SF Commercial Property Conversations

Laura Kruger didn’t originally plan to work in real estate. She was on track for law school, studying political science at Pepperdine and working in Washington, DC at institutions like Georgetown Law. But a short break after college—and a little family property chaos—changed everything.
In this episode, Laura shares how she returned home to help organize her family’s Bay Area real estate portfolio and unexpectedly found her career in property management. What began as a temporary project turned into a long-term professional path that eventually led her to launch her own company, Asset Locale.
Laura and Bruce discuss what it takes to manage residential properties successfully in today’s complex regulatory environment, the realities of property management margins, and why good operations are the foundation of profitable real estate investing.
Laura also shares her experience managing both long-term rentals and short-term or mid-term stays. From early experiments with Airbnb in the early 2010s to welcoming thousands of guests over the years, she explains how the San Jose market has developed a unique niche in extended-stay rentals for business travelers.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 entrepreneur and real estate connector Marie Antonette Waite to explore her remarkable journey from the Philippines to the United States and how she built a career centered around connecting people, businesses, and opportunities.
Marie shares stories from her unique upbringing in the Philippines, where her grandfather helped introduce karate to the country and her family became well known in the martial arts and film community. Those early experiences shaped her resilience and discipline—qualities that later helped her navigate the challenges of immigrating to the United States and building a career in business.
After moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico, Marie faced the challenge of adapting to a new culture and language. Despite early struggles with English and cultural differences, her skills and determination quickly stood out. Within two years, she earned multiple promotions while working in the healthcare sector.
Marie later relocated to California, where she spent over a decade working as a financial analyst for major hospital systems, helping design and manage decision support systems and financial modeling tools. Eventually, her entrepreneurial spirit led her to pursue real estate.
 
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 today’s commercial real estate financing market really look like — and how should investors prepare for the $865 billion maturity wave ahead?
In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with Niko Tsiplakos, Commercial Mortgage Banker at Slatt Capital, to unpack what’s happening in middle-market CRE financing across the Bay Area and California.
Niko shares how he transitioned from traditional banking into the brokerage world — starting at Slatt Capital just days before the COVID shutdown — and how he built a thriving middle-market lending practice focused on debt and equity placement for commercial real estate investors.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Is retail really dying — or is it just evolving?
In this episode, Bruce Bean welcomes back Ravi Jagtiani to talk about why service-based retail continues to thrive, how syndication fits into today’s market, and why small businesses are seeing a surge in demand.
Ravi shares how his firm focuses on retail shopping centers and single-tenant properties that are resistant to e-commerce disruption. Instead of big-box retailers, Ravi invests in necessity-based tenants like childcare centers, hair salons, dental clinics, chiropractors, and neighborhood restaurants — businesses people physically need to visit.
He explains how blending investment-grade tenants with local mom-and-pop operators creates balance and stability within retail centers. Ravi also dives into his expertise in the childcare space, where he sells a significant share of daycare businesses across California. With many owners retiring and buyers actively seeking recession-resistant businesses, this niche remains strong.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 happens when public infrastructure meets private property? In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with Lara Boyko to unpack the world of easements, right-of-way work, and the human side of infrastructure real estate. If you’ve ever wondered how roads widen, pipelines get built, or utilities cross private land, this conversation pulls back the curtain.
Lara shares how she transitioned from traditional real estate into right-of-way and infrastructure work after law school. Although she holds a JD and is not a practicing attorney, she found her niche blending legal knowledge with real estate expertise. Today, she runs Skyline Land Services, working independently on projects across the country.
In this episode, Lara explains:
• The difference between a right-of-way and an easement• How cities and utilities obtain access to private land• Why communication with property owners is critical• The real-world challenges of working in rural areas• Current trends in infrastructure, oil and gas, renewable energy, and data centers
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Christy Schnurle to talk about two powerful sides of commercial real estate: reducing construction costs without sacrificing quality, and investing through a fund-to-fund strategy.
Christy shares her journey from USC’s Marshall School of Business into multifamily development consulting and eventually launching her own investment company. She explains how CDK Enterprises helps developers lower construction costs through smart value engineering — not by cutting finishes, but by rethinking what’s behind the walls and under the floors.
Bruce and Christy also dive into the current development market, financing challenges in 2025, affordable housing projects, union jobs, modular construction, and how developers can stay on budget in an unpredictable cost environment.
If you’re a developer, investor, or real estate professional navigating today’s tight financing and rising construction costs, 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

