At the first ever Green Market Report Michigan Cannabis Business Summit in Detroit on Sept. 6, we recognized some of the stellar industry players with the GMR Michigan Cannabis Awards.
The winner of Best Ancillary Service Provider was C3 CRE, which offers a suite of cannabis commercial real estate services.
Transitioning from traditional real estate to the cannabis sector, president and founder Corbin Yaldoo has helped steer the company as a pioneer in Michigan’s nascent industry.
He admits he was “solely focused on brokerage for many years,” including “many years with a traditional leasing and sales background, a lot of national and regional tenants.”
Still, Yaldoo’s entrance into the cannabis industry was a result of watching an industry grow in front of his eyes. It was the potential that captivated him.
“To me, things that drew me to the industry was the medicinal side of things, seeing how it could impact people’s lives and their health. And the money,” Yaldoo remarked.
Being Michigan-born and raised gave Yaldoo a unique advantage in understanding the market. He soon observed “a lot of very sophisticated people” enter the scene, prompting him to ask, “What am I missing?”
In 2017-18, Yaldoo began carving his niche in cannabis, concentrating on both development and licensing. A year ago, he birthed three ventures: Corbco Ventures, focusing on development and investment; C3 CRE, centered on brokerage; and Rair Capital, navigating the commercial lending terrain in cannabis.
Though he feels he’s still in the “early innings of this industry,” Yaldoo’s vision is clear: growth.
“I’m on all three fronts, with all three companies, continue growing the team, continue doing deals, and continue to be an expert and value add to my partners and clients,” he said. His teams, though small, are efficient and adept at both remote and in-person tasks.
The challenges in the cannabis industry are manifold, with price negotiations and legal barbs traded between regulators and municipalities topping the list.
“The hardest thing is getting people down to earth when it comes to pricing … on the development side, the biggest challenges have just been working with municipalities and dealing with lawsuits (within municipalities),” Yaldoo said.
Despite obstacles, Yaldoo remains optimistic about the future. He revealed an upcoming venture: a new store in the heart of Oakland County called Gatsby Cannabis in Royal Oak, Michigan.
“That will be grow processing and retail, which will open up this fall,” he said. “So, that’s very exciting… many, many deals on all fronts in the pipeline, (and) getting those executed.”
Yaldoo’s dedication to growth and innovation remains steadfast. As he extends his reach beyond Michigan, his endeavors in places like outside of his home state demonstrate his ambition for a national presence.
Read More Feedzy