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🎙️EPISODE SUMMARY
Welcome to Commercial Connections, where I help property owners and investors make smarter commercial real estate decisions with confidence.
I’m René Nelson, CCIM, a broker and advisor dedicated to helping Oregon apartment and retail property owners build wealth, avoid costly mistakes, and create long-term stability.
In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Imbrie, CCIM, Managing Director at SVN Imbrie Real Estate Group and a five-time Oregon CCIM “Transaction of the Year” winner. Ryan brings 20+ years of perspective on how data, due diligence, and collaboration are reshaping retail and investment strategy across the Pacific Northwest.
Together, we cover:
⦿ How a Walgreens sale uncovered the hidden risks inside “safe” credit-tenant leases
⦿ What the $2.7M to $225K Portland property auction reveals about community-driven investing
⦿ The tools and data (like Placer.ai) top brokers use to understand tenant performance and site health
⦿ How retail assets are quietly rebounding while multifamily cap rates compress
⦿ Why clear communication and collaboration, not ego, are the keys to closing complex deals
If you’re looking for clear, actionable insight to strengthen your investment strategy, this is where it all begins.
đź“ť EPISODE THEMES
00:00 – Intro & premise: why retail still deserves a second look
01:12 – The Walgreens case study: uncovering a broken rent-to-sales ratio
03:46 – Seven owners, one sale: overcommunication as the ultimate deal skill
06:52 – Modeling future value: applying CCIM tools to price risk and cash flow
10:58 – Retail resurgence: how “neighborhood strip centers” became community anchors
13:25 – Rite Aid, Walgreens, and the changing face of credit tenants
16:02 – Data-driven diligence: how Placer reveals tenant strength and site traffic
19:38 – Oversight matters: inspections, maintenance, and protecting long-term value
22:24 – Broker leadership: training teams and growing future dealmakers
25:56 – The Portland story: transforming a $2.7M asset heading to auction at $225K
28:41 – Lessons in persistence: why community wins can justify tough deals
31:05 – Career roots: Ryan’s path from corporate sales to CCIM leadership
34:08 – SVN’s collaborative model: cooperation, culture, and client-first mindset
36:15 – Mentorship in motion: when “the easy button” is just good leadership
38:49 – Last word: peel back the onion—every deal has layers worth understanding
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