There was insight from leaders coming into their own in the real estate industry, such as Nadeem Meghji, Blackstone Real Estate’s global head; those with plenty of experience; and those transitioning out of the industry, like Steve Witkoff, whose perseverance led him up through the ranks of New York real estate to now serve as United States special envoy for Peace Missions.
They all shared the stage as more than 1,000 professionals from the real estate industry in South Florida listened intently, along with students aspiring to enter the business. The group gathered inside the University of Miami’s Donna E. Shalala Student Center on Friday for the 14th annual Real Estate Impact Conference, hosted jointly by the Miami Herbert Business School and the School of Architecture.
Presenters shared tips on the business, lessons of expertise, and gave a forecast of the future. Serving as emcees were professors Andrea Heuson, who has led real estate programs at the Miami Herbert Business School since 2009, and Charles Bohl, founding director of the master’s in real estate program at the School of Architecture.
Arnaud Karsenti, founder and managing principal of local real estate and development firm 13th Floor Investments, kicked off the first keynote by speaking with Meghji, a friend from Harvard Business School. They spoke about Meghji’s career trajectory at Blackstone, the world’s largest commercial property owner, and his priorities today.
Meghji said he was lucky to join Blackstone right before the financial crisis of 2008 and was able to see how leadership at the company was investing capital with conviction at a time when many others were very nervous. Since then, the company has grown rapidly. His first major assignment was overseeing the company’s retail malls, which he earned by stepping out of his comfort zone and simply asking Jonathan Gray, now the company’s president.
“Sometimes if you believe you can do it, you have to ask and put yourself out there, and you have to be in an environment where you’re going to be rewarded for that,” he said. “I’ve just been a beneficiary of being in the right place with the right culture.”
Some guiding principles Meghji uses as a real estate investor are the idea of focusing on the macro level and thinking about sector selection and the geographies he wants his properties to be in.
“If you’re in the wrong sector, it doesn’t matter how capable or how great of an investor you are; the headwinds sometimes are overwhelming,” he said.
Meghji explained that he tries to fend off negative headwinds by entering certain business sectors that he and his team research beforehand using real-time data. In 2007, Meghji said Blackstone owned no warehouses, but today, warehouses—often utilized for e-commerce inventory—make up 40 percent of their global business. Meghji said that data centers, rental housing, and warehouses currently make up most of their global portfolio.
Yet, for those investing, Meghji said there are often tailwinds in their favor that can support better outcomes. Like in Miami and the greater South Florida region, where he said the market is “rocking,” due to factors like the coastal environment, numerous amenities, comfortable weather, and the fact that more people can now work remotely.
However, because real estate is cyclical, Meghji cautioned professionals to not invest based on the news but to look at long-term trends. He believes the industry is now in a recovery.
“It’s really easy to just read headlines, but actually, people who invested in real estate 12 months ago have actually done quite well,” he added.
Peter Linneman, left, chats with Willy Walker, right.
Another optimistic view of the future of the real estate industry, as well as the economy, came from Peter Linneman, founder of a real estate advisory firm and a former faculty member at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Linneman took the stage with real estate investor and entrepreneur Willy Walker, chairman and CEO of Walker and Dunlop and host of the “Walker Webcast,” where Linneman is a frequent guest.
Walker explained that Linneman’s forecasts on both the economy and the real estate market are often spot-on, joking that he has lost a few bets to the economic scholar. They discussed job growth, which Linneman thinks is being underreported, and touched on the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which many are concerned may replace jobs. Linneman disagrees.
“Throughout all of history, it shows that the more technology we have, the better we are … it is something that increases productivity and that creates wealth, and people with that wealth will invest it or spend it,” he said. “And soon there will be a whole bunch of jobs that nobody ever dreamed of—that’s what an economy is, and that’s what I believe in.”
Linneman thinks many companies will simply have to reinvent themselves in the era of AI. But the most successful companies do this, he added, giving Walmart, Microsoft, and Amazon as examples.
Students like Chabeli Alvarado enjoyed hearing from the energetic Linneman, who chattered through complex economic topics rapidly, cracking jokes in between his analyses.
“I liked hearing his take on international debt because I am thinking about doing business internationally, and learning more about how this works helped me understand it better,” said Alvarado, who is earning her master’s in real estate development.
The conference then turned to another real estate success story. Steven Witkoff, who rose to success after buying and repairing his first apartment building in the Bronx and continued to grow his portfolio into a major share of New York City’s commercial real estate.
Stuart Miller, left, and Steve Witkoff at the Real Estate Impact Conference.
Speaking with Witkoff was Stuart Miller, executive chairman and CEO of Lennar Corporation, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, and chair of the board of directors for UHealth – University of Miami Health System. Miller said he was privileged to work with Witkoff in the real estate industry and that two of Witkoff’s sons attended the University.
Through their conversation, Witkoff explained that he came from humble beginnings on Long Island but became a real estate lawyer before pivoting and buying his first apartment building in 1991. He and his partner Larry Gluck often served as the handymen before they could hire others to take care of their buildings. In 1997 the Witkoff Group was formed to develop and invest in real estate and bought The Woolworth Building in Manhattan. The firm then began amassing more New York City buildings and a year later, they had 15 million square feet of office space and began looking beyond New York. Today, the Witkoff Group owns residential, commercial, and hotel properties in Florida and California too.
When asked about the transition to public service, Witkoff said he takes his new role very seriously and knows that it comes with high stakes, but added he is eager for the challenge.
“I think what I am doing today really matters, so the rewards are big,” he said, remembering the day when the last 20 freed Israeli hostages visited the White House. “I say all the time that success belongs to those who believe in it the most. That doesn’t always mean you’re going to get there, but you have to believe.”