The Crexi Commercial Real Estate Podcast | CRE Insights & Strategies

Welcome and thanks for joining us on The Crexi Podcast, an insider’s look at all things commercial real estate. The Crexi Podcast connects CRE professionals with industry insights built for smart decision-making. In each episode, we explore the latest trends, innovations and opportunities shaping commercial real estate, because we believe knowledge should move at the speed of ambition and every conversation should empower professionals to act with greater clarity and confidence.

The Crexi Commercial Real Estate Podcast | CRE Insights & Strategies is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 214 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Crexi Commercial Real Estate Podcast | CRE Insights & Strategies, a business show with 214 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #188

  The Placemaker: How Centennial's Paul Kurzawa Is Betting Big on Malls

  Jul 29, 20261h 11m

  The Crexi Podcast connects commercial real estate (CRE) professionals with industry insights built for smart decision-making, exploring the latest trends, innovations, and opportunities shaping commercial real estate — because knowledge should move at the speed of ambition, and every conversation should empower professionals to act with greater clarity and confidence. Centennial's Paul Kurzawa on his career through Westfield, Caruso, and DreamWorks, his retail placemaking philosophy, and where shopping centers are headed next. In this episode, host Shanti Ryle sits down with Paul Kurzawa, newly appointed CEO of Centennial, to trace his 25-year career from an entry-level mall marketing job in Sydney to leading a top retail real estate platform. Paul shares stories from his years at Westfield, Caruso, and DreamWorks Animation, including building the studio's immersive "Dream Play" entertainment centers. They also discuss why retail didn't die despite predictions, how the pandemic reinvigorated the industry, and Centennial's 20-month turnaround of Annapolis Mall. Paul and Shanti explore AI's growing role in retail real estate, Gen Z's love of malls, and his vision for shopping destinations a decade from now. Paul's closing advice: stay curious. 00:00 Introduction to The Crexi Podcast 01:00 Guest Introduction: Paul Kurzawa 03:00 Early Career at Lendlease in Australia 05:00 Moving to the US and Fashion Valley 07:00 Career Lessons and Early Hard Work 10:00 Westfield Years and "Cash Is King" 14:00 Century City Redevelopment and Dining Terrace 16:00 Meeting Rick Caruso and Placemaking Philosophy 19:00 Pivot to DreamWorks Animation 22:00 Building Immersive Entertainment Experiences 27:00 E-Commerce, "Retail Is Dead," and the Pandemic Rebound 33:00 Joining Centennial and Becoming CEO 39:00 Retail Market Trends and Consumer Sentiment 43:00 Case Study: The Annapolis Mall Turnaround 45:00 Gen Z, Site Selection, and Tenant Strategy 50:00 Department Stores as Anchors, Reimagined 54:00 AI's Growing Role in Retail Real Estate 01:04:00 Vision for the Future of Shopping Centers 01:08:00 Final Advice: Stay Curious 01:09:00 Conclusion and Contact Information Like this? Hop on over to our blog to check out the latest CRE hot tips and insights: https://bit.ly/3TAD75S Subscribe and receive the latest in CRE from Crexi: https://www.youtube.com/c/CREXi?sub_c[...](https://www.youtube.com/c/CREXi?sub_confirmation=1) Follow Crexi: Website: https://bit.ly/3TAD75S Instagram: https://bit.ly/3SxVtDk Facebook: https://bit.ly/3DppaSH Twitter: https://bit.ly/3D1Qe91 Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3zcDMCh About Paul Kurzawa: Paul Kurzawa is the newly appointed CEO of Centennial, where he leads the company's national portfolio of retail and mixed-use destinations. With 25+ years across lifestyle, open-air, and enclosed retail, he specializes in redevelopment, placemaking, and community-centered development. He previously held leadership roles at CenterCal Properties, The Blackstone Group, Westfield, Caruso, DreamWorks Animation, and Equity Office Properties, with landmark projects including the $660 million Willis Tower redevelopment, The Americana at Brand, and Westfield Century City. Paul began his career in Sydney with Lendlease before relocating to the U.S. in 1996. Paul can be found on LinkedIn, and Centennial online at centennialrec.com. About Crexi: Crexi is reimagining commercial real estate with an AI-powered platform built to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions at every stage of the deal lifecycle — from real-time market insights with Crexi Intelligence, to property marketing and deal management via Crexi PRO, to transparent, time-bound bidding with Crexi Auction. To date, Crexi has facilitated over $1 trillion in transactions, 8.6 billion square feet leased, and supports more than 2.5 million monthly active users. For show notes, past guests, and more CRE content, please check out Crexi’s blog . Looking to stay ahead in commercial real estate? Visit Crexi to explore properties, analyze markets, and connect with opportunities nationwide.   Follow Crexi: https://www.crexi.com/ ​  https://www.crexi.com/instagram ​  https://www.crexi.com/facebook ​  https://www.crexi.com/twitter ​  https://www.crexi.com/linkedin ​  https://www.youtube.com/crexi   About Crexi: Crexi is reimagining commercial real estate with an AI-powered platform built to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions at every stage of the deal lifecycle. From real-time data and market insights with Crexi Intelligence, to targeted property marketing and seamless deal management through Crexi PRO, and a transparent, time-bound bidding experience with Crexi Auction— Crexi enables users to evaluate opportunities, maximize exposure, and close with speed and confidence. To date, Crexi has subsidized over $2.74 trillion in property value, 26 billion square feet listed, and supports a growing community of more than 23 million yearly users.

