Rick Turley, Coldwell Banker’s president for the San Francisco Bay Area, was in China this week to tap into the growing desire affluent Chinese have for property in the U.S., especially Silicon Valley.

His two-city speaking tour is part of a new initiative the real estate giant is launching to attract Asian investors who want to invest in U.S. real estate or move here to launch companies and put their kids in good schools.

Before he left, Turley spoke with this newspaper about the initiative, the health of Silicon Valley’s real estate market and the unusual career path he took before getting into real estate a quarter of a century ago. He now manages Coldwell Banker’s 47 regional offices and 2,800 real estate professionals, but in a past life was an ice skating coach.

Q You have an unusual career path for a real estate executive — professional skater with the Ice Follies, competitive skating coach for a decade. How did real estate come about?

A Though they don’t seem that related, going from that competitive background to being a Realtor is not that uncommon. Just in Coldwell Banker, a number of our people competed at the same time I did in the ’70s. My Burlingame manager, Leigh Whitten, and I coached at the same arena years ago and didn’t know each other. Then we ended up at Coldwell Banker in two different cities and now I’m her boss and she’s one of my top managers. If there’s any

lesson there to tap into, becoming a top Realtor takes a lot of drive, a lot of passion and you have to sharpen your tools and do it over and over again, not unlike a competitive sport.

Q We’ve heard lots about Asian investors buying Bay Area real estate. You’re about to fly to China to speak to groups of investors in Shanghai and Hangzhou. What are they interested in when it comes to investing in the Bay Area?

A We’re actually working on a pilot program to help more affluent Chinese who are looking to invest in key U.S. cities and possibly emigrate. We’re partnering with an immigration company that is working with Chinese residents considering investing in the U.S., purchasing real estate and creating jobs here. Coldwell Banker is positioned in all the large metros that they’re interested in on both coasts and Chicago and Dallas. They are very attracted to schools, to quality higher learning.

Q This sounds like the wave of the future.

A Exactly. This has happened on kind of a single basis here and there, where maybe a single agent has flown over and done a trade show. But this is the first time a company has recognized that we could provide a service and a clear path. I’m going to talk about six major cities of interest, of which San Francisco-Silicon Valley is probably highest on their radar.

Q Maybe this is obvious, but why are they so interested in this region?

A It’s a real combination. Technology is on everyone’s radar and they see the potential for growth. The technology and the universities such as Stanford also push the bar even higher for public schools, and they are very interested in public schools. Cupertino is high on the radar.

Q So how is the Bay Area housing market doing? By some measures it seems to be leading the recovery nationwide.

A Clearly, we’re not able make any predictions, but we can simply state what we’ve seen in the last 12 months is very solid improvement in price and a very marked decline in inventory. If that continues to play out, we can predict that price will continue to go up. The good news for the Silicon Valley home seller is the appetite for their home is enormous. I think that whether it’s the emigrating Chinese or any other buyer, it’s getting harder. More and more people are losing out in multiple offers.

Q The valley seems to be a pretty resilient market, considering all it has been through in the past decade.

A Take a look at what happened in Silicon Valley. Even the tech bust in 2000 did very little to harm the real estate market. The financial crisis in 2008 definitely took the wind out of our sails, but far less in Silicon Valley than around the nation. And now, relatively speaking, we’re so quickly seeing a return to some strong pricing that it speaks well for a long-term investment.

Think how really extreme the tech bubble in 2001 was, how many jobs were lost, that truly evaporated. You’d think that would wipe out a community’s real estate for a decade. Instead, we just plowed right through that and took off. Those are the kinds of things I’m going to explain to the Chinese.

Q You’re involved with several charities, such as Habitat for Humanity. Is volunteering something you encourage in your agents?

A Yes. Habitat for Humanity is our primary way to give back because we feel it is so related to what we do in housing. We’re able to be some significant cash contributors to Habitat, and each of our offices once a year gets involved in a build. Agents will come out and build alongside the new homeowner, spending a whole day doing some flooring, framing some windows, painting. That’s always our focus each and every year, plus a big financial fundraising drive.

