The Deal Ranch
The Deal Ranch Podcast is an in person interview series with founders and executives leadership of well established real estate & finance companies.
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Episodes
Friday Dec 05, 2025
Friday Dec 05, 2025
Compilation Episode
0:00 - 14:42 Francis J. Greenburger | Chairman & CEO, Time Equities Inc. Episode 47
- The Evolution of 50West: Underwriting, Financing, Marketing, Sales, Rentals
14:44 - 21:00 Richard Byrne | President, Benefit Street Partners Episode 48
- Acquisition of Realty Finance Trust, a $700M commercial mortgage REIT at the time, which has grown to $6B and the 4th largest publicly traded mortgage REIT.
21:03 - 29:31 Matt Bronfman | CEO, Jamestown Episode 50
- Securing the first tenant at Ponce City Market and the current renovation of One Times Square
Connect with Matt & The Deal Ranch Podcast:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrlutz/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deal-ranch/id1680084534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1teAX6zRU76v4wFeGUHkoj?si=65e7be080e534f8b YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealRanchPodcast Email: matt@mrl-capital.com
Friday Nov 07, 2025
Friday Nov 07, 2025
Mark Vitner is the Founder & Chief Economist of Piedmont Crescent Capital, a boutique economic consulting firm providing strategic insight on U.S. and regional economic conditions, financial markets, and geopolitics—with a focus on how these forces impact consumers, local economies, housing, and commercial real estate.
With more than 30 years of experience in economic analysis and forecasting, Mark previously served as Senior Economist at Wells Fargo and Wachovia, where he became one of the most respected voices on the Southeast and National economy. Today, through Piedmont Crescent Capital, he acts as a fractional economist for several companies, produces regular publications on real estate, consumer behavior, and small business trends, and speaks widely at corporate events and industry forums on topics ranging from inflation and monetary policy to regional growth and economic development.
Episode Topics:
Building a 30-year career across Barnett Bank, First Union, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo
Inside the Wachovia acquisition by Wells Fargo during the 2008 financial crisis
Breaking down the Global Financial Crisis from an economist’s perspective
Launching Piedmont Crescent Capital to assist companies as their fraction economist
Current outlook on real estate, consumer spending, and regional growth
Connect with Matt & The Deal Ranch Podcast:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrlutz/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deal-ranch/id1680084534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1teAX6zRU76v4wFeGUHkoj?si=65e7be080e534f8b
Connect with Mark & Piedmont Crescent Capital
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-vitner/
https://piedmontcrescentcapital.com/
Friday Sep 26, 2025
Friday Sep 26, 2025
Doug Lebda is the CEO & Founder of Lending Tree. LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE) is the nation's leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to shop for financial services the same way they would shop for airline tickets or hotel stays, by comparing multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search and choosing the option that best fits their financial needs.
After experiencing the frustrations and complexities of getting his first mortgage, Doug envisioned a way to simplify the loan shopping process. Instead of physically going to multiple banks, customers could go to a website where the banks would compete for their business. That was 1996, and the website would become the one you’re reading right now.
After launching nationally in July 1998, Doug led LendingTree through a successful IPO in 2000, the dot-com meltdown of 2001 and a successful sale to IAC/InterActiveCorp in 2003. From 2005 to 2008, Doug served as IAC’s President and Chief Operating Officer, and in 2008, joined the newly formed Tree.com (rebranded as LendingTree) as it spun out from IAC as a separate public company.
- This episode of The Deal Ranch Podcast is presented by https://huckscurryadvisors.com/
Episode Topics
How LendingTree survived the early 2000's dot-com bubble
Convincing Bank of America to partner with LendingTree over Microsoft
The sale of LendingTree to IAC for 35× EBITDA
A 45-minute grilling with Jack Welch that sparked a lasting mentorship and paved the way to Doug becoming COO at IAC
Purchasing LendingTree stock during the 2008 crisis with a majority of his net worth
The acquisition of QuoteWizard and turning it into one of LendingTree’s most profitable growth engines
Connect with Matt & The Deal Ranch Podcast:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrlutz/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deal-ranch/id1680084534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1teAX6zRU76v4wFeGUHkoj?si=65e7be080e534f8b YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealRanchPodcast Email: matt@mrl-capital.com
Connect with Lending Tree:
https://www.lendingtree.com/
https://investors.lendingtree.com/
Friday Aug 22, 2025
Friday Aug 22, 2025
Matt Bronfman is a Principal and the Chief Executive Officer of Jamestown. Matt joined the company as General Counsel in 1998 before becoming Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer in 2002. He became CEO in 2012 and is responsible for managing Jamestown’s global operations and overseeing corporate strategy and execution. During his tenure, Jamestown has executed more than $40 billion in transactions, grown its portfolio of assets in the U.S., and expanded into Latin America and Europe. As of December 31, 2024, Jamestown has assets under management of $14.2 billion.
Matt has more than 30 years of experience in real estate and has led the acquisition and repositioning of many large scale-mixed use projects, including Chelsea Market and Industry City in New York City, Ponce City Market and Buckhead Village in Atlanta, Raleigh Iron Works in Raleigh, the Innovation and Design Building in Boston, and Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco.
