MBA CREF 2020 Recap

The UES team attended MBA CREF in San Diego this week. It’s always a great meeting, chocked full of quality education, networking with clients and making new connections. The MBA does a good job of delivering market trends, forecasts for the year ahead and information that we need to help guide our environmental consulting services.

A few things that stood out this year:

1. Most leaders agree that while we’ve heard a recession is coming, we are still in a good space in terms of growth and liquidity in the market. Lenders are making better credit choices and commercial real estate professionals are focusing on making good deals that can ride out hiccups or shifts should they arise. From listening in on one panel Monday morning, several market leaders believe we are still 18-24 months away from seeing a slow to growth and decreased liquidity. Globe St.Com has a deeper dive into this particular panel and their discussions. 

2. Across the board, commercial real estate professionals are in agreement that international affairs, such as concern over the spread of the coronavirus, and the upcoming US election has the potential to impact Q4 of 2020 and the start of 2021. Speakers at MBA stated that their organizations are planning ahead for some volatility in Q4 and working to see how many deals they can close prior to November.

3. Multifamily continues to have it’s moment. And, the market is seeing a wide variety of lending players jumping in. Banks are more involved than in prior years in providing capital. CMBS is making a comeback and the ultra-wealthy are getting involved in the space through investment funds.

MBA CREF 2020 Multifamily Lenders

Lenders involved in the multifamily market in 2020

Stay tuned to the UES blog for a few more highlights from the last day!

UES Consulting Services, Inc is an environmental and engineering firm specializing in Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Phase II Subsurface Investigations and Property Condition Assessments for Commercial Real Estate transactions. We frequently research and write on trends, market updates, news and other happenings affecting our clients and partners in the commercial real estate industry

 

 

 

Rethinking Adaptive Reuse Projects

What is an Adaptive Reuse Project?

Adaptive reuse projects is the process of taking old buildings or sites, and reusing them for a purpose other than it was designed.

When considering Adaptive reuse projects it’s important to understand if these investments make sense?

Analyzing the practicality of a property is crucial to determine the viability of all real estate investments. The feasibility process has to be more intensive for adaptive reuse because of the stand out difficulties of repurposing an existing property. Considerations like…

  • Demographics
  • Location: Analyze the accessibility and constructibility for the end game
  • Zoning: Whether general or specific plans govern uses and zoning of the property
  • Structure: Study the existing foundation and condition… electrical and plumbing, mechanical and life-safety
  • Community Needs: Stakeholders must consider if a community will buy into the project, namely, if support from local groups and community leaders will be a positive. Along with considering if the project will have backing from local planning commission, city council, or architectural review board.

Trip down Memory Lane

What we mean by this is to look back to learn from the past. Are there any unsolvable issues that were already faced. Are there boundary or easement challenges, historical preservation ordinances, or even legacy environmental issues?

Something to reminisce on for industrial properties… is there a free and clear use for construction and zoning approval? Industrial use challenges are more complex in regards to environmental remediation and these challenges affect both regional and national markets and local.

Thanks so much for reading! If you need consulting for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Phase II Subsurface Investigations, Property Condition Assessments, or any Commercial Real Estate transactions of any kind, feel free to ask for a quote today.

ULI Sets Forecast for a Potential 2021-2022 Rebound

/
This week, the MBA Newslink published the Urban Land Institute…
MBA CREF 2020

MBA CREF 2020 Recap

/
The UES team attended MBA CREF in San Diego this week. It’s…

Advice on Avoiding Issues with the ADA

/
First and foremost, what is the ADA? It is the American Disabilities…

 

Wrapping up summer with UES sponsoring the RISE Rooftop Crawl

RISE ROOFTOP CRAWL

What is it?!

Kansas City’s fifth annual rooftop crawl is an exciting and exclusive night to explore private rooftops all with unique eccentric themed parties benefitting nonprofit Big Brothers Big Sisters. 

When is it?! Aug 24, 6:00 pm

Come to the Crossroads to celebrate an evening full of networking, food, drinks, live entertainment and interactive experiences all with a rooftop view. The fun night ends with a spectacular block party on Walnut Street in front of the BBBS building.
This years theme is All Around the World!

Find out more information on how to join UES and get involved at www.bbbsrise.org 

Need any help with Commercial Real Estate transactions of any kind? UES is fully equipped to handle any of your needs.

Want to be kept informed of exciting events like this and other industry related events? Sign up for our newsletter to stay in the know!

Wrapping up summer with UES sponsoring the RISE Rooftop Crawl

/
RISE ROOFTOP CRAWL What is it?! Kansas City's fifth annual…

UES to sponsor CREW KC's 16th Annual Golf Classic!

/
Join us at CREW Kansas City's 16th Annual Golf Classic for an…

UES Investing in the Next Generation

/
UES employees were excited to sponsor a local event that raises…

UES to sponsor CREW KC’s 16th Annual Golf Classic!

