ATLANTA—Allen Aldridge, senior vice president of acquisitions, dispositions and asset management for Atlanta-based KBS Realty Advisors, has seen ups and downs over the course of his career. Indeed, he shared with us in previous interviews how he navigated huge challenges and recalled some ghosts from commercial real estate cycles past.

From where he sits now, he sees opportunity—and he's working hard to leverage them. In this installment of our exclusive interview with Aldridge, he discusses both these issues.

GlobeSt.com: What opportunities do you see in your market?

Aldridge: While the longer-term trend of population migration to the Sunbelt states paused for a while during the 2008 recession, it is now gaining steam again supported by the same catalysts of milder climates and more affordable living standards. There could not be a much better time to cover the southeast region with numerous cities being ranked fastest growing, best places to find a job, most affordable, or best places to live; from Raleigh and Charlotte in the Carolinas to Nashville, Atlanta and down through Orlando and South Florida.

Growth is happening and will continue to happen through the southeast but there will be an increasing shift in the demographics of the workforce to a younger population which will impact where the growth will occur within each of these markets. More emphasis on urban locations with access to housing, transportation and amenities will drive the growth. 

GlobeSt.com: How are you leveraging those opportunities?

Aldridge: Our focus has long been on enhancing each of our assets by expanding the amenity offerings and services from conference rooms, to fitness, showers and locker rooms to wine bars and putting greens and outdoor entertainment areas. We're working hard to find opportunities to acquire great assets already located in or growing into a live, work and play environment. 

North Hills in Raleigh, McEwen in Nashville, 171 and 201 17th Street in Midtown Atlanta and 3801 PGA in West Palm Beach are all prime examples of this strategy. All of these projects have the best in market access and all have the best in market walkable amenity base. The other thing these assets have in common is that they are outperforming their peer groups and our original underwriting.