Chad Lavender is the President of Capital Markets for North America at Newmark. He has more than 15 years of commercial real estate experience, particularly in healthcare and senior housing. Over his career, Chad has completed more than $50 billion in transactions across the U.S., beginning his journey in markets like Alabama and Dallas.

Prior to joining Newmark, Chad worked in high-rise development before moving to lead the National Seniors Housing Group at HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler), growing it into the number one senior housing platform in the country before HFF was acquired by Newmark.

Insights from Chad Lavender on Servant Leadership in Capital Markets

Chad Lavender leads one of the largest capital markets teams at Newmark. Ask him who he reports to, and he'll point to the advisors on his platform. His job is supporting the people doing deals, helping them hit their goals, and clearing obstacles out of their way. That approach has kept his senior housing team at number one in the country for more than a decade.

The same thinking shapes how he works with clients. For two years straight, Chad and his partner Ryan Maconachy told prospects they should refinance their assets instead of selling them. Refinancing didn't generate a commission. Selling did. But refinancing was the right call for those clients at that moment, so that's what Chad recommended. They played for the long term, put client interests ahead of their own revenue, and ended up doubling their business every single year from 2012 to 2019.

In this episode of The Dealmakers' Edge, Aaron and Chad discuss what servant leadership actually looks like in a transaction business, why telling clients the truth builds more value than chasing every deal, how market dominance comes from discipline and consistency, and why attitude, effort, and energy are the only variables you can actually control.

2:08 - Growing up in Tuscaloosa with family in real estate and development

3:22 - Running a T-shirt business at Alabama and learning sales

4:02 - Starting in high-rise development in January 2008 as the financial crisis hit

5:16 - Cold-calling 62 groups and asking for introductions, not jobs

6:08 - Working triple duty as an analyst and broker at ARA

7:10 - Launching senior housing with Ryan Maconachy and advising clients to refinance

8:12 - Pitching HFF and doubling revenue every year from 2012 to 2019

9:03 - Maintaining number one market share through COVID

14:16 - Servant leadership and reporting to advisors

19:23 - Controlling attitude, effort, and energy

20:51 - Market outlook across asset classes and emerging opportunities

24:01 - Be forever curious and work relentlessly

Mentioned In Servant Leadership and Market Dominance with Chad Lavender

Newmark | LinkedIn

Chad Lavender on LinkedIn

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James Ryan founded RYCO Capital in 2018 and has led the firm since its inception. Since establishing the company, James has personally overseen all aspects of its growth and operations. His team has grown and expanded, and he has been a contrarian to great success, acquiring multifamily properties across New York City.

Prior to founding RYCO Capital, James held leadership and finance roles across real estate development and early-stage technology firms. He earned his BA in Political Science from Yale University.

Insights from James Ryan on Contrarian Investing in New York City Multifamily

When New York passed the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act in 2019, capital fled the multifamily market overnight. When COVID hit in early 2020, the exodus accelerated. James Ryan saw something different: supply constraints in the tightest housing market in the country, with assets trading at prices that still cash-flowed even if rents stayed flat.

RYCO Capital's family office structure gave James an advantage most syndicators don't have - he could say no to deals that didn't make sense and wait for the right opportunities. Between 2020 and 2024, while others stayed on the sidelines, he bought across Brooklyn and Manhattan, raised capital by showing protected downside scenarios, and built a team capable of executing complex, multi-year value-add projects.

In this episode of The Dealmakers' Edge, Aaron and James discuss contrarian investing, raising capital without fee pressure, building quality assets that can hold through market cycles, and managing the grind of daily operations while staying focused on long-term goals.

1:40 - Growing up in Rochester and starting in Brooklyn real estate after Yale

3:31 - Family office background in Rochester and buying out father’s partner after a tragic loss

5:33 - Looking at secondary markets in 2019 and finding everything overpriced

6:10 - How the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act changed the NYC market overnight

7:35 - Closing on four Brooklyn properties in January 2020 and what happened next

8:48 - The thesis: supply constraints and New York City isn't dead

11:21 - Raising capital and focusing on deals the team believes in

12:28 - Underwriting for downside protection and returning principal to investors

15:38 - Why having institutional backing prevents deal-making adrenaline

18:41 - Building a vertically integrated team that executes at a high level

23:22 - Managing adversity, the daily grind, and staying focused on long-term vision

26:08 - Work-life balance, family time, and avoiding hustle culture

Mentioned In Contrarian Investing and Building for the Long Term with James Ryan

RYCO Capital | LinkedIn

James Ryan on LinkedIn

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Jason Bordainick started his first company from a dorm room at the University of Virginia. Off Campus Partners became the nation's largest online marketplace for student housing and was eventually acquired by CoStar. That success gave him credibility, momentum, and the confidence to take on something harder.

