Icons of DC Area Real Estate cover art

Icons of DC Area Real Estate

Icons of DC Area Real Estate

By: John Coe
Listen for free

About this listen

 An interview show with leading commercial and multifamily real estate participants in various disciplines. John Coe, a 41 year real estate finance professional, will interview many of his long time friends and past clients to learn about their backgrounds and what brought them into the income producing real estate business. He will probe into their career paths and what they have learned along the way, highlighting their successes, failures and lessons learned. Each episode will explore the interviewee's individual perspective and offer unique views of their particular expertise and where the trends are leading.© 2019 Coe Enterprises, LLC Career Success Economics World
Episodes
  • Gerald Divaris - The Generalist CEO: Vertical Integration and the Art of Retail Development (#142)

    Gerald Divaris - The Generalist CEO: Vertical Integration and the Art of Retail Development (#142)
    Nov 24 2025

    Gerald Divaris is Chairman and CEO of the Divaris Group, a vertically integrated commercial real estate enterprise. Co-founded Divaris Real Estate (DRE) in Cape Town, South Africa (1974), relocating to Virginia Beach (1981). DRE manages 40M+ sq ft across 15-16 U.S. cities. Visionary behind Town Center of Virginia Beach. Inducted into Hampton Roads Business Hall of Fame (2024).

    1. Company Strategy and Structure

    Primary Focus [3:25] CEO responsibilities center on exceeding client expectations, ensuring cohesive teamwork embodying company ethos, and platform growth.

    National Operations [4:20] Maintains standards across 15-16 cities through personal CEO visits (monthly/bi-monthly) and "Principal in Charge" in each office embodying firm philosophy.

    Employee Model [6:24] Unlike industry peers, DRE agents are salaried/on draw vs. independent contractors, ensuring clients receive controllable service rather than commission-driven behavior [7:50].

    Vertical Integration [8:55] Retail deeply engrained from family retailer background. Development's longer lead time/higher risk suits stable employee model. Retail is "glue" in mixed-use developments, providing street-level vibrancy attracting office/residential tenants.

    Realty Resources Network [12:09] Provides national platform of best-in-class local brokerages for seamless nationwide service. Smaller engaged networks led by "deal junkies" [17:23] outperform large publicly-traded firms with heavy infrastructure costs.

    Management [19:32] "Overbalanced on corporate infrastructure" using salaried professional managers, freeing deal-makers to "lead by example."

    1. Origins and Generalist Philosophy

    African Origins [22:14] Born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), moved business to Virginia Beach 1981. Smaller South African economy created "generalist" approach [24:22] across product types—essential for mixed-use development.

    Retail Family Background [27:21] Greek merchant family from Cephalonia [28:44] owned department stores, liquor stores, groceries. Started working age 10 [30:01], learning customer assessment and merchandising strategy.

    Art of Retail [32:45] Store deployment is art, not science. Placemaking engages all human senses—family's florist shops used tuberose scent near door [37:28] to pull customers inside. Experiential retail critical [42:23]—Barnes & Noble survived Amazon through "storytelling" and reading experiences.

    III. Town Center of Virginia Beach

    Opportunity [45:24] Virginia Beach: largest Virginia city by population but lacked CBD. Strong economy, tourism, minimal national broker competition. "Rough diamond" with suburban sprawl needing heart and soul.

    Military Economy [50:40] Hampton Roads houses NATO headquarters, major cyber command, world's largest naval base. Demographics underreported 28% [59:41] due to "hidden economy"—young military retirees with full pensions, free medical, VA loans not counted in salary reports.

    Mixed-Use Success [55:31] Town Center became city's "heart and soul," attracting institutions. Westin (40 stories) is Virginia's tallest structure—iconic landmark.

    TIF Financing [1:21:10] Public entities own parking garages, Performing Arts Center, roads. Funded through TIF (Tax Increment Financing) above 1999 baseline. Changed city charter (1980s) to permit financing. Free parking key to walkability/density success.

    1. Post-COVID Growth

    50th Anniversary & Expansion [1:04:03] DRE celebrated 50 years (2024). Stayed open throughout COVID [1:04:31], viewing it as opportunity. Acquired McGarey Group (entertainment/sports development expertise) [1:08:15].

