2001 AWARD WINNERS
| Top REIT Equity Office Properties Trust |
| Top Shopping Center Firm Simon Property Group |
| Top Office Firm Equity Office Properties Trust |
| Top Industrial Firm Duke-Weeks Realty Corp. |
| Top Multifamily Firm Lincoln Property Co. |
| Top Hotel Firm Marriott International |
| Top Financial Institution GE Capital Real Estate |
| Top National Brokerage Firm CB Richard Ellis |
| Top Deal Chase Manhattan/JP Morgan |
| Top E-Procurement Firm SiteStuff |
| Top Property Data/Listings Firm LoopNet Inc. |
| Top Telecommunications Firm WinStar Communications Inc. |
| Top Chairman and/or CEO Mort Zuckerman/Boston Properties |
| Top Community Service Program CallSource |
NREI honors the industry's best
Associate Publisher Kris Hoefer welcomes everyone to the 2001 NREI Leadership Awards
The best in commercial real estate were honored at The Fourth Annual NREI Leadership Awards held in Chicago's Hilton and Towers Hotel on April 23. The awards were established by the publishers and editors of NREI, and the winners in 13 categories were determined by the votes of a random selection of readers. The NREI Leadership Awards recognize outstanding achievement by individuals and companies in the industry.
Deloitte & Touche tabulated the official ballots and served as sponsors of the evening's event. Rick Carlson, national managing partner; and David Voigt, a partner in the Chicago office of Deloitte & Touche, helped present the awards, along with NREI Editor Matt Valley, Managing Editor Michelle Havich and Associate Editor Stephen Ursery.
One new award was added this year — Top Community Service Program. Entries for this award were judged on the basis of the highest level of company involvement and degree of positive impact made on the community. The winner of this award was chosen by the editors of NREI from a number of submissions from companies big and small.
TOP REIT
Equity Office Properties Trust
Equity Office Properties Trust, based in Chicago, is a publicly traded owner and manager of office properties. The company made waves with its merger with Spieker Properties Inc. Equity Office now owns and operates 616 office buildings consisting of 124 million sq. ft. nationwide, including 25 million sq. ft. acquired from the merger with Spieker.
Equity Office has an ownership presence in 37 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and 103 submarkets, thus providing office space for a wide range of local, regional and national customers.
TOP SHOPPING CENTER FIRM
Simon Property Group
A publicly traded retail real estate company, Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group Inc. owns, develops, manages, leases, acquires and expands income-producing retail properties through its subsidiary partnerships.
In 2000, the company completed three new development projects: Orlando Premium Outlets, a 430,000 sq. ft. upscale outlet center near Walt Disney World and Sea World; the 356,000 sq. ft. second phase of Waterford Lakes Town Center, also in Orlando; and Arundel Mills, a 1.3 million sq. ft. super-regional mall in Maryland.
As of May 31, Simon Property Group owned or had an interest in 250 properties consisting of 185 million sq. ft. of gross leasable area (GLA) in 36 states and five assets in Europe.
TOP OFFICE FIRM
Equity Office Properties Trust
From energy issues to customer amenities, Equity Office is an agent of change. In the wake of its merger with Spieker Properties, Equity Office has joined a consortium of office landlords to address energy issues. The consortium is working with BOMA and state officials to create a plan that will provide concrete energy enhancement recommendations in real estate throughout California.
The company has launched FastOffice, a ready-for-work office space alternative that allows a customer to sign a license agreement, move in and begin operations within days. There are more than 30 FastOffice locations totaling more than 60,000 sq. ft. now under construction.
TOP INDUSTRIAL FIRM
Duke-Weeks Realty Corp.
Duke-Weeks Realty Corp. has a total market capitalization of more than $6.5 billion. The Indianapolis-based REIT provides a full range of services including site selection, leasing, property and asset management, acquisitions, development, financing, construction, marketing and other tenant-related services.
In 2000, Duke-Weeks developed 40 new industrial facilities totaling more than 8.5 million sq. ft. in its 16 markets. The properties are valued at approximately $303.7 million. In total, the company owns 698 industrial properties encompassing 84.3 million sq. ft. and with a total value of $3.2 billion.
TOP MULTIFAMILY FIRM
Lincoln Property Co.
Dallas-based Lincoln Property Co. is divided into two divisions: a residential division, which oversees apartments; and the commercial division, which oversees office and industrial complexes, retail centers and mixed-used projects. The company has developed 140 million sq. ft. of properties nationwide.
Lincoln has incorporated new technologies into its daily operations. The company selected Yardi Systems' centralized database and Web-based Voyager products to manage its apartment units. Over time, Lincoln intends to allow tenants to pay their rent and enter work requests online.
Lincoln has formed a joint venture with Equity Residential Properties to build apartments and with Lend Lease to build other commercial properties.
TOP HOTEL FIRM
Marriott International
Washington, D.C.-based Marriott International Inc. is a worldwide hospitality company with a total of 2,200 units in the United States and 59 other countries and territories.
Marriott Lodging operates and franchises hotels under the Marriott, Renaissance, Residence Inn, Courtyard, TownPlace Suites, Fairfield Inn, SpringHill Suites and Ramada International brand names.
