Episode 041: David Firestein

Introduction:


Given his multiple skill sets as both a top retail real estate
broker at The Shopping Center Group, as well as that of an owner
and investor, along with his ability to adapt his leasing game to
any court or playing field, today we have with us retail
leasing’s equivalent of both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal – yes
my real estate brethren – the one and only David Firestein. 


 


Episode Notes:


At 1:41, David Firestein discusses persistence, struggling, and
working for Steve Roth in the early days of his career. At 2:34,
David talks about formal education and “street” education. At
3:30, Firestein dives into having worn multiple hats in the real
estate industry, and the advantages gained in acquiring an
understanding of the wants and needs of the various parties
involved in a negotiation. At 4:58, he provides his thoughts on
the newly created retail experiences in New York. At 5:52, David
notes the importance of one’s ability to adjust to the ups and
downs in the business. At 7:05, Firestein touches upon the
sustainability of food halls. At 8:56, he advises brokers to walk
the streets and to “touch and feel” the real estate. At 9:55,
David points out that it’s okay to not know the answer. At 10:41,
Firestein shares his perspective on malls, and how he thinks they
are going to adapt. At 14:33, he gives his take on automation
versus the element of human touch. At 15:58, David attributes
“doing the right thing” to his long standing accounts with Whole
Foods, Starbucks, and Costco. At 17:00, Firestein discusses
communication now versus past methods of communication. At 19:07,
he explains why Long Island City’s slow continued growth may be
better compared to the alternative. At 20:14, David dives into
self-help, persistence and finding a mentor. At 21:17, Firestein
suggests that positive thinking is the key to manage the highs
and lows of the real estate industry. At 22:42, he talks about
his son Guss, as well as the importance of having in-person
meetings. At 23:51, David shares how he finds his balance and his
happy place in the West Indies. At 24:33, Firestein notes that if
he could change anything in the world, it would be to reduce the
amount of plastics we use. At 25:29, David Firestein closes out
the podcast with his goal of making it to day two of the World
Series of Poker next year.