On the Road with Steve Felix

Monday, December 8, 2014

Standardized RFP in the US? / Women's Leadership Workshop / Introduction to Capital Raising Course

BREAKING NEWS FROM NAREIM

At last week’s Capital Raising and Investor Relations (CR/IR) meeting, NAREIM (National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers) CEO Gunnar Branson issued a challenge to the group: Let’s follow INREV’s (European trade association for non-listed real estate vehicles) lead and establish a committee with the goal of creating a standardized RFP / RFI (Request for Proposal / Request for Information) template for the U.S.

Universal head nodding from the managers in the room - and a cautiously optimistic reaction from the two consultants in attendance - met his suggestion. There were a few present who jumped at the chance to be on that committee. Those of you who have ever been involved in completing an RFP or RFI know the amount of work involved. And - even though after a standardized basic form is adopted, consultants will still reserve the right to request answers to additional questions - this would be a great boon to our industry. This initiative is likely to be launched in early 2015. Stay tuned!

Some of my takeaways from the CR / IR meeting. Economists remind the group:

· Secondary market / derivatives caused problems in 2007

“We were really good at regulating our tree, the problem was that every other tree in the forest was on fire” – pre crisis / didn’t realize impact of leverage
“There’s a whole generation of people who don’t think about real estate as a hedge against inflation because they haven’t lived through inflation.”
Jobs will continue to move to ‘right to work’ states
High priced labor is moving to central city locations

NAREIM runs a series of excellent meetings throughout the year traversing different discipline areas in the institutional real estate investment management arena. These meetings are wonderful think-tank environments where, as Gunnar likes to remind attendees: “Your ticket to this event is a license to think in public.” Check out NAREIM’s calendar here.

Women's Leadership Workshop - Chicago

Last week Liz Weiner and I conducted our Women’s Leadership Workshop in Chicago. We were joined by 17 women in commercial real estate, from 10 different companies. The response from this highly-interactive session has been tremendous.

Collaborative discussions, insightful exercises and experiential partner work filled the afternoon. In each of our Women’s Leadership programs, I provided the male perspective which adds a unique dynamic to the session.

The workshop is structured to help women in commercial real estate develop and enhance their professional presence while becoming more aware of behavioral traits that may be holding them back in their career development. From the feedback we’ve received, it appears we are filling a self-development gap in the overly male-dominated commercial real estate industry. This is very exciting - and rewarding!

Here are a few comments we received from participants in our Women’s’ Leadership Workshops:

“Great program – I would recommend to all the women in my network”
“The discussion topics were so interesting”
“As an industry we need more women leaders; and workshops like this bring awareness, skills and techniques to help accomplish that”
“Brought to the surface all the issues I felt were stopping me from moving ahead and learning I wasn’t alone”
“Many women don’t see how they are perceived and I think this can help them grow individually and in their careers”
“I will be more communicative with my boss about my successes”

Our next Women’s Leadership Workshop will be held in NYC during the first week of January with other US cities (and London) planned for 2015. More to come!

Introduction to Capital Raising Training Course

In partnership with IMN, Liz and I are excited to announce our Introduction To Capital Raising course taking place January 21-22, 2015 in Laguna Beach, CA. This 1.5 day workshop will benefit new additions and others with more experience in marketing real estate investment opportunities to pension funds, endowments, foundations, sovereign wealth funds and family offices.

As an added bonus, the workshop will be held alongside IMN's 12th Annual Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity & Private Fund Investing. Course participants will be granted complimentary access to the main conference program at the conclusion of the course for an additional afternoon of education and networking opportunities.

For further information either write back to me or visit the website.

Congratulations...

Dave Gilbert on being named President of Clarion Partners.

Mike Simmons on joining Akridge as Vice President, Acquisitions.

On the Road...

January 2015: Felix / Weiner Consulting Group - Commercial Real Estate Women's Leadership Workshop, New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles

Jan. 15 -16: NAREIM Asset Management and Acquisitions Meeting, San Francisco, CA. Learn more and register here.

Jan. 21-22: Introduction to Capital Raising Course offered by Steve Felix and Liz Weiner in partnership with IMN running alongside their Opportunity and Private Fund Investing conference, Laguna Beach, CA. Learn more and register here.

Jan. 21 - 23: IMN's Winter Forum on Real Estate Opportunity and Private Fund Investing, Laguna Beach, CA. Learn more and register here.

Feb. 17 – 18: NAREIM Research & Investment Management Meeting, Chicago, IL. Learn more and register here.

Feb. 19 - 20: University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Real Estate Challenge (I've been invited to be a judge!), Chapel Hill, NC. Invitation only. Learn more here.

Mar.3 - 5: NCREIF (National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries) Winter Conference, Phoenix, AZ. Learn more and register here.

Mar. 10 - 11: National Association of Real Estate Research Professionals (ARERP) meeting, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

Mar. 17 - 18: NAREIM Executive Officers Spring Meeting, Miami, FL. Learn more and register here.

Mar. 26 - 27: PREA (Pension Real Estate Association) Spring Conference, Washington, DC. Learn more and register here.

