From Warehouses to Wall Street: The Rise of Industrial Real Estate - Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld - Chairman & CEO of Cabot Properties

In this episode of The Distribution, host Brandon Sedloff sits down with Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld, CEO and Chairman of Cabot Properties, for a sweeping conversation on the evolution of the logistics real estate sector. Franz shares his unconventional path into the industry, beginning with a background in history and investment banking, and reflects on the experiences that shaped his leadership at Cabot. 

From Cabot’s early days as a small advisory firm to its current position managing $12 billion in assets across 13 offices worldwide, Franz unpacks the strategic decisions, market cycles, and global expansion efforts that defined the company’s growth. He also provides an in-depth look at the structural dynamics of logistics investing, public vs. private ownership models, and why Cabot remains committed to value creation through specialization.

They discuss:

- How Franz’s early exposure to real estate and global finance shaped his leadership style

- Why Cabot went public in the late 1990s and what they learned from it

- The tailwinds driving institutional investment into logistics real estate

- How Cabot has expanded internationally and adapted to global market nuances

- Why logistics is increasingly seen as a core real estate allocation with enduring alpha potential

This is a valuable episode for investors, operators, and professionals curious about logistics real estate, private equity, and global platform building.

Clarification: The number of Cabot offices at the time of publication was 13.

Links:

Cabot Website: https://www.cabotprop.com/

Franz’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franz-colloredo-mansfeld-71428622a/

Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/

Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/

Topics:

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:01:38) - Franz’s background and career

(00:22:00) - Founding Cabot

(00:24:38) - What were investors missing that gave you confidence in finding Alpha in your sector?

(00:29:05) - The global scale of Cabot in 2025

(00:32:40) - Internationalization 

(00:38:30) - The role of logistics in a diversified portfolio

(00:44:24) - Innovation and obsolescence 

 (00:46:40) - The future of Cabot

(00:50:16) - ULI