SF Commercial Property Conversations

What does it really take to design buildings that can withstand earthquakes, support growing cities, and adapt to new technologies like AI? In this episode, structural engineer Natalie Tse shares how engineering decisions shape the safety, sustainability, and future of our built environment. Natalie Tse, a structural engineer with over 20 years of experience in the Bay Area, joins Bruce Bean to discuss the evolving world of structural design. From designing buildings to handle seismic forces to exploring new materials like mass timber, Natalie offers a practical and insightful look into how buildings are engineered to perform under real-world conditions. She explains how structural engineers account for forces like gravity, wind, and earthquakes, and how building codes and historical seismic data influence design decisions. Natalie also breaks down how performance-based design works, helping owners understand trade-offs between safety, cost, and post-earthquake usability. The conversation also explores current market trends. Natalie shares how her work has shifted over the years—from retail projects to schools, hospitals, and now a strong focus on affordable housing. With demand high and funding uncertain, engineers are constantly looking for smarter, faster, and more efficient ways to build.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

Bruce Bean sits down with longtime developer Greg Margetich to explore his decades-long career in commercial real estate and his latest project near the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (TRIC). Greg walks through how he started in real estate in the late 1970s, transitioning from residential into commercial brokerage and eventually into large-scale development. Along the way, he worked on government-leased properties across the country and developed retail and office projects from the ground up. The conversation then shifts to his current 20-acre development in Silver Springs, Nevada. This ambitious project will include: A Chevron gas station with ExtraMile convenience store A casino and bar Two quick-serve restaurants Tesla supercharging stations A large RV park with over 150 spaces --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

In this conversation, Bruce Bean sits down with Howard Kline to explore his unique journey through commercial real estate law. Howard began his career as general counsel for a supermarket chain, where he gained hands-on experience in developing grocery-anchored shopping centers, leasing, and litigation. After experimenting with a career in real estate sales across multiple states, Howard realized his strengths were better suited to the legal side of the business. He returned to law and built a practice focused heavily on commercial leasing, negotiations, and landlord-tenant matters—areas that now make up the majority of his work. Howard also shares how he launched CRE Radio & TV during the early days of online broadcasting, using it as a creative way to connect with potential clients and build authority in the industry. During COVID-19, Howard leaned into his expertise, producing webinars on force majeure and lease renegotiation. This positioned him as a go-to expert and led to a surge in new clients, particularly in Northern California.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

In this episode, Bruce Bean sits down with real estate attorney Connor McNellis to explore how complex real estate transactions and renewable energy deals are structured—and what’s changing in today’s market. From life sciences leases to solar portfolio financings, Connor shares insights from both Big Law and his boutique firm experience. Connor McNellis is a co-founder of Sunridge Legal, a San Diego-based boutique transactional law firm focused on real estate, renewable energy, and finance. After starting his career at a large international law firm, Connor transitioned to building a nimble, client-focused practice that delivers sophisticated legal work with greater flexibility and efficiency. Connor shares his journey from the Midwest to California, including how his experience at a major law firm shaped his expertise in high-value transactions. He discusses the firm’s focus on complex deals across asset classes like life sciences, office, data centers, multifamily, and hospitality, along with large-scale renewable energy projects. A key highlight of the conversation is how renewable energy projects are financed. Connor explains how developers bundle smaller solar installations—like rooftop systems on warehouses or carports—into larger portfolios to secure financing through debt and tax equity structures. He also breaks down recent legislative changes impacting tax credits and how those shifts are influencing deal flow and project viability.   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest

You can’t buy healthcare on the internet. And because doctors and patients always need a place to meet, medical real estate tends to stay strong even when other parts of the market get shaky. In this episode, Bruce Bean talks with Colin Hart of ERE Healthcare Real Estate about a part of commercial real estate that many people overlook: helping physicians understand the value of the buildings they own. Colin explains how he started on the investment “buy side” and noticed that medical buildings often sold at great prices for investors, mainly because many doctors didn’t have strong representation when they sold. Colin’s team works as sell-side advisors for physicians, often guiding groups through sale-leaseback transactions. That means the doctors can sell the building, pull money out, and still keep practicing in the same location by leasing it back. Colin also shares why doctors can sometimes get better financing terms than most borrowers, and why lenders like the stability of healthcare. A big theme of the conversation is that the lease is the value. Colin walks through why an “institutional” lease matters if a doctor ever wants to sell the building, bring in partners, refinance, or sell the practice to a hospital or private equity group. If the lease is weak or rushed, it can limit options later.     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We’re excited to feature your voice in the conversation about building wealth and legacies through commercial real estate. Join us to share your journey and insights with our growing audience! Learn more and apply at https://sfcommercialconversations.com/guest