Inspiring Leaders in Our Changing Industry: Annemarie DiCola, Trepp

This summer, Connect CRE is producing a series titled, “Inspiring Leaders in Our Changing Industry” as a follow-up to last summer’s “Leading in Tough Times” series. We’ve selected leaders around the U.S. and across the commercial real estate spectrum to discuss significant changes in the industry and their organizations. In this installment, you’ll hear from Annemarie DiCola, CEO of Trepp.

Catalysts for Change: What are the essential elements for achieving significant progress within your organization and the industry as a whole? 

 I believe there are two essential elements to achieving significant progress: 

1. Focus and Execution: Stay dedicated to the strategy and game plan you’ve devised, ensuring meticulous execution. 
2. Adaptability and Awareness: Continuously observe industry trends and global shifts, challenging yourself to pivot your strategy as needed. 

As leaders, our primary responsibility is to define a sustainable strategy in which we have full confidence, one that we believe will drive growth and deliver increasing value to our markets. Simultaneously, we must remain vigilant, ready to adjust our strategy in response to the ever-changing landscape. 

At Trepp, we have steadily progressed by adhering to these principles. As our users adjust their use of our data and products to meet their evolving needs, we have learned to incorporate functionality and data sets relevant to various market conditions. Whether we face periods of robust loan origination, high transaction volumes, and strong deal issuance, or times of contraction, distressed asset acquisition, and workouts, we ensure our products remain pertinent and valuable. 

The Road Ahead: Looking forward, what critical changes do you foresee for the industry in the coming years? What advancements do you hope for? 

 The pandemic induced a lasting disruption in our industry, fundamentally changing how and where people work. This disruption will continue to have far-reaching implications for years to come. Consequently, I anticipate significant changes in the financing, acquisition, and leasing of commercial properties. We will likely see a considerable amount of existing building stock being refurbished, repurposed, or razed. Additionally, there will be an increasing emphasis on sustainability in development and operations. 

I hope that this resetting of the real estate landscape results in cities and suburban commercial areas becoming more modern, efficient, green, and aesthetically pleasing. At Trepp, we are navigating these market changes with innovative product solutions, technological advancements, and new service offerings. These initiatives are designed to provide our users with the detailed analysis they need to identify and assess opportunities for investment, growth, and positive change. 

Guiding the Next Generation: As we acknowledge the industry’s rising stars, what guidance can you offer them to become catalysts for positive change? 

Long before today’s challenging times, I have always encouraged junior professionals to understand and learn the opposite of their daily job. A favorite saying of mine is, “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” As Trepp reports on rising delinquencies, reduced property valuations, and other tough headlines, it’s important to recognize these moments as opportunities to learn, teach, and improve. 

We are in a uniquely advantageous period for rising stars in our industry to learn how to handle problem loans, distressed properties, constrained capital, and other challenges. If they can succeed in tough times, they will undoubtedly excel when conditions improve. This experience not only enriches their individual knowledge but also provides a chance to step back and think about how to enhance the system going forward, ultimately becoming catalysts for positive change. 

Click here to see the full Inspiring Leaders in Our Changing Industry series.