The State of Play Podcast is the place where commercial real estate leaders unpack the people and culture side of winning in a competitive industry.Chip Roper, RKE Partners’ Managing Partner and CRE Practice Lead, sits down with leaders, experts, and titans of the commercial real estate industry to discuss the leadership, talent, and strategy challenges shaping the future of CRE.These conversations go beyond market trends to explore what drives brokerage growth, capital markets success, effective succession planning, high-performing teams, and sustainable firm expansion.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/9/3/17/89650773-62c6-4a93-b3c5-377ba5660784_riverside_edit_-_kyle___chip_podcasts.mp3

Chip sits down with Kyle Waldrep, Director of Product Management at JLL Technologies and Founder of dottid, to talk about entrepreneurship, technology adoption, and the rapid evolution of commercial real estate.Kyle shares insights on building and selling a company through challenging market conditions, how AI is reshaping real estate workflows, helping brokers become more strategic advisors, and creating the right balance between innovation, scalability, and governance. He also reflects on the leadership lessons he learned along the way, including the importance of humility, listening, hands-on learning, and continuing to move forward.

Kyle Waldrep, JLL Technologies

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/6/16/19/1a0689e4-a49b-4000-8195-691eff28f586_stateofplay_nathanjameson_arx.mp3

﻿Chip sits down with Nathan Jameson, Founder and Managing Partner of Arx Capital, to talk about breaking into niche real estate asset classes and establishing credibility as a hands-on operator.Nathan shares insights on investing in recession-resistant properties like manufactured housing and self-storage, scaling from personal capital to institutional funds, building an entrepreneurial property management team, and maintaining a culture rooted in transparency and lifelong learning.

Nathan Jameson of Arx Capital

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/3/26/19/54747e32-5d1a-40c3-ae58-89a3f0553747_state_of_play__kevin_jones_of_zrg_partners.mp3

Chip sits down with Kevin Jones, Managing Director and Global Real Estate Practice Leader of ZRG Partners, to talk about how commercial real estate firms can build lasting platform value. Kevin shares insights on succession planning, governance, leadership upgrades, and the shift from asset ownership to scalable operating platforms.

Kevin Jones of ZRG Partners

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/3/26/19/bcb1544b-bb02-472a-b4e0-ead3c253ca40_state_of_play__bryan_anderson_of_anderson_law.mp3

Chip sits down with Bryan Anderson, Founding Partner of Anderson Law, a firm based in NYC, serving the CRE industry all over the country.   Chip and Bryan unpack the legal essentials every commercial real estate leader needs to understand. Bryan’s insights will help avoid costly mistakes and build with confidence in a competitive market.

Bryan Anderson of Anderson Law

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/3/26/19/236c2b7a-413f-4585-8740-88f5648bee02_state_of_play__matthew_slepin_of_zrg_partners.mp3

Chip sits down with Matt Slepin, Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Real Estate at ZRG Partners, to explore how leadership is evolving in commercial real estate. Matt shares what separates winning leadership teams from the rest, how to upgrade C-suite talent for the next cycle, and why context, culture, and long-term thinking are essential for sustained performance.

Matt Slepin of ZRG Partners

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/3/26/19/840c9742-c2bf-4cf6-9cf7-f568bc56bd25_of_play__melissa_jackson_of_granite_properties.mp3

Chip sits down with Melissa Jackson, Senior HR Business Partner at Granite Properties, to explore how a people-first culture drives performance in commercial real estate. Melissa shares how Granite is building a strong leadership pipeline through proactive leadership development, 360 feedback, and coaching—equipping managers to lead with confidence, adaptability, and accountability.

Melissa Jackson of Granite Properties

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2026/3/26/19/82f43ff1-28ae-47b5-a939-5264b48a8260_tate_of_play__paul_ellis_of_foundry_commercial.mp3

Chip sits down with Paul Ellis, CEO of Foundry Commercial, to explore what it takes to build a generational commercial real estate firm. A generational firm passes down leadership and ownership. Paul shares how Foundry is redefining CRE firm culture, scaling with purpose, and developing leaders who drive long-term growth. This conversation offers practical insight for CRE executives looking to build firms that last.

Paul Ellis of Foundry Commercial

The State of Play Podcast is the place where commercial real estate leaders unpack the people and culture side of winning in a competitive industry.

Chip Roper, RKE Partners’ Managing Partner and CRE Practice Lead, sits down with leaders, experts, and titans of the commercial real estate industry to discuss the leadership, talent, and strategy challenges shaping the future of CRE.

These conversations go beyond market trends to explore what drives brokerage growth, capital markets success, effective succession planning, high-performing teams, and sustainable firm expansion.