Charlie Hewlett- Strategic Thinking for Real Estate Operators (#109)

Bio Charlie Hewlett, Managing Director, RCLCO Charlie has over 35 years of experience in real estate and has consulted on a broad spectrum of commercial and residential properties in most major metropolitan regions in the country. Before joining RCLCO, he was president of Lofty Builders, Inc., a real estate service company concentrating in renovation, rehabilitation, and management of investment real estate properties in the Boston metropolitan area. Charlie graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He has conducted training seminars on the methodology for metropolitan development trend analysis for regional branch offices of major national commercial developers. He is also a frequent speaker and ULI panelist-including the redevelopment of the Southeast Federal Center in Washington, D.C., and Atlantic City in Norfolk, Virginia. Charles has written articles published in the Corridor Real Estate Journal, Urban Land Digest, and publications of the National Multi Housing Council. Charlie is the author of Strategy for Real Estate Companies (Volume #3) which is a guide for real estate operating companies of all sizes to plan and build their enterprises. Show Notes Charlie’s current role at RCLCO (00:05:45) Charlie’s role as Managing Director and owner, and the company’s real estate economics and management consulting activities. The foundation of the “Strategy for Real Estate Companies” book (00:07:00) The book’s purpose, uniqueness, and its focus on strategic planning for real estate companies, considering the cyclicality of the business. Origins of the book and the thought process (00:09:10) The influence of Charlie’s mentor, Chris Leinberger, and the need for strategic planning specific to real estate companies. Charlie’s origin story (00:10:45) Charlie’s upbringing, family background, and early experiences in real estate and retail. Transition to RCLCO and its activities in the late 1980s (00:10:19) The establishment of RCLCO’s Washington office, the company’s focus on primary research, and its decision not to enter the data business. Charlie’s pivot to RCLCO and the real estate industry (00:14:15) The evolution of real estate as an investment class and the institutional market in the late 1980s. Impact of the 1990-1991 downturn on RCLCO and the industry (00:17:50) The severe downturn in real estate, challenges faced by RCLCO, and the need for companies to revisit their strategies. Developing the thought process for corporate advisory practice (00:21:45) The impact of past downturns on the need...