What’s really happening on the new construction front? Who’s building and how did they arrive at the decision to proceed with their vision? What was contemplated in terms of layout and design? With so much discussion on new construction do the numbers really add up? Should we get ready for an influx of new builds coming to the market? What are the anticipated rental rates across the country and what regions, if any, should we be concerned about? How are developers managing the timeline risk and who is taking the chance to build new?

Moderator:
Jamie Ziegel, Managing Director, TD Securities

Panel:
Kenzie MacDonald, Director, Asset Management, GWL Realty Advisors Inc.
John Shnier, Partner, Kohn Shnier Architects

Michael Smith, Senior Vice President, Multi-Family, WAM Development Group
Ted Tsiakopoulos, Regional Economist, Ontario, CMHC

Jack Winberg, Chief Executive Officer, Rockport Group

Competing with shiny new condominium units and not purpose built rental stock has both challenges and opportunities. What steps can you take to increase revenues, reduce operational load and improve competitiveness against emerging stock? Is sustainability the answer to improving profits and reducing expenses? What happens when a property is just too old or there is a highest and best use other than pure rental? What about tenant rights? What are owner rights? How can these areas work together to create new, competitive and safe properties that meet the needs and expectations of residents?

Moderator:
Tim Sommer, Senior Vice President, Capital Markets, Cushman & Wakefield Ltd.

Panel:
Justin Chung, Director, Asset Management, Realstar Management
Silvia Fraser, Manager, Tower & Neighbourhood Revitalization, City of Toronto
Mark Kenney, Chief Operating Officer, CAPREIT
Duncan Rowe, Associate, RJC Engineers
Daniel Sander, President, Hollyburn Properties Ltd.

Interested in hearing about new ideas and products coming to market over the near, medium and long term? How will break-through technologies change the face of the marketplace today? What are key advancements that could provide optimization, efficiencies and even revolutionary changes within your organization? Come and find out what innovations are at the forefront of our industry from those on the front line as they share what they see as major technology trends, risks, opportunities, and challenges in real estate today.

Moderator:
Brian Turpin, Director, Information Technology, Greenwin Inc.

Panel:
Peter Altobelli, Vice President & General Manager, Canada, Sales, Yardi
Matt Ellis, Founder & CEO, Measurabl
Joseph Kostantin, Director, Technical Services Multi-Residential Portfolio, GWL Realty Advisors Inc.
Joseph Nakhla, Founder & CEO, bazinga! Technologies Inc.

SESSION A4:
Rental Apartments Within Mixed-Use Properties: What Challenges Does This Present? What are the Benefits and Obstacles to be Aware Of?

With most major developers contemplating developing mixed-use properties that include a multi-residential element, what’s the secret to having it all come together in a balanced outcome? Are there opportunities to include multi-residential (rental and condominium) properties on existing retail centres, aging or new hotels, office sites, etc? From intensification to ground up developments what is the business case, project team and recipe for success with these complex assets?

Moderator:
Rob Spanier, Partner & Principal, LiveWorkLearnPlay

Panel:
Jason Lester, Senior Vice President, Urban Development, DREAM Asset Management Corporation
William Logar, Vice President, Development, KingSett Capital
David Thompson, Partner, WeirFoulds LLP

CONCURRENT SESSIONS (SELECT B1, B2, B3 OR B4)

SESSION B1:
Residential Property Management and the Human Resource Dilemma: How do You Attract and Retain the Next Generation of Staffing?

There is no doubt that the way we manage and operate multi-family properties is on the edge of a change. We are already seeing different strategies in action in other international markets, particularly the U.S. What does the next generation of staffing look like for Canada? What are some new employment strategies to recruit and manage exceptional professional talent? We are all searching for dynamic, qualified, multi-talented candidates who are capable of immediately making a contribution to your business – but what will their role look like in the years to come and how do you find these people?

Moderator:
Sam Firestone, COO, Co-Founding Partner & Broker of Record, Primecorp Commercial Realty Inc.

Panel:
Scott Andison, President & CEO, FRPO
Jodi Lieberman, Vice President, Human Resources, CAPREIT
Jocelyn Yacoub, President, Yacoub Elite Search

It would seem that everyone is looking at North America for rental property investments. This session will reach beyond our usual content with a more global focus. Who is coming to Canada and the U.S. in the near term? Who has already committed and what’s their story? This session will examine which international investors are looking to our markets and what their investment motivations are?

Moderator:
Aik Aliferis, CEO & Co-Founder, Primecorp Commercial Realty Inc.

Panel:
Evan Kirsh, President, Starlight US
Shelly Lee, President & CEO, Akelius Real Estate Management Ltd.
Michael Tsourounis, Executive Director, Portfolio Management & Valuations, Timbercreek Asset Management

What are the implications for capital markets across Canada with respect to the multi-family, seniors, student residence and apartment sector? What are all the differences regarding financing underwriting and assessing deal risk in today’s marketplace? From CMHC to the tier one banks, what do you need to know about financing and capital stack structuring? This session will include mezzanine, construction and development debt in addition to standard income producing asset leverage.

Moderator:
Brad Dickie, Director, Multi-Residential, Oxford Properties Group

Panel:
Paula Gasparro, Manager, Client Relations, CMHC
George Mejury, Managing Director, MCAP Financial Corporation
Chris Sharp, Vice President, Broker, Business Development, CMLS Financial Ltd.
Jeremy Wedgbury, Senior Vice President, Commercial Mortgages, First National Financial LP

It’s common knowledge that demographic trends are a key factor in forming rental housing dynamics. It is also commonly known that rental housing serves a large and diverse population of millions of households across Canada. Although renting is higher among young adults, evidence shows that almost everyone rents at some point in their lives, whether by choice or by necessity. Rental housing is equally important for low-income and minority households. What do the demographics fuelling the market have to tell us about the changing dynamics of each demand group? Are they changing or staying the same? This session will explore the demand drivers behind the properties and look at major trends and influences that could have a profound impact on your business.

