Multifamily Influencers

The multifamily sector could not be having an easier and more fruitful 2021. Rents are climbing, investment sales are proliferating and occupancies are strong. Navigating such an environment, one might think, is an easy prospect and to be sure it is always better to be doing business in flush times. However, it still takes skill and sector knowledge to drive a deal home—some of the qualities we look for as we choose our annual influencers in this space. Other qualities we seek out are around achievements and the impact an individual, team or company has had on the industry. We trust you will agree that the following pages will reflect those attributes

INDIVIDUALS

JEFFREY W. ADLER Jeffrey Adler provides insight to industry professionals and stakeholders via various outlets and events. While serving in his current role of VP at Yardi Matrix, the data and research arm of Yardi Systems Inc., Adler provides direction for the firm’s multifamily sector national and metropolitan reports. Under Adler’s leadership, the Yardi Matrix team aggregates data and reports on trends and forecasts in order to help bring transparency to the industry. The reports reach 70,000 readers monthly and are regularly cited in major industry and national publications. During the pandemic, Adler additionally developed a series of webinars, titled COVID-19’s Impact on Multifamily Real Estate, which aimed to keep industry professionals updated on economic trends and real-time market data during the uncertain time.

R. VICKIE ALANI Vickie Alani is known for forecasting trends and the future needs of multifamily design. Understanding the intricacies of how project aspects can differ greatly when transferred overseas, Alani serves as a sought-after consultant and has successfully advised on best practices for clients internationally. She helps developers understand how amenities and concierge services can boost quality of life. On an international level, across countless countries, Alani works with development teams, gives seminars and serves as a panelist, and makes indelible marks on multifamily design projects. As a registered architect and interior designer with more than three decades of experience, Alani serves as principal at Boston-based design firm, CBT. She recently launched a new practice area at the firm as a super-hybrid combination of multifamily design and maker space.

JASON BERKOWITZ Jason Berkowitz has built RPM Living from the ground up. After founding the company in 2002 with only 10 units under management, Berkowitz has since grown the firm to more than 76,000 units today. With Berkowitz at the helm as CEO, RPM Living is currently one of the largest property management companies in Texas. In the past year, Berkowitz has led the firm’s extreme growth and rapid expansion into new markets, including acquiring Phoenix-based Maverick Residential, acquiring Dallas-based Pace Realty and merging with Atlanta-based CF Real Estate Services, all while navigating the pandemic. This activity allowed the company to expand into 14 new states, as well as the student and attainable housing markets, in the past 12 months. In 2020, the firm additionally organically added 20,304 units to its portfolio.

WARREN BERZACK Warren Berzack wears many hats within the commercial real estate industry. As one of California’s top-producing brokers, and Lee & Associate’s number one multifamily agent for years, Berzack has amassed more than $2 billion in sales and closed more than 500 transactions in more than 30 states throughout his career. He serves as principal and national director of Lee & Associates’ multifamily advisory group, where he spurs the growth of the firm’s multifamily presence. In addition, Berzack serves as president of his specialty group, Berzack Investment Property Advisors, which he has led to become one of Los Angeles’ top teams by managing more than 300 units across the city. He is also the head of Berz Equities which owns and syndicates multifamily properties.

SEAN BURTON During his 17-year career at Cityview, Sean Burton has expertly forecasted trends and pivoted the firm’s investment strategy and business model to exceed the needs of the market. During the 2008 recession, Burton led Cityview to shift its focus to multifamily and additionally moved the firm to a vertically-integrated model to bolster its place in the market. Burton also identified a disconnect in the market and incorporated wellness-focused amenities into its buildings to focus on resident health, overall satisfaction and community engagement. As CEO and a member of Cityview’s board of directors, Burton oversees a team of more than 100 professionals that have generated more than $4 billion in urban investment across more than 150 projects to date. In total, the company owns and operates 5,000 residential units and has $2 billion in assets under management.

DANIEL CUNNINGHAM A civil engineer by education, Daniel Cunningham has always focused on efficiency through process innovation. During his 20-year career, Cunningham co-founded the nation’s first environmentally-focused modular homebuilder, LivingHomes, now Plant Prefab, which built the world’s first LEED Platinum home in 2006. Cunningham then served as director of asset management at AIMCO, before founding Landmark Property Group in 2008 and Leonardo247 in 2012. Leonardo247’s SaaS solution mitigates operational risk and improves consistency, transparency, and accountability across entire organizations. Upon launching its first beta product in 2014, Leonardo247 was immediately recognized as one of the industry’s best new startups and it received NMHC’s apartment technology innovator award. As CEO, Cunningham has led the company to become one of the fastest-growing software companies in multifamily by supporting more than 1.5 million units.

