SF Commercial Property Conversations

In this episode, Bruce Bean talks with Patrick Butler, a civil engineer with Kimley-Horn, about his journey from aviation projects to becoming a key player in the data center development boom. Patrick shares how he helps clients vet sites, navigate zoning hurdles, assess infrastructure, and even plan for unique utilities like water and power usage.
He also reveals which Bay Area cities are open to data center expansion and which ones aren’t—and why. From land requirements to the impact of AI and cooling systems, Patrick breaks down the surprisingly complex world of these high-demand facilities.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

In this candid and compelling episode, Bruce Bean sits down with commercial real estate broker Dante Giacomini, who shares his unique journey from UC Santa Cruz political studies to becoming a high-performing agent in the Bay Area's competitive CRE landscape.
Dante’s story begins with hands-on construction jobs and unpaid internships and quickly evolves into seven-figure deals and deep market insight. He opens up about his early mentors, including his godfather Matt Brown of Meridian Commercial, and the foundational lessons that shaped his work ethic and strategy.
From cold calls to multimillion-dollar transactions, Dante explains what it takes to thrive in today's market—particularly in Oakland, Marin, and throughout the Bay Area. He doesn’t shy away from offering a grounded take on market trends, the impact of local politics, and why he still believes now is a great time to buy.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, we dive deep into the world of retail real estate with Heath Binder of LBX Investments. From a post-9/11 pivot in New York to a strategic career in investor relations, Heath shares how his early experiences in brokerage, research, and crowdfunding shaped his unique skillset in real estate investing.
He walks us through LBX’s transparent approach to investor communication, their strong presence in open-air shopping centers, and what sets them apart from other investment groups. Heath also talks about the value of contrarian investing, understanding market dynamics, and how LBX finds overlooked opportunities others miss — like hidden gems in Chicago or misunderstood assets with big upside.
If you're curious about syndications, real estate deal sourcing, or how investor reporting should be done, this conversation is packed with practical insight.
 
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

What does the future of commercial workspaces look like? In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, we dive into that very question with Jacob Bates, a global real estate veteran turned co-working innovator.
From Salt Lake City to San Diego, Jacob’s journey includes major stints with Nike and JLL before launching Rubix, a white-label co-working and flex office operator that’s redefining how owners and occupiers approach space. Jacob shares insights on:
Why co-working is outpacing traditional office space
How hybrid work is reshaping office needs
What makes Rubix different from WeWork and other big brands
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest
 

In this lively and inspiring episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, we welcome back the legendary Patty McGuigan. This time, we’re not just talking real estate—we’re talking legacy. Patty takes us behind the scenes of her memoir Scraps Build a Pile, a collection of stories tracing her unlikely, unforgettable path through the heart of Silicon Valley’s CRE boom.
From her first cold call (with ten pennies in hand) to leasing buildings to giants like IBM and Google, Patty shares how she carved out a space in a male-dominated field—while raising a family, writing children’s books, and even pitching a video game based on one of her characters. Oh, and there are cartoons—lots of them.
Hear how “scraps” of experience, persistence, and personality built a mountain of success over four decades. Whether you're in real estate, sales, publishing, or just love a great story, this episode is packed with nuggets you’ll want to remember—and maybe even underline.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, we sit down with John Gessford—a seasoned broker and the tech mind behind CREOP. From launching his career at CBRE to creating a powerful AI-driven tool that simplifies Offering Memorandum (OM) creation, John shares his unique journey that blends commercial brokerage with innovative tech solutions.
We dig into:
John's early days in the industry and what led him to found CREOP
How CREOP uses AI to streamline OM creation
Real talk about today’s market conditions, interest rates, and investment trends
His day-to-day as a broker and how staying active in the field fuels his tech
Why Orange County remains a hot market despite rising cap rates
1031 exchanges, out-of-state investments, and navigating current market challenges
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with John Protopappas, one of Oakland’s most prolific real estate developers, to unpack a 40-year journey in value-add multifamily development and adaptive reuse. John shares how a single fourplex in East Oakland launched what would become a $750 million real estate portfolio across multiple U.S. markets.
He walks us through his early deals, like converting a 1925 historic building and turning a West Oakland warehouse into loft apartments—both of which are still in his company’s portfolio today. John discusses strategic expansion into cities like Portland, Kansas City, and Salt Lake City, all while maintaining a laser focus on value and investor returns.
You’ll also hear how John’s real estate philosophy blends creativity, timing, and staying power—and why he’s currently buying newer multifamily assets well below replacement cost. John also talks about founding Housing Providers of America and his legal pushback on pandemic-era eviction laws.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, Bruce sits down with James Chung, a seasoned retail broker and founder of The Econic Company. From hitchhiking to Newport Beach to surf as a teen to navigating the ever-evolving world of commercial real estate, James shares how his journey from Tallahassee to the Bay Area shaped both his personal and professional life.
Listeners will hear how James' passion for surfing instilled in him the instincts and commitment that fuel his career. He opens up about his early experiences at Berkeley, his leap from the tech world into retail brokerage, and how a failed tech startup became the launchpad for his thriving real estate career.
James also dives into how his firm manages 40+ million square feet of retail space, their unique client acquisition approach, and his thoughts on the future of downtown San Francisco retail. With insights into national expansion, the power of relationships in real estate, and how ICSC has shaped his network, this is an inspiring and practical episode for anyone in the CRE space.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with Marc Lipsett of Walker Realty Capital to explore a truly unique career path in commercial real estate. Born and raised in San Francisco, Marc shares how his career started in post-Soviet Russia and led to a long-term impact on the Bay Area’s real estate lending scene.
They talk about the evolution of lending standards, Marc’s first ventures in real estate finance, and how he transitioned from international business to founding Walker Realty Capital alongside a former colleague. Marc brings deep insight into how interest rates are really determined—beyond just Fed policy—and breaks down the current realities for commercial borrowers in the Bay Area.
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, we sit down with Mitchell Rice, founder of Elkhorn Capital Partners, whose journey from a small town in Idaho to overseeing multimillion-dollar real estate ventures is nothing short of inspiring. Mitchell shares how his early exposure to real estate through his father's side projects planted the seed for a booming career in commercial investments.
We explore how his experience at Brigham Young University and his work with Property Reserve Inc.—the for-profit real estate investment arm of the LDS Church—laid the foundation for launching Elkhorn Capital Partners. Mitchell opens up about co-GP partnerships, sourcing deals in undervalued markets, raising millions in investor capital, and his strategic vision for hitting $1 billion in AUM within the next decade.
From mastering due diligence to leveraging mastermind networks and finding the right investors, Mitchell brings clarity and candid insights into the business of real estate investing.
 
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest