Pleased to share Part 2 of 3 episodes of Icons of DC Area Real Estate #iconsdc with Brad Olsen, my 40 year mentor in the real estate business. Brad shares the story behind his founding of Atlantic Partners, his one man international advisory firm, which operated from 1995 to 2021. He then discusses his strategy of traveling to the Netherlands regularly to learn how the Dutch would like to invest in the US. He was certain that there was continued interest due to the legislation he spoke about in the last episode. He describes his innovation of a commingled fund of US and Dutch pension funds to invest in US real estate and brings Principal Asset Management into that role. Separately, he engineers international investment relationships among the following institutions and companies: USAA, Behringer Harvard, Jamestown, Grubb Ventures, Bell Partners Inc, and BNP Paribas in various structure of funds and direct investment. He also discusses a ground lease investment strategy from a German high net worth family and a value add logistics investment strategy with a German company in Germany. For this episode, here are some takeaways to consider:
1. Building a business on trust and mutual respect can lead to long-term, fruitful relationships.
2. Select clients and partners who align with your values and business philosophy
3. Always aim to add value to your projects, which will naturally lead to client satisfaction and repeat business.
4. Invest time in understanding the cultural and business practices of the countries you are working in.
5. Form partnerships with local firms to navigate regulatory and cultural complexities effectively.
6. Stay open to innovative transaction structures that can provide competitive advantages.
7. Focus on building and maintaining long-term relationships with clients and partners.
Please enjoy this wide ranging Part 2 conversation with Brad: https://lnkd.in/ekKmA3NG
Stay tuned in two weeks for the 3rd and final episode where Brad shares his creative marketing efforts and his mentoring genius with future leaders.