Debra Hauser is a Vice President at United Business Bank, where she specializes in commercial real estate lending for deals up to $10MM.

Debra joined NAIOP Washington State to network with other professionals and get the name of United Business Bank out in the community. Her hobbies include reading, golfing and gardening. 

UPDATE: Deadline extended. Sign up today!

The NAIOP Mentor Program, kicking off its fifth year in October, is now calling for new and returning mentors and mentees to sign up to participate for 2016. This program matches up young professionals and students planning to enter the field (mentees) with seasoned industry veterans (mentors). The mentor and mentee monthly for coffee, lunch or at a location of their choice to share ideas, discuss professional development and talk real estate in a casual atmosphere. The time commitment is very light at just one hour per month and the benefits for both parties can be quite substantial.

The Real Estate Challenge is an annual contest matching teams from multiple real estate programs from regional universities in a competition that focuses on a development/redevelopment project in the Puget Sound area. Teams are tasked with forming a proposed investment strategy based on the site sponsor’s needs. Site selection begins in early August and the contest itself runs from January through mid-March.

Each participating university fields a team of 10-20 graduate and/or undergraduate students under the leadership of seasoned real estate professionals and professors. Utilizing their expertise, youth and enthusiasm, each team is tasked with assessing the relevant market information, regulatory environment and financing options to arrive at an investment strategy that meets or exceeds the goals of the site sponsor. The competition culminates in a judging event which brings together the assessment abilities of 5-10 assumption reviewers and 2-4 seasoned developer judges. The competition winner is announced in front of the NAIOP membership at the March Breakfast meeting, following a presentation of the challenge and the proposals.

Politics! Can’t live with it or without it. On September 16, NAIOP Breakfast attendees were treated to a Seattle City Council candidate forum. The breakfast was sponsored by Clark Nuber - we sincerely thank them for their continued support. Incoming NAIOP President John Teutsch began the meeting and gave the assembly an update on the new members and conducted the Election of Board Members and Officers. Tim Syverson told us about the Community Enhancement event on October 3 at Camp Terry. Lastly, Gordon Buchan outlined the nominees for the Night of the Stars Event in November.

On August 19, Sellen Construction’s Rooftop Deck was packed with the developing leaders of Seattle’s real estate community. CoreNet Global, Crew Seattle & Sound, Urban Land Northwest Institute and NAIOP came together to organize the Real Estate Emerging Leaders networking event hosted by Sellen. The goal and intent—bringing together four of Seattle’s most prominent real estate organizations in one room and provide the opportunity to network—were hugely successful.

Guests enjoyed catering, refreshments and good conversation, and thought the integration of these Seattle based organizations was a great idea. As Heather Skeehan from GLY put it, “The broad range of attendees was extremely refreshing. It was wonderful to get to enjoy the sun, beer and a group with such diverse backgrounds.” With reviews like this, it is likely we will see more of these collaborative events.

On behalf of NAIOP and the participating organizations we would like to say thank you to our platinum sponsor, the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Washington, our gold sponsors BCRA and the Master of Real Estate Development at Portland State University, and the rest of our corporate sponsors who helped make the event a success. Thank you and we look forward to sharing the projects that are to come from this group of developing real estate leaders. 

Finalists and Hall of Fame Honoree Announced for 2015 NAIOP Washington State Night of the Stars, Honoring Local Real Estate Projects and Companies

Want to save up to $300* on your NAIOP membership? Join during the Fall Promotion! Effective October 1 through December 31, 2015, all new members who sign up will receive membership through December 31, 2016--up to three months, free. All new members are eligible to take advantage of this opportunity including South Sound, Developing Leaders (35 & under), Public Officials, Corporate Accounts (4 or more members from the same company) and returning members.**

Under 35? Aspiring members of the real estate industry looking to make connections, learn more about CRE and help grow NAIOP and the community are encouraged to apply for our Developing Leaders Committee! The Developing Leaders (“DLs”) of the Washington State chapter of NAIOP are students and real estate professionals 35 years old and under who are dedicated to the growth and sustainability of commercial real estate in Washington State. Through planned social, civic and educational events, the DLs share ideas, make connections, and create business opportunities.

