Will Silverman, Managing Director at Eastdil Secured

In this episode, Host Todd S. Rich sits down with Will Silverman, Managing Director at Eastdil Secured to explore his unconventional path from investment banking to becoming one of New York City’s leading real estate capital markets advisors. The conversation spans the current state of New York real estate from office to multifamily to luxury retail and offers candid perspective on what he believes separates great investors and brokers. The conversation moves beyond market headlines to uncover the practical frameworks that guide complex transactions. Will also shares memorable advice on career development, the value of cultural literacy, and the habits that have shaped his success.

They discuss:
• Will’s declaration: why pretending someone is watching makes you a better professional, parent, and person
• Why the era of “riding the beta” in real estate is over and what idiosyncratic outperformance looks like today
• The inelastic demand for trophy office buildings in Manhattan
• Why Will believes cultural literacy and intellectual breadth create better dealmakers
• Resume and interview advice and why an investment thesis deck changes everything

Topics:
(00:00:00) – Intro
(00:01:54) – Will’s declaration: Always act like someone’s watching
(00:03:33) – Growing up in Queens and falling in love with New York City
(00:08:24) – Getting into real estate brokerage
(00:15:35) – Using data science to differentiate
(00:20:38) – Joining Eastdil Secured and the power of a collaborative culture
(00:24:39) – The state of real estate markets today
(00:28:35) – Office market recovery: idiosyncratic demand and trophy assets
(00:31:12) – AI’s impact on office demand
(00:32:52) – New York City multifamily and the Summer of 2021
(00:40:51) – Luxury retail and why brands are buying their flagships
(00:44:10) – What separates great investors and brokers
(00:52:15) – The cultural literacy quiz
(00:56:29) – Resume and career advice