01/25/2026
KAREN E. KENNEDY, PRESIDENT & FOUNDER, NAS INVESTMENT SOLUTIONS IS INTERVIEWED BY IDO AHARONI
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In this candid, wide-ranging interview from Jerusalem to Los Angeles, Ambassador Ido Aharoni sits down with Karen E. Kennedy, President and Founder of NAS Investment Solutions, for a conversation that blends family legacy, market realism, and investor discipline.
Karen reflects on the real estate roots that shaped her perspective—then shares how she built National Asset Services (NAS) in the aftermath of the 2007–2008 financial crisis, launching her firm by stepping into distressed situations and helping investor groups stabilize and save real estate deals when lending practices and market volatility upended portfolios.
From there, the discussion moves into what today’s commercial real estate investors care about most:
• How Karen evaluates opportunities across asset types, from single-tenant, credit-backed net lease to multifamily, student housing, office, and retail.
• Why she prioritizes conservative underwriting, fixed-rate debt, and operational “value left on the table” (like simple, obvious upgrades that drive durable rent growth).
• How “club deal” investing can work when structured thoughtfully—especially the importance of risk clarity, sponsor alignment, and real-time transparency.
A standout theme is Karen’s warning about “echo chamber investing”—how algorithms and repeated narratives can reinforce weak assumptions and erode critical thinking. She shares a practical antidote: build a “salad” of perspectives, seek independent verification, and strengthen your own judgment—especially when you’re investing proceeds tied to long-term family goals.
For commercial real estate investors navigating uncertainty, this interview is an insightful look at what credibility, structure, and stewardship actually look like in practice.
