Brad Olsen- “Ripples and Bridges” (Part 1 of 3) (#113)

Bio Prior to his retirement at the end of 2021, Brad Olsen had been active in the area of international real estate investment for more than 40 years. During that time, he has represented investors, investment managers and developers from the U.S., Germany, The Netherlands, the U.K., Canada and Japan on transactions valued in excess of $10 billion. In 1995, he established Atlantic Partners, Ltd., an independent advisory firm, and he served as President of the company until his retirement. Before forming Atlantic Partners, Mr. Olsen was a principal of Richard Ellis, Inc., the US affiliate of a major international real estate advisory firm, and a shareholder of the international holding company. At Richard Ellis, he served as the director of the firm’s investment advisory group which advised domestic and international investors. Mr. Olsen was a founder and principal of The Lexington Company, a Chicago‐based independent real estate investment advisory and consulting firm. His responsibilities included acquisitions and dispositions, asset management and property finance. Richard Ellis acquired the company in 1989. From 1980 through 1983, Mr. Olsen served as senior vice president and regional manager of the Chicago office of Richard Ellis, Inc. He supervised real estate acquisitions, dispositions and management in the Midwest and was responsible for the firm’s business development efforts nationwide. Before joining Richard Ellis, Mr. Olsen was a practicing real estate lawyer. He served as general counsel of a real estate development and construction company and was in private practice. His assignments involved various aspects of real estate development, financing and property management. Mr. Olsen is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School. He was the author of numerous articles on international real estate investment and a frequent lecturer at leading universities and professional conferences, including Expo Real, the USA Conference in Frankfurt and the Global Property Market conference in Toronto. Mr. Olsen was a longtime member of the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (“AFIRE”) and a member of the European Association for Investors in Non-Listed Real Estate Vehicles (“INREV”). Show Notes Quasi- Retirement Life Lessons from My Father (00:07:32) Brad discusses two life lessons from his father and their relevance to his current work and career: 1. Pebble making ripples and 2. Don’t burn bridges Retirement Announcement and Postponement (00:12:15) Brad explains the circumstances and reasons behind his retirement announcement and its subsequent postponement. Continued Involvement in Real Estate Advisory Work (00:14:10) Brad talks about his ongoing advisory work with two clients, Gordon Grubb and a German family office, in his retirement. Networking and Relationship Building (00:16:30) Brad emphasizes the importance of networking and building relationships in his career, including his current connections and advisory work. Client Relationships and Future Exits (00:18:15) Brad discusses the longevity and potential exit strategies for his relationships with his two clients and his approach to new client reques...