In a wide-ranging interview with Institutional Real Estate, Inc., BGO co-founder and co-CEO John Carrafiell discusses how data science is reshaping decision-making and performance at BGO. He emphasizes the importance of organizational buy-in, dedicated talent, and the value of dispassionate data over traditional real estate instincts. By leveraging analytics, BGO identified overlooked markets like Las Vegas for industrial development and second-tier Florida submarkets for multifamily investment, achieving impressive outcomes that would have been unlikely through intuition alone.
Carrafiell also explains how data analytics fosters deeper investor engagement and drives cultural transformation within BGO. Far from being a “black box,” BGO’s approach is transparent, collaborative, and grounded in thousands of data points. Carrafiell highlights how data science has improved performance, sparked innovation, and even boosted employee morale. It’s not only redefining how BGO invests, but how it operates firmwide — shifting focus from mundane tasks to strategic, value-added work.