Day two - 12/4 - EST
This off-the-record interactive roundtable brings together institutional asset managers and investors for a candid discussion on distress signals, opportunistic acquisition strategies, and timing the repricing cycle across Canadian real estate markets. Participants will share insights on distinguishing genuine value opportunities from forced sales, evaluating distressed asset underwriting and capital deployment strategies, and navigating lender behavior and workout dynamics in today's environment. The session will focus on practical intelligence-sharing around sectors and geographies showing the greatest distress, indicators for market stabilization, and balancing opportunistic capital deployment with portfolio risk management and liquidity preservation.
This intimate conversation explores how asset managers are rewriting the playbook on building, scaling, and guiding top-tier teams, focusing on leadership traits, talent development, and culture. We will discuss the evolution of talent requirements—from data literacy and cross-functional fluency to strategic storytelling—and share actionable strategies for creating high-performance workplace cultures. Learn how to keep teams motivated, establish paths for internal advancement, and mentor the next generation of asset management leaders to successfully navigate volatile market cycles.
- Mallory Margel - VP, People & Culture, RioCan REIT
While asset management dictates investment strategy, it is the property management engine that physically extracts value from a portfolio. This session shifts the lens away from high-level underwriting and directly into the reality of daily property operations. Attendees will discover how to scale customer-centric onsite teams, bridge the communication gap between GP operators and institutional owners, and execute aggressive, ground-level business plans that directly defend net operating income (NOI) in a volatile market.
You heard their strategies on defending margins, aligning site teams, and navigating LP/GP friction yesterday—now it’s your turn to direct the conversation. This unique follow-up session is a pure, open-forum Q&A with our panel of “modern asset managers”. Bring your specific questions regarding automated workflows, lease-up mechanics, or localized portfolio bottlenecks, and participate in an unscripted, collaborative exchange focused entirely on the daily realities of modern real estate asset management.
Speakers:
- Roz McQueen - Vice President, Asset Management & Portfolio Strategy, Nicola Real Estate
- Jeff Hyslop - Senior Vice President, Asset Management and Investment, InnVest REIT
- Jeffrey Barbosa - Asset Manager, Fiera Real Estate
Step away from the macro theory and get into the weeds of execution. In this unique, data-driven session, three leading Canadian asset managers pull back the curtain on specific properties within their portfolios. Each presenter will break down a high-stakes challenge—from navigating debt maturities to executing a radical property repositioning—and reveal the exact operational playbooks, CapEx allocations, and leasing strategies used to turn the asset around. Come prepared for an interactive, open-mic Q&A focused on the practical mechanics and lessons learned from each project.
The hard pivot (repositioning & adaptive reuse)
Discover how leading operators underwrite risk, navigate zoning hurdles, and structurally transform underperforming or stranded assets to meet modern market demands.
NOI defense under inflationary pressure
Learn tactical, ground-level strategies to directly protect net operating income through aggressive vendor renegotiations, utility sub-metering, and radical operational efficiency.
Workout strategies for distressed or maturing debt
Examine the exact financial mechanics, loan modification tactics, and equity injection strategies used to navigate capital stack crises and volatile refinancing environments.
Assessing the current state of data infrastructure: common gaps and challenges in institutional portfolios.
Building centralized data platforms: integrating property management systems, accounting, and operational data sources.
Deploying carbon reduction and green certifications for value-add assets.
Implementing business intelligence and reporting tools to enhance visibility, analytics, and decision-making.
Standardizing data governance, quality controls, and reporting frameworks across portfolios and asset classes.
Enabling real-time dashboards and KPI tracking for asset managers, executives, and investor reporting.
Integrating ESG tracking tools into existing business intelligence systems.
Balancing technology investment with organizational readiness: change management and user adoption strategies.
- Scott Figler - Senior Director, Research & Strategy, JLL
- Anton Katipunan - Vice President, Development, RioCan REIT