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  Episode #187

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

  Jul 8, 20261 hour

  Van Vlissingen & Co.'s Gordon Lamphere on Chicago's tale-of-two-cities office market, why energy access is the industry's most under-talked-about asset, and what it actually takes to build a podcast and a practice from scratch. The Crexi Podcast connects commercial real estate (CRE) professionals with industry insights built for smart decision-making. In each episode, we explore the latest trends, innovations and opportunities shaping commercial real estate, because we believe knowledge should move at the speed of ambition and every conversation should empower professionals to act with greater clarity and confidence. Gordon Lamphere is a fourth-generation real estate professional, licensed Illinois and Wisconsin broker, and Vice President at Van Vlissingen & Co., the Midwest's oldest private commercial real estate firm. He advises owners, tenants, and investors across more than 100 transactions a year throughout greater Chicagoland, and hosts the Real Finds podcast, where he interviews developers, corporate occupiers, economists, and policy leaders shaping the built environment. In this episode, Gordon joins host Shanti Ryle on how AI has changed the speed and sophistication of deal-making, why Chicago's office market is really a tale of two cities, the industrial and multifamily conversions filling the gap, and why access to power — not politics — may be the biggest driver of the next five years in CRE. 00:00 Welcome to The Crexi Podcast 00:18 Introducing Gordon Lamphere of Van Vlissingen & Co. 01:27 Fourth-generation real estate: growing up around the business 03:00 A detour to law school and Tulane's maritime program 06:00 Why brokerage won out over practicing law 07:00 The grind: 70-hour weeks, no money, no clients 10:30 How AI and digitalization sped up transactions 14:00 Higher client expectations: deal analysis, reporting, and AI 16:00 What lawyers still do that AI can't: real deal advice 19:00 AI isn't God: why brokers still have to seek the truth 22:00 Selecting clients: why he turns down more deals than he takes 25:00 Sniffing out tire kickers before wasting time 27:30 Chicago's office market: a tale of two cities 29:00 Why so much Class B/C office is functionally obsolete 30:30 Industrial and multifamily conversions filling the gap 33:00 Municipalities, zoning, and the housing crisis 35:00 Capital markets: why big deals move slower now 38:00 What makes a deal pencil in 2026 39:30 Sun Belt migration vs. the case for Chicagoland 41:30 Inside the Real Finds podcast: who he talks to and why 42:00 Energy as the most under-talked-about asset in CRE 43:00 Nuclear, hydrogen, and the race for grid access 45:30 Translating macro trends without losing the micro nuance 48:00 The double-edged sword of content creation 52:00 Advice for anyone thinking about starting a platform 55:00 Rapid fire: deploying $50M in real estate today 56:30 The worst advice he's ever gotten 58:00 What keeps him optimistic about Chicagoland. Like this? Hop on over to our blog to check out the latest CRE hot tips and insights: https://bit.ly/3TAD75S Subscribe and receive the latest in CRE from Crexi: https://www.youtube.com/c/CREXi?sub_c Follow Crexi: Website: https://bit.ly/3TAD75S Instagram: https://bit.ly/3SxVtDk Facebook: https://bit.ly/3DppaSH Twitter: https://bit.ly/3D1Qe91 Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3zcDMCh About Gordon Lamphere: Gordon Lamphere is a Vice President and licensed broker at Van Vlissingen & Co., the Midwest's oldest private commercial real estate firm, where he advises owners, tenants, and investors on more than 100 transactions annually across office, industrial, and land assets throughout greater Chicagoland. He holds a JD from Tulane University Law School, where he majored in maritime and logistics law, and is an honors graduate of St. Mary's College of Maryland. Beyond his transactional work, Gordon leads Van Vlissingen & Co.'s media and marketing platform and hosts Real Finds, Chicago's leading commercial real estate podcast, where he interviews developers, corporate occupiers, economists, and policy leaders shaping the future of the built environment. About Crexi: Crexi is reimagining commercial real estate with an AI-powered platform built to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions at every stage of the deal lifecycle. From real-time data and market insights with Crexi Intelligence, to targeted property marketing and seamless deal management through Crexi PRO, and a transparent, time-bound bidding experience with Crexi Auction — Crexi enables users to evaluate opportunities, maximize exposure, and close with speed and confidence. To date, Crexi has facilitated over $1 trillion in transactions, 8.6 billion square feet leased, and supports a growing community of more For show notes, past guests, and more CRE content, please check out Crexi’s blog . Looking to stay ahead in commercial real estate? Visit Crexi to explore properties, analyze markets, and connect with opportunities nationwide.   Follow Crexi: https://www.crexi.com/ ​  https://www.crexi.com/instagram ​  https://www.crexi.com/facebook ​  https://www.crexi.com/twitter ​  https://www.crexi.com/linkedin ​  https://www.youtube.com/crexi   About Crexi: Crexi is reimagining commercial real estate with an AI-powered platform built to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions at every stage of the deal lifecycle. From real-time data and market insights with Crexi Intelligence, to targeted property marketing and seamless deal management through Crexi PRO, and a transparent, time-bound bidding experience with Crexi Auction— Crexi enables users to evaluate opportunities, maximize exposure, and close with speed and confidence. To date, Crexi has subsidized over $2.74 trillion in property value, 26 billion square feet listed, and supports a growing community of more than 23 million yearly users.