- This episode of The Deal Ranch Podcast is presented by https://huckscurryadvisors.com/
Episode Topics
The origin story of Ponce City Market and how Jamestown turned an abandoned Sears warehouse into Atlanta’s cultural hub.
Jamestown repositioning of One Times Square with an observation deck and a new publicly accessible interior.
Matt’s early career as a lawyer and his shift from the legal world into real estate.
Selling 70% of their portfolio prior to the 2008 Financial Crisis
Jamestown's longterm investment philosophy and interest in complex heavily operational assets
Connect with Jamestown
https://www.jamestownlp.com/
Connect with Matt & The Deal Ranch Podcast:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrlutz/ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deal-ranch/id1680084534 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1teAX6zRU76v4wFeGUHkoj?si=65e7be080e534f8b YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealRanchPodcast Email: matt@mrl-capital.com
Friday Jul 25, 2025
Friday Jul 25, 2025
David Hartzell is the Steven D. Bell and Leonard W. Wood Distinguished Professor of Finance & Real Estate as well as the Director of the Leonard W. Wood Center for Real Estate Studies at University of North Carolina.
He also serves on the board of the UNC Real Estate Investment Fund, the real estate private equity fund that is managed by students in the real estate concentration at UNC Kenan-Flagler.
He has worked with numerous companies on a consulting basis, notably Heitman Capital Management in Chicago, Citigroup, CB Richard Ellis, Weil Gottschall, Cornerstone Research, Henderson Asset Management (U.K.), PRA Securities, Heitman/JMB Advisory Corp., JMB Institutional Realty Corp., Salomon Brothers Inc., Prudential Real Estate Investors, American Council of Life Insurance, Travelers Realty Investment Corporation, GE Capital, Metropolitan Life and ABP (Dutch Public Employees Pension Fund).
- This episode of The Deal Ranch Podcast is presented by https://huckscurryadvisors.com/
- For Vacation Rental & Brokerage needs in Oak Island, Ocean Isle, and Holden Beach connect with Proactive Vacations!
https://www.proactivevacations.com/(910) 842 1550
Episode Topics
Overview of the UNC Real Estate Major, Minor, and MBA Program
Working with Lew Ranieri and Salomon Brothers in the lat 80's creating the first CMBS Product
KFBSF Real Estate Funds which are of a select few student managed real estate funds in the country.
The transition from Wall Street to the UNC Wood Center for Real Estate Studies
Future of the UNC Real Estate Program
Connect with Dave
- https://www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/leonard-w-wood-center-for-real-estate-studies/
Connect with Matt & The Deal Ranch Podcast:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrlutz/
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deal-ranch/id1680084534
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1teAX6zRU76v4wFeGUHkoj?si=65e7be080e534f8b
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealRanchPodcast
Email: matt@mrl-capital.com
Friday Jun 27, 2025
Friday Jun 27, 2025
Richard Byrne is President of Benefit Street Partners, as well as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin BSP Capital Corp, Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc (NYSE: FBRT), and Benefit Street Partners Multifamily Trust.
Benefit Street Partners is a global alternative credit manager with ~$76 billion under management. The BSP team invests across the credit spectrum – from senior secured debt to subordinated debt, as well as both liquid and illiquid credit and seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns.Prior to joining BSP in 2013, Rich was chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. He was also the global head of capital markets at Deutsche Bank as well as a member of their global banking executive committee and global markets executive committee.
- This episode of The Deal Ranch Podcast is presented by https://huckscurryadvisors.com/
Topics
Career progression from Merrill Lynch to Deutsche Bank to BSP
Growing BSP from $3.4B to $76B
Acquisition of Realty Finance Trust, a $700M commercial mortgage REIT at the time, which has grown to $6B and the 4th largest publicly traded mortgage REIT.
Origin of BSP and the initial credit strategies of the company
Restructuring a complex debt deal for Donald Trumps Casinos
Evolution of Private Credit
Acquisition of NewPoint Holdings which adds agency capabilities to the FBRT platform
Benefit Street Partners & Richard Byrne:
https://benefitstreetpartners.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-byrne-ab9620285/
Connect with Matt & The Deal Ranch Podcast:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrlutz/
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deal-ranch/id1680084534
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1teAX6zRU76v4wFeGUHkoj?si=65e7be080e534f8b
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealRanchPodcast
Email: matt@mrl-capital.com
Friday May 30, 2025
Friday May 30, 2025
Francis J. Greenburger is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Time Equities Inc. Founded in 1966, Time Equities, Inc. (“TEI”) is a diversified investment, development, asset and property management, licensed real estate brokerage, and alternative energy company. The TEI portfolio includes approximately 43.2 million square feet of residential, industrial, office and retail property including about 5,000 multi-family apartment units, approximately 635,000 square feet in pending acquisitions, and 2.8 million square feet of various property types in stages of pre-development and development.
With 342 properties across 36 states, five Canadian provinces, Anguilla, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Scotland, the TEI portfolio benefits from a diversity of asset types including non-performing loans, B-notes, and alternative energy investments.
