The Real Deal Los Angeles’ winter issue is live!

Inside: Commercial real estate's gender divide, how marijuana legalization could change the retail landscape and more

The Real Deal Los Angeles' winter issue
The Real Deal Los Angeles' winter issue

From TRD LA: Ever since Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s alleged predatory behavior came to light in the fall, women — and men — in every industry have been reckoning with the ways in which gender dynamics have impacted professional life. And commercial real estate is no different.

As many of our past rankings have shown, female brokers are killing it in the residential sector, but commercial leasing and sales have been markedly harder for women to break into. The Real Deal’s own dynamo reporter Natalie Hoberman spoke to women in the field about how the boys’ club attitude prevalent in the field has shaped their experiences. And our research team dug into public records to show the numbers behind the disproportionate pay for women and unequal representation in the workplace. But veterans Natalie spoke to maintain that the gender ratio today is better than it ever has been, and say they hope this moment in culture may provide the much-needed push to further balance the scales.

Meanwhile, there’s another shift of an entirely different kind underway in commercial real estate. The legalization of recreational marijuana, which went into effect at the start of January, could change the retail landscape and drive further demand in the already red-hot industrial sector as landlords look to charge “pot premiums” for their spaces. In this issue, experts hypothesize on what changes the Green Rush will bring to the market next.

As those sectors evolve with the times, so too have the top architects in L.A. TRD analyzed permits issued by the city to rank the firms that took on the priciest commercial projects last year. So what’s trending with the top design firms? Amenity-laden, residential-heavy, mixed-use projects that will help ease L.A.’s chronic housing shortage.

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We also sat down with L.A.-based Newmark Knight Frank broker Jay Luchs, who’s won awards for his high-profile retail leasing deals with luxury brands. He was game to chat about everything — even the stock performance of Newmark’s new IPO. Also on the retail front is a look at the flurry of retail leasing activity in DTLA.

Finally, if you’re looking for inspiration in the new year, we talked to Hilton & Hyland’s Jeff Hyland about his typical schedule, which kicks off with exercise and never includes being late. Resolutions to live by.

Enjoy the issue!