MEGHAN CZECHOWSKI After serving at Cushman & Wakefield for more than 15 years, Meghan Czechowski was sought out by Walker & Dunlop to join the industry appraisal start-up, Apprise, in January 2020. Through her innovative ideas, technological insight and recognition that the appraisal process needed to be upended, Czechowski quickly displayed her value in the space and she now serves as the face and voice of Apprise. As managing director and head of valuations, Czechowski has helped develop and improve the technology that gathers comprehensive data and delivers property- and market-level insights for clients. She is a respected name within the appraisal industry and she has helped elevate Apprise’s national presence. Czechowski has been instrumental in growing the team from seven employees to 52 and expanding the platform coast-to-coast in just over a year.

JAMES “JIM” DOBBIE Since joining Hunt Cos. in 2007, James Dobbie has directed numerous high-rise and mid-rise housing developments for the firm’s national development platform and he has served in various capacities from development to investment management. While at the company, Dobbie has been responsible for more than 50 transactions and development projects totaling $2.45 billion. While serving as an EVP at Hunt Cos., Dobbie launched a new business unit, Avanta Residential, during the pandemic. As president of Avanta Residential, Dobbie sets the company’s vision and aims to create purpose-built, single-family rental neighborhoods within targeted regions of the US. The business unit, which now comprises 10 professionals, has already closed on its first SFR development. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Dobbie serves as the Sandia Foundation’s real estate committee chair, as a shareholder and board observer for IOTAS Home, a smart-home technology start-up, and as an advisor for Real Estate Technology Ventures, a PropTech-oriented venture capital fund.

SETH GELLIS Within his 16-year industry career, Seth Gellis has made an indelible mark on the affordable housing space in the US, having been involved in more than 11,000 units and more than $2.6 billion in investments. Gellis joined CPP in 2012 and he has since helped grow the firm’s portfolio of affordable housing communities by 500%, while contributing to the CPP’s increase in investments, up nearly 1,700% since then. While helping deepen affordability for residents nationally, Gellis launched the firm’s East Coast business division, CPP East, in late-2018. As SVP, Gellis provides strategic direction for CPP East, which has grown its portfolio to include more than 1,900 units, investing $450 million in affordable housing communities across eight states.

NICK GOMEZ With more than two decades of affordable housing and multifamily experience in California, Nick Gomez utilizes his unique insight and keen understanding of the challenges facing the market, to deliver high-quality multifamily projects faster, cheaper and with a lower carbon footprint. A pioneer of modular development, Gomez pushes the boundaries of smart urban design and responsible planning, to deliver cutting-edge projects and respond to the housing crisis. As multifamily studio director at Lowney Architecture, Gomez has increased the firm’s projects from 25% multifamily to 75% multifamily. He has helped deliver thousands of market-rate affordable, student, senior and supportive units, and successfully permitted more than 5,000 units of factory-built housing.

PETER HAUSER Peter Hauser joined Avison Young as a principal in 2017 backed by a rock solid record of notable sales transactions since the launch of his career in 1983. Hauser’s multiple transactions, knowledge of the market, and positive long-term client relationships with institutional and mid-cap owners have established him as an industry leader throughout Southern California. Altogether, he has been directly involved in more than $3 billion of multifamily sales throughout Southern California. In 2019, Hauser ranked fourth out of the entire region for Avison Young with more than $100 million in transaction value. Last year he was able to push through the crisis and still rank seventh in the top 10 producing brokers for the region for Avison Young.

FELICIA HYDE With more than three decades of experience as an interior architect, Felicia Hyde has made an indelible mark on the multifamily communities she has touched, elevating the living experiences of today’s renters and redefined the meaning of home. As principal and design director for the lifestyle studio at national interior architecture firm H. Hendy Associates, Hyde is known for her disruptive multifamily interior designs. When she ventured into the multifamily world more than 13 years ago, she observed a flat-line approach to multifamily design, with architects managing the planning and spatial decision-making process and residential designers making decisions on finishes and furniture only. Hyde introduced an unconventional approach to design—one that embraced collaboration between owner, developer, architect, landscape architect and interior designer at project inception.

ERIN D. KNIGHT Erin D. Knight’s decades of experience in leadership have brought success to all of the organizations she has led. In the past year she has used that experience to expand Monument Capital Management’s regional portfolio, all while managing her team through the stresses and unknowns of COVID. As president, Knight’s philosophy of leading with compassion and creativity, coupled with a focus on the financial commitment to investors, allowed MCM to outperform its peers in the industry and stay competitive. For instance, Knight created a support system for Monument’s residents, which resulted in collections that exceeded industry averages for its asset class. Since taking the helm at Monument in 2019, Knight has worked closely with all departments to direct overarching goals and ensure they are realized on time. Under her leadership, last year Monument acquired six assets worth $85 million throughout the U.S., adding 872 units to the firm’s 6,000+ units spanning eight states.