In 2010, he and his childhood friend Andy Cavaluzzi decided to build a business in affordable housing preservation. Expertise, relationships, and regulatory fluency created steep barriers to entry in the space. They had vision but no track record in the asset class, no institutional backing, and no family real estate firm to lean on. For three and a half years, they submitted proposals, chased deals, and came up just short. That grind built the discipline and partnership that would eventually shape Hudson Valley Property Group into one of the leading platforms in the space.

In this episode of The Dealmakers' Edge, Aaron and Jason discuss what it takes to break into a market with high barriers to entry, how to build institutional trust from scratch, and why consistency and execution matter more than having all the answers upfront. Jason shares lessons from proving out a model, earning credibility deal by deal, and leading a business that does well by doing good.

2:57 - Starting Off Campus Partners from a dorm room and winning a business plan competition

4:57 -Teaming up with childhood friend Andy Cavaluzzi to start Hudson Valley Property Group in 2010

6:48 - Understanding capital-A Affordable housing and the role of Section 8 and LIHTC programs

11:49 - Starting with $5,000 and $10,000 checks and compounding investor trust

14:52 - Values-first leadership and how you do anything is how you do everything

16:21 - Using discipline and AI to screen projects and deploy capital at scale

18:16 - Managing adversity and the mental challenges of entrepreneurship

21:14 - How adversity strengthens partnerships and builds equal commitment

23:35 - Career advice for the next generation and the value of specialization

Mentioned In Leading the Future of Affordable Housing with Jason Bordainick

Hudson Valley Property Group | LinkedIn

Jason Bordainick on LinkedIn

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Henry Stimler serves as an Executive Managing Director on Newmark’s Capital Markets Strategies team, where he specializes in originating and structuring in multifamily debt and equity with an emphasis on large bespoke portfolio transactions. Based in the firm’s New York headquarters, Stimler is known for guiding traditional Tri-State investors into new high growth markets across the U.S., including the Midwest, Texas and South Florida, while also sourcing global equity from key international cities like London, Tel Aviv and Johannesburg. Prior to joining Newmark, Stimler founded and served as Director of London Green Capital, a debt origination firm.

Insights from Henry Stimler on How Courage and Consistency Close Deals

Henry Stimler runs a full calendar. Client meetings, travel, prospecting, closings, and pipeline follow-ups take up most days, yet he still takes calls from young professionals, makes time for anyone genuinely trying to learn the business, and sees mentorship as part of the job.

That mindset was shaped by starting from zero after the 2008 crash. He went from a thriving business to being overdrawn at the ATM and had to rebuild his career piece by piece. It taught him to focus on real opportunities, protect his time and rely on a team where everyone brings a different strength.

In this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge, Aaron talks with Henry about rebuilding from the ground up, sourcing and structuring large multifamily transactions, and keeping deals on track in challenging market conditions. Henry discusses rejection, resilience, mentorship and what it takes to close complex deals.

1:50 – Henry’s background growing up in London and leaving the traditional path

2:35 – Discovering an arbitrage opportunity and building Phoenix

2:50 – The 2008 crash and losing everything, including assets and business

3:20 – Rebuilding through club promotion, opening venues, and returning to finance

3:53 – Turning a shuttered Chinese restaurant into one of NYC’s hottest nightclubs

6:12 – Closing his first deal and earning a $25K commission before his son was born

6:21 – Transition to Newmark when Cantor rolls platforms together

7:03 – Building a national platform and taking NYC investors into new markets

7:57 – Success is not linear and why connection skills drive outcomes

10:51 – How to spot time wasters and protect your capacity

12:12 – “Fish with a net” and why small maybes drain time

14:24 – Making time for students and early-career outreach

16:35 – Keeping a billion-dollar pipeline moving toward closing

18:53 – Team structure in practice and the yin and yang with Bill Weber

21:32 – Developing junior talent and the cold outreach that led to a $230M closing

29:02 – The perspective and humility carried forward from the 2008 crash

Mentioned In How Courage and Consistency Close Deals with Henry Stimler

Newmark | LinkedIn

Henry Stimler on LinkedIn

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Ran Eliasaf is the founder of Northwind Group, a real estate private credit platform based in New York. He founded the firm in 2008 and oversees all investment activity. Throughout his career, Ran has executed more than 300 real estate transactions totaling over $5.5 billion, investing in commercial properties in New York City and healthcare and senior-living properties across the U.S. In 2017, he spearheaded the creation of Northwind’s credit platform and launched the firm’s discretionary closed-ended debt funds, which now manage more than $2 billion in assets.

