Nobody likes thinking about bad scenarios. Illness, death, property destroyed by flooding — these are uncomfortable subjects. Many avoid planning for trouble..
Negotiation is at the heart of the real estate investing. Doing it well requires sound analysis and and an understanding of your counterparty’s motivations.
We live in a time of great uncertainty, and smart people are wondering where they should put their money to weather any coming storms. More on that later.
Business today is more demanding than ever. Information is king, and everybody wants quick responses. Long hours, instant responsiveness, and lots of coffee can..
There’s an old saying that says trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets. In life and in business, every single encounter or transaction is an opportunity to put..
I love the saying no risk, no reward. It’s equally true for investing and for a life well lived. If you’re not in the game, you can’t win anything, and taking too little risk is
When you’re ready to make a real estate investment, there are a lot of bases you need to cover, but none is more important than financing.
College is supposed to educate our kids and make them ready for a competitive world, but is the system working? I’m shocked by the lack of basic skills in..
When I hear friends talking up the wonders of index funds, I have conflicted feelings. On one hand, it’s great that they want to invest. On the other hand, index..
Everybody knows the old saying in real estate: location location location. In my deal-making part of the industry, there’s another version: reputation
Recently, I’ve received messages from our readers asking for more details on how our ideas translate into real returns for investors. To illustrate how Alliance..
Thank you to all the readers who wrote in last week after we published our story about the hospital investment that turned into a big win.
Recently, many businesses have been getting more involved in politics. Major League Baseball pulling the All-Star game from Atlanta is the…
The ongoing pandemic has exposed a lot of short-term thinking. Many businesses were caught unprepared for lockdowns and supply chain disruptions….
Nothing is more important to the success of a growing business than building a great team. But finding the right people…
Most people are too afraid of being wrong. Of course it’s better to be right than wrong, but those aren’t the…
For quite a while now, national politics has sucked up most of the oxygen in the news. Stories of conflict and…
These days, a lot of professionals are working from home. The pandemic may have forced this change, but I don’t see…
As we approach this unusual holiday season, I’ve been thinking about my role as a leader. Normally, the end of the…
What makes a winning organization? Is it strategy? Vision? Operational excellence? Talent? All these things are important, but building a great…
Recently, I’ve heard a lot of people saying that we need to follow the science. It’s a catchy slogan, but what…
There’s a saying in sports that you can’t win if you don’t play. This has never applied to entire leagues before,…
Over the course of the campaign season I heard many negative political narratives. One side caused the problem, and once “we’re…
Communities across America are re-opening for business. This is great, but we still need to be smart. Months of quarantines and…
The coronavirus pandemic and nationwide protesting are two major challenges that America faces. This is a moment in history that will…
Personal responsibility is a concept that is sometimes thrown around like some kind of slogan. But it’s a real thing,…
In these difficult times, many business leaders have no choice but to cut costs to survive. These executives face wrenching…
How do we get back to some kind of normal? This is the trillion dollar question everybody is debating. One of…
Social distancing is a challenge. It has disrupted more than the daily rhythm of life. It has put life goals and…
Resourceful and fortunate companies are remaining productive. Determining how to structure teams fit for purpose is a challenge for business leaders…
Social distancing is going to temporarily change the way we work, socialize and travel. In time, we all expect the crisis…
Fear of coronavirus has been increasing in recent weeks. It’s undeniably tragic for those impacted in China, and scary for…
I noticed in the news last week, that it was the 100 year anniversary of prohibition. This giant policy blunder…
Making New Year’s resolutions is easy. Keeping them is hard. I believe this is especially true for business owners and…
Just because the calendar year is turning, doesn’t mean people want to read some “humble brag”, curated email about how…
After a few decades in business, I can make this observation with confidence: how we present ourselves to the world…
In recent years, I’ve heard more people saying some version of your network is your net worth. I don’t entirely…
The great economist Milton Friedman once said: the business of business is business. It’s a zany one-liner that gets at something deeper, in particular on government regulation.
These days, it can feel like everybody is trying to sell something. Usually that’s no problem, but a magnetic salesman can tempt people into making bad decisions.
I know I’m not the only one who has choked on my coffee when I opened a lawyer’s invoice. Simple services should not be so damn expensive. Of course, we..
I’m excited that some environmental deregulation seems to be on the way. Lighter regulation means easier development, greater deal flow, and higher profit.
Summer travel plans have been upended, but that doesn’t mean you should stay home.I believe that in these stressful times, it’s more important than ever to get away.
In this time of hardships, America needs sports.Sports have a special place in our society. They offer us compelling drama, role models, novelty, and bring a community together.
Warren Buffet wisely said that price is what you pay, value is what you get. Are traditional MBA programs really delivering value? The marketplace is finally..
I love sports, and not for the usual reasons. While I played as a kid and I still have a few favorite teams, what really keeps me interested is the way athletics highlight..
All of today’s amazing technology was supposed to make us all smarter, healthier, and more productive. What happened?Compared to what I grew up..
Tesla is at risk of going out of business. This electric car pioneer has raised new capital every year since its 2010 IPO, and they’re still posting massive losses.
The College Board’s plan to add Adversity Scoring to the SATs is questionable. It means scoring people on the circumstances of their birth, rather than the content..
Technology has recently started to overlap with personal health in powerful ways. These new innovations could offer new avenues for self-improvement and productivity boosts.
I’m concerned about kids and video games.I see friends worrying about what their teenage kids do when they are not at home. In my opinion, a bigger..
There’s a recent business trend where companies are making big statements that seem designed to go viral. In today’s highly polarized environment, diving..
Recent news reports tell us that smartphone sales are slowing. This is terrible news for Apple, but it might be good for the rest of us. Life still happens in the..