    D.C. Market [1:09:05] Greater Washington expansion (May 2024) services Northern Virginia requi...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 37 mins
  • Beyond the Building: Jason Bonnet on Collaboration, Culture, and Community (#141)

    Beyond the Building: Jason Bonnet on Collaboration, Culture, and Community (#141)
    Nov 5 2025
    Bio Jason Bonnet is Chief Development Officer at Essen, a next-generation development firm. Previously led East Coast Commercial Development for Brookfield Properties ($7B pipeline) and Forest City Realty Trust. Career spans $5B+ development: 4,000+ multifamily units, 1M sf office, 500K+ sf retail. Started Bonnet Development post-UNC. USC MRed, Harvard Business School alumnus. Key Discussion Points [00:00:09-00:04:24] Introduction: Background with Forest City, Brookfield, founding Esen. [00:04:59-00:09:33] Esen Overview: Team of former Forest City/Brookfield executives. Large-scale mixed-use focus, 5,000+ unit pipeline across NY metro, Southeast, Midwest. Lead project: $1.5B Jersey City waterfront (2-3% vacancy, strong demand, Manhattan views, PATH access). [00:09:55-00:14:01] Early Life: Silver Spring upbringing on Queen Anne's Drive. Father: electrical subcontractor (construction exposure). Mother: Fortune 100 HR executive (negotiation skills). Film production aspirations (Stanley Kubrick) led to real estate. Springbrook High School, UNC. [00:17:00-00:23:42] Bonnet Development & Pivot: Started company post-dot-com doing Shaw rowhouse conversions (sub-$2M projects). Partnership accounting dispute taught fiduciary responsibility, when to settle vs. litigate. ULI mentorship (Marcel Acosta) led to USC MRed for institutional scale jump. [00:31:57-00:44:17] Forest City & The Yards: Joined 2011 via mentors Stan Ross, Brian Jones. Debby Ratner Salzberg valued entrepreneurial spirit. 48-acre Southeast DC mixed-use. P4 partnership (DC, GSA, Navy). Eleanor Holmes Norton championed waterfront access. Complex brownfield remediation - Forest City as government agent. Lessons: team collaboration, coalesced vision, passion. DC renaissance period - competitive but collegial, rising tide lifts all boats. [00:48:17-00:57:26] Yards Development Strategy: Creating neighborhood not just place. Flexible entitlements framework. Retail strategy: Blue Jacket Brewery opened before Harris Teeter - people knew brewery before "The Yards" name. Chef Michael White's Osteria Morini gave legitimacy. Ice Cream Jubilee (attorney turned businesswoman) first location. Attention to detail, patience choosing tenant partners, commitment to long-term success. Retail foundation critical - most complex, detail-oriented real estate sector. [00:59:18-01:06:43] San Francisco Projects: Led 5M (Fifth & Mission) and Pier 70 after Brookfield acquisition. Biggest difference: intense NIMBYism - sometimes no win-win possible. CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) extends entitlements 8-10 years via traffic study challenges. 5M took 10+ years. Pier 70: fastest California entitlement approval in history via transparency, over-communication, hundreds of community meetings, port authority partnership alignment. [01:09:18-01:13:50] Scale & Affordability Philosophy: Density builds economy of scale, feeds project economics. More eyes on the ground plane = vibrancy,... Chapters (00:00:09) - Idols of D.C. Area Real Estate(00:04:25) - Essen Real Estate's New Chief Development Officer(00:06:52) - What Excited Investors to Take on The Jersey City Project?(00:09:35) - In the Elevator With Rich People(00:12:45) - Real Estate Was Always in My Imagination(00:14:03) - Real Estate Developer and Student at UNC Asheville(00:19:39) - What was the biggest challenge in doing a real estate project? Was(00:23:42) - Return to School: Urban Land Institute Program(00:30:12) - Leading the Company: The Ratners' Process(00:37:00) - On The Washington Navy Yard Project(00:44:01) - Top Real Estate Executives on the Forest City Hotel(00:47:50) - The Story of Forest City's The Yards(00:50:38) - The Mix of Mixed Use Projects(00:57:22) - The Future of Mixed-Use Real Estate(00:59:33) - Beyond the Yard: The Evolution of Forest City(01:03:28) - Explained: CEQA and the San Francisco project(01:06:32) - Top Executives: Lessons Learned from the Pier 70 Project(01:08:46) - The Need for New Housing in Denver(01:10:21) - Affordable Housing and Density(01:13:53) - Public-Private Partnerships(01:17:11) - Exploring the Middle East: Essen Real Estate(01:21:30) - What Makes a Development Team So Special?(01:23:00) - Essen Real Estate's Core Team(01:24:59) - Jersey City Infrastructure Project(01:26:16) - Private-public partnerships: Trust and Transparency(01:27:48) - Describing the Process of Creating a Valuable Mixed Use Community(01:30:33) - Real Estate: The Art of Development(01:36:17) - The Vision of a Mixed Use Property(01:42:56) - Essen Real Estate's aesthetic philosophy(01:44:49) - What Does Placemaking Mean to You?(01:48:22) - In the Elevator With Steve Jobs(01:48:51) - Top 10 Rich People: Family, Work(01:51:33) - Have You Learned From Your Proptech Experience?(01:54:43) - Real Estate Development Almanac(01:56:40) - Be Present, Be Yourself(01:58:26) - Democracy in the Elevator
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 59 mins
  • Diane and Victor Hoskins - 1 + 1 = 5: Collaboration as Catalyst (#140)

    Diane and Victor Hoskins - 1 + 1 = 5: Collaboration as Catalyst (#140)
    Oct 22 2025

    Two of the Washington region’s most influential leaders—architect Diane Hoskins and economic-development visionary Victor Hoskins—share the story of parallel careers that converge around one principle: collaboration compounds impact.

