Investment Matters: Driven to Learning and Success

During Shlomo Chopp’s two decades in commercial real estate, his experience has touched on investment management, finance, securitization, brokerage and technology. These days he’s got a full plate as managing partner of Terra Strategies, a diversified investment management, finance and advisory firm. But when he does allow himself a breather, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll find him with a book in his hand. On any given day, it could be a memoir by a commercial real estate titan or a 2,500-year-old Chinese treatise on military strategy. Chopp says that his lifelong love of learning has helped train his mind and provided the capacity to navigate extremely complex investment and finance deals, but it’s more than that. It provides valuable insights into life and business that he brings to his work every day. In this conversation, he offers perspectives on finance, investment and real estate trends that are subtle, plain-spoken and humorous. In this lively and thought-provoking conversation, Chopp weighs in on the opportunities and challenges ahead in distressed assets, and on the property categories that are most likely to be at risk. No less compelling are his comments on special servicing, the fine art of negotiation, and setting career goals. And he has some no-nonsense advice to young professionals who aspire to the top tiers of success in a tough business.   Episode highlights: Market dislocation and the prospects for 2024 (2:15) The sector that’s most at risk of distress right now—and how other property categories stack up (3:53) Inside Terra Strategies’ approach to investment (7:26) Why special servicing is “one of the one of the most difficult negotiations you could ever be in” (11:19) What CMBS is up against; special servicing practices (17:37) Drive for success and the value of perpetual learning (21:37) Shout-out to mentors (25:30) No. 1 suggestion for young professionals—and some blunt advice (28:40) Must-reads for success (32:12) Off the clock (38:55)