Join us at CREW Kansas City’s 16th Annual Golf Classic for an unforgettable day full of golf, networking, and supporting a wonderful organization!

WHEN: AUGUST 15, 2019

WHERE: CREEKMOOR GOLF COURSE

TIME: 8:00 AM REGISTRATION, 9:00 AM SHOTGUN START

MORE DETAILS

CREW KC and Creekmoor Golf Course have joined together for a great annual event. The course offers players a championship challenge while CREW KC allows its guests and members high quality networking. This combination gives each player an opportunity to form long lasting connections and improve their game on and off of the course.

UES is thankful to support CREW through this fantastic event and all proceeds go to CREW Network Foundation to positively affect the future of women in commercial real estate.

Golf attire is required! Collared shirts and no jeans. All participants must be at least 18 years of age.

SCHEDULE:

8:00 AM – Registration
Registration & hitting area open

9:00 AM – Shotgun start
Four-player scramble format

Approximately 1:00 PM – Post-Golf Awards Lunch

LOCATION: 

Creekmoor Golf Course

1112 East 163rd St.

Raymore, MO 64083

UES Investing in the Next Generation

UES employees were excited to sponsor a local event that raises support for youth in low income regions. We are passionate about empowering and equipping the next generation for success.

The event, Power of Words, was held in the Power and Light District in Kansas City, Missouri by Youth Ambassadors(YA). YA is a not-for-profit organization that empowers undeserved youth with important life skills, soft job skills, creative expression, and adult mentors who help them become future community leaders willing and able to work for positive change. UES Consulting Services, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments KC, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments Midwest, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments US, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments KC, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments Midwest, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments US, Phase I ESA, Phase I ESAs, Phase I ESAs KC, Phase I ESAs Midwest, Phase I ESAs US, Phase 1 ESAs, Phase 1 ESAs KC, Phase 1 ESAs Midwest, Phase 1 ESAs US, leader in environmental consulting and engineering services, engineering services Kansas City, environmental consulting Kansas City, Phase I Environmental Consulting, Phase 1 Environmental Consulting, Phase I Environmental Consulting Kansas City, Phase 1 Environmental Consulting Kansas City, Phase II Environmental Consulting, Phase 2 Environmental Consulting, Phase II Environmental Consulting Kansas City, Phase 2 Environmental Consulting Kansas City

 

There were original works from the programs students that attendees could enter to win in a raffle. Here’s an example of one of the students work. Students presented impressive poems and writing excerpts during the dinner. It was an amazing event aimed to paint a brighter future for some of Kansas City’s most vulnerable and at-risk youth.UES Consulting Services, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments KC, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments Midwest, Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments US, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments KC, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments Midwest, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments US, Phase I ESA, Phase I ESAs, Phase I ESAs KC, Phase I ESAs Midwest, Phase I ESAs US, Phase 1 ESAs, Phase 1 ESAs KC, Phase 1 ESAs Midwest, Phase 1 ESAs US, leader in environmental consulting and engineering services, engineering services Kansas City, environmental consulting Kansas City, Phase I Environmental Consulting, Phase 1 Environmental Consulting, Phase I Environmental Consulting Kansas City, Phase 1 Environmental Consulting Kansas City, Phase II Environmental Consulting, Phase 2 Environmental Consulting, Phase II Environmental Consulting Kansas City, Phase 2 Environmental Consulting Kansas City

Need help with Commercial Real Estate transactions of any kind?

ULI Sets Forecast for a Potential 2021-2022 Rebound

/
This week, the MBA Newslink published the Urban Land Institute…
MBA CREF 2020

MBA CREF 2020 Recap

/
The UES team attended MBA CREF in San Diego this week. It’s…

Advice on Avoiding Issues with the ADA

/
First and foremost, what is the ADA? It is the American Disabilities…

Women who are Inspiring the Commercial Real Estate Industry

Our Chief Marketing Director, Jamie Taylor, is a proud member of Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) which is an industry networking organization. And according to a recent study published by CREW, women are advancing in commercial real estate, especially in the C-suite, and the shrinking salary gap. However, there are still areas for improvement to get more women intrigued in CRE brokerage, less of an income gap, and leasing and sales positions.

Here are 3 helpful pieces of advice to improve your professional career from respected female leaders in the Commercial Real Estate Industry.

This type of progress comes with lessons learned early on. The first few years of a career can be pivotal to future success.  Whether it is mastering the art of negotiation, relationship building, or finding your voice, these years can make or break any career.  Three women shared what they learned that helped them reach the success they have today and make their lessons work for them.

-Maryann Reid, Forbes Articles

1. Agree to Disagree

Advice given by Angele Robinson-Gaylord, President: IKEA Property, Inc.