Contact Pete Carey at 408-920-5419 and follow him at Twitter.com/petecarey

Rick Turley

Birthplace: Bloomington, Ill., 1953
Past jobs: 1974-86, professional ice skater; 1986-99, real estate agent and broker with Coldwell Banker in Sacramento; 1999-present, Coldwell Banker real estate management in San Francisco
Education: Studied business administration at Illinois State University
Resides in: San Francisco

five things you didn’t know about rick turley

1. He skated professionally with the Ice Follies, then coached ice skating for 10 years before going into real estate.
2. He became certified in scuba diving in his early ’50s, and takes a diving trip every year.
3. He is an avid gymgoer, and does weight lifting every morning.
4. He was the real estate agent for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and first lady Maria Shriver when they were house hunting for a new governor’s mansion.
5. He volunteers to build homes for Habitat for Humanity

Article source: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22146741/mercury-news-interview-rick-turley-coldwell-bankers-president

Commercial real estate goes hand in hand with the local economy. If more jobs are being created, companies need more office space. If job shrink, then office vacancies increase.

Edward Del Beccaro, managing director of the East Bay office of commercial real estate firm Transwestern, has 34 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. Before joining Transwestern, he headed up the local offices of commercial realty brokerages Colliers International and Grubb Ellis.

He recently was interviewed about the commercial real estate market and the regional economy. His comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What is your assessment of the Bay Area economy?

A: The Bay Area is one of the healthiest metro areas for job creation in the entire United States. It is because of the intellectual capital in the South Bay and San Francisco, and the manufacturing and transportation capabilities in the East Bay. That’s been the division of labor here for a long time.

Q: What about the East Bay? How do you see that economy?

A: The East Bay is characterized by anemic growth, but growth nonetheless. The Port of Oakland and the refineries will help the East Bay economy grow, even if it is very slow growth. The East Bay will have anemic growth, but most of the country is going to be jealous of that growth.

Q: The South Bay has enjoyed strong leasing activity from Google (GOOG), Apple (AAPL), and other major tech companies. Do you think that office leasing boom is going to continue?

A: I think it will hold steady despite all the bad crosswinds.

Q: What are some of those crosswinds?

A: My daughter is deployed on a Navy ship in the Persian Gulf right now. If there is an Iranian or Middle East oil event, that will be an issue. That will flatten growth.

Q: What about the East Bay commercial real estate market? What is happening there?

A: Our current trend of slow growth and slow leasing continues. Look at the job creation vehicles and the absorption. They are more dynamic in the South Bay than the East Bay.

Q What trends do you see for the retail market in the East Bay?

A In eastern Contra Costa County, there are rising vacancies for big-box retail. Developers overproduced retail in East County. It’s because of the foreclosures that there was less demand for retail than anticipated.

Q: What about the new Paragon Outlets in Livermore? Why are those doing so well?

A: That part of the East Bay was underserved. You have the BART station in the area and connections to the Central Valley, and the Paragon outlets are near two major freeways, 580 and 680, that intersect in the area. And they are building new houses in Livermore and Dublin. Forget about the foreclosures, the prices are high enough that they are building. The Tri-Valley is strong because that is a commuting suburb to Silicon Valley.

Q: How is retail doing in the South Bay?

A: South Bay retail is strong. Retail reflects the dynamics of strong engines for growth. Cars, merchandise, restaurants are all doing well. Same thing in San Francisco. Same thing in Walnut Creek and Emeryville and the Tri-Valley. Those are all good retail markets.

Q: What is your assessment of the downtown Oakland office and retail markets?

A: Oakland is a tale of several cities. Uptown is healthy and getting healthier. Jack London Square is getting better. Broadway addresses tend to be tougher for getting tenants in there. You never know when you’re going to be shut down because of an Occupy protest march.

Q: Overall, will Oakland see improvement?

A: Oakland, because of its central location and transportation access, has a lot of potential.

Q: Long term, do you see that Silicon Valley is going to continue on its growth pace for the commercial property market?

A: Bottom line is that Silicon Valley continues its present leasing and absorption activity and levels. And that will benefit the entire Bay Area.

Contact George Avalos at 925-977-8477. Follow him at Twitter.com/george_avalos.

