The CRE Professor - Shawn Massey, CCIM, ALC, CRRP

09/04/2026

What makes a GREAT real estate developer?

Is it vision? Capital? Market knowledge? The ability to see an opportunity before everyone else?

Or is it something harder to measure—judgment, relationships, resilience, and knowing what to do when the deal goes sideways?

After 40+ years in commercial real estate, I’ve learned that good developers build projects. Great developers build value, relationships, communities—and people.

👉 What do YOU think makes a great real estate developer?

First, What Does a Developer Actually Do? One of the things I try to teach my students is that development is much more than putting up a building. A building starts with an idea.

09/04/2026

NEW LISTING: Raleigh Oaks Plaza | Memphis, TN

Positioned on Austin Peay Hwy in North Memphis' Raleigh submarket with strong visibility, and easy I-40 access.

📍 Minutes from major employment drivers: Nike North America Logistics Campus (2,600+ employees), Amazon Fulfillment Center (2,000+ employees), and Methodist North Hospital (246 beds)

🛒 Established retail neighbors: Walmart, Kroger, Chick-fil-A, Dutch Bros, Whataburger, Aldi, Starbucks, Dollar Tree, Hibbett Sports, Bojangles, Popeyes, McDonald's & more.

📞 For leasing information, contact:
Shawn Massey – 901.334.5702 | [email protected]
Sidney Seale – 901.252.1039 | [email protected]

09/04/2026

I know allot of CRE studenst follow my posts. Thsi is for you.

Sending on behalf of The MAAR Commercial Council

We want to offer all area college students free admission to the Summit. We have had a most gracious sponsor (Universal Commercial) step up to make this possible.

THE FUTURE OF MID-SOUTH COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE IS UP FOR DISCUSSION — AND YOU NEED TO BE IN THE ROOM!



On Friday, September 25, the MAAR Commercial Council will bring together the people who make the Mid-South commercial real estate community one of the most dynamic markets in the country for the 2026 MAAR Commercial Property Forecast Summit.



This isn’t just another conference.



It’s a chance to hear where the market is headed, what’s driving it, where the opportunities may be—and what could be coming around the corner.



And we’ve assembled an incredible lineup.



🎤 BOB KNAKAL

One of the nation’s leading investment-sales experts, Bob will bring his experience and perspective on the investment market, capital and where opportunities are emerging.



📊 SPENCER LEVY

Global Client Strategist and Senior Economic Advisor at CBRE, Spencer will provide his nationally respected perspective on the economy and the forces shaping commercial real estate.



BUT THE REAL VALUE IS BIGGER THAN THE SPEAKERS.



Commercial real estate doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Brokers need developers. Developers need lenders. Lenders need investors. Investors need brokers. Attorneys need deals. Appraisers need data. Property owners need tenants. Tenants need locations.



And everybody needs to know what’s coming next. That’s what makes this Summit so important.

Whether you are a:

Broker • Developer • Investor • Lender • Appraiser • Attorney • Property Owner • Tenant Representative • Architect • Consultant • Asset Manager • Property Manager • or CRE Professional

—you belong in this conversation.



COME FOR THE FORECAST.

STAY FOR THE CONNECTIONS.

LEAVE WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT’S NEXT.



You’ll hear economic and commercial real estate forecasts, gain insight into trends affecting the Mid-South, and have the opportunity to connect with some of the most influential people in our region’s commercial real estate community.



And let’s be honest…

You never know where the next deal, partnership, client, investment or big idea is going to come from.

It might come from a presentation. It might come from a hallway conversation. Or it might happen over a cup of coffee with someone you’ve never met before. That’s why you need to be there.



📅 Friday, September 25, 2026:

DOORS OPEN AT 7:45 AM

BREAKFAST & SPONSOR EXPO AT 8 AM

PROGRAM AT 9 AM



Don’t just hear about what happens at the Summit. Be part of it.

👉 Additional event information is available here:



We’ll see you September 25!

Students just need to email me their name: [email protected] and I will register them.

2026 MAAR Commercial Property Forecast Summit



Shawn

09/04/2026

In recent months, Americans have gotten more vocal about their concerns over data centers and the effects they could have on home values.

08/31/2026

🚗 Your client is trapped in the car with you.

So…are you interesting?

Being a great CRE broker isn't just about knowing rents, demographics, zoning and deal structures. Especially in Tenant Representation, you may spend HOURS riding around with your client.

That’s a lot of windshield time—and a lot of opportunity to build a relationship.

Steve Jobs supposedly had a simple test: “Would I want to have a beer with this person?”

Maybe the better CRE question is:

“Would my client want to spend three hours in a car with me?”

Real estate knowledge gets you in the car.

Being interesting may get you invited back.

👇 The CRE Professor explores why curiosity, conversation, listening—and knowing something besides CoStar—may be some of your most valuable brokerage skills.

You can know every zoning code, every rent comp and every available square foot in town—and still be a boring commercial real estate broker. And believe me, boring is not a competitive advantage.

08/20/2026

🚗 You can ban the drive-thru. You can't ban the customer who wants one.

Drive-thrus aren't appropriate everywhere—but on the right major thoroughfare, they are an important part of America's commercial landscape.

The real question isn't “Should we ban them?”

It's “Can we design them better?”

In my latest CRE Professor blog, I make the case for putting drive-thrus in the right place, with the right design, for the right reasons.

Because sometimes the problem isn't the drive-thru.

It's bad design.

Drive-Thrus Aren’t the Enemy. Bad Design Is.

08/13/2026

Think you know the zoning? Think again.
A great CRE broker doesn't just know the property—they know the code, the planner, the entitlement process, and the market.
Because sometimes the biggest threat to a good deal isn't the market.
It's the zoning code you didn't read. 😬
New CRE Professor blog: “The CRE Broker’s Secret Weapon: Know the Zoning Code—and Know the Planner.”

Why understanding the code is only half the job—and understanding how your city thinks may be the other half. For the past several weeks, I have been part of a task force reviewing a proposed new zoning ordinance in our city.

08/09/2026

08/07/2026

Ever notice how some tenant reps seem to know everything about a market... while others only know what LoopNet told them?

Here's a little secret:

🏢 The best tenant reps don't just search the market... they drive it.

Online research is where every assignment should begin—but it should never be where it ends.

You can't smell a struggling restaurant from Google Maps.

You can't see tomorrow's opportunity from a spreadsheet.

And LoopNet has never pointed out the hidden gem that's about to become your client's next great location.

The windshield still beats the spreadsheet.

In my latest CRE Professor blog, I explain why elite tenant reps still wear out tires instead of just computer mice—and why physically driving a market remains one of the biggest competitive advantages in commercial real estate.

🚗 Sometimes the best deal isn't online... it's waiting around the next corner.

One of the smartest pieces of commercial real estate advice I ever received didn't come from a CCIM class, a brokerage conference, or a billion-dollar institutional investor. It came from my boss's father, Walter Utley.

08/05/2026

Nice article on downtown Memphis from Toby!

Everyday choices of Downtown’s 100,000 daily population determine the strength of the area’s vibrancy.