Winning Entry Selected for CapRock Cup

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA—There is no shortage of potential plans for a certain development site here thanks to an annual industry competition.

The winning team of the NAIOP SoCal YPG’s CapRock Cup Competition.

Each year the NAIOP SoCal Young Professionals Group (YPG) holds a case competition for its current 35-member class of real estate professionals. This year, five teams of seven professionals each presented their strategic plan and proposal on the highest and best use for an active commercial real estate site located in Huntington Beach , owned by Shopoff Realty Investments . The competition took place at Irvine Company’s newly constructed 200 Spectrum office tower in Irvine. Each team was asked to act as a consultant to Shopoff by providing them with a highest and best use strategic plan and recommendation for their property, focusing on maximizing overall value. Teams were judged by a panel of five industry leaders, including Jon Pharris, CapRock Partners; William Shopoff, Shopoff Realty Investments; Bob Voit, Voit Real Estate Services; Dan Heinfeld, FAIA, LPA, Inc; and Kevin MacKenzie, HFF . The winning YPG team, receiving the CapRock Cup, included: Derreck Barker, HFF; Alex Filler, Dedeaux Properties; Analise Guttman, Prologis; Lindsey Ensign Olson, Ten-X; Sam Overton, Bank of America Merrill Lynch; Samantha Shaughnessy, Hines; and Lucas Stensby, KPRS Construction. CapRock Partners, a private commercial real estate investment firm based in Orange County, Calif., became the first multi-year sponsor for the case competition, establishing the CapRock Cup as its grand prize trophy. “It is an honor to be a part of this amazing process and inspiring to participate in the education and cultivation of tomorrow’s real estate leaders,” said Bill Shopoff , CEO and founder of Shopoff Realty Investments. “As a firm focused on transforming value-add assets, the quality of contribution of each of the teams speaks strongly to the future redevelopment of our cities and the industry overall.” The case competition is a culmination of the YPG Class’ 12-month, 70-hour course designed to educate, develop, connect and elevate the commercial real estate industry’s emerging leaders. “The YPG program has evolved into a highly valuable opportunity for young real estate professionals to build on their existing knowledge and advance in their profession. The case competition is an important experience where they can put their real estate knowledge to the test amongst their peers and in front of a panel of esteemed industry leaders,” said Kevin Jennings , 2016 president of NAIOP SoCal and Market Executive-Southern California, Commercial Real Estate Banking, Bank of America Merrill Lynch . “Each year, it’s exciting to see the growth and work of the class, knowing that they are headed into the industry armed with even more experience and contacts.” “The YPG program continues to experience significant growth each year, building on its success through our alumni-run committee, which grows in strength with every new graduating class. Over the last four years the case competition has experienced some of the largest growth within the program. From a theoretical site, to what it is today with a live site and project sponsor, the case competition has evolved and it has been impressive to watch,” said Lee Redmond , YPG Curriculum Committee Member in charge of the Case Competition and associate director at HFF . The Young Professionals Group (YPG) is NAIOP SoCal’s industry-leading professional development and leadership program. Each year, a select group of 35 real estate professionals are chosen through a highly competitive process to gain from instruction in critical components of the real estate industry, personal and professional development coaching from MBA-level instructors , extensive networking and relationship-building activities, and guidance from leading industry executives through an intimate speaker series exclusive to YPG. Among YPG’s more than 340 alumni are C-level executives at their respective firms, principals who have founded their own companies and NAIOP SoCal Board Members. NAIOP SoCal is a chapter of NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association , and it comprises more than 1,000 members serving the counties of Los Angeles and Orange. NAIOP is the leading organization for developers, owners and related professionals in office, industrial and mixed use real estate, with over 16,500 members in North America.