Under Ran’s leadership, Northwind has evolved into an institutional-grade private credit business, investing with a focus on discipline, risk management, and transparency. Before founding Northwind Group, Ran co-founded and served as CEO of a real estate fund that acquired a portfolio of grocery-anchored shopping centers in Florida and Texas.

Insights from Ran Eliasaf on Navigating Market Cycles and Risk Management

After more than six years in the Israeli Navy as a ship commander, Ran Eliasaf eventually made his way into real estate and founded Northwind Group in 2008. When the financial crisis hit, he was one of the few buyers with liquidity—acquiring distressed debt backed by grocery-anchored assets while most of the market froze.

Northwind grew deal by deal for more than a decade before launching its first institutionally backed credit fund in 2020. Today, the firm focuses on middle-market real estate loans, where discipline matters more than upside and one bad loan can wipe out the return of ten good ones.

In this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge, Aaron and Ran discuss how Navy-level discipline translates into private credit, why honesty, integrity, and transparency shape every deal, and the principles Northwind Group relies on to protect capital and outperform through market cycles.

2:03 — Growing up on Israeli Air Force bases and serving over six years as a ship commander

2:58 — Opening a surfing school in the Dominican Republic and returning for law school

3:52 — Launching Northwind Group in 2008 and buying distressed debt during the financial crisis

5:42 — More than a decade of deal-by-deal capitalization before the first credit fund in July 2020

8:14 — Why Northwind Group focuses on $20M–$100M loans and the niche between banks and mega-funds

12:03 — Building a healthcare lending platform and the tech used to underwrite a complex asset class

13:35 — Northwind Group’s core principles: honesty, integrity, and transparency

16:08 — Managing a high-intensity lending environment and why surfing keeps Ran grounded

19:58 — Political risk as a major underwriting factor and why Northwind Group still believes in New York

21:37 — Zero principal losses, never taking back a property, and protecting investor capital

Mentioned in Navigating Market Cycles and Risk Management with Ran Eliasaf

Northwind Group | LinkedIn

Ran Eliasaf on LinkedIn

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Diego Hodara is the founder and CEO of Titanium Realty Group, a real estate investment and development company focused on mixed-use and residential assets in transit-oriented markets across the New York metropolitan area. Titanium Realty Group has close to 2,000 units under development or completed in Jersey City, NJ, and Port Chester, NY, representing more than $800 million in total project value. Diego holds a master’s degree in Real Estate Finance and Investment from NYU, as well as degrees in Architecture, Urban Planning, and an MBA from the University of Uruguay.

Insights from Diego Hodara on Reinvention and Resilience in Real Estate Development

When Diego Hodara arrived in the United States from Uruguay at 30, he had an architecture degree and construction know-how, but no network, no capital, and no work visa. He started over selling kitchen cabinets and managing renovations across New York's boroughs, learning how the city actually gets built. During the recession, he bought his first property in Jersey City with his own savings. It went underwater almost immediately. Instead of walking away, he held on, managed it himself, and turned those mistakes into lessons.

That discipline became the foundation for Titanium Realty Group. Diego scaled methodically from fix-and-flips to 30-unit buildings to high-rise developments, proving he could execute at each level before raising the stakes. Without family wealth or institutional backing, he had no room for error. He grew slowly, questioned every assumption, and reinvested everything into the next deal.

In this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge, Aaron and Diego discuss starting over at 30 with nothing, scaling from two-family homes to high-rise developments without losing discipline, and the guiding principle that’s shaped everything Diego has built—don’t try to be the biggest, try to be the strongest.

