The Promote Podcast

Your Commercial Real Estate Insider guide. From profiles of the biggest dealmakers to skyline-shaping transactions, we bring you the deals, breakdowns and war stories that move the market — for insiders, by insiders. From bad-boy guarantees to CMBS tranche warfare to syndicator sins, we cover it all. Each week, The Promote Podcast explores three of the most interesting and consequential stories in CRE, taking you well beyond the headlines and into the heart of the action. Hosted by the award-winning “Bard of CRE,” Hiten Samtani, founder of ten31 media and author of The Promote newsletter, along with no-BS institutional insider Will Krasne. Also check out our 3x/week newsletter for industry insiders at https://www.thepromote.com/

Last refreshed: June 24th, 2026 at 10:53 AM

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Episodes

The Rise of Pref & Meridian Out of Agency Jail

This week, The Promote dives into the proliferation of preferred-equity deals in the CRE market – why are they suddenly everywhere, and what investors need to think about before doing them. We then dive into Meridian Capital Group being cleared for business by Fannie Mae, ending a year-plus period on the ice with the agency. Where does the brokerage go from here? And finally, we look at the walloping the tariffs have given the formerly exuberant CMBS market.

Apr 23, 2025•27 min•Ep. 7

Tariff Terror, $11,000 psf condos & Starwood's land bets

This week, we discuss the fear & loathing set off in the CRE markets by the Trump tariffs, looking at the impact both on fund managers and on developers – construction costs are "completely a swag" as co-host Will puts it. We then look at Miki Naftali's megabet on a Fifth Avenue condo site where he believes he can set a new high-water mark – $11,000 per square foot – on pricing. We touch upon Floyd Mayweather's shady Upper Manhattan deal, and finally, we chop it up on Starwood's latest land ...

Apr 16, 2025•27 min•Ep. 6

Gary Barnett: The Father of Billionaires' Row

In this special edition of the Promote Podcast, we dive into the singular career of Gary Barnett, the diamond trader who birthed Manhattan's Billionaires' Row and has consistently pulled off the most audacious high-wire acts in the real estate development game. We trace Barnett's origins, from his days as a diamond dealer in Belgium to his early days in New York real estate. We then dive into 2 of his most iconic deals: the creation of One57, the luxury condo that kicked off Billionaires Row; an...

Apr 09, 2025•30 min•Ep. 5

Crowd Comes for CrowdStreet & LifeCo Lenders Roar

This week, we break down CrowdStreet playing the victim card in CRE's biggest-ever crowdfunding scam, perpetrated by Elie Schwartz. We riff on why CMBS is rearing its head in development deals, and how private equity reimagined life insurance as a perpetual source of capital for its private-credit bets. Plus: A Manhattan REIT's nepotism playbook. Further reading: https://ten31.beehiiv.com/p/crowdfunding-scam-highlights-the-goldman-mistress-back-channel#7-highlights-from-cr-es-biggest-cro https:/...

Apr 02, 2025•20 min•Ep. 4

Related's Signature Bank Heist & Newmark Vs. Eastdil

This week, we discuss the rivalry between two mighty CRE brokerages, Eastdil Secured and Newmark, polar opposites in terms of culture and compensation model. We break down the bombshell lawsuit filed by Wells Fargo against JPMorgan, accusing the bank of financial chicanery in a mega-loan for the Chetrit Group. And we dive into Related's "heist" of Signature Bank's rent-stabilized loan portfolio, discussing how politics and connections can sometimes beat out a higher bidder.

Mar 26, 2025•28 min•Ep. 3

Heat on Chetrit & Cohen's Fortress of Pain

This week on The Promote Podcast, we discuss cracks in the property empire of the mighty Chetrit family, the merchant princes of New York real estate. We barrel down Powder Mountain to understand Netflix billionaire Reed Hastings' vision for a private ski haven, and we head to court to understand the mother of all Personal Guarantees in a case pitting scion Charles Cohen against the mighty debt fund Fortress. Resources https://ten31.beehiiv.com/p/heat-on-chetrit-hud-in-the-mud#can-chetrit-beat-t...

Mar 17, 2025•31 min•Ep. 2

Bad Boy Carveouts & Skyscraper Ransoms

In the first episode of The Promote Podcast, we’ve got quite the docket: Bad Boy Guarantees, which are suddenly everywhere in CRE loan disputes with multifamily syndicators. We have a classic Manhattan phallic skyscraper battle, pitting titan against titan at Worldwide Plaza. And we look at the loss of mojo at mighty investment manager PIMCO, which is suddenly finding itself a laggard in the cutthroat world of private credit. https://ten31.beehiiv.com/p/nussbaum-s-hush-money-syndicator-bad-boy-c...

Mar 09, 2025•29 min•Ep. 1

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