Surveying the Landscape, One Year Later

NEW YORK CITY-When RealShare Conferences presented its seventh annual RealShare New York conference last October, the dust had not yet settled from the near-collapse of the capital markets and the near- or total collapse of financial giants such as AIG, Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual. Today, the landscape that industry members survey is more clearly mapped but no smoother, and the future is filled with question marks about when commercial fundamentals will recover, how deals can get done and when a steady flow of distressed opportunities will actually come to market.

Helping to shed light on these and other questions will be a cross-section of experts convened for the eighth edition of RealShare New York, scheduled for 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Roosevelt Hotel. Colleen McShane, group conference manager for the RealShare series of events, tells GlobeSt.com that more than 300 registrants are expected to attend.

Following a networking breakfast that begins at 7 a.m. and opening remarks by Michael Desiato, vice president of ALM’s Real Estate Media Group, the conference kicks off at 8 with a Power Panel titled “Local Legends Share Their Secrets.” Moderated by Anthony Malkin, president of Malkin Properties, it will feature Lawrence Benenson, EVP of Benenson Capital Partners; Jerry Cohen, principal with Tishman Speyer Properties; Stephen L. Green, founder and chairman of S.L. Green Realty Corp., Stephen Siegel, chairman of global brokerage at CB Richard Ellis; and Julien Studley, chairman and CEO of Studley New Vista Associates. While listening to these veterans swap war stories would make for an entertaining 50 minutes, the panel will instead focus on topics pertinent to today’s market.

Up next is the annual Town Hall meeting, titled “Outlook for Leasing, Investment and Development in the New York City Market… One Year Later.” Carl Schwartz, partner and chair of the real estate department at Herrick, Feinstein, will moderate a panel that includes David Levinson, chairman and CEO of L&L Holding Co., Bruce Mosler, co-chairman of the board at Cushman & Wakefield; David Picket, president of the Gotham Organization; Howard Roth, global and Americas real estate leader at Ernst & Young; and Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York.

The agenda then turns from a panel discussion to a one-on-one interview as John Salustri, editorial director for ALM’s Real Estate Media Group, puts the spotlight on Larry Silverstein, president and CEO of Silverstein Properties Inc. Silverstein will discuss the progress of the World Trade Center Development, and the status of the disputes that continue to dog the project. Looking to the larger picture, he will also discuss the WTC development’s impact on the Manhattan office, residential and retail markets as well as changing tenant needs.

Two concurrent sessions follow. An investors panel titled “How to Embrace Distress and Find Opportunity” will look at the reality of the distressed market here and discuss current and future opportunities. “Refinancing When the Mortgage Comes Due, Or Welcome to the Days of Extend and Pretend” will examine the very real possibility of being unable to refinance when financing isn’t available.

After the concurrent sessions, real estate reporter Lois Weiss of the New York Post, will query a panel of top owners on how they’re adapting to today’s economy and getting deals done. Weiss will be joined onstage by Charles Cohen, president and CEO if Cohen Brothers Realty Corp.; Peter Duncan, president and CEO of George Comfort & Sons; Michael Katz, co-CEO of Sterling American Property; Norman Sturner, principal with Murray Hill Properties; and Ofer Yardani, managing partner at Stonehenge Partners. The concluding keynote address, “What May Happen from Here and Why,” will be delivered by William Green, CEO of Tannery Brook Partners.

RealShare New York is an annual event produced by ALM’s Real Estate Media Group, publisher of Real Estate Forum, Real Estate California, Real Estate New York, Real Estate New Jersey, Real Estate Florida and GlobeSt.com. The RealShare Conference Series produces commercial real estate conferences and networking events throughout the country.