People Who Perform - The Real Estate Careers Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode of The Real Estate Careers Podcast, host Richard Costello welcomes Tiffany Duzita, Vice President of Acquisitions and Development at RCG Group.

Tiffany has spent her career working across a wide range of environments, giving her a broad perspective on how projects are shaped, financed, and delivered. From large public companies to private developers, non-profit housing organizations, and First Nation-led partnerships, she has gained exposure to various models, structures, and approaches along the way. Earlier this year, she joined RCG Group, where she now leads acquisitions and development across Western Canada and the U.S.

Key topics include:

Early inspiration and career foundations – What first drew Tiffany to real estate, the early experiences that shaped her understanding of successful development, and the lessons she shares with aspiring Development Managers entering the field.

Building the Community Land Trust – An inside look at what makes the Community Land Trust model distinct, what it was like helping build the organization from the ground up, the accomplishments she’s most proud of, and the leadership skills required to succeed in mission-driven development.

Balancing purpose and viability – How Tiffany approached the challenge of delivering financially sound projects while staying true to the organization’s social mandate — and what that taught her about decision-making, partnerships, and long-term impact.

The transition to RCG Group – Why, after nearly 10 years in non-profit housing, Tiffany chose to return to the private sector, what appealed to her about RCG’s culture and Harold Goodwyn’s leadership, and how the company is positioning itself for growth across North America.

Acquisitions and development under one roof – Tiffany shares how her dual role allows her to connect strategy with execution, why combining these disciplines strengthens project outcomes, and how her broad background shapes her perspective day-to-day.

Building community — on and off the court – From non-profit housing to mixed-use development to her love of pickleball, Tiffany reflects on how community shows up in every part of her life and career — and why it remains the thread that ties her work together.

In this episode, host Richard Costello welcomes Jeff Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer at Troika Developments.

Jeff has built a diverse career in real estate, starting in brokerage before moving into asset management and investments at Troika, where he became CFO in late 2024. Based in Kelowna, Jeff brings insight on leadership, finance, and growth in one of Canada’s most dynamic regional markets.

Key topics include:

• Career journey and lessons – What drew Jeff to real estate, his career path, and the mentors and experiences that shaped him.
• Troika Developments and leadership – Insights on the company, working with founder Renée Merrifield, and stepping into the CFO role.
• Life in the Okanagan – Jeff’s perspective on living and working in Kelowna, market trends, and future opportunities.
• Looking ahead – Troika’s upcoming projects and Jeff’s vision for the next chapter in Kelowna real estate.

*There are a few moments of lower sound quality, but don't let it stop you from listening to the end ;-)

Richard Costello connects with David Basche.

David Basche is the President of Astria Properties in Langley, BC and is focused on the strategic growth of the business and oversees the company’s day to day operations.  Prior to Astria, David spent a decade specializing in development and acquisitions for one of Vancouver’s leading real estate developers, Bosa Properties. 

In this conversation we’ll learn more about: 

• David’s background (including his move from Germany to Vancouver Island and his education in BC)
• How his career evolved at Bosa Properties
• How real estate became his passion
• Reflections on working in acquisitions in a hot market
• Motivations for starting a business and reflections on how this new chapter is going so far
• We’ll learn more about Astria and David’s thoughts on the market and opportunities ahead
• David’s advice for aspiring real estate (acquisitions) professionals
• How David spends his time and energy outside of the office

James Ashley connects with Jeff Ranson.

With a focus on market transformation in the building industry, Jeff has worked for a number of leading organizations over the past 15 years. This includes the Canada Green Building Council, Building Owners and Managers Association of Toronto, and now Northcrest Developments.

Jeff has also participated in a number of public advisory roles -  including the Waterfront design review panel and the City of Toronto climate advisory group. His career has included inter-governmental work, at the national to provincial to municipal level, and more recently on a hyper-local level leading sustainability and responsible development for one of the largest master planned communities in North America.

 In this episode we discuss;

• The importance of carbon planning and net zero
• Utility innovation, placemaking and affordability
• Financial implications of ESG
• How sustainability has evolved
• How we go about setting and achieving net zero goals
• Characteristics of companies leading the way
• Whats next?
• And much more...

Heather is a city builder with a passion for social purpose real estate and sustainable development. Since joining Options for Homes, Heather has been a champion of affordable homeownership and has helped achieve change to both public policy and funding in support of this segment of the housing spectrum. Prior to her role as CEO, she founded and led a strategic real estate and development consultancy to non-profits, and was the co-founder and CEO of a Vancouver-based green building consulting and development company.  

Heather is active engaged in other housing activities including co-founding Circle Community LandTrust that now owns and manages over 600 units of rent geared to income homes across Toronto. She also is a board member of Nch’Kay Development Corporation, the economic development arm of the Squamish Nation.

• Find out about Heathers journey into Real Estate development and what inspire the route into the non-profit sector
• Highlight the advantages and challenges of the non- profit world
• Look at the role that Architecture & Design plays in creating quality affordable housing and a sense of community and connectedness
• Discuss the increasing popularity and demand of proportional home ownership
• Share ideas on how to overcome the challenges of providing attainable housing
• Look at the positive impact of securing attainable housing on the emotional, physical and financial well being of homeowners
• See how affordable housing intersects with sustainability and environmental considerations
• Discover insights into the role of advocacy and policy work in advancing the goals of affordable housing developments

Richard Costello connects with Claudia Leung.

