THE BASIS OF RCG ECONOMICS’ MARKET POSITION

John Restrepo began providing regional economic, real estate and financial consulting services over 27 years  ago, 18 of which have been in the Western U.S., first with Mountain West  Research as Vice President and then with Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. (now  PricewaterhouseCoopers) as the Director of the Las Vegas office. His service focus has grown from a consulting practice dealing with urban economic issues into a leading source of real estate, gaming, urban planning and regional economic advice in the Southwest.

RCG Economics is the next evolutionary step in this process, leading to involvement in virtually every phase of the development process from concept design, planning and zoning, and financing to marketing of the final product. RCG Economics’ diversification is also enhanced through our affiliated professionals in Las Vegas, Phoenix and Los Angeles.

RCG Economics’ strong market position in meeting client requirements is based on three areas:

  • A focus on innovative approaches to traditional questions; RCG Economics stands for creative thinking and intellectual vitality.
  • An emphasis on quality information and sound methodologies.
  • Providing a high level of service in a timely fashion.

OUR PROFESSIONAL APPROACH RESULTS IN:

  • Top quality analyses in a time frame that meets the practical realities of commercial, resort and residential development.
  • Market-based development concepts that are easier to finance and that meet with strong user acceptance.
  • Realistic public policy strategies that are based on private market realities.
  • RCG Economics’ deep involvement in the development and land planning process is reflected in our commitment and results-oriented approach to meeting our clients’ needs.

PUBLIC POLICY RESEARCH

RCG Economics’ mission is to provide the highest quality public policy research and analysis to its clients’ complete satisfaction as efficiently and timely as possible.

RCG Economics provides a wide variety of services to both public and private sector entities.  The foundation of the practice is the use of sound economic principles to understand and help solve public policy problems for our clients. Much of the work involves analysis of the forces causing economic and demographic changes within a region or urban area.

Credible public policy research built on solid information, sound analysis and reported in an effective manner can be more powerful than rigid political language.  Any organization with an interest in creating public policy must have goals based on detailed research. However, the internal resources required to develop such research and analysis it is not always possible or desirable for many small organizations or those with periodic, specialized interests.

RCG Economics’ tradition of problem-solving continues in our public policy research work. RCG Economics conducts research and provides analysis to address the challenges facing Nevada. RCG Economics focuses on several areas of research, which reflect the changing nature of the state. All of RCG Economics’ work — including white papers, databases or major reports — is held to rigorous review procedures. Such scrupulous standards are the foundation of RCG Economics’ strong reputation in Nevada.

Sometimes clients request that RCG Economics provide research without indicating a specific course of action. At other times, RCG Economics will provide a range of solutions, including the advantages and disadvantages of each. On certain occasions, RCG Economics will develop succinct policy recommendations. What remains unwavering is RCG Economics’ commitment to objective and independent research. This is accomplished in a variety of ways, including press releases to the media, testimony by RCG Economics’ experts and reports.

Range of Services – Our approach to regional and urban economic consulting incorporates bottom-line market realities into public policy and planning decisions. RCG Economics is comprised of urban economists, planners, and real estate analysts.

Research Intelligence – RCG Economics gathers the right information to make the best possible case for its clients’ issues as well as knowing what is behind the opposition’s policy position.

Strategy Innovation – RCG Economics crafts public policy proposals that are truly unique and effective.

Policy Alternatives – RCG Economics works closely on design and along the way to ensure the end product is what was requested.

Comprehensive and Cogent Research – RCG Economics creates full packages – solid quality research, but with PowerPoint versions and policy briefs for easy digestion.

Sponsored research in our clients’ names or anonymously – RCG Economics confidentially collects information from sources including interviews – our clients do not have to reveal who they are or how much they are spending.

Our team has combined expertise in:

  • Analysis of Proposed Legislation
  • Analysis of Citizen Initiatives
  • Regulatory Changes
  • Public Policy Innovation
  • Regulatory & Policy Reform
  • Program Evaluation
  • Forecasting
  • Strategic Planning
  • Public Finance
  • Market-based Modeling

REAL ESTATE & GAMING CONSULTING

As a dominant source of strategic information related to real estate development in the Southwest, RCG Economics offers a broad range of consulting services to the real estate and financial industries.

Our consulting work involves the full array of actors in the development process – developers, corporations, property owners, land brokers, engineers, physical/land use planners, financial institutions, investors, zoning attorneys, architects, leasing agents and property brokers.

