I joined my friend Barry Ritholtz of RWM and of The Big Picture on his Bloomberg Radio MIB podcast for the sixth time since 2014. Here’s the transcript, my book recommendations, as well as the full podcast version below:
Here are the previous interviews from 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021 and 2022. They are always fun, and Barry keeps the conversation interesting. My wife Cheryl was in the producer’s booth, keeping me honest (and taking pictures).
I had a nice conversation with Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on WCBS Newsradio 880 on the state of the NYC commercial office market. It was a macro-level conversation that I thought you might find helpful.
To say we talk a lot about housing and valuation in a crazy market wouldn’t do this fun conversation any justice. I am always thrilled to be in the company of his never-ending incredible lineup of guests.
To listen to the entire one hour and 49 minute show (sorry about that), you can go here:
The full segment is a great listen. My interview starts at 21:33.
[click image to play]
Bloomberg TV: Markets – ‘Manhattan Home Sellers Hold Back Listings During Coronavirus’
I joined network Vonnie Quinn in New York to talk about the state of the market since the coronavirus hit. She is always wonderful to speak with. The stock photo they used for me was taken about 15 years ago (when I was 15, obviously). At the last second, they had me speak through their London bureau for technical reasons, so each question and answer saw a small delay. The interview was based on this Bloomberg article: Manhattan Home Sellers Hold Back Listings in Coronavirus Retreat:
I rationalized that the long gap since 2016 was because he was interviewing other Millers on his show, Steve Miller of the Steve Miller Band and Bill Miller of Legg Mason Capital Management. Ha.
Barry’s show is always a good listen and has long been part of my podcast feed. I’ve received quite a few shoutouts from people who were listening to the show in their cars.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 16 years already since 9/11. The name of the attack is now referenced as a noun and every year I think about the events of that day – getting emails from out of state friends and colleagues asking if I was ok, with one asking if I was still alive; Watching the second tower fall; walking to Fifth Avenue and then to Sixth Avenue to see the towers in flames; No cell service; losing all access to public transportation; literally walking northward out of Midtown with throngs of others; getting a lift from my friend’s mom to Westchester county, then borrowing the car to get home to my family in CT; Debriefing with my neighbors who were standing outside like everyone else trying to learn what happened; learning that a parent of my of my son’s classmates was in the tower; hearing stories from neighbors who were talking to someone on the phone in the towers when a plane hit and the line went dead.
It seemed that everything I knew was going away and never coming back. Yet NYC showed me it never quits and I’m proud to be part of it.
Here is my interview with Tom Keene on Bloomberg TV this morning on the resurgence of downtown over the past 16 years.
UPDATE Immediately following the television spot, I walked over to their radio studios and spoke with Tom again as well as David Gura. My interview with Tom Keene and David Gura on Bloomberg Surveillance Radio so click on the graphic below and go to the 10-minute spot:
I was set to speak in studio with Tom Keene and Pimm Fox but had a commuting snafu and had to call in. It was a great opportunity to show a picture of me as a 15 year old. Love these guys. The best. The Bloomberg Television/Radio are clearly pros and handled the last minute change with ease.
We talked about lots of housing markets and the distortion being created by credit conditions.
I have been remiss in posting this on Matrix but had already sent it through all my social media channels a number of times earlier this month when the interview originally aired. It’s the end of 2014 and as one of my favorite interviews, it just needed to be on Matrix.
We cover a lot of ground on the housing market and it was fun and engaging. Our roles were reversed since he was one of my early interviews of my former podcast The Housing Helix from 2009-2012 where I interviewed about 150 people connected to housing and finance. Barry returned to my show 2 more times and each time made it one of the most heavily downloaded interviews of the year.
It is hard to believe it has been nearly 9 years since I wrote my first blog post. Back then I was very frustrated with real estate world around me. The housing market was booming and my appraisal competitors were increasing their staff size by a multiple of 20 (they’re now essentially out of business). We weren’t part of the (fool’s) gold rush.
Apparently I had missed a key math and ethics class in school that would help me understand what was happening and why it was happening. Everyone seemingly was losing losing their minds – appraisers, consumers, banks, rating agencies, investment banks, investors – to a word – everyone. It didn’t help that national appraisal organizations, all of whose memberships had been dropping since appraisal licensing was introduced in 1991, did not understand or were not willing to speak out about the obvious problem. Appraisers were not allowed/not able to be a neutral valuation experts for lenders to make informed decisions on lending/risk of their collateral – lenders just didn’t care because they could off-load the risk to investors around the globe. The appraisal industry was converted nearly overnight to “deal enablers.”
I saw my career ending in 3 years if I didn’t do something. I did the only thing I could think of – start talking openly about the lack of independence the appraisal industry had at that time (amazingly, how little has changed in this regard). No appraisers I were aware of were speaking openly about the problem in 2004-2005 – our industry was living in constant fear of alienating their lender clients. Since I was losing lender clients to my rapidly growing competitors who were morally flexible, I really had nothing to lose.