Interviewer:
Joe Hoffer, Partner, Cohen Highley LLP

Speaker:
Tom McCormack, President, Strategic Projections Inc.

It is an honour to announce that Sam Kolias, Chairman and CEO, Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust will be in conversation with Brit Smith for what is sure to be an insightful hour.

Sam Kolias, born in Calgary in 1961 was educated as a civil engineer at the University of Calgary but did not practice his trade. Instead, at only 22 years of age, he went on to form Boardwalk in 1984. Together with his brother, their start began with the purchase of a 16-unit walk-up property in Calgary. In 1994 Boardwalk Rental Communities went public and in 2004 they became a REIT. Today, Boardwalk is the largest landlord in Canada.

Brit Smith graduated from Royal Military College in 1940. He served for four years overseas during the Second World War with the Canadian field artillery in England and in France, where in July 1944 he was critically wounded and won the Military Cross for his battlefield bravery. Smith went on to earn his law degree in 1948 and practised law for over 50 years. In 1954 (as a hobby) he started Homestead Land Holdings. Homestead has grown to become one of Ontario’s biggest and most successful residential landlords with over 25,000 units.

We are delighted to introduce these two industry icons and invite you to join us as we dive deep into conversation with them.

What’s the real story behind the booming condo market and what do the stats tell us about where new homes starts and completions are today? To what degree are we continuing to find that there is a shadow rental alternative behind the condo market? Are condo developers hesitating and turning to the rental formula? Significant discussion has been undertaken as to if there is a bubble in the Calgary, Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa condo market. Are developers having second thoughts, and turning to rental development or looking to JV with rental owners to mitigate any market changes? What happened in the condo market over the last 12 months and what are the implications on the rental inventory in Canada’s largest cities?

Moderator:
Phong Ngo, Manager, NewHomes Research, RealNet Canada Inc.

To request a copy of Phong Ngo’s presentation, please click here. 

Panel:
Rob Martin, Senior Vice President, Rhapsody Property Management Services
Jared Menkes, Vice President, High-Rise Residential, Menkes Developments Ltd.
Jim Ritchie, Senior Vice President, Tridel Corporation
Adrian Rocca, Director, Tricon Capital Group Inc.
Greg Rogers, Executive Vice President, Investments, Minto Properties

Online shopping seems to be an icon for change within industry. Just where do you store all those parcels that tenants are ordering? Does everyone need a concierge? If not – how do you decide if you want to introduce one to the building? What about specialty services? Dog walking, cleaning services, etc? Have the millennials changed expectations of service levels for all levels of renters? How do you implement amenities within an older property and what should you be offering in new buildings? How much is too much and what is not enough?

Moderator:
Charlene Schafer, Lawyer (Commercial Real Estate), McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Panel:
Brian Athey, Vice President, Operations, Morguard Residential
Trish MacPherson, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, CAPREIT
Jeanhy Shim, President, Housing Lab Toronto Inc.
Toby Wu, Vice President, Investment Management, Bentall Kennedy (Canada) LP

What do you need to know about student housing, extended stay hotels, and seniors/assisted living communities? Our panel of leading professionals will examine investment metrics, operating strategies and platforms, exit strategies, and overall specification or diversification strategy within these asset types. Can you diversify within a mixed use complex and what happens when you intertwine two distinct uses into one product? What are the barriers to entry? Are the markets ripe for an influx of capital or are they fully saturated? Is there any low hanging fruit remaining?

Moderator:
Vince Brescia, President, Wyse Meter Solutions Inc.

Panel:
Colin Catherwood, Vice President, Investments, Canada, Health Care REIT
Henry Morton, President, Campus Suites Inc.
Alam Pirani, Executive Managing Director, Hotels, Colliers International
Wayne Tuck, Vice President, Operations & COO, Centurion Apartment REIT

There is no doubt that smaller properties require their own strategies. In addition, operators with smaller portfolios have differing advantages and challenges than those with large multi-regional portfolios. What are some of these winning strategies for intensification on existing sites with smaller owners and properties? Join this session and discover financing, structuring, and design considerations? Can you add a building, floor or retail to smaller properties? How can you maximize the site to its fullest potential? Learn strategies for intensifying, developing, and structuring on smaller assets and within smaller portfolios.

Moderator:
Victoria Stuart, Counsel, Gardiner Roberts LLP

Panel:
Chris Carter, Associate Vice President, National Investment Team, CBRE Limited
Jason Castellan, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, Skyline Group of Companies
Brent Merrill, President & CEO, MetCap Living Management Inc.
Maanit Zemel, Lawyer & Founder, MTZ Law

Are the next 12-18 months a time to grow, sell or restructure? What development plans are on the horizon? What are the implications of Canadian, private and U.S. based REITs on this sector? Our panel of industry leaders will discuss their plans for the next 12 months and what the major opportunities and challenges they expect to face.

Moderators:
Rob Geremia, President, Boardwalk REIT
Rob Kumer, Partner, Investments, KingSett Capital

Panel:
Ugo Bizzarri, Managing Director, Portfolio Management & Investments Co-Founder, Timbercreek Asset Management
Alf Hendry, Chief Executive Officer, Homestead Land Holdings Limited
Phil Gillin, Senior Managing Director & Portfolio Manager, Canadian Property Investments, Sun Life Financial
Mark Kenney, Chief Operating Officer, CAPREIT
Tyler Seaman, Vice President, Hotels & Multi-Residential, Oxford Properties Group