President and CEO of Trinity Group, Fred Waks, is our guest featured in this episode. Not long after starting his real estate career in the 1980s, Fred started putting together very large deals and hasn’t stopped since. He begins the show by giving a background on those times and sharing advice for people who are new to real estate in 2020.
Fred takes us through his storied career, revealing his thought process through complicated closes and career transitions. He also discusses how he and his company are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, including both the negative and the postive that he sees in it.
Topics covered include:
- Fred’s approach to business early in his career that made him successful.
- Fred’s time at RioCan and how he progressed through the ranks.
- Challenges that Fred faced when entering a leadership role.
- Dealing with bankruptcies and learning from them.
- Realizing that nothing lasts forever and the importance of that mindset now.
- How Fred balances all components of his life.
- The opportunity presented by Trinity and why Fred chose to take it.
- What Fred brought to Trinity to positively influence their culture.
- The first significant deal that Trinity was involved with in Fred’s time.
- A recent big win and what it took to get there.
- Getting involved in the charitable world.
- How Trinity is handling the COVID-19 safety measures.
- The next move that Fred has in mind.
For more commercial real estate content, visit the First National Commercial Resource Centre.
More about our guest:
Mr. Fred Waks joined Trinity in early 2015 as President and Chief Executive Officer, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a reputation as one of the leading developers in the country.
As a third generation developer, Fred most recently held the position of President and Chief Operating Officer at RioCan, where he gained national recognition for being an integral part of the team who transformed the company into the largest retail landlord in Canada. During his tenure, RioCan grew from $100 million to $15 billion in assets. His profile and expertise have made him a sought-after expert on real estate development with top tier Canadian business media. Previously Fred was Chairman of the European Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust and Vice-Chair of Extendicare.
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