My first blog post was a June 23, 2005 interview with Bob Moon at APM Marketplace in a segment called “Appraising the Appraisers” My industry was a symptom of a larger problem that eventually crushed the global economy – a credit crunch.
After all the hoopla over the recent $147M sale in The Hamptons, I compiled a list of the highest priced sales around the world I could think of. It’s not comprehensive since all the sales are in the US or UK, and there are a few out there that haven’t closed yet.
He’s come a long way from making selfie-videos of his basketball dunking prowess. I’ve long been a fan of his art. Nathan combines nice Midwestern sensibilities (he’s from Ohio) with street smarts, artistic talent and a dab of humor.
In fact Nathan’s only shortcoming is his siding with the “GIF” (Graphics Interchange Format) pronunciation camp while I am squarely in the “Sounds like “Jif” as in the peanut butter AND confirmed by the inventor of the “GIF” camp who said, and I quote:
Here are a few samples, I plan to revisit his artwork over the next few weeks. The book even provides instructions on where to eat pizza on a busy sidewalk!!! C’mon people, the value add for that alone is worth well above the very modest price! Here are a few samples…
If you haven't already, sign up for
'Housing Notes' to receive weekly insights and research.
About Jonathan Miller
Jonathan Miller is President and CEO of Miller Samuel Inc., a real estate appraisal and consulting firm he co-founded in 1986. He is a state-certified real estate appraiser in New York and Connecticut, performing court testimony as an expert witness in various local, state, and federal courts. He holds the Counselors of Real Estate (CRE) designation, is an Appraiser “A” Member of the Real Estate Board of New York, and is a member of RAC. Learn More...
Subscription Service Coming Soon
You'll be able to choose from an array of robust housing metrics compiled using research developed during the preparation of our market report series. Expanded significantly from prior offerings, use this resource to build charts and custom data tables or leverage your own information for more powerful research and presentations.
In the meantime, here is a small sample of the aggregated data we will provide.
“Jonathan Miller is well-known for taking the pulse of Manhattan real estate.”–PBS Nightly Business Report
“If New York real estate is a sport, one of its most prominent score keepers is Jonathan Miller.”–New York Daily News
“Why is Jonathan Miller’s Matrix required reading? …He grabs you right from the start.”–New York Times
“Somebody-explain-this-crazy-market-to-me guy Jonathan Miller.”–Curbed New York
“Jonathan Miller, the most popular guy on the block when talking about real estate in New York.”–Tom Keene, Bloomberg Radio
“Our sherpa in the land of broker euphemism for the current state of the housing market.”–New York Observer
“Jonathan Miller...Manhattan’s most revered independent appraisers of residential property.”–Daily Telegraph (UK)
“In the real estate world, Jonathan Miller is where street-smart meets book-smart.”–Jed Kolko, Chief Economist, Trulia
“Jonathan Miller delivers the unflinching and un-fluffy truth about an industry he knows inside out.”–Teri Rogers, Brick Underground
“Jonathan Miller, the appraiser who is the savviest observer of the local residential market.”–Crain’s New York Business
“Jonathan Miller...one of the nation’s most prominent appraisers.”–Money Magazine
“Should we have seen this coming?...I spoke to appraiser Jonathan Miller 3 years ago.”–Jane Wells, CNBC
“New York real estate maven Jonathan Miller.”–Slate
“Our man Jonathan Miller drops the truth bomb.”–Barry Ritholtz, The Big Picture Blog
“It’s tough to find the good guys..Fortunately we found one. His name is Jonathan Miller.”–Glenn Beck, CNN
“Jonathan is a legend, one of the most quoted appraisers and experts in the industry.”–Dottie Herman, President and CEO, Douglas Elliman
“A combination of Godzilla, King Kong, and Hurricane Katrina all wrapped up in one as he wreaked havoc on the housing market.”–New York Sun
“Check out Superstar Appraiser Jonathan Miller’s blog Matrix for the latest in depth information on NYC housing.”–Urban Digs
“Jonathan Miller, the demigod of New York real estate stats.”–New York Observer
“Renowned appraiser and [Matrix] real estate blogger, Miller is a statistical wizard. Can dodge bullets in slow-mo.”–Real Estate Tomato
“A web site 'worth visiting.'”–Realtor Online Magazine
“His market reports are to the Manhattan housing market what those brackets are to the NCAA Tournament.”–New York Observer
“Jonathan Miller delivers real estate news in language even a blogger can understand.”–Curbed DC
“Market Analyst Jonathan Miller: Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster he's on our side.”–Curbed Miami
“JM makes real estate stats talk in language that normal people understand.”–Teri Rogers, Brick Underground
“Miller’s more than 20 years of real estate experience comes out in this no-nonsense blog.”–Seeking Alpha
