Rick Kaplan host of NEREJ/NYREJ Podcast interviews Randy Eckers of Reed Smith LLP. Randy has more than 20 years of experience as a real estate finance attorney, he represents large lending institutions, private equity funds, debt funds, banks, bond investors, C-PACE lenders and administrators, and property owners in a wide variety of commercial real estate financing, structured financing, and secondary market transactions. This past fall he was honored by the New York Real Estate Journal as visionary in the industry, and in February 2023 was named a top rainmaker in commercial real estate finance.

Rick Kaplan host of NEREJ/NYREJ Podcast interviews John Schultzel of Olympia Hospitality. John began his career working in hotels and restaurants after earning his B.A. from Wesleyan University in 1991 and a Master of Management in Hospitality from the Hotel School at Cornell University. After more than a decade in various operating roles, he migrated to asset management with Host Hotels and then joined Olympia in 2001. With a balanced understanding of owner and operator perspectives, John has guided Olympia’s new development and growth opportunities over the last 2 decades. In that time, Olympia Hospitality has distinguished itself as a leading operator of boutique hotels specializing in campus hospitality and leisure destinations.

Rick Kaplan Host of NEREJ/NYREJ Podcast interviews Fraidy Rapaport of Upscale Equities. Fraidy discusses her journey in the mortgage industry. I've been in the mortgage industry for more than two decades now, and let me tell you, it's been quite the journey. I've had the privilege of helping over 1,250 individuals/ clients and their families achieve the dream of homeownership, and there's nothing quite like the feeling of handing over the feeling of safety, security, and structure.

Some of my proudest accomplishments are the following:
- Closing over $130,000,000 worth of loans.
- Successfully overcoming the biggest financial crisis (08) and being able to be in business as long as I have.
- Being able to successfully help & guide multiple first-time homebuyers with unique and different situations.
- Being an amazing, loving, responsible, and caring mother of 8 wonderful children that never cease to amaze me.

Beyond that, I'm deeply passionate about educating others about the ins and outs of the mortgage process. Whether it's breaking down complex financial concepts or offering practical advice for first-time homebuyers, I'm always eager to share my knowledge and expertise.

Rick Kaplan Host of NEREJ / NYREJ Podcast interviews Yiannes Einhorn Principal of Grid Group. Grid Group offers a full suite of real estate development services. Our projects reflect a hands-on commitment to quality and craft with a meticulous attention to detail. We built 124 West 16th Street, the only Manhattan development to launch during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and completely sell out in less than a year, and 246 West 16th Street, which sold out in three weeks in 2021. Coming full circle and developing 601 Baltic, a boutique condominium near where I grew up. Also building our largest project to date: 145 Central Park, located directly on Central Park.

Rick Kaplan Host of NEREJ / NYREJ Podcast interviews Stephen Wendel of Mountain Shore Properties. Stephen is a national commercial real estate developer (who is based between Fort Greene, Brooklyn and Charleston) with a focus on the Hudson Valley market in addition to many interesting submarkets throughout the country like NuLu in Louisville. He opened a hotel called Camptown in Leeds, New York last year, which is a partnership with the owners of Rivertown Lodge, one of the most popular boutique hotels in Hudson on Warren Street. Camptown was just featured on Esquire’s list of the “41 Best New Hotels in North America, Europe, and Beyond for 2024.”

Camptown was an off market purchase of a former motor lodge which had been in the same family since the 1930s. Stephen met a commercial broker who specializes in the Hudson Valley while staying at a B&B in Greece who brought the opportunity to his attention. A lengthy renovation process began two weeks before the pandemic and faced supply chain delays and inflation spikes.

Rick Kaplan Host of NEREJ/NYREJ Podcast interviews Jerry Rosengarten.
Jerry Rosengarten is a Brooklyn-born serial entrepreneur whose greatest skill is an extraordinary ability to perceive form and structure–and opportunity–from within disorder, including developing products to deal with dyslexia, reimagining real estate, and investing early and heavily in solar energy. Rosengarten’s life of invention has led to substantial commercial success. His first big hit came in the 1970s with the leisure suit, which became a cultural fashion phenomenon that stoked his confidence and staked his growing desire to build landmark New York City projects like the Lofts and the A-list destination, The Bowery Hotel. Today, Rosengarten built and owns one of the largest private solar farms in the Northeast, located on Long Island’s eastern tip, and his creative passions are finely focused on environmental stewardship and active advocacy for those suffering from learning disabilities. https://www.jumponthetrainbook.com/

Rick Kaplan host of the NEREJ/NYREJ Podcast interviews Greg Vasil CEO of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board. Greg discussed the housing issues in the greater Boston area. For more information on this organization www.gbreb.com

Rick Kaplan Host of NEREJ/NYREJ Podcast Interviews Frank Callahan President of Mass. Building Trades Unions. Frank talks about Helmets to Hardhats, an important non-profit organization that assists Veterans in obtaining a career in the trades unions.