To meet the ever-changing and complex needs of our clients, RCG Economics’ consulting services are grouped into specialized real estate service lines:

CASINO-RESORT SERVICES – As a major resource for the gaming industry and real estate developer, our role is to determine the economic and market viability of proposed and existing casino-hotel projects. Our services include project and market feasibility and strategy development.

INDUSTRIAL SERVICES – Comprehensive and up-to-date market information is analyzed for both speculative and non-speculative industrial markets to provide our clients with development recommendations, valuations, and strategies for industrial buildings and mixed-use business/industrial parks.

LAND PLANNING – RCG Economics specializes in generating mixed-use development concepts for large land parcels. Based on market data, projected growth, and anticipated  future competition, we develop concepts that define the mix of uses, general location of uses, absorption schedules, target markets and  anticipated pricing.

MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITY SERVICES – Our active and planned community databases, up-to-date market information and customized consulting services provide bottom-line recommendations to decision-makers in the for-sale housing industry. Services include product and pricing recommendations, site selection, supply and demand analyses, feasibility studies, target market analyses and highest and best use analyses.

MULTI-FAMILY SERVICES – A continuum of services supports the apartment developer and lender throughout the development process, from the early stages of land acquisition, development concept planning, financing, appraisal, land planning and zoning, product design and marketing to disposition strategies for stabilized properties.

OFFICE SERVICES – An emerging center of economic importance, the Las Vegas office market continues to be fueled by long-term projections of population and employment growth. RCG Economics’ comprehensive and detailed analysis of metropolitan area and national absorption trends, land pricing, and employment growth supports developers, financial institutions and investors in strategic planning decisions, site selection, feasibility analysis, marketing, disposition strategies and appraisal.

RETAIL SERVICES – Absorption, vacancy, rental rates, and tenant profiles are analyzed for strip, neighborhood, community, and regional centers. Combined with our comprehensive economic and demographic capabilities, our consultants deliver powerful decision-making tools to retail developers, investors, large retailers, franchisers and financial institutions.

REGIONAL & URBAN ECONOMICS/PUBLIC PLANNING

RCG Economics is at the forefront of state-of-the-art techniques in regional economic research, while our real estate consulting has injected market reality into our public planning consulting. Over the past 10 years, our professionals have completed a variety of economic research/public planning projects across most of the western United States.  Currently, we focus on three broad activities:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – Includes base analyses, industry studies, development planning, and information services for development implementation. For Las Vegas, we maintain a census of all major employers and monitor national/international trends in those industries.

These databases combined with our real estate supply-side databases give us the information-based edge for economic development planning. The professionals of RCG Economics have completed a variety of economic-base analyses. Our economic development implementation services include the application of demographic, economic and real estate supply information to a variety of economic development problems, including industry targeting, advertising and marketing strategies.

REGIONAL ECONOMIC RESEARCH – Based on urban and regional modeling and economic/demographic projections. RCG Economics is a leader in providing projections of population, employment, household income for a variety of public and private sector clients having a broad range of needs.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES – A focus on the public side of urban growth and community development issues, including land use planning, infrastructure/capital  facilities planning, public services planning and economic/fiscal impact  analysis. RCG Economics’ clients include the full range of public bodies in the West – regional commissions, state agencies, counties, cities and other local jurisdictions. RCG Economics’ strength lies in our rigorous application of analytical techniques – population forecasting and public needs assessment for infrastructure, the fiscal balance sheet for private development – coupled with the market realities from our private sector real estate consulting.

SUMMARY OF PRODUCTS

In addition to its advisory services, RCG Economics offers several information products. These include quarterly market surveys of office, industrial and retail markets, regional profiles and a monthly real estate newsletter.

METRO AREA PROFILES. This product provides an integrated view of metropolitan area trends and patterns. They provide a comprehensive view of economic and demographic forces, the institutional/political context, existing and projected market conditions and areas of significant development opportunity (or liability) in a given region.

MONTHLY “THE STAT PACK” NEWSLETTER (www.thestatpack.com). This newsletter tracts monthly changes in the health of the Southern and Norther Nevada economy be monitoring for major indicators – total job change, job change by sector, unemployment claim filings and median house prices. The newsletter is emailed to over 3,800 subscribers each month.

WEEKLY “FACT PACK E-MAIL BLAST (www.thestatpack.com). Fun facts and data about the latest economic, business, demographic and cultural trends throughout the world.

MONTHLY “JOB FLASH” E-MAIL BLAST (www.rcg1.com). Monthly snapshot of the major employment trends in Nevada. Las Vegas and Reno.