One of Marriott's most prestigious brands is the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. LLC. There are 35 Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts worldwide.
Marriott recently broke into the boutique hotel business by announcing a partnership with Bulgari SpA, the Italian jeweler and luxury goods company. The new brand will be named Bulgari Hotels & Resorts.
TOP FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
GE Capital Real Estate
Stamford, Conn.-based GE Capital Real Estate is a global source of commercial real estate capital through structured finance, equity and capital markets products with a portfolio of more than $19 billion. In 2000, GE Capital's assets exceeded the $370 billion mark, and its businesses combined to deliver $5.2 billion in net income.
GE Capital continued to expand with strategic acquisitions and joint ventures, particularly in the United States, European Union and Japan, along with cost-effective use of advance technology, most notably in its business centers in India. In fact, 7,500 GE Capital associates are now employed in India. The company's fastest growing market continues to be Japan.
TOP NATIONAL BROKERAGE FIRM
CB Richard Ellis
CB Richard Ellis Inc. (CBRE) is a real estate services company with revenues of $1.3 billion last year. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers worldwide. CBRE has 10,000 employees in 250 offices and 44 countries.
In February, CB Richard Ellis Services entered into a merger agreement, which provided for the acquisition of the company by BLUM CB Corp. for $16 per share in cash. BLUM CB Corp. is an affiliate of San Francisco-based BLUM Capital Partners, Los Angeles-based Freeman Spogli & Co. and certain directors and executive officers of the company.
TOP DEAL
Chase Manhattan/JP Morgan
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. is a global financial services firm with assets of $715 billion and operations in more than 60 countries. Formed from the merger of the Chase Manhattan Corp. and J.P. Morgan & Co. at the end of the past year, the firm specializes in investment banking, asset management, private equity, private banking and e-finance.
The banking giant serves 32 million consumer customers and more than 5,000 corporate, institutional and government clients. J.P. Morgan Chase offers the full capabilities of an investment and commercial bank, complemented by retail and middle-market services. The company's investment bank has relationships with more than 90% of the Fortune 1000 companies.
TOP E-PROCUREMENT FIRM
SiteStuff
Austin, Texas-based SiteStuff uses the Internet to streamline property operations for managers, owners, tenants, service providers and suppliers of commercial and multifamily properties.
SiteStuff has launched an online catalog of goods for property maintenance, repair and operations, along with a directory of contract service providers. Online routing of purchase orders and integration to its customers' accounting systems further the company's goal by helping reduce the cost of processing transactions.
In December 2000, SiteStuff acquired RexOffice.com, a New York-based company that created the first tenant portal, using the Internet to connect tenants with their building management.
TOP PROPERTY DATA/LISTING FIRM
LoopNet Inc.
Founded by Dennis DeAndre in 1995, the San Francisco-based company offers a variety of services on its Web site's Resource Center including: LoopNet, LoopLender, LoopLeads, LoopLink, Demographic Reports and MarketNow.
This year LoopNet merged with Property-First.com Inc., an online listing firm based in Los Angeles. The combined firms operate under the LoopNet name and feature more than 145,000 sale and lease listings.
The company also has an 11-year agreement with Chicago-based Appraisal Institute to develop the Appraisal Institute Commercial Database, the first-ever national online databank of appraiser-verified commercial property sale, lease, and income and expense information.
TOP TELECOMMUNICATIONS FIRM
WinStar Communications Inc.
New York-based WinStar offers broadband service in the top 60 U.S. markets and also serves 15 international markets including Amsterdam, Brussels, Buenos Aires, London and Tokyo.
The company is the largest holder of broadband fixed wireless spectrum. Its broadband fixed wireless capabilities complement and extend the reach of its extensive long-haul and intra-city fiber network, and support its network of seven regionally dispersed Internet hosting centers.
In 2000, WinStar executed a series of financing agreements totaling $1.02 billion composed of equity, vendor financing and the expansion of its senior credit facility.
TOP CHAIRMAN AND/OR CEO
Mort Zuckerman/Boston Properties
Mort Zuckerman serves as chairman of the board of directors of Boston Properties, which he co-founded in 1970. Boston Properties is a REIT that develops, acquires, manages, owns and operates Class-A office, industrial and hotel properties.
Zuckerman is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, where he received an undergraduate degree and a law degree. He received an MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and an LLM from Harvard University.
Zuckerman is active on many fronts. He serves as a trustee for New York University and as a trustee of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute. He also is chairman and editor-in-chief of U.S. News and World Report.
TOP COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM
CallSource
CallSource, based in Agoura Hills, Calif., was chosen to receive this award for its widespread effort to raise money for breast cancer research. The seed of the effort was planted last summer when Jerry Feldman, CallSource's CEO, attended a leadership conference sponsored by the National Multi Housing Council and was moved by a session on corporate ethics and responsibility.
The fundraising drive includes the “Pennies from Home” program, which encourages residents and employees of apartment communities nationwide to contribute their spare change to the effort. According to CallSource, the average American household contains $10 to $13 in pennies, a reservoir of money that could produce millions for CallSource's effort.