Barry Vinocur, editor and publisher of REIT Zone publications, and the 2002 recipient of Nareit’s Industry Achievement Award, passed away on March 28 at the age of 74.
As the creator of the popular daily REITWrap, Vinocur was instrumental in providing data and commentary on current REIT events to an expanding investor base beginning in the early 1990s, the start of what he and fellow REIT enthusiast Ralph Block helped to term the Modern REIT era.
“Barry Vinocur played an incredibly important role in the early chapters of the Modern REIT Era,” said Steve Wechsler, Nareit CEO. “Over decades, Barry was a distinctive and energetic force in the REIT community who resolutely provided us with an abundance of news and opinion, spiced with often-needed, constructive criticism. He relished in his remarkable ability to rouse action and reaction through his comments, all in his cherished effort to advance the greater cause of the REIT approach to real estate investment. There’s no doubt he helped make the REIT community stronger and more successful, and improved its reach to all types of investors,” he added.
Vinocur was born in Cleveland on June 2, 1947, to Helen and Morris Vinocur, graduated from Beachwood High School, and served as a medic in the Vietnam War. He moved to San Francisco in his early adult life.
Vinocur began observing and writing about commercial real estate and property linked investments in the mid-1980s.
He is survived by his wife, Jan; son, Andrew Vinocur; sister, Linda Evans; niece, Niki (Todd) Resnick, and nephew, Brandon (Jeanette) Evans.