- This episode of The Deal Ranch Podcast is presented by https://huckscurryadvisors.com/
Topics
Developing 50 West: 64 Story Skyscraper in the Financial District of NYC which development took place during the global financial crisis
The story of 1000M: 73 Story apartment building on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. A project that transitioned from condos to apartments without adjusting the building footprint through COVID
Navigating the most painful period for Time Equities during the Savings and Loan Crisis
Stories with his most impactful mentor, Charlie Benenson
Connect with Time Equities
https://timeequities.com/
Pre Order: Autobiography of a Skyscraper: https://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Skyscraper-Francis-Greenburger/dp/1682195163
Risk Game: https://www.francisgreenburger.com/
Connect with Matt & The Deal Ranch Podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrlutz/
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deal-ranch/id1680084534
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1teAX6zRU76v4wFeGUHkoj?si=65e7be080e534f8b
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealRanchPodcast
Email: matt@mrl-capital.com
Friday May 02, 2025
Friday May 02, 2025
Ben Weinberg is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Castle Peak Holdings and Trailborn.
Castle Peak is an investment and operating platform with a singular focus on hotels and resorts in supply-constrained outdoor destination markets across North America: National Park gateway towns, beach towns, lake towns, ski resorts, and wine country.
Trailborn is their market leading hospitality brand that operates all 7 properties and 559 rooms of the Castle Peak portfolio which recently entered into a long term agreement with the Marriott platform.
- This episode of The Deal Ranch Podcast is presented by https://huckscurryadvisors.com/
Conversation Topics
Career pre-Castle Peak at Goldman, TPG, and Sixth Street
Path to first fund ($100M) & first deal
Deal structure and investment philosophy
Rebranding newly acquired assets
Their recent Marriott Bonvoy Partnership
Connect with Ben, Castle Peak Holdings, and Trailborn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-weinberg-29644156/
https://www.castlepeakholdings.com/
https://www.trailborn.com/
Connect with Matt & The Deal Ranch Podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrlutz/
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deal-ranch/id1680084534
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1teAX6zRU76v4wFeGUHkoj?si=65e7be080e534f8b
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealRanchPodcast
Email: matt@mrl-capital.com
Friday Apr 04, 2025
Friday Apr 04, 2025
Michael Smith is the President & CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners. Charlotte Center City Partners is a 501(c)4 not-for-profit corporation that manages the City’s municipal service districts (MSDs) 1, 2, 3, and 4. The organization boldly envisions actions that will assure Charlotte Center City is a welcoming, economically vibrant, culturally rich and beloved place for all.Charlotte Center City is positioned to be a leading downtown in the next economic cycle, building momentum as a destination for talent, jobs, investment, innovation, and has more than $4 Billion in active development pipeline.
Conversation Topics
- Origination of CCCP
- Priorities of Charlotte Center City Partners
- Partnering with Developers in Charlotte
- North Tryon Tech Hub
- The impact of office conversions on the local market
- This episode of The Deal Ranch Podcast is presented by https://huckscurryadvisors.com/
Learn More About Charlotte Center City Partners:
https://www.charlottecentercity.org/
https://www.charlottecentercity.org/about/team/michael-smith
Connect with Matt & The Deal Ranch Podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrlutz/
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deal-ranch/id1680084534
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1teAX6zRU76v4wFeGUHkoj?si=65e7be080e534f8b
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealRanchPodcast
Email: matt@mrl-capital.com
Friday Mar 07, 2025
Friday Mar 07, 2025
Mark Durliat is CEO and Co-Founder of Grace Bay Resorts. Durliat has been a driving force in the growth of luxury travel and residential development in the Turks and Caicos (TCI). He began developing in TCI when he led the acquisition of the 22 room boutique Grace Bay Club in 2001 and redeveloped this property into a five star condominium resort. Their team has gone on to develop some of the most iconic projects on the Island such as Rock House & The Point.
Grace Bay Resorts is a boutique owner, developer, and operator of some of the finest, luxury resorts and residences in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. Grace Bay Resorts brand includes 4 luxury resorts and a growing collection of private villas throughout the island, as well as several development projects in the pipeline.
Their most recent development, The Point, is a collection of 54 luxury residences, 38 of which are oceanfront condominiums and 16 private casitas.
Topics
Mark's introduction to Real Estate from Gary Player
Condotel development in South Africa
Development Story of Grace Bay Club, Rock House, and The Point
- This episode of The Deal Ranch Podcast is presented by https://huckscurryadvisors.com/
Learn More About Grace Bay Resorts:
Rock House https://rockhouse.gracebayresorts.com/
The Point https://pointgrace.gracebayresorts.com/
Grace Bay Club https://gracebayclub.gracebayresorts.com/
Connect with Matt & The Deal Ranch Podcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewrlutz/
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-deal-ranch/id1680084534
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1teAX6zRU76v4wFeGUHkoj?si=65e7be080e534f8b
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDealRanchPodcast
Email: matt@mrl-capital.com