Why Henry Cisneros Championed the ‘Urban Renaissance’

Corcoran and Cisneros's Housing Talk Merits a Closer Look

(Continued from Prior Part)

Henry Cisneros: Profit from the “urban renaissance”

Henry Cisneros says he’d put his money in urban settings since he wants to earn on the back of the “urban renaissance” taking place in the United States. He’s invested for the last 15 years in CityView. The company raises capital to invest in urban development. Cisneros counts energy-efficient technology, new economic anchors—like business hubs harboring software developers or telecommunication companies—new population flows, pedestrian-friendly urban designs, and new kinds of public-private partnerships among the factors driving this urban renaissance.

Foray into infrastructure

Cisneros’s real estate interests go beyond the housing market. He’s also invested in infrastructure. In a move from urban real estate to urban infrastructure—which he thinks has huge potential—Cisneros invests in Siebert Brandford Shank & Co., where he’s a partner. His reason for investing in the firm was twofold:

1. expanding into the bond business

2. moving from main capital to infrastructure

The company is a pioneer in the municipal marketplace and has managed over $1 trillion of municipal bonds in more than 4,000 transactions over 19 years.

Your ETF options

When it comes to choosing funds to access the housing space, the iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF (IYR), the Vanguard REIT ETF (VNQ), the iShares Mortgage Real Estate Capped ETF (REM), the Schwab U.S. REIT ETF (SCHH), and the iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF (ICF) offer exposure to the US housing market.

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Browse this series on Market Realist:

• Part 1 - Corcoran and Cisneros’s Housing Market Talk Merits a Closer Look

• Part 2 - Why Barbara Corcoran Credits Donald Trump for Changing Manhattan

• Part 3 - Despite a Tough Time, Homeownership Remains the American Dream