{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"In the Money with Amber Kanwar","title":"The $28B Real Estate CEO Who Tells It Like It Is ","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3262,"description":"Real estate feels like it’s at a crossroads - office vacancies, condo challenges, and a housing affordability crisis. But for Michael Cooper, Chief Responsible Officer of Dream Unlimited, there are still pockets of big opportunity. In this episode of In the Money with Amber Kanwar, Michael speaks candidly about the risks weighing on Canadian real estate and the strategies that still deliver long-term growth.\nMichael explains how Dream has navigated a brutal office cycle, why industrial and apartments remain resilient, and how diversified real estate can be both exhausting and rewarding. He shares his journey from boat washer to real estate leader, the mentors who shaped his career, and the unconventional management style behind Dream’s $28 billion portfolio.\nHe also dives into Canada’s housing crisis - why condo projects have stalled, why affordability is more about incomes than supply, and how government policy needs to shift. Plus, Amber and Michael tackle hot-button issues like immigration pressures, productivity decline, and Canada’s competitiveness compared to the U.S.\nFrom REIT valuations and activist pressure to master-planned communities in Western Canada, this episode delivers a blunt, inside look at where money is really being made in real estate.\nWhether you’re an investor curious about undervalued REITs, a homeowner watching the condo market, or just trying to understand how Canada can get its housing story back on track, Michael Cooper’s insights will change the way you think about property and policy.\n\nTimestamps\n00:00 Show intro\n02:25 Why Michael calls himself the Chief Responsible Officer \n03:30 Why Michael first got into real estate\n06:30 What makes real estate investors different from other investors?\n08:45 How did the ‘dream’ come to be?\n09:50 Break\n10:30 What is the value of Dream’s total assets? \n12:40 How bad did it get for Dream Office and where are we today?\n18:05 What will get people excited about the sector again?\n20:45 Break\n21:10 How...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/er9NR63MREFV6i2rlZX8f-yMY6gNSK83fNUOzBPoSt8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8zZmQy/OWMwNmEzY2Y0YTg1/NjM4MjQ3Y2NjMWYy/Zjk1My5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}