The FORT Podcast: Chris Jackson
Chris Jackson serves as President for Stream Realty. He oversees the company’s business units and is responsible for the growth and expansion of Stream’s businesses nationally. With twelve regional operating platforms nationwide, over 200,000,000 square feet of commercial buildings under leasing and/or management, and $2.9 billion in transaction volume annually, Stream is one of the fastest-growing commercial real estate firms in the country.
On this episode, Chris and Chris discuss the Industrial Real Estate Market, the growth of Stream since Chris J. joined, Stream’s process of expanding into new markets, market intelligence, and the explosive growth of data centers. Enjoy.
Listen on:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
YouTube
(01:24) – Chris’ Story and Career
(02:31) – What was it about Trammell Crow that created inspiration for the next generation of businesses?
(03:39) – What’s the difference between the industrial market in the ’90s vs. today?
(05:22) – Are you seeing these big bombers being built in the center city or a smaller product being developed?
(6:23) – Is it safe to say the industrial market is better in a post-COVID world vs. in Jan and Feb?
(07:37) – Where did you go after leaving Trammell Crow?
(09:15) – Why do you think Robert Lynn always comes up in conversation as a fantastic Junior Program?
(10:08) – What was your first day like at Stream?
(11:36) – What has Stream grown to offer since you joined?
(12:13) – What markets are you in today and what’s your job like now as President?
(13:39) – Where is the hub located?
(14:02) – How often do you open in a new market?
(14:53) – How do you know it’s time to get into a new market?
(16:04) – Does each city have its own ownership or do they report back to Dallas?
(17:20) – Do you hire from within to expand to keep culture aligned?
(19:36) – What does Market Intelligence mean?
(21:56) – How would you tell a recent grad to learn a market?
(24:19) – What type of technology are you using to get the tons of information you have access to out to people that need it?
(26:09) – Were you early to the game in developing Data Centers? How did you get into it?
(27:36) – How big of a business is it now?
(27:55) – Is it fair to say the anticipated demand for data centers is endless right now?
(28:36) – What makes a great ownership group? What do they all have in common?
(29:41) – What do you think about the nationwide real estate industry? How do you manage all of the data you have?
(31:47) – The Industrial Business for Stream
(33:08) – What will happen to office from your perspective?
(35:50) – Are you seeing leasing activity pick up at all or are is it all still on pause for the moment?
(37:33) – Comments on Retail
(40:19) – Is there any market in the US that people aren’t aware could potentially boom?
(41:32) – When you’re developing industrial across the country, is it easiest to accomplish in Texas?
(42:27) – Development Fees for Markets with Long Lead Times
(43:51) – Are you seeing any multi-level projects go up?
(44:27) – Cold-Storage Development
(46:45) – How big is your marketing team? When did it become apparent how important marketing was for Stream?
(48:54) – How do you think about the consolidation of the industry?
(51:30) – What did your world look like when COVID hit?
(55:57) – Do you have a morning routine?
(56:50) – What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
(57:50) – If you owned a billboard, what would you put on it?
Episode Summary
Jackson brings to the table a wealth of experience, insights, and perspectives, offering a detailed panorama into the complexities, challenges, and opportunities that permeate the contemporary real estate sector.
The dialogue commences with a detailed exploration into the complexities and strategies of securing leases, particularly during the incipient stages of development projects. Jackson underscores the imperative of substantiating concepts and offerings to mitigate risk perceptions among property owners and to foster a conducive environment for project realization and success. He articulates the criticality of offering tangible guarantees to assuage potential apprehensions from property owners and emphasizes the strategic importance of such assurances in facilitating flexible and conducive collaborative environments within the sector.
Transitioning into the realm of tenant relationships and property leasing, Jackson elucidates the multifaceted dynamics of securing and maintaining leases, emphasizing the strategic implications of offering long-term occupancy assurances to developers. He underscores the importance of establishing and nurturing symbiotic relationships with tenants, highlighting how these dynamics significantly influence project success and longevity. Jackson brings to the forefront the criticality of establishing and maintaining harmonious and mutually beneficial relationships with tenants, ensuring operational sustainability and project success.
As the dialogue unfolds, Jackson and Powers navigate through the complexities and dynamics of partnership and collaboration within the real estate sector. Jackson underscores the pivotal role of partnerships in facilitating project success and sustainability, highlighting the importance of synergistic collaborations in enhancing operational efficiencies, fostering innovation, and facilitating adaptive problem-solving within the sector. He emphasizes the importance of strategic partnerships and collaborations in navigating through the intricate and dynamic landscapes of the real estate industry.
In the ensuing segments, the discussion ventures into the operational and financial dimensions of property management and investment. Jackson provides insights into the financial management strategies and structures employed in the sector, exploring their implications on operational sustainability and investment returns. He emphasizes the criticality of strategic financial management, highlighting how meticulous planning and management can safeguard investments against financial vulnerabilities and enhance their financial health and sustainability.
Technological integrations and innovations surface as a focal point of the dialogue, with Jackson exploring the myriad ways through which technology is reshaping operational and investment paradigms within the real estate industry. He underscores the pivotal role of technology in enhancing operational efficiencies, driving innovation, and facilitating adaptive problem-solving within the sector. Jackson provides a detailed exposition into the technological trends within the industry, exploring their implications on operational and investment paradigms.
Data analytics and its application within the real estate sector are also brought to the forefront, with Jackson exploring the myriad ways through which data can inform and drive strategic decision-making within the industry. He underscores the criticality of data analytics in enhancing strategic planning and decision-making, highlighting its pivotal role in navigating through the complexities and dynamism of the real estate market.
In the concluding segments, Jackson and Powers explore the future trajectories of the real estate sector, providing a forward-looking perspective into the emerging trends and evolving paradigms that are poised to shape the future landscape of the industry. From technological advancements to shifting investment paradigms, the dialogue traverses a multitude of topics, providing a comprehensive and future-oriented perspective of the sector.
The FORT with Chris Powers is produced by Straight Up Podcasts