About The Blog
I’ve always found that I learn the most by teaching what I learn. That is one of the greatest parts of blogging, the blogger learns more than his readers…sorry guys… because they dive into the meat of the issues. Blogging will give me the opportunity to write and learn about what interests me in the commercial real estate industry…and that includes EVERYTHING! At this point in my career I feel like I can afford to be a generalist because I am still trying to find the niche that works best for me and the market is bound to change drastically within the next few years post recession. In this blog I plan on addressing 5 specific areas: Green Building and Sustainable Design, Commercial Real Estate, Residential Real Estate (both for sale and apartments), and Hospitality. Specifically I want to post about innovations and creativity within these topics and what is making certain projects more successful than others. Also, as a student in Cornell’s Masters of Professional Studies in Real Estate program, I plan on sharing what I learn in class and through interaction with industry professionals visiting the Program in Real Estate. Hopefully, this provides a forum where we all can learn and in turn make better projects.
About Me
Name: Connor Cameron MacLennan
Age: 27 (as of April 2, 2010)
Place: Complicated—Born in Alberta, Canada; Raised in Canada and Virginia; Other places I called home include New York City, Utah, Southern California, Boise, and I currently live in Portland, Oregon, although I will be moving to Ithaca, NY in August of 2010.
Industry Experience: I have worked in Acquisitions, Due Diligence, and Development in three successful real estate firms and worked with product types including Retail, Office, Industrial, Multifamily, Single Family Detached Homes, Townhomes, and Condos. I have dabbled with most of the product types in Commercial Real Estate, but have yet to jump into Hospitality and Storage although they both intrigue me.
School: I graduated from the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University with a Bachelors Degree in Financial Services and an Emphasis in Real Estate. I will commence studies at Cornell’s Program in Real Estate in August of 2010 and will graduate in May 2012 with a Masters of Professional Studies in Real Estate.
Family: I have a beautiful wife and an adorable little boy who keeps me on my toes.
Professional Aspirations: Ultimately I want to be a principal in a private equity real estate firm that focuses on value creation in all real estate sectors.