The Committee supports the NAIOP mission by providing a relaxed, fun and social forum for engaging young real estate professionals. Committee members are encouraged to network, begin building relationships by interacting with each other as well as industry veterans, promote the NAIOP mission and four cornerstones of networking, influence, community and education (N.I.C.E.), and appreciate the benefits of a long-term career of NAIOP involvement.

Each year, YMCA Camp Terry welcomes hundreds of kids and young adults to participate in educational and experiential outdoor activities at their facility along the Raging River in Preston. The camp has been in need of upgrades to their facilities and has been in the planning stages for several years.

Based on their mission, the population they serve, the size of the facility, and the variety of improvements they have been planning, Camp Terry has been a prime candidate to be a NAIOP Community Enhancement (CE) project site for the past couple of years. Each time the Community Enhancement Committee (CEC) had visited the camp in the past, we saw how we could easily partner with the YMCA for a successful project, but each year the camp was not quite ready.

Summer days are filled with social events, but NAIOP’s Summer Social & Golf Tournament is the one that must not be missed. On Monday, August 10, NAIOP put on the annual Summer Social & Golf Tournament at the Golf Club at Newcastle. With 288 golfers and 84 sponsors, this year’s tournament was our most successful yet!

What a view! Golfers head out at our #summersocial @newcastlegolf #naiopwaevent pic.twitter.com/eLMsAUGMHh

Since the unveiling of the University of Washington Tacoma’s sprawling University Y Student Center last January, a two-story mural adorning the lobby has welcomed visitors with views into Tacoma’s past and present. Completed by Tacoma artist Chelsea O’Sullivan, the painting depicts a modern container ship alongside a much older one, paying homage to the Longshoremen’s Hall union building that previously stood on the project site for 60 years, as well as the union and its members. The title reads: “In Unity There’s Strength.” The collaborative effort behind the design and construction of the University Y Student Center and recent accolades reflect that very theme.

This year was my first time walking the Property Tour with NAIOP. When I registered, I thought, There is no way I could spend my whole day at this event. For sure, I would drop by, have lunch and go back to work. At 4:55 p.m., I looked at my half-drunk glass of wine at Evo’s Happy Hour and wondered where the time had gone.

It all began with lunch under an expansive tent on Kilroy’s Fremont Lake View Plaza. A panel of the who’s who in Fremont created quite the conversation over lunch. Robert Hendricks (Tableau), Rachel Yang (Joule), TJ Lehman (Mack Urban), Bryce Phillips (Evo), Mike Shields (Kilroy), and Michael Osterfeld (Fremont Dock Co.) answered a variety of questions posed by moderator Kyle Branum of Riddell Williams. 

On Thursday, June 25, NAIOP and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound united to put on the annual BIG Invitational golf tournament at Washington National. The eighth installment of this scramble tournament went off without a hitch, drawing a full course and completely sold-out sponsorships; $75,000 was raised for Big Brothers Big Sisters, the best year yet!

“We’ll need a bigger course for next year,” says Jeff Davis, NAIOP and BBBSPS board member. The NAIOP South Sound Committee—Jeff Davis of Davis Property & Investments, Michelle Clingingsmith with Kilroy, Monte Decker with CBRE and Sean Durkin of The Andover Company—worked together to fill the sponsorships, and a big thanks goes out to the staff at Big Brothers Big Sisters for running yet another tournament flawlessly.

On behalf of the South Sound Committee, BIG Tournament subcommittee and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, we would like to thank all of our event sponsors for their generosity and helping us put on a great event. They are the key to the success of this fundraising event, and even went so far as to make sure all of us golfers were well lubricated and entertained at every hole. We are all looking forward to seeing everyone again in 2016!

Title & Company: Senior Associate, Weber Thompson

More than ever before, developers are incorporating public art into their projects in the interest of adding both aesthetic beauty and brand distinction to their real estate investments. They realize that art—if done thoughtfully and collaboratively—can serve to draw positive attention to their buildings, particularly in mixed-use buildings that bring together an eclectic mix of urban audiences.

Hello and welcome to the new blog for NAIOP Washington State. Our goal is to post short updates as needed for NAIOP members. We welcome your comments and story ideas—send them to [email protected]. Stay tuned for our first post!