Investment Matters: Institutional Eye

When I want to get a handle on the big picture of commercial real estate investment, I always find it helpful to pick the brain of an executive from a global institutional investor. That’s why I jumped at the chance to sit down and talk with Mike Byrne, the chief investment officer & head of private equity and debt at AEW Capital Management. AEW has been around for 45 years, and Mike himself has been with the company since 2003. During our conversation, Mike walked me through the big issues he’s tracking. He offers compelling insights about office, industrial, retail and multifamily—plus a few words of caution. Mike also tells us about the formative years of his career, including the job that he says was “almost like getting an MBA in our business.” And whether you’re relatively new to real estate, or you’ve been a professional for a while, Mike has thought-provoking ideas about building your career. Just a brief note about the timing of this recording. We spoke shortly before the Middle East conflict started, so we weren’t able to address the potential impact on real estate finance and investment. But I think it’s fair to say that Mike’s observations about market dynamics still hold true. If you enjoy this podcast, I hope you’ll check out CPE’s Capital Markets newsletter, our free, twice-monthly roundup of the latest trends, analysis and data in commercial real estate investment. It’s easy to

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Investment Matters: Institutional Eye is an episode from Commercial Property Executive by Commercial Property Executive.

This episode is 00:42:07 long.

This episode was published on May 5, 2026.

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