From the Editor
BY TONY STASIEK, EDITOR
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NEWS FROM THE INDUSTRY AND ABROAD
USUALLY, WHEN WE ASK, “WANNA WRITE FOR OUR MARKETING EDITION?” THE
EXPECTED RESPONSE IS A SYNONYM OF “PFFFFFFFFFFT.”
After all, for years, the archetype commercial mortgage originator was that of some guy clos-
ing one zazillion-dollar deal, sitting back and resting on its laurels the next half-decade. The
only marketing going on likely would involve talking up Jay Cutler to potential trade partners
in his fantasy-football league.
Not anymore.
With dark days hitting commercial real estate finance, sitting back is no longer an option. That
zazillion-dollar deal? It’s likely in default or rotting in a portfolio that’s losing market value
faster than even, well, Jay Cutler.
Having a marketing plan is crucial to bouncing back when the market picks up, as MyCapital-
Access’ Art “Ski” Swiatkowski writes in this month’s Lead Article (Page 20). And it takes more
than just planning to market: Preplanning, specificity and a personal touch can be crucial to
ensuring your career remains your career.
His is one of a number of marketing-related articles in this month’s Scotsman Guide. Other
tactics authors outline include:
• Refining your e-mail voice: It’s easier to delete a stranger’s message than to turn your back.
On Page 28, Fairway America’s Andrew Nhem shares tips on how to start a conversation
using your keyboard.
• Creatively meeting needs: Did you know you can help finance health-care clients’ IT proj-
ects? Joshua S. Hausfeld of Love Funding explains how one U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development program could be an option worth promoting (Page 30).
• Putting your network to work: Making connections with lenders can be tricky. But as StarPoint
Asset Solutions’ Paul Daneshrad and Aden Kun write on Page 34, brokers’ existing connec-
tions with asset- and property-managers could be what some lenders need to stay afloat.
• • •
Also: This marks my final issue of Scotsman Guide. Please welcome new editor Ivanna C.
Sukkar ( ivannas@scotsmanguide.com) to this space, beginning with October’s magazine.
With more than five years editing for Scotsman Guide Media, Ivanna is a familiar face to our
authors and others involved with the commercial edition. (Re)joining her is another editor you
may recognize, Jennifer E. Garrett ( jenniferg@scotsmanguide.com), who’ll likely be hitting you
up with an article-submission reminder soon.
In the meantime, thank you for your support — and stay in touch (I’m not going far): stasiek
tony@gmail.com.
stasiektony@gmail.com
NEXT MONTH
… in October’s Scotsman Guide
Find answers to the following
questions:
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redefining the retail sector?
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boost your marketing plan?
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around turned-down deals?
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commercial real estate
market stand?
… and much more.
Online? Check out current and past editions
of Scotsman Guide at scotsmanguide.com.
BEYOND OUR BORDERS
New Zealand
The World Bank Group’s Doing Business proj-
ect ( doingbusiness.org) ranked New Zealand
as the second-best country in which to do
business in its 2009 and ’ 10 reports. Although
New Zealand’s consumer confidence dropped
to an 11-month low this past July, the country’s
finance minister says the economy could be
rebalancing, according to Bloomberg Busi-
nessweek. One sign: Its manufacturing sector
expanded this past June for the 10th-straight
month, even as home and retail sales de-
clined, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.
— IVANNA C. SUKKAR
Treasury cuts backing
of federal bailouts
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Treasury Department
said it would start unwinding two options of the $700
billion bailout program that was designed to rescue the
nation’s banks.
The first step would be to shrink the Troubled Asset Re-
lief Program (T. A.R.P.) by $30 billion by ending a lend-
ing facility for small businesses that was never used,
The Wall Street Journal reported. The next step would be
to end the Federal Reserve Board’s Term Asset-Backed
Lending Facility, which was used sporadically and less
than expected, the Journal said.
The financial-reform-overhaul bill that President Barack
Obama signed in late July directs the Treasury to re-
duce T. A.R.P. to a $475 billion fund and to forgo any
new spending.
July’s consumer-confidence decrease
may bode poorly for retail sector
NEW YORK — U.S. consumer confidence dropped this
past July for the second-consecutive month, the Confer-
ence Board said.
The monthly Consumer Confidence Index, which uses
1985 as a base year with an assigned value of 100, de-
creased from 54.3 this past June to 50.4, the research
group said.
In July, the number of respondents indicating conditions
were “bad” increased from 41 percent to 43. 6 percent.
“Given consumers’ heightened level of anxiety, along
with their pessimistic income outlook and lackluster
job growth, retailers are very likely to face a challeng-
ing back-to-school season,” said Lynn Franco, director
of the Conference Board Consumer Research Center.
Next release:
Consumer Confidence Index: Sept. 28
Buoyed by government spending,
construction shows mild gain in June
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Construction spending in the
United States increased for the second time in three
months this past June, the U.S. Commerce Department
said on Aug. 1.
Spending was up a marginal 0.1 percent after falling 0.2
percent this past May and increasing 2.7 percent in April.
Spending totaled $836 billion for the month, compared
to the revised figure for May of $834.8 billion, the re-
port said.
Spending increased 1.5 percent in projects involving
public funds.
Next release:
Construction spending: Sept. 1
Fed’s Beige Book: Commercial
real estate still struggling
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Federal Reserve said
economic activity is increasing, but growth in some dis-
tricts is leveling or slowing down.
The federal banks in Cleveland and Kansas City, Mo.,
reported economic activity “held steady,” the Fed said
in its latest Beige Book report, released this past July
28. Other wise, “on balance” the economy was showing
improvement.
Manufacturing, a bright spot in the economic recovery,
“continued to expand in most districts,” the Fed said.
Remaining depressed, “commercial and industrial real
estate markets continued to struggle in all twelve dis-
tricts,” the Fed said. In addition, the construction sector
is showing few signs of improvement.
Next release:
Federal Reserve Beige Book: Sept. 8
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