Chad Lavender is the President of Capital Markets - North America @ Newmark.

In this episode we talk about his journey through commercial real estate, from starting out in development during the 2008 financial crisis to building one of the leading senior housing brokerage and advisory practices in the country. We cover how he navigated tough markets early in his career, the lessons he learned from cold calling legends of the industry, and the growth of alternative asset classes like senior housing, medical office, and data centers. Chad also shares his perspective on current real estate markets, from multifamily and industrial to the resurgence of office and the expansion of build-to-rent housing.

We discuss:
* Starting in high-rise development in 2008 and learning through the downturn
* Building a senior housing brokerage business from scratch and winning early deals with Starwood and Carlisle
* Moving from ARA to HFF to Newmark and helping create the alternative assets platform
* How recruiting, persistence, and long-term relationships drive success in brokerage
* Current insights on data centers, senior housing, office recovery, build-to-rent, and industrial demand

Links:
Newmark - https://www.nmrk.com/
Chad on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-lavender-03551bb/

00:00 - Intro
04:41 - Chad’s career and background
06:58 - The rise of Alabama in real estate
09:43 - Breaking into the multifamily market
12:01 - Building a seniors housing brokerage team
20:32 - The evolution of senior housing
26:06 - Joining Newmark and leading alternative assets
34:59 - The importance of platform transition for revenue growth
35:38 - The power of passion and persistence
40:55 - Data centers and infrastructure
46:56 - The office market rebound
52:04 - Build-to-rent market insights
55:55 - Emerging trends: cell towers and advanced manufacturing
58:05 - Debt and equity market dynamics
01:02:51 - Future market predictions and advice

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