There wasn’t much good news in the commercial real estate markets in 2020, but there sure was a lot of news. Here are five stories that illuminate the most interesting and impactful developments.
Vishal Garg
FRED C. CONRAD/THE NEW YORK TIMES/REDUXMortgages, Fraud Claims And Dumb Dolphins: A Tangled Past Haunts Better.com CEO Vishal Garg
The founder of this high-flying startup, which just secured a $4 billion valuation, has a scorched-earth management style and a trail of angry former partners.
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Redlining’s Legacy Of Inequality: Low Homeownership Rates, Less Equity For Black Households
This piece was a look back at the policies that helped drive racial wealth inequality in the United States.
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Opendoor cofounder and chief technology officer Ian Wong.
OpendoorOpendoor’s Cofounder Talks Covid, Growth And The Quest For Profits As The Company Goes Public
Just before the home-buying company went public, its cofounder spoke with Forbes about Opendoor’s origins and business model. As it continues to bleed money, the startup faces questions about its prospects for long-term profitability.
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Trump Has Sold $118 Million Worth Of Property Since Taking Office
One of our seasoned wealth reporters took a look at all the real estate the president’s company sold off during his term, a potentially major conflict of interest.
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Zell in 2019
Steven Ferdman/Getty ImagesBillionaire Sam Zell Talks Trump, SPACs And Interest Rates
The founder of Equity Group Investments, Zell is worth an estimated $4.8 billion. In November, he chatted with Forbes senior editor Christopher Helman about Treasury rates, SPACs and President-elect Biden.
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I've been a reporter at Forbes since 2016. Before that, I spent a year on the road—driving for Uber in Cleveland, volcano climbing in Guatemala, cattle farming in
…I've been a reporter at Forbes since 2016. Before that, I spent a year on the road—driving for Uber in Cleveland, volcano climbing in Guatemala, cattle farming in Uruguay, and lots of stuff in between. I graduated from Tufts University with a dual degree in international relations and Arabic. Feel free to reach out at nkirsch@forbes.com with any story ideas or tips, or follow me on Twitter @Noah_Kirsch.