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  Episode #186

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

  Jun 24, 202657 min

  Huntington Properties' Tooba Patoli on canvassing from zero, tenant mix strategy, the landlord hat, why AI is killing deals, and what it really takes to build a retail leasing practice in Texas. The Crexi Podcast connects commercial real estate (CRE) professionals with industry insights built for smart decision-making. In each episode, we explore the latest trends, innovations and opportunities shaping commercial real estate, because we believe knowledge should move at the speed of ambition and every conversation should empower professionals to act with greater clarity and confidence. Tooba Patoli left a corporate salary job at 22 to go make $0 in commercial real estate. Four and a half years later she's a senior retail specialist at Huntington Properties, leading a team that closed nearly 95 leases across 36 shopping centers in a single year. In this episode, Tooba joins host Shanti Ryle to talk about how she built her book from scratch through canvassing, why she thinks like a landlord even when she isn't one, what's driving Texas suburban retail right now, and why three of her deals recently fell apart because tenants used AI instead of an attorney. Introducing Tooba Patoli of Huntington Properties From corporate salary to $0 commission: why she made the leap at 22 Why retail — and why mom and pops in high-growth Texas suburbs How leasing fundamentals give you an edge in investment sales Mentors, pattern recognition, and joining the right firm 95 leases in a year: how the team pulled it off across 36 shopping centers What her day actually looks like now versus year one The landlord hat: why she never advises a deal she wouldn't take herself Talking to tenants: why it's always case by case The hot chicken deal that almost blew up — and the lesson she still teaches her team She did a second deal with that same tenant four years later Canvassing 101: always start with tenants, not landlords 18,000 miles in year one and the script that actually worked at the door Be a farmer: plant today, bloom in 12 months What's driving Texas retail right now — and where Houston is heading The shortage of quality second gen space and how landlords are getting creative The concepts winning right now: food and bev, Pilates, personal services, froyo TI negotiations, personal guarantees, and why it's a 50/50 market Why AI is killing deals — and who she actually blames The right way to use AI as a broker Advice for new brokers: understand the fundamentals before you feed the model About Tooba Patoli Tooba Patoli is a Senior Retail Leasing Associate at Hunington Properties, where she helps lead the firm's third-party retail division across Texas. She specializes in retail leasing, tenant and landlord representation, and investment sales, working with property owners, developers, investors, and growing businesses. Tooba's approach combines proactive business development, market research, and relationship building to uncover opportunities and help clients achieve their goals. By staying closely connected to local business owners, monitoring emerging retail trends, and maintaining an active presence throughout the market, she helps clients make informed real estate decisions and position their assets for long-term success. For show notes, past guests, and more CRE content, please check out Crexi’s blog . Looking to stay ahead in commercial real estate? Visit Crexi to explore properties, analyze markets, and connect with opportunities nationwide.   Follow Crexi: https://www.crexi.com/ ​  https://www.crexi.com/instagram ​  https://www.crexi.com/facebook ​  https://www.crexi.com/twitter ​  https://www.crexi.com/linkedin ​  https://www.youtube.com/crexi   About Crexi: Crexi is reimagining commercial real estate with an AI-powered platform built to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions at every stage of the deal lifecycle. From real-time data and market insights with Crexi Intelligence, to targeted property marketing and seamless deal management through Crexi PRO, and a transparent, time-bound bidding experience with Crexi Auction— Crexi enables users to evaluate opportunities, maximize exposure, and close with speed and confidence. To date, Crexi has subsidized over $2.74 trillion in property value, 26 billion square feet listed, and supports a growing community of more than 23 million yearly users.