“A Curbed reader goes all 'Jonathan Miller' on us.”–Curbed New York
“Miller is arguably the most influential voice in residential property valuation markets today.”–Altos Research
“Miller is the best real estate blogger out there.”–Bankrate
“Jonathan Miller, an appraiser dubbed 'the Wikipedia of Manhattan real estate.'”–Barrons
“His quarterly reports on the New York City-area market is considered required reading among real estate professionals.”–Reuters
“Jonathan Miller’s blog Matrix. Completely Keanu Reeves-free real estate economics, not for beginners.”–Curbed San Francisco
“Then there is Miller’s authority in residential appraisals.”–Reuters
“Jonathan Miller is one of the icons of the real estate industry.”–Real Estate Board of New York
“If market guru Jonathan Miller said it, it must be true.”–Stuart Elliott, Editor-In-Chief, The Real Deal
“The oracle of New York City real estate: Jonathan Miller.”–Amir Korangy, Publisher, The Real Deal
“When it comes to markets trends, nobody knows the multiple NYC real estate markets better than Jonathan Miller.”–John L. Heithaus, CSO, Buyside
“Jonathan Miller, the go-to expert on all residential real estate figures.”–Crain’s New York Business
“Jonathan Miller: He's the guy with 'boots on the ground' when it comes to real estate.”–Tom Keene: Bloomberg TV, Surveillance
“Jonathan Miller: Best online real estate expert.”–Money Magazine
“Jonathan Miller: One of the best finance people on Twitter.”–Business Insider
“Jonathan Miller: One of the top 25 most influential U.S. real estate bloggers.”–Inman News
“Matrix: One of the top five U.S. real estate blogs.”–Inman News
“Miller Samuel CEO Jonathan Miller holds the key to the luxury real estate market.”–Deirdre Bolton, Anchor, Fox Business
“Expert Appraiser Jonathan Miller: New York City’s Real Estate Data Wizard”–Epoch Times
“Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel is a NYC real estate "cultural icon."”–Katherine Clarke, New York Daily News
“His prescient 2012 declaration that “luxury real estate is the new global currency” was repeated as gospel...”–New York Post
“Jonathan Miller is the most trusted (and quoted) man in New York real estate.”–New York Observer
“Jonathan...understands how to take numbers and explain them to people in a way that makes sense.”–Dottie Herman, President and CEO, Douglas Elliman
“Jonathan Miller is 'one of the most important people in real estate.'”–Elizabeth Ann Stribling-Kivlan, President, Stribling & Associates
“Jonathan Miller is 'a complete pro, a shining star in the real estate industry.'”–Donna Olshan, President, Olshan Realty Inc.
“Jonathan Miller, owner of New York City’s Miller Samuel and one of the nation’s most prominent appraisers”–Money Magazine
“Jonathan Miller: the true God of real estate data.”–Fredrik Eklund, The Eklund Gomes Team / Bravo’s MDLNY
“In this ever changing NYC market, Jonathan’s reports give me an accurate snapshot at any given time.”–John Gomes, The Eklund Gomes Team / Douglas Elliman Real Estate
“Jonathan Miller, President of Miller Samuel and real-estate savant.”–Curbed Miami
“Jonathan Miller is a master of his craft...we are lucky to have him as an advocate for appraisers.”–Phil Crawford, ‘Voice of Appraisal’ Radio Show
“"Between the Bricks" Columnist gives a 2016 Data Brick to Jonathan Miller for keeping the industry honest.”–Lois Weiss, New York Post
“Jonathan Miller is an incredible real estate analyst, a true Rockstar on NYC metro luxury markets.”–Ivy Zelman, CEO, Principal, Zelman & Associates
“Jonathan Miller, Go-To Appraiser. Appraising the state of real estate.”–Barry Ritholtz 'Masters in Business,' Bloomberg Radio
“Jonathan Miller—the data whisperer”–Brick Underground
“Jonathan Miller: One of the most famous appraisers in America today.”–Phil Crawford, 'Voice of Appraisal' Radio Show
“Jonathan Miller is the DJ Khaled of real estate.”–Stefanos Chen, New York Times
“Jonathan is considered the 'dean of appraising' in the industry.”–Donna Olshan, President, Olshan Realty Inc.
“Jonathan Miller: The man who knows.”–Real Estate Weekly
“Jonathan makes real estate statistics come alive by explaining what they mean now and indicate for the future.”–Joe Connolly, WCBS Radio
Columns by Jonathan Miller
Forbes ('20-)
Appraisersblogs ('17-)
'Three Cents Worth' column 3CW ('05-'16)
When Curbed was acquired by Vox, my eleven years of 3CW chart art and column links were broken on Curbed NY, Curbed DC, Curbed Miami, Curbed Hamptons, Curbed LA, and Curbed Ski.
Receive Jonathan Miller's 'Housing Notes' and get regular market insights, the market report series for Douglas Elliman Real Estate as well as interviews, columns, blog posts and other content.
Follow Jonathan on Twitter
#Housing analyst, #realestate, #appraiser, podcaster/blogger, non-economist, Miller Samuel CEO, family man, maker of snow and lobster fisherman (order varies)
NYC CT Hamptons DC Miami LA Aspen millersamuel.com/housing-notes Joined October 2007
Recent Comments on Matrix