Suburban Crawl and the Youth Exodus
Commercial office space, one of the laggards in this recovery is finally showing signs of life as many city centers have stopped losing tenants and are beginning to fill-up. In a Wall Street Journal article yesterday statistics were reported that indicate that even forlorn cities such as Detroit, Houston, Miami, Pittsburg and Phoenix have had net increases downtown. So what about the suburban markets? Well, in almost every market the “Burbs” are a disaster and occupancy levels have continued to decline or are as flat as a pancake with high double-digit vacancies. The article went on to indicate that some scholars, urban advocates and developers believe a secular shift is underway in the American workplace. “Young people don’t want to be out on the fringe,” and many corporations and developers are factoring that into their plans. On the real estate front the suburban markets have historically fueled growth and jobs. Forget it for the next couple of years. The suburban weakness is going to continue to dampen a broader recovery of job growth. Bah Humbug!

Tony LoPinto is a senior client partner and head of Korn//Ferry International’s Real Estate Practice and founder of SelectLeaders. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.

BLACKROCK
Real Estate Capital Markets Analyst
(NEW YORK CITY) The analyst will prepare commercial mortgage loan packages for presentation to lenders; assist with all aspects of capital market transactions including creating quote matrices, responding to questions from potential lenders, due diligence efforts, transaction documentation and closings; analyze and monitor existing CMBS investments for investor websites, draft quarterly CRE CDO investor letter and coordinate investor inquiries; among other duties.

EQUITY RESIDENTIAL
Regional Learning Manager
(VIENNA, VA) The manager will be responsible for leading region-wide performance improvement efforts for sales, sales management, and manager development; facilitating all regional sales-related training and collaborating with the operations learning specialist in order to integrate sales and systems for greater effectiveness; and collaborating with OTD director, marketing director, and sales VP to offer customer service courses with brand alignment and provide overall regional sales guidance; among other duties.

JONES LANG LASALLE
Leasing Analyst
(DALLAS) The leasing analyst is responsible for rent analysis and rent payment processing; client/vendor/landlord relationship management; resolution of rent and other landlord/tenant issues; and review annual landlord reconciliation statements and calculations to ensure accuracy and lease compliance; among other duties.

HOLLIDAY FENOGLIO FOWLER, L.P.
Associate Director, Closing
(HOUSTON) The director will review due diligence underwriting including third party reports and legal issues for Freddie Mac loans; ensure all Freddie Mac loans comply with Freddie Mac requirements; assist producers and analysts with any questions regarding Freddie Mac underwriting and closing requirements; and assist transaction manager in preparing all aspects of loan closings; among other duties.

GRUBB & ELLIS
Senior Financial Analyst, Asset Management
(SANTA ANA, CA) The analyst will prepare cash flow projections on portfolio assets and identify potential areas of capital, leasing and operating exposure; coordinate the due diligence and the data collection efforts in connection with portfolio asset reviews ; assist with the preparation of loan modification proposals and other correspondence to lenders/servicers; and perform market research and analysis by conducting on-site property tours, contacting appropriate industry parties and utilizing industry research tools; among other duties.

AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES
Construction Project Manager
(BOSTON) The manager will provide leadership, supervision and training for all construction personnel developing budgets, construction schedules and operational plans; and be the main contact for local building officials and labor unions; prepare, disseminate and analyze bid packages to insure their quality, completeness and comparative value; and enter contracts with sub-contractors and suppliers according to AvalonBay policy and procedures; among other duties.

ORACLE
Senior Director of Real Estate & Facilities at Oracle Corporation
(CHICAGO) The senior director will be responsible for managing a team of six senior project managers as well as overseeing all real estate transactions within the portfolio; as well as, vendor selection, evaluation and business reviews in compliance with Oracle's policies; and manage/oversee more than 100 active project's activities; among other duties.

GREYSTAR INVESTMENT GROUP
Investment Associate
(IRVINE, CA) The associate will be responsible for sourcing new prospective investment opportunities; engaging with brokers, equity partners, lenders, attorneys, and all other related internal departments, as appropriate; financial analysis of investment opportunities, including the creation of detailed pro-forma models; market investigation of potential acquisitions, competitive properties and local market fundamentals; among other duties.

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