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  Episode #185

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

  Jun 10, 202656 min

  Avison Young's Justin Cazana on Knoxville's office boom, nuclear-driven growth, why tertiary markets quietly survived the office crisis, and how to build a dominant local practice. The Crexi Podcast connects commercial real estate (CRE) professionals with industry insights built for smart decision-making. In each episode, we explore the latest trends, innovations and opportunities shaping commercial real estate, because we believe knowledge should move at the speed of ambition and every conversation should empower professionals to act with greater clarity and confidence. Justin Cazana is a third-generation real estate professional and principal at Avison Young in Knoxville. Before commercial real estate, he spent nearly a decade in sports broadcasting — calling minor league baseball, SEC football, and Fox Sports Net Olympic coverage — before the family business pulled him home. In this episode, Justin joins host Adam Siegel on why Knoxville's office market never really broke, what Oak Ridge and nuclear growth are doing to demand, and why investing in people is the unlock most brokers miss. Introducing Justin Cazana of Avison Young Knoxville Third-generation CRE: sweeping warehouses and dinner table deal talk From Auburn journalism to minor league baseball broadcasting Hall of Famers in the same league and why he eventually walked away Coming back to Knoxville and learning the business under his father Opening Cushman & Wakefield's Knoxville office in 2010 with seven brokers Managing people is the hardest part — and why hiring a COO changed everything The 10x mindset: what are the 20 things only you should be doing Assistants, VAs, and why every broker should view hires as investments Why they left Cushman for Avison Young in 2015 In tertiary markets, the relationship outlasts the flag every time Knoxville by the numbers: a million-person metro, 24M square feet of office Why tertiary market office never collapsed the way primary markets did Smaller tenants, local ownership, and coming back to the office faster after COVID The retention math: upgrading from Class C to Class A pays for itself How HR became the real estate decision-maker The 11-minute commute and what makes Knoxville an easy sell No income tax, four seasons, UT football, and a Cubs AA ballpark Oak Ridge, nuclear growth, and 180,000 square feet of engineering deals in one year 92% occupancy, a supply problem, and developers ready to build on lease-up Why institutional developers haven't moved in — and local developers fill the gap Downtown Knoxville: no new office building since 1992 The next three to five years: nuclear, airports, Smith & Wesson, and more About Justin Cazana: Justin Cazana is a Principal and broker at Avison Young's Knoxville office, where he specializes in both tenant and landlord representation across office, industrial, and retail asset classes. He holds both the SIOR and CCIM designations and has deep expertise in the Knoxville market, where he has built a practice rooted in local market knowledge and client relationships. Justin's career path into commercial real estate was far from traditional. Before joining the industry, he worked in television and radio sports broadcasting, including minor league baseball, Fox Sports Net and Comcast Sports. After transitioning into commercial real estate over two decades ago, Justin played a key role in opening Cushman & Wakefield's Knoxville office and later helped lead the migration to Avison Young in 2015. Today, Justin works across most commercial asset classes but with a focus on the Knoxville market and has built a reputation as the go-to expert for understanding one of the country's fastest-growing tertiary markets. For show notes, past guests, and more CRE content, please check out Crexi’s blog . Looking to stay ahead in commercial real estate? Visit Crexi to explore properties, analyze markets, and connect with opportunities nationwide.   Follow Crexi: https://www.crexi.com/ ​  https://www.crexi.com/instagram ​  https://www.crexi.com/facebook ​  https://www.crexi.com/twitter ​  https://www.crexi.com/linkedin ​  https://www.youtube.com/crexi   About Crexi: Crexi is reimagining commercial real estate with an AI-powered platform built to deliver smarter, more efficient solutions at every stage of the deal lifecycle. From real-time data and market insights with Crexi Intelligence, to targeted property marketing and seamless deal management through Crexi PRO, and a transparent, time-bound bidding experience with Crexi Auction— Crexi enables users to evaluate opportunities, maximize exposure, and close with speed and confidence. To date, Crexi has subsidized over $2.74 trillion in property value, 26 billion square feet listed, and supports a growing community of more than 23 million yearly users.

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  Episode #184

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

  Jun 3, 202646 minS0

  <p>Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director Dylan Walsh on NYC investment sales, development sites, debt maturities, and why pessimism in a down market is always the wrong call.</p> <p>The Crexi Podcast connects commercial real estate (CRE) professionals with industry insights built for smart decision-making. In each episode, we explore the latest trends, innovations and opportunities shaping commercial real estate, because we believe knowledge should move at the speed of ambition and every conversation should empower professionals to act with greater clarity and confidence.</p> <p>Dylan Walsh has handled more than 100 transactions and over $2 billion in NYC commercial real...

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