In this special episode, the gang break down three policy shifts with major implications for real estate. We start with Trump’s AI Action Plan, which fast-tracks data center, semiconductor, and energy infrastructure development. Next, we cover Boston’s proposed driverless car ban and its clash between job protection and innovation, a decision that could set a precedent for AV deployment nationwide. We then dive into NYC’s property tax imbalance, discussing proposals to ease the burden on multifamily housing and encourage new development. Insightful, fast-paced, and capped off with a fun "Real Estate Family Feud" showdown.

Show Notes:

0:10: Introduction

1:27: The White House AI Action Plan

15:02: Boston's ban of driverless cars

27:23: Property Tax Burden on Multifamily in NYC

36:27: Real Estate Family Feud
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We sit down with Sandhya Espitia, COO of REBNY, to explore how the $1.4 trillion industry is reshaping New York. From Local Law 97 and retrofits to debunking the “developer as villain” myth, Sandhya highlights real estate’s role as a civic partner in keeping NYC livable and competitive. We cover her journey from Colombia to COO, why most real estate tech company fail in NYC, and how she balances tradition with diversity, innovation, and public trust. Whether you’re navigating sustainability mandates, curious about policy, or figuring out how to break into NYC real estate, this conversation is a crash course in how the city really works.

Show Notes:

0:10: Ryan goes suburban, Nadine goes nomadic

2:42: Taking our show to Blueprint!

3:40: NYC’s complex real estate landscape

5:25: Sandhya’s path from Colombia to powering REBNY

10:48: REBNY’s commitment to housing, sustainability, and safety

13:10: Reviving REBNY’s 1980s ties with NYC Government

15:45: The Impact of the FARE ACT

21:10: How to overcome challenges of adopting tech in NYC

34:10: Advancing Sustainability through NYC’s LL97

39:46: Honoring heritage, embracing diversity

48:20: Biggest Threat to NYC Real Estate?

53:44: Sandhya’s Panel at Blueprint!

55:56: How does Sandhya unplug?

1:00:39: Nadine & Ryan’s Takeaways Have thoughts or suggestions?

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The crew kicks things off with a fiery debate on NYC’s shifting political tides, unpacking Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory over Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary. They dive into what this means for commercial real estate, and whether being labeled a “socialist” still sparks fear or just change. From there, the gang shifts gears to explore the current state of CRE fundraising, dissecting who's still raising, where capital is flowing, and why LP sentiment might be turning a corner. Then it’s on to the evolving education landscape within the industry, as more professionals seek alternative pathways to level up their skills. The episode wraps with a laugh-out-loud round of Proptech Price is Right, where Brad and Nadine go head-to-head guessing recent funding rounds, some close, some wildly off.

Show Notes:

0:10: Intro

0:42: NYC housing implications of Zohan Mamdani's primary win

20:42: Current and forecasted state of fundraising within commercial real estate

27:25: Evolving trends in education within commercial real estate

38:45: Update from David Abrams, CEO of HILO

46:24: Proptech Price is Right!

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel at @CREUnplugged1 and be sure to follow CRE Unplugged on LinkedIn, Instagram, and X!

This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

In this episode of CRE Unplugged, we’re going retail and we’ve got the perfect guide. Nick Harbaugh, VP International at Flexecution and the creator of The Retail Nomad on YouTube, joins us to unpack the evolving world of brick-and-mortar across continents. With over 200,000 locations under his belt and more than 200 videos capturing retail trends worldwide, Nick blends hands-on expertise with an eye for storytelling.

We dive into Nick’s unlikely origin story (spoiler: it started with getting kicked out of engineering school), his pivot to project management and entrepreneurship, and why he moved to Costa Rica to launch a global retail media brand before it was cool. From tech-enabled storefronts to cross-cultural insights, Nick breaks down what makes physical retail matter in a digital-first world and why “honoring your authenticity” might be the best strategy of all.

Show Notes:

0:10: Nadine is back in Boston and Ryan’s big move

3:31: Ryan recaps the IMN’s AI in Real Estate Event

7:09: Introducing Nick Harbaugh

9:20: Nick’s unconventional background in real estate

12:04: Learnings from real estate growth in the mid 90s/early 2000s

16:52: The launch of “The Retail Nomad”

18:50: What drives Nick to hit record?

21:38: Retail culture across borders

26:45: “Tech drives bricks”

31:00: Which video really struck a chord with viewers?

32:15: Building and trusting his retail community

34:30: The secrets to cost savings

39:06: Retail in Latin America and Europe

43:08: Innovations in retail

44:47: Why is Nick moving to Europe?

46:50: “Honoring your authenticity” and advice to young professionals

50:00: The future of retail

51:00: How does Nick unplug?

54:57: Nadine and Ryan’s takeaways

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This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

The gang explores how niche assets like data centers, healthcare housing, and music buildings are creating new opportunities for investors seeking resilient, high-yield returns. They break down the capital market forces driving these sectors, examine signals of a possible recession, and debate New York City’s ambitious Local Law 97 and its impact on building owners. The episode wraps with a fun round of Real Estate Tech Survivor, where our hosts weigh in on which technologies are built to last.

