Navigating the Multifamily Market, Opportunity Zones, and Economic Uncertainties with Nick Rosenthal

Nick Rosenthal, Co-CEO of Griffin Capital shares his thoughts about the affordable housing crisis in the United States with a focus on the multifamily sector. The conversation includes the origin of the housing issue, challenges in single-family home production, the shift towards renting, and the impact of factors like increased home prices and stagnant wages. Nick discusses the current state of the multifamily market, discussing the high number of deliveries in 2023 and 2024, challenges in the credit environment, and the importance of timing in real estate development. We talk about the Opportunity Zones program as a potential solution for tax mitigation and its benefits, including gain deferral, tax-free growth, and tax-free income generation while also touching on the pitfalls of OZs, emphasizing the need for due diligence in selecting projects and managers. The conversation wraps up with speculating how the Federal Reserve's role and the uncertainty surrounding future interest rate cuts factor in.