ULI CEO Ed Walter on “Leading Voices in Real Estate” Podcast

ULI Global Chief Executive Officer W. Edward Walter is the featured thought leader in the latest edition of “Leading Voices in Real Estate.” Walter reflects on his early years in real estate with Trammell Crow Residential; his service as chief financial officer and chief executive officer for Host Hotels and Resorts Inc.; why real estate continues to attract the best and brightest; and what he believes distinguishes ULI from other real estate organizations.

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ULI Global CEO Ed Walter

ULI Global Chief Executive Officer W. Edward Walter is the featured thought leader in the latest edition of “Leading Voices in Real Estate,” a biweekly podcast hosted by ULI member Matthew Slepin, founder and managing director of Terra Search Partners LLC, a national executive search firm dedicated to the real estate industry.

In the April 8 podcast, Walter reflects on his early years in real estate with Trammell Crow Residential; his service as chief financial officer and chief executive officer for Host Hotels and Resorts Inc.; why real estate continues to attract the best and brightest; and what he believes distinguishes ULI from other real estate organizations:


  • On leading Host Hotels and Resorts: “When you step into the CEO role, you have to figure out how to work through the rest of your team and be focused on the short-term issues while being more thoughtful about the long-term direction of the company.”
  • On choosing real estate as a career: “You cannot be narrowly focused in the real estate business and be successful. . . . My advice to a young person [entering the real estate profession] is don’t be afraid to look at lateral opportunities. Making certain the ladder is broader can help you [progress]. You need diverse experiences to make the right decisions.”
  • On ULI: “I don’t know of any other organization where you can reside your entire career. ULI provides opportunities for people to connect with each other and share ideas. . . . The strength of ULI is its ability to access all the work our members are doing around the world, and bring that together in a way that members can share with each other and learn from each other.”

Trish Riggs is a public relations consultant and freelancer with Keadle-Riggs Communications. Riggs was a senior vice president with the Urban Land Institute from 2005 to 2019.
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