Show Notes:

0:10: Intro

0:43: The Rise of Investments in Niche Assets

13:30: Are We Heading into a Recession?

22:40: Ryan and Brad debate NYC’s Local Law 97 (carbon emissions limits for buildings)

35:49: HILO Highlights- David’s time in Western Canada and the importance of customer service

47:30: Real Estate Tech Survivor

If you love what you hear, please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us grow and improve!

Be sure to visit our website at www.creunplugged.com and www.thesisdriven.com for all the latest news and updates.

Have thoughts or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line at info@creunplugged.com.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel at @CREUnplugged1 and be sure to follow CRE Unplugged on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and X!

This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

What does the next chapter of real estate tech really look like? We sit down with Alon Gorbonos, founder of RE Angels and veteran of the global investing scene, for a candid convo on the evolution of venture capital, the AI-fueled startup wave, and what it actually takes to scale innovation in a tighter, tougher CRE market. From PropTech to ConTech to FinTech (and a few dad jokes in between), we unpack where tech meets traction—and why the smartest bets are getting smaller, scrappier, and more sustainable.

Show notes:

0:11: Nadine and Ryan Intro

5:45: AI lowers barriers for startups

7:15: Welcome Alon Gorbonos

7:52: Alon’s journey from McKinsey to fund founder

14:42: Prediction’s for CRE’s digital transformation

21:23: Contech, FinTech, PropTech: who’s underfunded?

25:00: Bottom up or top down? Adoption insights for Contech

28:44: Transformation of current construction roles

34:50: Impact of AI on traditional VC model

39:47: Qualities of an agile VC

42:38: Real estate trends to keep an eye on

49:00: How Alon unplugs?

50:45: Where would Alon be if not in VC?

54:10: HILO commercial break

55:39: Ryan and Nadine’s recap

If you love what you hear, please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us grow and improve!

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This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

In this CRE Unplugged x Thesis Driven crossover, Ryan, Nadine, and Brad unpack the ripple effects of newly imposed tariffs and the fresh wave of uncertainty hitting the market. They dig into the hype (and reality) of reshoring manufacturing—and whether bringing production back home could actually reshape industrial demand and CRE investment strategy.

As hybrid work continues to win out over return-to-office mandates, the crew explores how this shift is rewriting the rules on office usage, workplace design, and company culture. Then it’s onto the rise of bootstrapped tech: with AI, no-code tools, and dirt-cheap infrastructure, will more owners start building their own solutions from scratch?

And yes, Nadine jumps into her first real estate snake draft—making bold picks across asset classes and talking big picture bets for 2025. From macro headwinds to innovation tailwinds, this one’s a sharp take on what’s really moving the market.

Show Notes:

0:10: Intro

0:40: How are the Tariffs currently affecting the real estate market?

14:08: The impact of the decreasing cost of building technology

28:01: Hybrid Work is prevailing as RTO Mandates struggle to gain ground

41:24: HILO Highlights: David Abrams discusses his latest guests on TEN and his new blog about how CX is changing the workplace?

47:30: Real estate categories draft

If you love what you hear, please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us grow and improve!

Be sure to visit our website at www.creunplugged.com and www.thesisdriven.com for all the latest news and updates. Have thoughts or suggestions?

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel at @CREUnplugged1 and be sure to follow CRE Unplugged on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and X!

This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

The construction industry is evolving fast—and at the center of it all is the race to build smarter, faster, and more responsibly.

In this episode of CRE Unplugged, hosts Nadine Ezzie and Ryan Elazari sit down with Josh Hullum, Executive Director of Construction at Affinius Capital to unpack how teams are navigating grid constraints, shrinking carbon footprints, and making smarter bets on materials and markets.

Josh shares how his team cut embodied carbon by 40% on a California industrial park, why mass timber and wellness are more than trends, and how data centers are colliding with the limits of our power infrastructure.

From AI-driven design to the green premium, this episode is a playbook for building better—without compromise.

Show Notes:

0:10: Nadine and Ryan share life updates

4:48: The fast evolution of the construction industry

6:10: Introducing Josh Hullum8:55: Josh’s career journey

12:46: Challenges to building Data Centers

16:55: Primary markets for Data Centers/The availability & race to power

19:59: What’s fueling demand in the industrial sector and where the next opportunities lie.

22:23: Josh highlights a development project he’s proud of—and what's making it a success.

30:55: How Affinius is utilizing AI?

32:08: “The Green Premium”

35:59: Staying motivated when facing market or project challenges

38:21: “The Perfect Building”

44:18: Advice to entering the CRE industry

47:22: How does Josh Unplug?

53:45: Nadine & Ryan’s Takeaways

If you love what you hear, please take a moment to rate and review us. Your feedback helps us grow and improve!

Be sure to visit our website at www.creunplugged.com for all the latest news and updates.

Have thoughts or suggestions? We'd love to hear from you! Drop us a line at info@creunplugged.com.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel at @CREUnplugged1 and be sure to follow CRE Unplugged on LinkedIn and Instagram!

This episode is sponsored by our awesome partner, HILO, making connectivity and engagement a breeze in commercial real estate.

#commercialrealestate #sustainabledevelopment #innovation #buildingthefuture