In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, we sit down with Mark Goldfinger, General Manager of Mindspace North America, to explore how the boutique flexible workspace provider is shaking up the global real estate landscape. From his early days at WeWork to leading the U.S. operations at Mindspace, Mark shares an insider’s look at what sets Mindspace apart in a crowded field of co-working solutions.
Mark discusses the company’s global footprint—including standout success in Germany and Romania—and reveals how Mindspace’s hospitality-first, highly customized approach to workspace is attracting everyone from startups to Fortune 100 companies. He explains the financial advantages of switching to flexible office solutions and how Mindspace is helping companies rethink commercial real estate post-pandemic.
You’ll also hear how AI is shaping their marketing strategies, why brokers are a critical part of their growth, and where Mark sees the next big opportunities across the U.S. Oh—and we wrap with the all-important sandwich question.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

How has warehouse construction changed since COVID? What does it really cost to build a tilt-up industrial building today? And how do owners protect themselves from costly change orders?
In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations, Bruce Bean sits down with construction management professional Nick Hughan to unpack the realities of industrial development in Southern California. From growing up playing with Legos to managing large-scale tilt-up warehouse projects, Nick shares how he found his way into construction management and what he’s learned along the way.
Nick walks through the economics of warehouse construction, explaining how a 268,000-square-foot tilt-up building once cost roughly $51 per square foot (excluding land and city fees) — and how those costs have nearly doubled in recent years depending on size and scope. He also explains how projects are entitled, why permitting can take two to three years, and how new state regulations are reshaping where warehouses can be built.
The conversation dives into the shift in tenant needs. Twenty years ago, a 100,000-square-foot warehouse might include 20,000 square feet of office space. Today, tenants may only want 3,500 square feet. That shift is driving significant tenant improvement (TI) work, including demolition of outdated mezzanines and reconfiguration of office 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

What does it look like when a real estate developer thinks like a builder, an engineer, and an investor all at once? In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with Tyson Dirksen to explore how science, sustainability, and smart underwriting come together in modern development.
Tyson shares how he got his start in real estate at just 15 years old—painting units, managing apartments, and sitting in on negotiations with his parents. After attending Brown and later earning a Master’s in Real Estate Development and Finance from MIT, he graduated straight into the 2008 financial crisis. That experience shaped his long-term philosophy: minimize downside, build resilience, and focus on performance.
Instead of chasing trends, Tyson doubled down on building science. He studied high-performance building systems, envelopes, HVAC, air sealing, and commissioning—then launched a construction company focused on durable, healthy, luxury homes. Over time, he expanded into mixed-use urban infill projects and now approaches development the way institutional funds and family offices underwrite deals.
Bruce and Tyson dive into two major projects currently in development. The first is a mass timber, transit-oriented mid-rise project in Boise featuring approximately 80 units over retail and commercial space. Designed as a “life in a building,” the project emphasizes long-term durability, energy efficiency, rooftop solar, and thoughtful design from the building enclosure inward.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 happens when a U.S. Air Force Special Operations officer trades deployments for Delaware Statutory Trusts?
In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with Steve Haskell, founder of Anchor 1031, to discuss his journey from military service to raising over a billion dollars in capital for passive real estate investments. After seven years on active duty and time spent deploying around the world, Steve made the decision to prioritize family life — and that pivot led him into commercial real estate.
Steve shares how he entered the world of syndicated real estate, helped scale a capital raising firm to $600 million per year, and later launched Anchor 1031 after serving in leadership at Realty Mogul. Today, his firm specializes in helping investors complete 1031 exchanges into Delaware Statutory Trusts (DSTs) — offering passive, diversified access to institutional-quality properties.For more information: www.anchor1031.com
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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