In this episode of the Commercial Real Estate Podcast, hosts Aaron and Adam interview Andrew Duncan, RioCan’s Chief Investment Officer to discuss his company’s evolving investment strategy to stay aligned to a dynamic market. Andrew shares insights into his background, RioCan’s focus on capital allocation, and the challenges of making long-term investment decisions in an unpredictable market. 

He explores RioCan’s residential portfolio, detailing the obstacles to growth in apartment and condo development. The conversation then shifts to RioCan’s strong retail portfolio, and Andrew highlights the key performance indicators he monitors and a sneak peek at some potential retail acquisitions. Andrew also points to RioCan’s focus on debt reduction and portfolio adjustments that would positively impact the company’s stock value. 

Here are the key talking points from the episode:

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• Making Strategic Investment Decisions in a Volatile Market
  
• RioCan’s Residential Portfolio and Growth Aspirations
  
• Factors Influencing Residential Investment Decisions
  
• The Importance of Strong Performance and Positive Fundamentals
  
• Potential Opportunities in Retail Acquisitions
  
• Future Plans for RioCan
  
• Challenges in the Apartment and Condo Market
  
• Acknowledging the Performance of the Retail Market
  

More about our guest…

Andrew oversees RioCan’s development pipeline and investment transactions to optimize the Trust’s portfolio for future growth opportunities. His focus is maximizing the full potential of RioCan’s real estate, unlocking intrinsic value through development, partnerships and strategic acquisitions and dispositions to support RioCan’s evolution into Canada’s dominant urban mixed-use REIT. 

Andrew has significant experience working with partners and stakeholders to deliver complex mixed-use development projects. His balanced knowledge of construction, planning, and analytics allows him to manage the development portfolio responsibly while leveraging expertise in asset classes and deal structures to maximize returns for unitholders.

Andrew joined RioCan in 2013. An engineer by trade, he previously led Engineering and Design at Lowe’s Companies of Canada and maintains his professional engineering license. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Guelph.

Episode Resources

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• Andrew Duncan on LinkedIn
  
• RioCan Website
  
• Aaron Cameron on LinkedIn
  
• Adam Powadiuk on LinkedIn 
  
• First National Website
  

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