    From Chicago’s skyline to the Amazon HQ2 deal, from design constraints to billion-dollar surpluses, the Hoskins demonstrate how empathy, partnership, and systems-level thinking can reshape cities and careers. Their joint mantra—

    “Get wisdom, and with all that getting, get understanding.”
     —anchors a conversation that’s equal parts master class and love story.

    Chapter Markers

    Time

    Segment

    Highlights

    00 : 00 – 02 : 20

    Introduction

    John Coe frames the series and today’s guests.

    02 : 21 – 03 : 46

    Roots & Creative Upbringing

    Diane on Chicago’s architecture and her mother’s artistry.

    03 : 47 – 06 : 55

    First-Gen Philanthropy

    The Hoskins on giving back to education.

    07 : 00 – 08 : 33

    Dartmouth Decision

    Challenge as catalyst for growth.

    09 : 11 – 11 : 39

    Negotiating Across the Table

    MIT-trained empathy in public–private deals.

    12 : 01 – 24 : 53

    Diane’s Arc: SOM → Olympia & York → Gensler

    Mentorship, mega-projects, and a developer’s lens.

    24 : 54 – 32 : 28

    Transforming DC as Business

    CityCenter DC, The Wharf, Union Market → $7.5 B investment.

    32 : 41 – 35 : 45

    Regionalism & Collaboration

    DMV economy beyond borders.

    36 : 01 – 39 : 31

    Amazon HQ2 – Talent as Currency

    Education beats incentives; $1 B talent pipeline.

    40 : 16 – 41 : 55

    Fairfax Digital Hub

    7.5 K companies + 100 universities bridging skills.

    42 : 07 – 47 : 20

    Design Within Constraints

    Amtrak Call Center → innovation through limits.

    49 : 43 – 55 : 46

    Workplace as Destination

    Variety, neurodiversity, and WPI metrics.

    57 : 03 – 59 : 53

    Community in Buildings

    Amenities as connection + shared spaces.

    1 : 00 : 15 – 1 : 04 : 36

    Cross-Disciplinary Leadership

    Co-CEO model and latticework learning...

    Chapters
    • (00:00:09) - Icons of D.C. Area Real Estate
    • (00:02:56) - Diane and Victor on the Power of Architecture
    • (00:07:00) - Goat at Dartmouth
    • (00:08:54) - How to navigate complex public-private partnerships
    • (00:12:18) - Gensler's Founder and First Woman Partner
    • (00:21:03) - Working for Gensler
    • (00:24:55) - Deputy Mayor Victor Gray on DC's Transformation
    • (00:30:47) - The City of Washington's role in the District's tax revenue
    • (00:32:53) - Northern Virginia Regional Executive Discusses Regional Collaboration
    • (00:36:01) - How Virginia Secured Amazon's HQ2
    • (00:39:52) - What Keeps Tech Giants in Fairfax County?
    • (00:41:55) - Developers and Architects: The Connectivity
    • (00:49:27) - Gensler on the New Pittsburgh Airport
    • (01:00:15) - Gensler on Multidisciplinary Workforces
    • (01:08:12) - The Common Area of Modern Buildings
    • (01:10:02) - Gensler's one firm, network philosophy
    • (01:12:54) - Northern Virginia Tech's Presidential Innovation Advisory Council
    • (01:19:48) - How Fairfax County Economic Development Leverages Veterans to Fill Cybersecurity and
    • (01:22:40) - Gensler's Commitment to Carbon Reduction
    • (01:28:02) - Gensler on its CO2 Action
    • (01:29:12) - Design Is Not a Luxury, It's for Everyone Everywhere
    • (01:34:19) - Gensler Co-Leaders: Maximizing Time Together
    • (01:38:09) - Gensler on Baltimore's Inner
    • (01:39:36) - How To Build a Prominent Career With Consistency
    • (01:44:38) - How to Lead a Competitive Real Estate Career
    • (01:50:50) - Builders: Internships and Fellowship
    • (01:55:21) - Does Diversity Enhance Commercial Real Estate Talent Pipeline?
    • (01:57:45) - Data Centers: The Challenges
    • (02:03:26) - In the Elevator With Neuroarchitecture
    • (02:04:25) - "Get Wisdom and With All Your Getting..."
    • (02:05:10) - Real Estate Talk: Washington, DC
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 8 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.