he chaired the PERE European Conference. He has a PhD from the University of Reading and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MIRCS).
I met Peter when he was with PPR
(Property & Portfolio Research), which was founded by the truly
legendary Susan Hudson-Wilson who passed away a few years ago. As I
started spending more time in Europe he saw each other more frequently and
became friends.
One experience we shared was at an
industry event in the U.K. I was asked to ‘moderate’ a session. The session was
Peter presenting meaningful data to an audience of about 200
people. It was the first time that Peter and I had ‘worked’ together
on stage and he didn’t know what to expect. In my typical ‘engage
the audience’ style (which, was different than what European audiences were
used to) Peter and I had a lot of fun – and got really good feedback from the
group.
Peter has made a difference in the global
commercial real estate industry and I’m proud to call him my friend.
I asked Peter to respond to three
questions the answers to which I feel will be helpful to younger people in our
industry:
1. Q. Tell me
about how you got started in the commercial real estate industry.
A. I started in the mid
1980’s by taking a PhD on Real Estate cycles rather than joining the throng in
the run up to that particular cyclical boom! That learning and the desire
to use such insights to advise others set me in good stead for the next 30
years!
2. Q. What
one piece of advice do you have for people just starting out or early in their
commercial real estate career?
A. Take it slowly but
keep it moving. Keep exploring options to find what is best for you and to
broaden your experience. Don’t rush to find the ideal but don’t stay in any
specific area too long.
3. Q. Is
there anything you wish you had done differently in your career? If so, what?
A. Some of my ventures,
such as PPR into DMGI/CoStar or IPD into MSCI, didn’t work as well as I’d hoped
but I’ve had a fantastic time with some wonderful people and wouldn’t change
the journey - I’ve been very lucky!
 |
| Peter Hobbs |
**
Steve's Pre-Holiday Pizza / Drink Thing
When: Monday, December 4
Where: Joe G's Restaurant, 244 W. 56th
St (bet. B'way & 8th and downstairs from the Da Vinci Hotel)
Time: 6 - 9pm
Who: A diverse group
of commercial real estate industry folks
The deal? You buy your own drink
- I supply the famous Joe G pizza!
Hope you can drop by on Monday evening!
Steve
