Real Estate Finance Association September update: Fall programming and Annual Gala

Boston, MA The Real Estate Finance Association (REFA) kicked off September with an Added Amenities education program held on Tuesday, September 11 in Oxford’s Amenities Center at 225 Franklin St. The panel discussion included what amenity trends are being seen, how landlords are analyzing the amenities that they’re providing and how tenants in the market are differentiating between the types of amenities that landlords are providing to make their companies more attractive places to work. Moderator Dave Martel, executive managing director with Newmark Knight Frank led the discussion with speakers John Conley, managing director, CB Equities; Leah Harsfield, vice president - asset management, National Development and Haril Pandya, principal, director of asset strategy, CBT Architects.

On Wednesday, September 12, REFA held an end-of-Summer After Hours networking night at The Broadway in South Boston. REFA members and non-members gathered for a fun night of hors d’oeuvres, drinks and networking. Prior to the After Hours, a tour of the L Street Power Station Redevelopment project was given by Redgate’s Nate Ardente and Megha Vadula. Over 40 REFA Emerging Leader members attended the tour before heading over to the After Hours event. 

The Annual REFA Fall Conference will be held on Friday, September 28 at the Boston Harbor Hotel. The event will include a keynote presentation followed by an in-depth panel discussion on the topic of “Commercial Real Estate Disruptors: Then, Now and the Future.” The keynote session will include moderator Marci Griffith Loeber, managing principal, Griffith Properties and panelists: Dick Friedman, president and CEO, Carpenter & Company; John Fowler, executive managing director, HFF and Ronald Druker, president, the Druker Company. The second panel session will include moderator Steve Weikal, head of industry & alumni relations at MiT MSRED, MCP '08, MiT Center for Real Estate and panelists: Kyle Corcum, CEO and managing director, LSTAR Ventures and Sarah Travers, CEO, Workbar. More speakers will to announced!  Join 200 REFA members and colleagues for a morning of networking and education as we hear from the city’s industry leaders on how commercial real estate has and will continue to be disrupted by technology, industry trends and the economy.  

REFA will hold its 30th Annual Gala on Thursday, October 11 from 5:30 - 9 p.m. at the Marriott Copley Place. David Manfredi, CEO and founding principal, Elkus Manfredi Architects and Elizabeth Lowrey, principal, Elkus Manfredi Architects, will be awarded with the 2018 Robert S. Swain Jr. award, REFA’s Distinguished Service Award. Manfredi and Lowrey join an elite list of past recipients including: Stephen Karp and Steven Fischman of New England Development in 2017, John Drew of the Drew Company in 2016, Bryan Koop of Boston Properties in 2015, Pam Herbst of AEW Capital Management in 2014, mayor Thomas Menino in 2013, and Joe Fallon of the Fallon Company in 2012.

In honoring Manfredi and Lowrey, Elkus Manfredi Architects becomes the first architecture firm to be recognized among a distinguished list of New England based companies.  

The REFA Distinguished Service Award is named in honor of the late Robert S. Swain, Jr. In his 33-year career in the real estate finance profession, Swain gained the admiration and respect of his colleagues throughout the real estate finance industry. He was a valued member of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board for over 25 years and was an active member and leader of the mortgage finance committee, which developed into the present Real Estate Finance Association. This award is an annual recognition of an outstanding contribution made to the real estate industry either by lifetime example or specific achievement.

REFA hosts 30 programs and events per year with the help of its Committees. Interested in helping develop and shape a program while networking with other REFA Members? If so, we encourage committee participation. There are several committees to choose from, including the: Annual events committee, emerging leaders committee, golf committee, membership committee, programs committee and the strategic programming committee.