Disclaimer

All content in this blog is created for informational purposes only. Content, which includes all text, photos, video and graphics is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company or individual. Steve Felix makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or other information as a result of following any featured link to or from this site. The intention of this blog is to do no harm in regards to injury, defamation or libel. What is written or shown is not to be taken as fact or absolute. Steve Felix will hold himself harmless for any errors or omissions in this blog’s information; including but not limited to external link information, translation or interpretation of content or incorrect grammar or punctuation.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Do It Now! / Women's Leadership Workshop - Chicago / A New Real Estate Textbook / Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Do It Now!

Recently I was having coffee with a relatively new industry friend Dan Elman who, since 1999, has been delivering communications and marketing services to finance, capital markets and real estate firms.

Our animated conversation went on many tangents. One related to the series of full-page ads that were run years ago in the Wall Street Journal by aerospace giant, United Technologies (UT) …coincidentally Dan worked for UT in those days. While cleaning out some old briefcases this week, I found a binder where I had saved a number of these pieces. I’d like to share this particular one with you, and remind myself at the same time about it’s importance.

Do It Now

If you’re putting off something you’ve been meaning to do, what are you waiting for?
Always wanted to play the banjo? Start taking lessons.
Dreamt about visiting the Greek Islands? Call a travel agent.
Hate your bathroom wallpaper? Scrape it off and paint.
Feel better if you exercised? Start jogging.
Love the taste of homegrown tomatoes? Plant your own.
Angry about the potholes in your street? Go to your town meetings.
Whatever you’ve been putting off, do it now.
Tomorrow may be too late.

While I have subscribed-and sometimes been successful in implementing this philosophy-I have put several important things off…I’ve started to change that: This past week I got my New York City Recreation Department membership card and tomorrow morning will be making my first to the facility nearest where I live. There are exercise machines, a gym (for basketball), Olympic-sized swimming pool and, last but not least, ping pong tables (I love ping pong)!

I have committed to going back to writing for 30-minutes early every morning. The 2015 goal? Publish my semi-autobiographical / semi self-help book called ‘Driving With Your Knees’, which has been in the works for almost 20 years. Accepting the suggestion of a number of friends, the book will include some of the pieces from this column that have resonated with many of you since I first started publishing in 1999.

Lastly, I have started to form a band that, in 2015, will perform the material off my two CD’s of original music. Much of this music has never been played in public. The first band member? My son Kevin who co-wrote two of the songs on that second CD, Wait For Me.

I know these goals are achievable and recently discovered a great message on a greeting card: Proceed as if success inevitable. It’s my new mantra!!

Women’s Leadership Workshop - Chicago

This coming Wednesday, December 3, my partner Liz Weiner and I will be facilitating a Women’s Leadership Workshop in Chicago. The price for the 4-hour session is $279 – there are still a few seats remaining.

Women from the following forward-thinking real estate companies will be attending:

• Bentall Kennedy

• GEM Realty Capital

• Harrison St.

• Heitman

• INVESCO

• L&B Realty Advisors

• National Real Estate Advisors

• Origin Capital

• Principal Global Investors

This dynamic, interactive session is open to women at all levels in the commercial real estate industry. Attendees will acquire presentation, communication and leadership skills to take them to the next level in their career – and beyond.

Here is the registration link.

We’d really appreciate you forwarding this on to someone you know who may be interested.

New Book: Indirect Real Estate Investments

My good friend Prof. Dr. John C. Davidson, Asset Management Board Member of Deutsche Finance Group, from Zurich, Switzerland recently published a new book to complement “Private Equity Real Estate," which he published in 2011.

The aim of “Indirect Real Estate Investments” is to outline the potential of indirect real estate as an asset class from the perspective of professional investors. The following list of supporters of, and contributors to, this academic work are evidence of the high esteem in which John Davidson is held by the industry: Aberdeen, Amstar, Avenida Capital, Cordea Savills, ANREV, Composition Capital, CBRE Global Investors, Grainger, Caerus, Deutsche Finance Group, Dieners Syz, INREV, Invesco, Jamestown, KRE, Mercer, Partners Group, Patrizia, Revcap, Southern Bridge Capital, PREA, UBS.

You can learn more about the book or purchase here.

All the best with this one Dr. John!

Macy’sThanksgiving Day Parade

For those in the U.S. (and expats around the world) I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was something special: Watching the 88^th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from a building right on the parade route. The location was my daughter-in-law’s office where she, my son and their 3-year old twins and I had a great time. In person, the parade is much more of an awesome spectacle than on TV - even with the cold, snow-showery day - the energy was something to behold. For those who have never seen this parade, it’s huge, just like New York City. There are numerous high school and college bands that make a special, perhaps once-in-a-lifetime, trip to Manhattan to participate. Here are a couple of photos I took…feel free to share them with younger people who will appreciate the characters (and know them!).

On the Road...

Dec. 3: Women's Leadership Workshop, Felix / Weiner Consulting Group, Chicago, IL Learn more and register here.

Dec. 3 - 4: NAREIM Capital Raising and Investor Relations Meeting, Chicago, IL. Learn more and register here.

Jan. 15 -16, 2015: NAREIM Asset Management and Acquisitions Meeting, San Francisco, CA. Learn more and register here.