Nareit’s REITwise: 2022 Law, Accounting & Finance Conference will be held in Orlando, Florida on March 23-25. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn CPE/CLE credits, network with peers, and learn about the latest operational and technical issues impacting REITs. This year’s program covers topics ranging from ESG disclosures and reporting to SEC developments impacting the real estate industry.
Rob DelPriore, EVP, CAO & general counsel at MAA (NYSE: MAA), is one of four program directors for this year’s conference and will moderate the “Corporate Governance” session at REITwise. DelPriore previews the session and shares advice for first-time REITwise attendees below.
What advice would you give to first-time REITwise attendees?
Regardless of whether your specialty is in tax, accounting, law, or finance, find people at peer companies—and even people at other companies that have jobs that you'd like to have someday—and begin to establish those formal and informal networks as early as you can.
A lot of times if you build those networks with people that are in your particular segment, they've lived through issues that you may confront and can help you navigate them in the future.
What are the most important tax, law, finance or accounting issues that you're watching in 2022?
On the legal side, there are two main issues I’m focused on. The first is the emerging requirements associated with ESG—from the implementation and measurement of programs, and then ultimately, disclosures.
The second issue that is on everybody's radar is continuing to try and keep everybody safe. In the shifting era of COVID-19, we’re focused on keeping our associates—and in multifamily, our residents—safe with return to work and interactions with different people on the properties.
What are you looking forward to most at REITwise this year?
I’m really looking forward to being back together in person with everybody for the first time—and I’m sure I’m not alone in that view. Given all the different panels, I really feel like it’s going to be an excellent program.
Seeing people giving presentations in person instead of on the other side of a computer screen is going to be a refreshing change.
Can you give provide a preview of the ‘Corporate Governance’ session?
First, I want to thank Penny Rostow, Nareit’s senior vice president, regulatory affairs & deputy general counsel, for assembling an excellent group of speakers that has vast industry experience. They’ll make my job as moderator easy.
The goal of the panel is to assemble people who are large owners of REIT stocks and very focused on corporate governance and ESG. We’ll hear from them firsthand about what they see as important, what they consider to be critical disclosure issues, and how they want to see the evolution of ESG. I think hearing their perspectives on these issues will be very valuable.
What advice do you have for young professionals or job seekers looking to work in REIT finance or the legal field?
If you're interested in the field, take the entry-level job and get started early. Learn everything there is to learn. It's an interesting, fantastic industry and if you can do your job well, be diligent, and learn the industry, then you can continue to move forward and progress.
I guess the biggest advice is never be scared to take the next role. Never be scared to step forward.