1:28 — Moving from Uruguay to the U.S. at 30 and starting over without a network

4:42 — Selling kitchen cabinets and managing renovations across New York City

8:05 — Early lessons in construction, financing, and navigating a new market

10:56 — Buying his first property in Jersey City and surviving the downturn

14:23 — Building confidence through experience and small-scale development

18:00 — Founding Titanium Realty Group and committing to deliberate growth

21:17 — From two-family homes to high-rise projects and institutional credibility

24:50 — Managing risk and questioning assumptions before every new deal

28:36 — The importance of discipline when working with investors’ money

31:45 — Expanding into preferred equity, bridge lending, and conversions

34:20 — What it means to build strength—not size—in development

Mentioned in Reinvention and Resilience in Real Estate Development with Diego Hodara

Titanium Realty Group | LinkedIn

Diego Hodara on LinkedIn

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When you strip business down to its core, it’s about people. Every deal, every partnership, and every bit of growth comes from how well your team works together. Real culture comes from integrity, empathy, and a shared belief in doing things the right way.

Strong teams start with trust. They create an environment where people can make mistakes, recover, and keep moving forward. Leaders who protect that culture and put their people first build something that lasts. They attract talent that wants to grow and stay part of something meaningful.

In this episode of The Dealmakers’ Edge, Aaron Strauss shares what it takes to build a high-performing team that endures. He talks about why integrity shapes culture, how empathy becomes a true advantage, and what great leaders do to keep their teams performing at the highest level.

1:11 – Trust, empathy, and the foundation of sustainable performance

2:19 – Integrity as the first principle of leadership

4:04 – Creating psychological safety inside high-performing teams

6:05 – Team first vs. customer first and why it’s not a contradiction

8:18 – Avoiding mediocrity and keeping a culture of innovation alive

11:18 – Recognizing and developing star, solid, and struggling performers

12:22 – Why soft skills and human connection are the next competitive edge

13:47 – The pitfalls that quietly destroy culture

17:04 – Building a culture of “we can figure it out”

18:03 – Resilience, mindset, and how leaders manage setbacks

21:01 – Generosity, perspective, and putting people before yourself

Mentioned In The Secret to Building a High-Performing Team That Actually Lasts

A.Y. Strauss | LinkedIn

Aaron Strauss on LinkedIn

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Evan Bell is Managing Partner and co-founder of Lorimer Capital, a direct portfolio lender that provides creative financing solutions for commercial real estate opportunities across the eastern U.S. He has over two decades of expertise in structured real estate credit products and started his career as a real estate finance attorney, representing major institutions like Morgan Stanley, Barclays, Lehman Brothers, and Wachovia Bank on mortgage and mezzanine financings, which totaled over $10 billion.

Prior to launching Lorimer Capital, Evan served as co-founder and Principal of Unity Capital, where he played a major role in leading the company to success and sustained growth. He earned his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and received his J.D. from Hofstra University School of Law. While there, he was a member of the Hofstra Law Review and a recipient of Westlaw’s Corpus Juris Secundum Award.

Insights from Evan Bell on Relationships and Discipline in Real Estate Financing

Evan Bell started his first day of work on September 10th, 2001. By the next morning, everything had changed. That jarring introduction to his career taught him early that you can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you respond. Fast forward two decades, and that philosophy has guided him from law firms to launching Unity Capital with "very little clue" what he was doing, to now building Lorimer Capital with partners he's known for years.

In this episode of The Dealmakers' Edge, Evan talks candidly about why he still puts his own money in every deal, how he went from doing small multifamily loans to closing $51 million construction deals with developers like Kushner Companies, and why he tells young people to treat everyone with respect because you never know where careers will lead. He also opens up about managing the stress of high-stakes lending by reading philosophy, keeping perspective, and remembering that "everyone's got their bag of problems no matter how great they look when you see them out at lunch."

1:55 - Evan’s childhood, educational background, and career transitions

7:33 - The current cycle for private credit lenders and discipline as essential for navigating market cycles

11:16 - Relationship-based business as paramount to long-term success in real estate finance

14:42 - Evan’s thought process when looking at dealmaking opportunities right now

18:03 - Prioritization and focus of Evan and his partners as they continue to grow the firm

20:36 - The key to navigating anxiety in a high-stress industry

25:57 - The importance of showing up and staying in the mix to build a business

Mentioned In Why Relationships and Discipline Matter Most in Real Estate Financing with Evan Bell

Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Lorimar Capital | LinkedIn

Unity Capital | LinkedIn | Instagram

Enjoy the show? Have a guest in mind? Email us at podcast@aystrauss.com to let us know your feedback and who you want to hear on the next episode.

Connect with Aaron and the A.Y. Strauss team:

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