On Tuesday, May 13, the Real Estate Center at DePaul University honored Robert A. Wislow, Chairman & CEO of US Equities Realty and a Founding Sponsor of the Center, with the "Outstanding Leadership in the Real Estate Profession" award. The Sustaining Sponsors of the Real Estate Center selected Wislow as this year's recipient because of his significant contributions as a leader, pioneer and mentor in the real estate profession spanning his thirty-six year career.  Mary Dempsey, DePaul University Trustee and friend of Wislow, explained in her opening remarks, "Bob Wislow personifies excellence and integrity. Throughout his very busy and distinguished real estate career, he has been active on numerous committees, boards and commissions, devoted to making Chicago a vibrant and livable city that promotes beautiful design and architecture, the arts, civic engagement and economic development."  

Sam Zell with Bob Wislow

The luncheon program featured a fireside chat with Sam Zell, Chairman of Equity Group Investments and Debra Cafaro, Chairman & CEO of Ventas, Inc. Cafaro set up the conversation by commenting on Zell's recent optimism about real estate and the economy.  Zell agreed that there is a great deal to be optimistic about and the pointed out that the commercial real estate business in the US is going through a number of changes and trends. At the top of the list of changes, Zell pointed to changing demographics and said, "if you don't understand it you'll get bit."

He cited the deferral of marriage and its implications as being one of the biggest demographic shifts in the US. People are waiting to get married which inevitably mean they are waiting to have kids and, as so many do, move to the suburbs. This is good for downtowns, but a real issue for the suburbs.

He noted that we have been going through the longest period of minimal building activity which has created "a dearth of new construction." He estimated that construction activity has been approximately 35 percent of what is normal. That is coupled with the fact that businesses are taking less space and being more efficient with the space that they have.

Following the fireside chat, Douglas Crocker, a former Trustee of DePaul University and the recipient of last year's Outstanding Leadership in the Profession Award, invited Wislow and Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, President of DePaul University, to join him on the stage for the award presentation.   

Debra Cafaro and Sam Zell

More than 300 of Wislow's colleagues and friends supported the event and helped raise over a quarter of a million dollars to support the student support services and scholarship programs of the Real Estate Center.

View more event photos. 

Thank you to the event sponsors:

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