Key Takeaways
- • The Kirsh Connection podcast reached its 100th episode milestone, featuring prominent real estate and private equity leaders discussing market dynamics, turnaround strategies, and industry insights.
- • Notable guest Sandeep Mathrani shared turnaround expertise from leading General Growth Properties through bankruptcy recovery and executing a $2.5 billion expense reduction at WeWork, demonstrating crisis management frameworks applicable across real estate and PE.
- • The podcast platform features weekly interviews with early-to-senior real estate leaders covering asset classes including debt, equity, development, and investment management, with episodes distributed across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeart.
- • Recent episode coverage included LaTerra Development's $455 million Chicago development project and Harridge Development founder David Schwartzman, indicating focus on significant capital deployment and operational excellence across development platforms.
- • Andrew Kirsh, founding partner of Sklar Kirsh LLP and chair of the firm's Real Estate Department, hosts the series as a platform for candid market analysis and career insights from industry practitioners.
Summary
The Kirsh Connection, hosted by Andrew Kirsh, celebrated its 100th episode milestone as a weekly podcast focused on real estate industry leadership and market analysis. The series has established itself as a consistent platform for interviewing early-to-senior real estate professionals across multiple asset classes, including development, private equity, debt and equity intermediation, and investment management. Distribution spans major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and iHeart, providing broad institutional and professional accessibility.
A flagship recent episode featured Sandeep Mathrani delivering what the podcast characterized as a "masterclass" on corporate turnarounds and operational restructuring. Mathrani's credentials include leading General Growth Properties (GGP) through bankruptcy during the Global Financial Crisis and subsequently taking the CEO role at WeWork following board removal of founder Adam Neumann. His discussion covered systematic approaches to asset optimization using a "50-30-20 rule" for categorizing assets into sell, scale, and optimize buckets, alongside a $2.5 billion expense reduction program at WeWork. Mathrani emphasized three critical components for loan workouts: reputation, plan, and exit strategy—frameworks directly applicable to leveraged real estate and distressed situations.
Additional recent episodes have highlighted significant capital deployment activities, including LaTerra Development's $455 million Chicago development project and interviews with Harridge Development founder David Schwartzman. The podcast format emphasizes real-time market opinions, career trajectories, and practical guidance for both established and emerging real estate professionals. Andrew Kirsh's position as founding partner and real estate department chair at Sklar Kirsh LLP provides institutional credibility and access to senior industry participants. The consistent weekly cadence and focus on candid operational and market insights position the platform as a resource for alternative investment professionals and institutional investors tracking real estate sector dynamics.
A flagship recent episode featured Sandeep Mathrani delivering what the podcast characterized as a "masterclass" on corporate turnarounds and operational restructuring. Mathrani's credentials include leading General Growth Properties (GGP) through bankruptcy during the Global Financial Crisis and subsequently taking the CEO role at WeWork following board removal of founder Adam Neumann. His discussion covered systematic approaches to asset optimization using a "50-30-20 rule" for categorizing assets into sell, scale, and optimize buckets, alongside a $2.5 billion expense reduction program at WeWork. Mathrani emphasized three critical components for loan workouts: reputation, plan, and exit strategy—frameworks directly applicable to leveraged real estate and distressed situations.
Additional recent episodes have highlighted significant capital deployment activities, including LaTerra Development's $455 million Chicago development project and interviews with Harridge Development founder David Schwartzman. The podcast format emphasizes real-time market opinions, career trajectories, and practical guidance for both established and emerging real estate professionals. Andrew Kirsh's position as founding partner and real estate department chair at Sklar Kirsh LLP provides institutional credibility and access to senior industry participants. The consistent weekly cadence and focus on candid operational and market insights position the platform as a resource for alternative investment professionals and institutional investors tracking real estate sector dynamics.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.