SF Commercial Property Conversations

What happens when artificial intelligence collides with commercial real estate brokerage? In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, Bruce sits down with commercial real estate coach and industry leader Rod Santomassimo to discuss how AI is rapidly changing the way brokers work, prospect, market deals, and manage their time.

Rod shares how AI tools are already replacing many traditional brokerage tasks...

What happens when a family loses nearly everything in a real estate collapse — and rebuilds through a small campground business that eventually leads to a thriving manufactured housing portfolio? In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, Nasir Ali shares the remarkable story of how his immigrant family transitioned from owning more than 100 single-family homes to rebuilding through KOA campgrounds and...

What does it take to succeed through market cycles, distressed assets, and constant change in commercial real estate? In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, Bruce sits down with Charlie Smith to discuss resilience, leadership, and the mindset needed to thrive during uncertain times.

Charlie shares insights from his career journey, including lessons learned navigating challenging market conditions a...

What happens when a former film industry executive decides to use commercial real estate as a tool to help the planet? In this episode, Bruce Bean talks with Carolyn Pistone, founder of Clear Blue Commercial, about sustainable property management, green business practices, and how smart environmental decisions can also improve property value and tenant retention.

Carolyn shares her unusual journey from entertainment and digital vis...

What’s really happening in today’s M&A and commercial real estate markets—and where are the hidden opportunities? Economist Ryan Drake-Lee joins Bruce Bean to break down the volatility, the trends, and what buyers and sellers need to understand right now.

Ryan shares his journey from Morehouse College to UC Berkeley Haas, and his experience working at McKinsey and Google before launching his own advisory practice. Today, he hel...

What happens when a 30-year career at Intel sparks a pivot into commercial real estate investing? In this episode, Cyndi Peach shares how she transitioned from corporate life into building a successful portfolio of retail strip centers—and why she believes this asset class is full of opportunity right now.

Cyndi walks through her early wake-up call during the dot-com era, which pushed her to seek additional income streams beyond a ...

Igor Shaltonov: From Russian Water Polo Pro to American Multifamily Investor

What does it take to go from growing up in post-Soviet Russia to building a multifamily real estate portfolio in the United States? In this episode, Igor Shaltonov shares his journey from professional athlete to disciplined real estate investor—and why “boring” investments may be the smartest path forward.

Igor takes us back to his childhood in Moscow duri...

What’s really happening in Sacramento right now? In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with Katherine McComic and Patrick Stelmach to explore the surprising transformation of Sacramento into a creative, fast-evolving hub for commercial real estate and urban development.

From repurposed warehouses to vibrant mixed-use projects, this conversation dives into how a new generation of professionals is reshaping the city—and why Sacrament...

In this conversation, Bruce Bean sits down with Tim Vi Tran to explore a remarkable career path built on resilience, discipline, and technical expertise. Tim begins by sharing his early life—leaving Vietnam at age five, spending time in a refugee camp in the Philippines, and eventually settling in Dallas, Texas. From there, his academic success led him to the United States Merchant Marine Academy, followed by a role as a systems en...

Bruce Bean sits down with Jonathan Kathrein, a transactional real estate attorney, to explore the evolving landscape of San Francisco commercial real estate. Jonathan shares his unique journey into law—from studying real estate at UC Berkeley to working in nonprofit leadership, teaching public speaking, and eventually attending law school while raising a family.

The conversation dives into the current state of the market, which Jon...

What does it take to build a career that spans hands-on construction, finance, insurance, and entrepreneurship? In this episode, Scott Van Arsdale shares his unconventional journey and the lessons he learned along the way.

Scott’s story starts in construction, swinging a hammer and learning the trade from the ground up. Over time, he transitioned into management, launched his own framing company, and later returned to school to dee...

What does it take to go from chemical engineering to owning 30+ multifamily properties in Los Angeles? In this episode, Maxx Feldman shares how he made an unconventional leap into real estate—and what it takes to survive and grow in today’s challenging market.

Maxx Feldman didn’t start in real estate. With a background in chemical engineering and early ambitions in professional baseball, his path shifted when he was introduced to r...

In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, Bruce sits down with Scott Furniss of 7th Street Development to explore the fast-moving industrial market in Los Angeles and Orange County. From aerospace-driven demand to speculative development strategies, Scott shares what it really takes to build and lease industrial projects in today’s environment.

Scott walks through his career journey across residential...

In this episode of SF Commercial Property Conversations with Bruce Bean, Bruce sits down with Peter Belisle, founder of Belcon Advisors and former executive at JLL, to explore the complexities behind some of today’s most ambitious development projects.

Peter shares his experience advising on the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles—a 400,000-square-foot, architecturally stunning project set within a fully mature park—and wh...

What does it really take to create places people love—and why is it so hard to build them today? In this episode, Ryan Lovett shares a fresh, multidisciplinary approach to solving some of the biggest challenges in real estate development, from housing shortages to community resistance.

Ryan Lovett, founder and CEO of Lovett, brings together architecture, planning, and real estate strategy to tackle complex urban problems. With over...

What if commercial real estate could be as easy to invest in as buying a stock? In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with Mitchell Raimondo to explore how tokenization is transforming access, liquidity, and global participation in commercial real estate investing.

Mitchell shares his journey from early Bitcoin adoption in 2012 to working at the intersection of blockchain and institutional real estate. He explains how tokenization ...

What does it take to generate consistent 10–12% returns in today’s commercial real estate market? In this episode, Todd Stender shares how private credit and triple net development lending are creating unique opportunities for investors right now.

Todd Stender brings a powerful mix of Wall Street experience and real-world investing insight. From his early career in sales at ADP and Coca-Cola to earning his MBA from Pepperdine, Todd...

What does it really take to build thousands of homes in California—and navigate one of the most complex entitlement systems in the country? In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with Nick Arenson to unpack the realities of large-scale homebuilding, from land acquisition to community pushback.

Nick shares his journey from engineering major infrastructure projects to working with Walt Disney, and ultimately becoming a leader in Calif...

Ryan Brown’s journey into real estate didn’t start in finance—it started in medicine. From growing up in a small Northern California town to becoming a nurse anesthesiologist, Ryan built a strong W-2 career before discovering the power of real estate investing. In this episode, he shares how one well-timed triplex purchase changed everything—and how that led to building a 5,500-unit self-storage portfolio across seven states.

Ryan ...