There are a variety of ways to get ahead in life. While nothing beats getting lucky, most of us have to work for it. We can work hard, or we can work smart.
Success comes from actively shaping your own destiny. Even downtime is an opportunity to engage in your life and invest in your future. The demands of..
The value of data is rising, and so are major hacking incidents. We’ve seen a steady parade of data breaches, from Anthem to Yahoo and JP Morgan Chase to Target.
It’s crazy how fast time flies by. My eldest son recently left to start college at the University of Southern California. I’m excited for him as he starts this new chapter of life.
My grandfather used to say that opinions are like ***holes, everybody’s got one. Thanks to social media, anybody can broadcast their opinions wide and far..
In recent years, I’ve seen a troubling trend toward protecting kids from unfairness and anything that might make them feel bad. I applaud the sentiment — we all..
For cutting through all the digital noise, there’s still nothing like face-to-face interaction. Some people might call it wasteful to travel by for a conversation when..
World Cup fever is here. While Team USA failed to qualify this time, we’ve just been selected to host (along with Mexico and Canada) the 2026 tournament.
The internet is powerful because it connects us to each other. By the same power, it also connects different parts of our lives together. Everything we do..
It drives me crazy that the word diet is so loaded with baggage. “Diet” commonly means self-denial, crappy food, ridiculous promises of miracle results, crank science..
It’s been two and a half months since many of us made New Year’s resolutions and I’d bet that most of us are continuing right where we left off last year.
Everybody wants to know the secret to success in life. I won’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do have a worldview that has helped me get where I’ve always..
The ideal vacation is more than just a rest, it’s an opportunity to continue growing. I want my holidays to complement the rest of my life and fill in the gaps that I’m missing..
Some might call this heresy, but I think watching sports on TV is largely a waste of time. TV viewing, including sports, is a passive activity. When we’re looking at a TV..
The healthcare industry is under pressure to be more cost efficient – a key trend that Alliance is tracking. An aging baby boomer population is moving..
Commercial real estate services company CBRE recently released their report on the state of the real estate market in 1Q23: here The report largely confirmed things..
As many news readers know, there is a significant shortage of nurses. What is going on? There are multiple reasons why demand..
A recent study highlights that there are more large MOBs under development than ever before. This study was conducted by 42floors (here). The study is interesting..
Commercial real estate services company CBRE conducted a survey of industry professionals in 2H 2022. This CBRE report focuses on one..
It’s no secret that commercial real estate transactions have slowed recently. Inflation, higher interest rates, and other macro factors are slowing down the market.
Medical facilities often cluster together near hospitals. This is still the case… but there is an interesting sub-trend that Alliance is dialed in on.
If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there. This line from the childrens’ book Alice in Wonderland contains an essential truth.
An important real estate trend that I have followed closely is the national residential housing shortage.This shortage has been driving up home..
Disruptive events like the pandemic always create their own winners and losers. The difference between commercial real estate portfolios that..
Property insurance is priced according to the underlying risk, right? That’s the idea, but many would be surprised at the distortions that can occur in some markets.
Some places care a lot about getting things done, other places are tied up in knots of red tape. Since Alliance invests in commercial real estate across..
Culture is super important for building high performing teams. It’s also widely misunderstood.Most organizations try to shape culture through policy.
Alliance focuses on investing in properties with strong fundamentals and then adding value to the properties we manage. But it’s impossible to eliminate..
To succeed in business, strong teams are essential. There is no recipe for building a common culture and shared sense of purpose. Companies try all..
Years in business have taught me that few things are as critical to success as building a great team. High performing organizations have some common traits.
The subject of high performance is a frequent topic in my world. Why? Well, when you accomplish your goals in any given year this requires a tremendous..
It is time again for our monthly Q & A Q: Ben, I respect what you do and admire you as a principal. I had a bad partnership experience in the past.
One of the fundamental errors in real estate investing is to ignore the risk of long term vacancy. Everybody knows to look at zoning, property prices..
There are many paths to a great investment. The key is finding a place where you understand the upside and risks better than your competition.
This New Year, I’m thinking about how to lead a more mindful and intentional life… including wasting less time on mindless activities, and on goals that aren’t true priorities.
I often hear people say: data is the new oil. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is moving into more and more areas of the economy, and the fuel for AI is data - and lots of it.
Technology is changing the world incredibly quickly. I’m excited to see where it takes us in the coming years.One fact that illustrates just how quickly technology..
Over the last year, a shortage in computer chips has hobbled production of a wide variety of popular products like cars, phones, and gaming consoles.
Over the last few months, I’ve noticed a lot of stories about cybersecurity breaches. In technology and beyond, change creates opportunities for some and risks for others.
Many people in the media and politics are pushing to punish Big Tech for their various “crimes” and transgressions. There’s a lot of anger in the air, and with so much..
I’m always on the lookout for new risks to Alliance’s business. Usually, they’re deal-specific, but recently I’ve been looking at something bigger. An important piece..
Commercial real estate is a term that covers a broad spectrum of asset types, classes, locations, and markets. It is an industry that institutional..
America has an aging population, and that translates into continued rising demand for all types of medical services and medical service real..
Nearly all commercial real estate deals are financed using some combination of debt and equity. The nature of that debt can take many forms – ranging..
It is no secret that housing is prohibitively expensive in California, but perhaps less known is the disease of exorbitant rents and mortgages..
From an early age, most people are taught that taking on too much debt is irresponsible and can result in financial ruin. Therefore, many people..
Never before in world history has such a large—and wealthy and entitled—population moved into their golden years, as presently in the United States.
The commercial real estate market has been generating strong returns for investors. For property owners in the right sectors, the rent checks are rolling..