Edward Del Beccaro

Age: 58
Birthplace: Covington, Ky.
Company: Transwestern
Position: Managing director
Residence: Danville

Five Things about Edward Del Beccaro

As past president of the Walnut Creek Library Foundation, he has raised several million dollars to build a new library.
He has a personal library in Danville with 4,000 books.
He is a volunteer for arts organizations.
His daughter is a petty officer in the U.S. Navy and that has caused him to be more involved in veterans organizations.
He is an “amateur urbanologist.” He loves to know how cities are born, how they evolve and how they decay.

Article source: http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_22044873/chat-transwesterns-edward-del-beccaro

Commercial real estate goes hand in hand with the local economy. If more jobs are being created, companies need more office space. If job shrink, then office vacancies increase.

Edward Del Beccaro, managing director of the East Bay office of commercial real estate firm Transwestern, has 34 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry. Before joining Transwestern, he headed up the local offices of commercial realty brokerages Colliers International and Grubb Ellis.

He recently was interviewed about the commercial real estate market and the regional economy. His comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What is your assessment of the Bay Area economy?

A: The Bay Area is one of the healthiest metro areas for job creation in the entire United States. It is because of the intellectual capital in the South Bay and San Francisco, and the manufacturing and transportation capabilities in the East Bay. That’s been the division of labor here for a long time.

Q: What about the East Bay? How do you see that economy?

A: The East Bay is characterized by anemic growth, but growth nonetheless. The Port of Oakland and the refineries will help the East Bay economy grow, even if it is very slow growth. The East Bay will have anemic growth, but most of the country is going to be jealous of that growth.

Q: The South Bay has enjoyed strong leasing activity from Google (GOOG), Apple (AAPL), and other major tech companies. Do you think that office leasing boom is going to continue?

A: I think it will hold steady despite all the bad crosswinds.

Q: What are some of those crosswinds?

A: My daughter is deployed on a Navy ship in the Persian Gulf right now. If there is an Iranian or Middle East oil event, that will be an issue. That will flatten growth.

Q: What about the East Bay commercial real estate market? What is happening there?

A: Our current trend of slow growth and slow leasing continues. Look at the job creation vehicles and the absorption. They are more dynamic in the South Bay than the East Bay.

Q What trends do you see for the retail market in the East Bay?

A In eastern Contra Costa County, there are rising vacancies for big-box retail. Developers overproduced retail in East County. It’s because of the foreclosures that there was less demand for retail than anticipated.

Q: What about the new Paragon Outlets in Livermore? Why are those doing so well?

A: That part of the East Bay was underserved. You have the BART station in the area and connections to the Central Valley, and the Paragon outlets are near two major freeways, 580 and 680, that intersect in the area. And they are building new houses in Livermore and Dublin. Forget about the foreclosures, the prices are high enough that they are building. The Tri-Valley is strong because that is a commuting suburb to Silicon Valley.

Q: How is retail doing in the South Bay?

A: South Bay retail is strong. Retail reflects the dynamics of strong engines for growth. Cars, merchandise, restaurants are all doing well. Same thing in San Francisco. Same thing in Walnut Creek and Emeryville and the Tri-Valley. Those are all good retail markets.

Q: What is your assessment of the downtown Oakland office and retail markets?

A: Oakland is a tale of several cities. Uptown is healthy and getting healthier. Jack London Square is getting better. Broadway addresses tend to be tougher for getting tenants in there. You never know when you’re going to be shut down because of an Occupy protest march.

Q: Overall, will Oakland see improvement?

A: Oakland, because of its central location and transportation access, has a lot of potential.

Q: Long term, do you see that Silicon Valley is going to continue on its growth pace for the commercial property market?

A: Bottom line is that Silicon Valley continues its present leasing and absorption activity and levels. And that will benefit the entire Bay Area.

Contact George Avalos at 925-977-8477. Follow him at Twitter.com/george_avalos.

Edward Del Beccaro

Age: 58
Birthplace: Covington, Ky.
Company: Transwestern
Position: Managing director
Residence: Danville

Five Things about Edward Del Beccaro

As past president of the Walnut Creek Library Foundation, he has raised several million dollars to build a new library.
He has a personal library in Danville with 4,000 books.
He is a volunteer for arts organizations.
His daughter is a petty officer in the U.S. Navy and that has caused him to be more involved in veterans organizations.
He is an “amateur urbanologist.” He loves to know how cities are born, how they evolve and how they decay.

Article source: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22044873/chat-transwesterns-edward-del-beccaro