Podcasts: It seems as if everyone has one. And they all seem the same. That certainly was a prevailing thought when CSG Law’s Mitch Berkey and RELPI founder and CEO Jonathan Schein debated earlier this year if they should team up for an offering.
The two wanted to shed light on the big-time personalities and the industry-shaking thought leaders in the high-stakes game of institutional real estate. They wanted to do a show on how the biggest investors, fund managers and operators invest, interact and execute their business plans and bring major deals across the goal line.
They just didn’t want it to be dull.
“There are a lot of podcasts out there that feature two people with headsets, maybe one of them is remote, and they bring on a guest in a box like it’s a Zoom call — that works for some, but we didn’t want that,” Berkey said.
“We wanted it to be all in-person. We wanted it to be in a real studio. We wanted it to be a show,” co-host Schein added. “We envisioned video programming with a retro talk show vibe that appeals to both industry veterans and next generation players.”
Four episodes in, “Elevator Pitch with Jonathan and Mitch” is all that and more.
Filmed on location in New York City — complete with a professional crew (lights, sound, makeup, the works) — “Elevator Pitch” feels more like a show on CNBC than something you hunt for on YouTube.
The intro shows the pair all around the city — the result of a full day of filming in various key sites, such as Wall Street, Times Square and even Little Italy.
“And it’s gotten some attention,” Berkey said.
“There’s been a buzz within what I’ll call that niche audience of the institutional real estate world,” he said. “We’re still getting our sea legs, but people are starting to find us.”
To build awareness, the production team produces and releases a few 1- to 2-minute snippets from the interviews, which generally run 35-50 minutes (there is no set time limit).
The more touch points on social media, the better.
Of course, the best way to attract viewers is with the quality of the guests. Their extensive background in the industry has helped the two already land some big ones, including:
- Episode 1: Gila Cohen, partner and chief investment officer, Vanbarton Group
- Episode 2: Peter Braffman, head of real estate, GCM Grosvenor
- Episode 3: Anar Chudgar, co-president, Artemis Real Estate Partners
- Episode 4: Jeff Kanne, CEO and president, National Real Estate Advisors
Four additional shows have been taped and are scheduled for release over the next few months.
Berkey said the goal of the program is to sit down with a personality and really get into what they’re doing, how they do it and how they got to where they are at.
“We want it to be of interest to their peers in the real estate world, but also of interest to people who may want to get into that world — or maybe are already in it and are trying to figure out how they can advance,” he said.
“Our guests are real people,” Berkey added, “and we want to detail their journeys.”
And, if the two of them get a little more street cred, that’s fine, too.
“I’ve been moderating panels for years — I understand the value that exposure can bring,” Berkey said.
For that reason, Berkey said he has the full support of his colleagues at his powerhouse law firm, CSG Law.
“We’re always telling the team at CSG Real Estate that they need to put themselves out there — to show the firm flag, but, equally important, to grow your personal brand,” he said.
For Berkey, it also scratches another itch: Returning to his early roots in media.
Back in the day, Berkey conceived and hosted a college radio call-in show at a time when that programming was rare. That show, originally broadcast on an FM station with regional reach in upstate New York, was an immediate hit and still exists today, streaming on the internet.
“I’ve always been comfortable behind a mic and finding interesting stories to tell,” he said.
And, with “Elevator Pitch,” he’s getting to do it in a most professional way.
Institutional real estate owners have been generous in offering studio locations. Early episodes were taped in the amenities space at Pearl House, a high-end residential building in Manhattan’s Financial District. The Ellery, a 33-story luxury residential tower in Midtown Manhattan, was the site of later episodes. Each location calls for a three-camera setup, professional lighting and a production crew.
Best of all, the duo came with camaraderie.
It’s apparent from the opening minutes that Berkey and Schein are comfortable with each other — that they’ve co-hosted a few private equity panels in the past and enjoyed a friendship over many decades and real estate cycles.
The only thing uncertain is how far they can go with the show.
“The target audience right now is the RELPI universe of major funders, fund managers and operating companies; the heads of the retirement systems and endowment funds that have big dollars allocated to real estate; the investment managers who provide guidance and deploy that capital; and operating companies looking to access that capital for their projects,” he said. “But it’s really about giving a bird’s-eye view on how the entire process works and the journeys and goals of the people who make it happen.”
“We think that will appeal to an even greater audience.”
And help distinguish “Elevator Pitch with Jonathan and Mitch” from the scores of other podcasts.
Where to watch
You can view all episodes of “Elevator Pitch with Jonathan and Mitch” by checking out elevatorpitch.show, or going directly to these YouTube links:
Episode 1: Real Estate Powerhouse Gila Cohen | Vanbarton Group LLC
Episode 2: Peter Braffman | GCM Grosvenor
