Real Estate for Breakfast is a Chicago-centric commercial real estate podcast that features interviews with executives, CEOs, brokers, founders, owners, developers, financiers and other real estate professionals about trends, issues and developments in the industry.
Videos are posted on YouTube and social media channels. Podcasts also are available on Apple and Spotify.
Constructing Buildings and Relationships, With John Slaten
Slaten Construction is a “service company for building relationships,” explains founder and CEO John Slaten. And because building relationships is a core value, the company enjoys repeat business from customers with projects ranging from a $400 million data center to a $50,000 office remodel. In this conversation with McGuireWoods partner and host Phil Coover, John describes his journey, from launching the firm by himself in 2017 to growing it over the years.
Tune in for his insights about weathering construction trends, hiring people who fit the company culture and doing “whatever it takes” to ensure the firm succeeds — for his customers and his staff.
From Single-Family Homes to 200-Unit High-Rise, With Tony Andrews and Dimitri Nassis
Chicago real estate firm Tandem built an impressive portfolio scaling from single-family homes to a 200-unit high-rise in the competitive market. Co-founders Tony Andrews and Dimitri Nassis share their remarkable journey — which recently got noticed by Crain’s Chicago Business —with McGuireWoods partner and host Phil Coover.
After reconnecting at an airport, the childhood friends partnered on their first profitable single-family project. “The accounting was very simple for me,” Tony recalls. “It’s pluses and minuses and a little bit of division.” The duo expanded into multifamily developments, weathering the recession of ’08 and the COVID-19 shutdown.
Tune in for their insights about vertical integration in development, the hidden profit strategies some general contractors use and prioritizing transparency over traditional bidding battles.
Private Equity’s Secret Weapon: Real Estate Arbitrage, With Jordan Shtulman and Jonathan Wolfe
What if you could turn your real estate into a money-making machine while keeping your business running exactly where it is? Jordan Shtulman and Jonathan Wolfe of Stream Capital Partners mastered the art of sale leaseback arbitrage, helping private equity firms unlock millions from non-earning real estate assets.
With host Phil Coover, they explain how private equity firms buying businesses at four to eight times EBITDA can sell the underlying real estate at 12 to 18 times rent multiples. Tune in for their insights about structuring complex sale leaseback deals, the personality traits needed for success in commission-only brokerage, and why being an adviser trumps being a broker.
Alternative Investment Strategies: Accessing Institutional-Grade Opportunities, With Chris Burns
“I’m an adviser for alternative investments,” explains Chris Burns about how he connects individual investors with institutional-grade opportunities. The founder of Quema Capital and a broker-dealer with Great Point Capital in Chicago, Chris specializes in helping investors access real estate syndications, development deals, acquisition funds and private REITs.
Tune in to this conversation with McGuireWoods partner and host Phil Coover about tax-advantaged investment strategies, including the powerful Roth IRA conversion technique that can reduce tax liability during real estate development’s natural J-curve and why Chicago’s limited supply market presents compelling opportunities for developers and distressed asset buyers.
Chicago’s Premier Neighborhoods: The 100-Unit Sweet Spot, With Matt Katsaros
“Underwriting in Chicago is easier than in a lot of other markets,” says Matt Katsaros, founder of Wildwood Investments. “Especially when you’re local and you know the players, you can quantify risk a bit easier.”
And Matt knows the players. Wildwood Investments has carved a niche in Chicago’s premier neighborhoods by developing mid-sized multifamily properties of 30 to 100 units.
Tune in to this conversation with McGuireWoods partner and host Phil Coover about the advantages of having construction and finance expertise in-house and the challenges and opportunities in Chicago’s limited-supply market.
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