Crowdfunding Conference Looks at the Future of the Deal
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The Real Estate Center and the Chaddick Institute's annual conference explored the intricacies of the latest trend in sourcing funds for real estate transactions: crowdfunding. The conference, "The Future of the Deal: Using Crowdfunding to Close the Gap Between Traditional Real Estate Investors and the Communities They Build", featured an introductory presentation by Center director, Susanne Cannon, which provided background on crowdfunding and the rules and regulations that have gotten us to the point where real estate investors are able to use this resource to fund projects.
Ben Miller, co-founder of Fundrise, followed Cannon's presentation and shared his experiences using crowdfunding to build capital for a project in his community. Miller began considering the use of crowdfunding when he realized that traditional investors were not and could not be personally invested in his community, and, as a result, didn't care if a project being built was right the right fit. So he began exploring local sources: those who lived and worked in the neighborhood; those who did care about what was being built next door, down the street, around the block. And the revolution began.
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JR Berger, Gary Pachucki, Michael Episcope, Susanne Cannon, Ben Miller, Joe Schwieterman and Leon Walker
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The conference closed with a conversation, moderated by Chaddick Institute's Joe Schwieterman, between local real estate professionals who shared their own experiences and perspectives on crowdfunding. An interesting outcome from the discussion was that crowdsourcing is also an effective way to market a project to a community in an effort to raise awareness and to get them interested on a personal if not financial level. Panelists, who were joined by Miller, included: James Berger, president and managing broker of Chicago Signature Properties, Michael Episcope (BUS '94, MS '08), principal of Origin Capital Partners and president of the DePaul Real Estate Alumni Alliance, and Gary Pachucki, founder and principal of IBT Group LLC. Leon Walker, managing partner of DL3 Realty LP, led a question-and-answer session with the audience.
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Faculty Activities
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Susanne Cannon, the Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Director of the Real Estate Center, traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia to participate in the European Real Estate Society's (ERES) annual conference. This year's topic was: Future Challenges for International Real Estate Education and Practice in 21st Century European Economies. Cannon participated on the Education and Methodology session where did a presentation on "A Multidisciplinary, Cross College, and Cross University Experiment". In addition, she was a panelist for the discussion, "Trends in International Education", and she moderated the closing session, "Education for Real Estate Purposes".
The Slovak University of Technology hosted the event held on December 6-7, 2013.
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12th Annual Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference
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Each year, the Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference brings thousands of industry professionals together, including DePaul Real Estate students and alums, to learn about the latest trends and topics from high level real estate practitioners. This year's main attraction, Chicago's Deputy Mayor, Steve Koch, discussed his role in Mayor Emanuel's vision of the city and the importance of attracting large and small businesses alike as both are significant drivers in job and economic growth. Koch was interviewed by Shawn Mobley, Cushman & Wakefield.  | |
Graduate student, Paul Martin with alums Peter Muntz (MBA '07) and Stephanie Matko (BSC '04, MBA '10)
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The Real Estate Center has played an active role in the Commercial Real Estate Forecast Conference from its very beginning in 2002. Susanne Cannon, the Douglas and Cynthia Crocker Endowed Director of the Center, has worked each year with the planning team of the Illinois Real Estate Journal to weigh in on potential key note speakers, panelists and topics of interest. As in previous years, Cannon was featured in the main conference room as a moderator for a panel discussion, "There Grows the Neighborhood", with Rand Diamond, Glen Star; Michael Drew, Structured Development; Aaron Lanski, BMO Harris Bank; and Daniel Rosenberg, Cohen Financial. In addition, she moderated the Investment breakout session featuring panelists: Marc Boorstein, MJ Partners; Matt Goode, Venture One; Christy Lockridge (MBA '94), Prudential Mortgage Capital Co.; Suzanne Martinez, Avison Young; and Steven Weinstock, Marcus & Millichap. |
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Join the Conversations on the Real Estate Center Social Networking Websites
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You no longer have to wait for our monthly newsletter to be up to date with the Real Estate Center. The Real Estate Center has recently joined the social networking movement on both Facebook and LinkedIn. Join these groups to receive up to the minute information about the Real Estate Center.
 
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