Jim Randel, a graduate of the Columbia University School of Law, has been a real estate entrepreneur for twenty-five years.

   Upon graduation from law school, Randel started investing in small multi-unit properties in Los Angeles.  Upon relocating to the East Coast, his investing evolved into larger deals – apartment complexes, office and retail buildings, warehouses, factories and land – Connecticut, Florida and New York. Randel has always advocated an “added value” strategy and has been a leading spokesperson for that approach.

   Randel has also been a prolific writer and speaker.  His first book, The Real Estate Game (CCH), was published in 1986 and received national recognition.  As a result of this book he was asked to speak around the country including at Harvard and NYU Business Schools, the national conventions of the NAR and Re/MAX, and numerous investor sessions.  From 1998 to 1990, he was also a daily commentator on cable television – the Financial News Network (FNN) which became CNBC.  His programming, about real estate, was honored during this period by the Real Estate Educators Association.

   In 1991 Randel went back to his investing activities and in the ensuing 15 years was involved in several highly creative and successful commercial real estate deals.  In the early nineties (the S&L crisis) Randel was also the head of an asset management company which worked for lenders (banks, insurance companies and pension funds) to help them manage receivership property and dispose of REO’s.

   In 2006 Randel wrote his next book, Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur (McGraw Hill) which reached #1 in several Amazon categories.  The publication of this book led to additional requests for Randel to speak at investor conferences around the U.S. including Kansas City, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Boston, Providence and Milwaukee. 

   In 2008 Randel started a publishing company which publishes The Skinny on book series.  Randel’s first such book, The Skinny on the Housing Crisis, was honored with the prestigious Robert Bruss Award.  This award, Book of the Year, comes from NAREE, an organization of 650 journalists who cover real estate and finance; the award was made last month at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. 

   Randel is today sought-after for commentary and on-air expertise by the major media. He is also a real estate and business blogger for the Huffington Post.

Video Clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n5CtLQ2tzU&feature=related   Business Times

Topics:

·        How to Maximize the Value of REO’s – what steps can lenders and brokers take to get the most value out of an REO portfolio? 

·        The Lender – Broker Relationship – where it works, where it needs improvement.

·        The Next 24 Months in the Commercial Real Estate World – what to expect?  How to prepare?

·        Chaos and Opportunity – how to find and take advantage of opportunity in the tumult.