  • As I began my career in commercial real estate, I had no idea how to build a career in this industry.  I did not study real estate in college or law school, had no family or personal connections to the industry, and was a female in a field that is overwhelmingly male. 
  • You have to be conversant in the language of real estate to do deals and build credibility.  
  • You have to recognize that every relationship is valuable. Your path will cross those of your peers time and again.  
  • When conducting transactions, you must be tough enough to get the deal done, yet you must learn to disagree agreeably to not gain a reputation as a deal killer.  
  • You must persevere in the face of any obstacle or naysayer to reach your goals.  In my case, it took 5 years to transition from practicing law to securing my first role on the business side of commercial real estate.  
  • Finally, I learned that you can’t do it alone.

2. Find Your Voice

Advice by Robin Kennedy, Executive Vice President, Acquisitions & Development: Montage International

  • Early in my career, I was put on the spot in a senior level meeting.  My opinion was different than many in the room, but I had a reasoned response. Granted, it was not the path that they chose, but that moment has had strong impact on me and served me well throughout my career.
  • Voicing my opinion was not always appropriate, as many times I wanted to learn from those with more experience.
  • But having this mindset has helped me to think about and become very practiced in how to make decisions.
  • It has helped me to take proactive ownership and move strategically forward.
  • At this point in my career, while the final decisions are often on my shoulders, I value those that can provide me with thoughtful opinions along the way.”

3. Trust Yourself

Lesley Horton Campbell, Associate General Counsel: Tiffany & Co.

  • Never be afraid to step up and trust that you are smart enough to handle a stretch assignment.
  • I made the mistake early on in my career of not stepping up for an assignment because I assumed that I was too junior and that naturally it would go to a more senior experienced colleague.
  • The next time the same opportunity came around, I quickly stepped up without hesitation and ended up knocking it out of the park.

Need help with environmental consulting? UES Consulting and our broad team of inspectors are skilled in the demands of commercial and multi-family transactions. We know how in-depth and time-sensitive Phase I Environmental Site Assessments and Property Condition Assessments are and we can help the process go smoothly and finish on time.

If you are looking for a company to partner with on your commercial real estate transactions of any kind, we are here to alleviate the weight of environmental issues and minimize risks. 

Take Action after Big Events & Conferences

After a major networking event or conference, it is important to take action as soon as possible to maintain the great connections you made.

Below is a 6 step guide to follow for all your Spring 2019 events.

1. Categorize and take action accordingly. 

Organize your contacts into 3 categories.

  1. Valuable leads: Contacts you believe to be an ideal client and/or that showed a high level of interest in working with you. 
  2. Qualify leads: Contacts who need to be qualified. They may be seriously interested or they might not, and even if they are you’re not sure they are qualified.
  3. Connections: Prospects you can build a relationship with. You may work together in the future, refer business to one another, or merely get together for a happy hour on the occasion.

“It’s important to follow up with “valuable leads” as soon as possible and schedule a time to meet. Show an effort to follow up with “connections” soon after — in my experience, they are the most valuable people you meet at networking events.” 

— Ryan Meghdies of Tastic Marketing

2. Follow up on Twitter.

I’ve stopped giving (and taking) cards at networking events. Instead, I  follow entrepreneurs (or their businesses) on Twitter. I prefer this approach because it allows me to see their profile and actually remember who they are. I return from networking events with new followers instead of cards. As soon as I return, I follow up with them by sending a quick DM via Twitter. I also browse through their most recent tweets and retweet or like anything that I relate to in my industry. This allows me to connect with them, understand their brand and create a more immediate connection.”

 – Uchechi Kalu Jacobson of Linking Arts Web Design & Development

3. Add them to a CRM then connect on LinkedIn.

  1. Input all the contacts into my CRM and tag appropriately. Now I can send tailored communications to them in the future.
  2. Send connection requests to every connection on LinkedIn.
  3. When connecting, include a personalized message, to remind them of how you met and try to include a memorable section of your conversation.

When messaging and connecting on LinkedIn, another tip is to ask them how you can be of help. This could mean connecting them to someone, answering a question they mentioned, sending a resource, etc. You have to give to get.

 – Zack Hanebrink of HookLead

4. Send a gratitude email.

After entering the new contacts into your CRM, email a reintroduction to the contact thanking them for their time. If the prospect shows interest, then provide them with more information as requested.

5. Make notes immediately.

While at a networking event immediately (after the conversation has ended) write on the back of their card a few notes about the conversation. 

6. Check them out & connect on social media.

Check them out on social media to learn more about who they are. What kind of content do they post? Which platforms are important to them?”

– Stephanie Cartin, Socialfly

Summarized from Forbes Article

UES Consulting Services offers and our team of are well-versed in the demands of commercial and multi-family transactions and how thorough, time-sensitive Phase I Environmental Site Assessments and Property Condition Assessments can help the process run smoothly and close on time. If you are looking for a company to partner with on your commercial real estate transactions of any kind, turn to our in-house engineers and environmental consultants to alleviate the burden of environmental issues and mitigate risks.