JackChat
JackChat
Beginning back in 1986, while a member of the Cohen Financial team, Jack authored “Financing Notes”. These blog-style articles cover opportunities in the Commercial Real Estate Finance Capital Markets, with a notes on entrepreneurialism, the business of business, and performance aspects of life according to Jack.
Now called JackChats, Jack brings his same assumptions, questions, and conclusions to disparate people across all walks of professional lives.
After 43+ years of acquiring skills, accumulating experiences, and developing relationships, Jack finds himself blessed with a perspective that some view as a strategic thought leader in the Commercial Real Estate Finance Capital Markets.
How to Manage and Prioritize Your Time
Time management isn’t about cramming more into your day — it’s about gaining clarity, setting priorities, and using the right tools to focus on what truly moves the needle. In this article, Jack Cohen shares practical strategies and decision-making frameworks that help you cut through distractions, organize tasks effectively, and take consistent action toward your most important goals.
JackChat January 2026
Fresh from the latest CREFC conference, it’s clear the organization continues to set the gold standard for commercial real estate finance events. With record-breaking attendance estimated at over 5,000 industry participants, CREFC has surpassed even peak MBA CREF conferences—underscoring both the association’s leadership and the remarkable evolution of the CRE finance industry.
How To Do Annual Business Planning
Ready to stop guessing and start leading with clarity? In this guide, Jack Cohen walks you through a proven approach to annual planning — from designing your intended future to mapping milestones and building goals that actually drive results. This is the roadmap for leaders who want their next 12 months to matter.
JackChat November 2025
On the way home from the fall Urban Land Institute (ULI) conference in San Francisco, I reflect on the real-estate cycle: with rising inflation, floating-rate loans, tightening labor markets and inflationary policy, the headwinds are growing. But opportunities remain for investors who adapt, buy under replacement cost, and thoughtfully underwrite in a world where “hope” isn’t a strategy — realism, acceptance and flexibility are essential.
JackChat June 2025
Evolve or Risk Insanity
In "JackChat: Evolve or Risk Insanity," Jack critiques the commercial real estate industry's reliance on short-term financial strategies, such as floating-rate debt and quick asset turnovers, which have become problematic amid rising interest rates. Drawing from his experience during the high-interest era of the 1980s, Cohen emphasizes the value of long-term investment approaches, including amortizing loans and sustained asset management. He warns that without a shift back to these foundational practices, the industry risks repeating past mistakes and facing significant financial instability.
JackChat December/January 2025
Inside My Investing Plans for 2025 and Beyond
As the end of the year approached and rolled over to a new year, I took the opportunity to assess the past year in content.
Beginning back in 1986, while a member of the Cohen Financial team, Jack authored “Financing Notes”. These blog-style articles cover opportunities in the Commercial Real Estate Finance Capital Markets, with a notes on entrepreneurialism, the business of business, and performance aspects of life according to Jack.
Now called JackChats, Jack brings his same assumptions, questions, and conclusions to disparate people across all walks of professional lives.
After 43+ years of acquiring skills, accumulating experiences, and developing relationships, Jack finds himself blessed with a perspective that some view as a strategic thought leader in the Commercial Real Estate Finance Capital Markets.
How to Manage and Prioritize Your Time
Time management isn’t about cramming more into your day — it’s about gaining clarity, setting priorities, and using the right tools to focus on what truly moves the needle. In this article, Jack Cohen shares practical strategies and decision-making frameworks that help you cut through distractions, organize tasks effectively, and take consistent action toward your most important goals.
JackChat January 2026
Fresh from the latest CREFC conference, it’s clear the organization continues to set the gold standard for commercial real estate finance events. With record-breaking attendance estimated at over 5,000 industry participants, CREFC has surpassed even peak MBA CREF conferences—underscoring both the association’s leadership and the remarkable evolution of the CRE finance industry.
How To Do Annual Business Planning
Ready to stop guessing and start leading with clarity? In this guide, Jack Cohen walks you through a proven approach to annual planning — from designing your intended future to mapping milestones and building goals that actually drive results. This is the roadmap for leaders who want their next 12 months to matter.
JackChat November 2025
On the way home from the fall Urban Land Institute (ULI) conference in San Francisco, I reflect on the real-estate cycle: with rising inflation, floating-rate loans, tightening labor markets and inflationary policy, the headwinds are growing. But opportunities remain for investors who adapt, buy under replacement cost, and thoughtfully underwrite in a world where “hope” isn’t a strategy — realism, acceptance and flexibility are essential.
JackChat June 2025
Evolve or Risk Insanity
In "JackChat: Evolve or Risk Insanity," Jack critiques the commercial real estate industry's reliance on short-term financial strategies, such as floating-rate debt and quick asset turnovers, which have become problematic amid rising interest rates. Drawing from his experience during the high-interest era of the 1980s, Cohen emphasizes the value of long-term investment approaches, including amortizing loans and sustained asset management. He warns that without a shift back to these foundational practices, the industry risks repeating past mistakes and facing significant financial instability.
JackChat December/January 2025
Inside My Investing Plans for 2025 and Beyond
As the end of the year approached and rolled over to a new year, I took the opportunity to assess the past year in content.