Claudia is currently a Manager, Real Estate with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and has over 19 years of progressive experience in both institutional and entrepreneurial settings.  Her diverse background includes roles in property management, leasing, asset management and investments across a myriad of asset types from retail, office, hospitality, industrial, and senior’s housing.   

 In the first half of this episode we hear about Claudia’s career journey including:

• What life was like growing up, early influences
• What factors Claudia considered when making a change in her career
• The most important career risks Claudia has taken
• The path from manager to leader 
• Proudest career moment so far

In the second half we learn more about life at the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority including:

•  What lands/waters are covered by the Port Authority
• The importance of the ports in our daily lives
• Challenges facing the region due to a lack of industrial land
• What the real estate team looks like at the port
• Most enjoyable aspect of the job
• Why the port is a great place to work 

Richard Costello connects with Brandi Cooper

Brandi is currently the Director, Property Management with Warrington Residential, responsible for overseeing a growing portfolio of purpose built rental buildings located throughout the Lower Mainland.

Brandi has been immersed in residential property management for close to 15 years, starting out managing portfolios of individual units on behalf of investors, to managing apartment buildings for established developers through to her current role, leading operations for the third-party management company Warrington Residential which includes leasing and launching brand-new purpose-built rental projects.   

In this conversation we hear about Brandi’s career journey, what’s happening at Warrington Residential, Brandi’s experience launching brand new purpose-built rental properties as well Brandi’s lessons and advice for aspiring residential property professionals. 

Richard Costello connects with Audrey Powell.

At the Real Estate Forum 2022, Audrey was awarded the Young Leader of the Year Award.  

Audrey is currently a Leasing Manager for Aspen Properties in Edmonton, responsible for overseeing the leasing of three downtown office towers.  Audrey started her career in 2014 working as a tenant coordinator with one of the largest private retail landlords in Edmonton.  In 2016 Audrey moved into brokerage and for the next three years she became an integral part of one of the highest-producing, well-respected office leasing teams in Edmonton.   Audrey is actively involved with Edmonton CREW's Future Leaders Committee and her voice on the subject of DEI is incredibly powerful.

• In this episode we discuss Audrey’s career journey to date.  
• The Young Leaders Award – what it means to Audrey.
• How Aspen Properties stands out from its competition.
• What a career in leasing looks like in the day to day.
• Most enjoyable and challenging aspects of the role.
• An overview of the Edmonton market.
• Benefits of getting involved with Edmonton CREW.
• Audrey’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Audrey’s lessons and advice for aspiring real estate professionals.  

As mentioned in our discussion: Creating Career Pathways in Commercial Real Estate (CCPCRE) is a partnership between Oteenow Employment and Training, Tribal Chiefs Employment and Training Services Association - https://aref.ab.ca/projects/career-pathways-commercial-real-estate/

Nicola Denning-Millar connects with Cheryl Gray. 

Cheryl's real estate career spans over 40 years and she has experience in management of all major asset classes, having worked for several leading RE firms in a senior leadership capacity.   Her focus over the past 15 years has been on ESG, prop tech, smart buildings, cyber security and pandemic response planning. She specializes in implementation strategies, operational organization and leading best practices. 

In this episode, we discuss the hot topic of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, specifically:

• Why DEI is so important in the Commercial Real Estate industry
• The challenges and barriers that exist in implementing DEI practices in the industry
• Who is responsible for driving the change?
• Obstacles Cheryl has faced and overcome 
• The future of DEI in commercial real estate and what steps the industry can take to stay ahead of the curve
• What positive changes have occurred and what are the biggest areas of development
• The key priorities for industry decision makers to address when succession planning, to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion

Richard Costello connects with Tracy McEvoy.

Tracy is the Director, Maple Leaf Self Storage responsible for the development and management of 15 self-storage facilities comprising over 1.7 million square feet with over 17,000 tenants as well as a commercial office portfolio.  During Tracy’s career in the real estate industry spanning over three decades, she has managed operations and leasing for some of Canada’s leading institutional landlords and covered all asset classes in the process.

In our conversation today we discuss the following:

• Finding community through running and managing energy to perform professionally. 
• Tracy’s career journey prior to her current role.  
• What’s involved in being the Director for Maple Leaf Self Storage.
• Self-storage facilities - what are they like and is there such a thing as a ‘typical’ customer?
• Common misconceptions around self-storage.
• How the industry and the properties have evolved over recent years.
• Why has self-storage become such a hot commodity for real estate investors.
• Trends and changes Tracy expects to see in the near future.
• Biggest challenges in running the business.
• Advice for anyone that’s in the industry and is looking to set themselves up for a successful career.
• The importance of working from the office for new professionals.
• Proudest accomplishments to date.
• Looking forward to the future.

In our conversation we discuss the following article, provided here for reference.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/industry-news/property-report/article-investor-driven-demand-prompts-vancouver-to-restrict-further-self/