SVN | SFR Forms BFR JV with Walton Global Holdings

One week after SVN | SFR Capital Management launched a commercial real estate investment firm focused on the build-for-rent rental home asset class, the company formed a joint venture with Walton Global Holdings USA to build and operate single-family residential rental home communities nationwide.

In late June, Walton announced that it was entering the build-for-rent (BFR) sector, leveraging its more than 81,000 acres of land throughout the US to create near-term opportunities for single-family home rental developments. 

The SVN | SFR Capital Management and Walton partnership expects to begin BFR communities in Colorado and Texas. The developments will be constructed by a homebuilder selected by the venture partners. In addition, it expects to continue pursuing opportunities in key markets across the country.

In an environment with a shortage of affordable homes and projected solid rent growth, Jeff Cline, CEO of SVN | SFR Capital Management, believes that the timing in the marketplace, land access and strategic vision will lead the partners to become a leading group in the BFR investment segment.

“Partnering with Walton is an exceptional opportunity to leverage and collaborate across our collective land, development, homebuilding, asset management and rental home operating platform to provide residents in the US with quality, affordable housing in beautiful, well located master-planned communities,” Cline said.

With acquiring land in growth areas being one of the industry’s biggest challenges, Bill Doherty, CEO of Walton, says the company’s 81,000-acre land portfolio offers the availability of land and lots unique in the industry.

“Our more than 180 master plans in the US have been acquired years in advance, so our joint ventures have access to an established pipeline that’s growing,” Doherty said in a prepared statement. “We also recognize that all metros are not created equal; each metro has its own unique needs and requirements. Our BFR program is based on a highly strategic, selective approach. We are searching for key partners that meet certain criteria in various areas across the country to execute our plan. We are very pleased to be working with SVN as one of our select partners.”

In last week’s announcement, SVN | SFR Capital Management said it would target opportunistic investment portfolios to aggregate 35,000 newly-constructed BFR homes in the Southeast, Sunbelt, Central and Midwest states. Atlanta, Charlotte, Phoenix, Denver, Nashville, Jacksonville and Tampa are a few of the metros it will focus on.