Ryan CadwellManaging Partner @ Resolute RDM | CCIM® | CPM®

The Real Estate Approval Strategy Most Developers Miss #RealEstate #Podcast

3 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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In this podcast excerpt, Ryan Cadwell advises real‑estate developers on how to navigate municipal approvals more effectively. He recommends approaching city officials and community leaders with a collaborative mindset: first research the current zoning, future plans, and the officials’ objectives, then present proposals as joint ideas rather than imposing a predetermined plan. This approach reduces early resistance, uncovers potential red‑tape hurdles, and encourages officials to share insider guidance on the approval process. By aligning with mayoral support while being mindful of varied public viewpoints, developers can anticipate obstacles and accelerate the permitting timeline.

Chapters

A lot of the big boys, they have their thing. I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna buy this and I want to do that. And they kind of just go in and they just say, this is what we're doing. Yes or no. My preference is to go to them and say, hey, we're looking at this deal. And instead of forcing the idea of this is what we're gonna do, it's, hey, I looked at your current use. I know what it's zoned for. I looked at your future use. I know what you guys want it to be. Here's what we were thinking. What do you guys think? Find a way to make it their idea. It helps with the conversation. It doesn't create boundaries. Boundaries right away. Developers are usually welcomed by the mayors, and then the public has different viewpoints depending on whether they're progressive or not. It just kind of reveals the red tape or the potential hurdles to where you can kind of get ahead of those things as fast as possible. A lot of times the officials and the people in the city, they're going to tell you kind of like what's going on, what to expect, in order to get ahead of it and speed up the process.