In this episode of Real Estate for Breakfast, Willy Walker, chairman and chief executive officer of publicly traded Walker & Dunlop, joins host Phil Coover to discuss the capital markets and the impact of the Great Recession and COVID-19 on that industry, as well as Walker and Dunlop’s explosive growth over the past 12 years. While discussing the evolution and growth of Walker & Dunlop, Mr. Walker and Phil discuss specific industry sectors such as hospitality and retail from both the landlord and tenant perspective. In addition, they dive into office space and how the need for and use of space may change moving forward. This includes a discussion of working from home and the development of corporate culture. Phil also gets the chance to ask Mr. Walker about the decision to take the company public and the ramifications of that decision.

Willy Walker is chairman and chief executive officer of Walker & Dunlop. Under Mr. Walker’s leadership, Walker & Dunlop has grown from a small, family-owned business to become one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States. Walker & Dunlop is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and was #17 on Fortune’s 2017 list of “Fastest Growing Public Companies.” The company has also been named a Best Workplace for five of the past six years by the Great Place to Work® Institute. Mr. Walker received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2011 and was named “Financier of the Year” in 2017 by Commercial Mortgage Observer.

Mr. Walker received his master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University. He currently serves on the boards of Children's National Medical Center and the Mortgage Bankers Association, and he is a member of the Real Estate Roundtable. Mr. Walker is an avid runner, skier and cyclist, and has run the Boston Marathon in 2:36.

For more information, visit https://www.walkerdunlop.com/.

Joining Phil this episode are Marget Graham and Jaime Bertsche of Mid-America Real Estate Group, the leading full-service retail real estate organization in the Midwest. During this holiday time, we always think of retail. Over the last few years, retail real estate has been beaten down in the markets and in the press, as it went through a tumultuous time. Marget and Jaime, key aspects of Mid-America’s third party landlord brokerage division, share the ways that large retail properties are being used in exciting new ways. Malls and other shopping centers are increasingly converting to mixed-use developments incorporating entertainment, residential and medical components and utilizing common spaces to attract new tenants and customers. Some shopping centers even have swim schools where retail used to be!

Marget Graham is a Principal/Vice President responsible for co-managing new business development and leasing efforts in the Mid-America Asset Management portfolio. She has been with Mid-America Asset Management since 2000 and has specialized solely in Landlord representation. Jaime Bertsche, Vice President, has been with Mid-America Asset Management since 2004, also specializing solely in Landlord representation. Marget and Jaime have extensive experience in an array of product types including mixed-use developments, specialty leasing of lifestyle centers, ground-up projects, power centers, traditional grocery anchored centers and urban retail properties. Through their work in each respective area, they have formed strong relationships with local, regional and national retailers.

Learn more about Marget here.

Learn more about Jaime here.

Learn more about Mid-America Real Estate Group here: http://www.midamericagrp.com/

DISCLAIMER – No information contained in this Podcast or on this Website shall constitute financial, investment, legal and/or other professional advice and that no professional relationship of any kind is created between you and podcast host, the guests or Clark Hill PLC. You are urged to speak with your financial, investment, or legal advisors before making any investment or legal decisions.

Willy Walker, CEO of Walker & Dunlop, on Capital Markets During COVID-19

Episode 33 – Retail is Alive! Innovations in Retail Real Estate with Marget Graham and Jaime Bertsche of Mid-America Real Estate Group