As First American’s senior commercial real estate economist, Xander Snyder analyzes economic data, using proprietary models to develop commentary and forecasts that help relevant stakeholders better understand how economic forces influence CRE markets. Snyder’s insights are regularly cited by major media outlets and he shares his industry insights through research reports and blog posts on First American’s Economic Center, guest commentary on The REconomy Podcast and in his video series. Prior to joining First American, Snyder developed data-driven models to guide real estate investment strategies, co-founded a proptech startup and worked as a global risk analyst consulting international companies on supply chain risk and other issues.

Snyder provides First American Financial Corporation with actionable economic research, insights and forecasts on the commercial real estate sector. His research focuses on economic trends impacting commercial real estate, such as demographics, fundraising, investment and commercial lending. Snyder’s models and forecasts identify how economic and other forces are influencing commercial real estate markets and the broader economy, helping customers and other stakeholders make more informed business decisions. Snyder plays a critical role in furthering First American’s industry leadership, providing data-driven analysis of economic and commercial real estate market trends. His research and commentary address the state of the market in a way that is easily consumable and informative, positioning First American as a valued source for economic perspective. In addition to written analysis, in 2023, Snyder launched a monthly video series, “The Inside Look,” in which he investigates current CRE economic trends. Because of his expertise and ability to distill complex topics, Snyder is a go-to expert for journalists and industry professionals. This media exposure has positioned Snyder as an expert source for the commercial real estate industry, providing timely and valuable economic analysis benefitting First American’s customers and consumers.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Immerse yourself in the data, get to know it inside out. But when you deliver your findings, don’t talk about the data in too much detail. Instead, tell a story. Human beings are storytelling machines, so we consume new information best if it’s in a story format, rather than raw numbers. But, beware: since storytelling is so natural to us, we’re prone to being convinced by stories that can sound extremely compelling but might not be true. So be skeptical and think deeply about the story you tell when it’s your job to convey some data-related topic.

Name:

Xander Snyder

Age:

36

Title:

Senior Commercial Real Estate Economist

Company Name:

First American Financial Corporation