The Crexi Commercial Real Estate Podcast | CRE Insights & Strategies

Recent Episodes

1. Building a Practice, Chicago's Market, and the Future of Brokerage

   Jul 8, 2026

   Gordon Lampheer, Vice President at Van Wissingen and Co, discusses his journey from law school to becoming a leading commercial real estate broker in Chicago, handling 100+ transactions annually across office, industrial, retail, and land assets. The conversation covers the transformation of brokerage through AI and digitalization, the bifurcated Chicago office market (strong Class A, struggling Class B/C), adaptive reuse strategies including office-to-multifamily conversions, and the role of municipal zoning cooperation. Lampheer also shares insights on his podcast, The Real Finds, as a business development tool and platform for translating macroeconomic trends into practical intelligence.

2. The Broker Who Thinks Like a Landlord: Inside Texas Retail Leasing with Tooba Patoli

   Jun 24, 2026

   Tooba Patoli, a senior retail specialist at Huntington Properties, discusses her journey from corporate work into commercial real estate at age 22 and her expertise in Texas retail leasing across Houston and Dallas. She shares her philosophy of thinking like a landlord, her canvassing strategy that generated her current 36-property portfolio, and practical advice on tenant-landlord matchmaking, deal negotiation, and the role of AI in brokerage. The episode covers her early mistakes, her 95-lease transaction year, and her approach to building a high-performing leasing team.

3. Why Knoxville Is One of America's Fastest-Growing Markets

   Jun 10, 2026

   Justin Kazana, Principal and Broker at Avison Young in Knoxville, discusses his unconventional path from sports broadcasting to commercial real estate and his role as a market leader in one of America's fastest-growing tertiary markets. The episode covers his career evolution, the opening and growth of the Cushman & Wakefield office in Knoxville, the 2015 migration to Avison Young, and the structural dynamics driving office and industrial demand in Knoxville, particularly from Oak Ridge National Labs and emerging tech companies. Kazana shares insights on managing a brokerage office, delegation strategies, and Knoxville's transformation from a secondary market into a vibrant, growing metropolitan area.

4. Dylan Walsh on NYC Investment Sales: Development, Debt, and Deals

   Jun 3, 2026

   Dylan Walsh, Executive Director of Capital Markets at Cushman & Wakefield, discusses his 12+ year career in New York commercial real estate investment sales. He covers current market dynamics including the resurgence of Class A office, tight multifamily vacancy rates (1.5%), the emergence of development sites and office-to-residential conversions as hot asset classes, and the 485X tax abatement program driving new construction. Walsh also addresses debt refinancing challenges, lender negotiations, and 1031 exchange activity as capital exits New York.

5. Nina Steiner: Hollywood's Tenant Rep and the Writers' Room Whisperer

   May 27, 2026

   Nina Steiner, a tenant representation broker with over 10 years of experience in Los Angeles, discusses her unconventional career path from television line producer to commercial real estate specialist focusing on the entertainment industry. She shares how her background in entertainment gives her unique insight into studio and production company spatial needs, particularly for writers' rooms and creative spaces. The conversation covers her philosophy on relationship-building, the evolving office market post-COVID, and her approach to personal branding through consistent content and proof-stacking methodology.

6. David Green & Cory Mais on NYC Retail: Brooklyn, Pilates, and Froyo

   May 21, 2026

   David Green, Executive Managing Director of Retail Leasing at Casansaba Realty (KSR), and Cory Mais, a retail leasing professional who joined KSR in June 2024, discuss the booming New York City retail market. They explore shifting tenant behavior post-COVID, the resurgence of neighborhood retail in Brooklyn, Greenpoint, and the Upper West Side, and how brokers must balance landlord and tenant interests through transparency. The conversation covers team building, the role of technology and AI in brokerage, and why relationship-driven work remains irreplaceable.

7. Ken Ashley: The Prescription for Building a Career in CRE Brokerage

   May 13, 2026

   Ken Ashley, Executive Director at Cushman & Wakefield, discusses his 30-year career in commercial real estate brokerage and his book 'The Prescription,' a field guide for breaking into and building a sustainable career in CRE. He shares mentorship strategies for entry-level professionals, including specific follow-up techniques, and explains how brokers should approach technology adoption, corporate culture in hybrid work environments, and the future of office real estate with autonomous vehicles. Ashley also discusses CREI (Commercial Real Estate Influencers), a community he founded in 2020 to help brokers adapt to industry changes through social media and relationship-building.

8. Pablo Barreiro: Building Preschools and Solving the Childcare Desert Crisis

   May 6, 2026

   Pablo Barreiro, Chairman and Co-Founder of Vortec, discusses his mission to solve the childcare real estate crisis across the United States. With over $240 million in early childhood education developments completed since 2020, Barreiro explains how he pivoted from general commercial real estate development to focus exclusively on preschools and early childhood centers, addressing the fact that 51% of America lives in childcare deserts. The conversation covers Vortec's development model, their newly launched $30 million fund, and strategies for scaling this critical infrastructure across 14 states while keeping rents low for operators and maintaining community impact.

9. Roxanne Klein on Leasing SoCal Retail in a Tight & Shifting Market

   Apr 29, 2026

   Roxanne Klein, Senior Vice President of Retail Leasing and Sales at Progressive Real Estate Partners, discusses trends and strategies in Southern California's retail market across the Western Inland Empire, Eastern San Gabriel Valley, and Northern Orange County. The episode covers emerging tenant categories (independent pharmacies, beauty services, coffee shops), shifting space requirements driven by rent pressures, the rise of drive-through concepts, and critical lease negotiation strategies including exclusive use clauses, CCNR restrictions, and utility infrastructure challenges. Klein shares practical advice for landlords on staying competitive, tenant vetting, and avoiding common pitfalls in retail leasing.

10. Inside the Mind and Investment Playbook of StripMallGuy (Repost)

    Apr 22, 2026

    Don Tepman, founder of Town Center Capital and operator of the Strip Mall Guy social media brand (325k followers), discusses his 20-year career acquiring and value-adding neighborhood strip centers across the United States. The episode covers his path from post-dotcom broker to real estate investor, his investment thesis focused on operational value-add rather than market appreciation, and the role of social media and community in modern real estate deal sourcing and brand building.