MATTHEW KURZMANN Matthew Kurzmann began his career with Affordable Housing Advisors of Marcus & Millichap in 2011 and was instrumental in the creation of AHA’s investment sales platform, which is specifically tailored to the needs of nonprofit real estate owners. Since joining AHA, Kurzmann, who is senior national director, has been an integral part of the firm’s success, which includes a track record of more than 200,000 units of government-subsidized multifamily properties with an aggregate value of more than $11 billion. Kurzmann’s ability to adapt was put to the test via the hardships stemming from the pandemic. His ability to stay ahead of the curve allowed for his clients’ continued success amidst a troubling climate. Kurzmann oversees transactions in New England, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and South-Atlantic regions, while representing clients throughout the US.

JENNIFER LITWAK Jennifer Litwak, co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit organization Housing on Merit, is a national leader in affordable housing and community development. Implementing innovative ways to address the housing affordability crisis across multiple U.S. markets, she has led the charge to close over $475 million in multifamily acquisitions and create 4,674 affordable housing units across California, Ohio, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. Her approach of ‘Equity as a Growth Strategy’ has brought about a fundamental shift in how federal, state and local jurisdictions prioritize and pursue the development of affordable housing and inclusive neighborhoods. Litwak also spearheaded the creation of HOM’s Awards of Merit for Housing Assistance program, which awards grants to female veterans experiencing homelessness and provides resources to remove barriers to permanent housing. She also orchestrated and oversees the Housing Innovation Collaborative, a nonprofit R+D platform that addresses the housing affordability crisis.

VIRGINIA LOVE Virginia Love has provided an immeasurable boost since joining Entrata’s executive team in 2019 when she saw an opportunity to integrate her operational knowledge with Entrata’s innovation and technology. As an industry principal, Love’s leadership and innovative technology strategy have spurred key breakthroughs within Entrata’s marketing, product and sales teams. She was significantly involved in the development and rollout of Entrata’s flexible tour type offerings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Love also plays a critical role in the robust production and execution of Entrata’s annual premiere virtual event, Entrata Connect. Throughout her career, Love has served on numerous multifamily committees and boards and has also chaired or co-chaired the Atlanta Apartment Association’s Community Service committee and focused on AAA’s annual Food-A-Thon for the Atlanta Community Food Bank for decades.

GREG MARK Early on during his career at Cushman & Wakefield, Greg Mark was charged with expanding the firm’s management portfolio across the East Coast. Finding early success at the firm, Mark quickly grew his 4,500-unit portfolio by 200% within two years. Now, serving as senior managing director within Cushman & Wakefield’s multifamily asset services platform, Mark continues to focus on expanding operations and client management in the Eastern US. In 2020 alone, under Mark’s trusted leadership, his portfolio added 12,000 new apartment homes. In recent years, Mark has been instrumental in growing the company’s single-family rental portfolio. His outside-of-the-box thinking has helped the firm secure new clients and repeat business within the SFR space and build-to-rent communities, adding 3,000 units in the past two years.

MARTIN MELO The Melo Group has been a driving force behind Downtown Miami’s real estate resurgence since 2001 when the Melo family brought the 40-year-old family-owned firm to the area from Argentina. The firm was led by patriarch Jose Luis Melo and his two sons Carlos and Martin. The company, which specializes in investing early in prime land and building for market demand, has a portfolio of more than 6,000 condominium and rental units completed in the area. Early in its existence in Miami, Melo played an important role in revitalizing Downtown Miami’s Edgewater enclave with nearly a dozen residential towers that are now part of what has become an exclusive waterfront neighborhood. More recently, the firm, led by Melo, delivered 2,300 transit-oriented residential units to Downtown Miami’s once-vacant Arts & Entertainment District.

STUART I. MEYERS With more than 50 years of experience in the industry, Stuart Meyers has earned a reputation as an accomplished real estate developer and a leader in multifamily housing and mixed-use development. Meyers founded Meyers Group in 2008 and now leads the company as chairman and CEO. Since 2015, Meyers Group has become a leader in historic hotel renovations, condominium developments, market-rate luxury rental properties and mixed-use projects. It currently has multiple ground-up developments or redevelopments underway on both coasts of Florida and El Paso, Texas. During his career, Meyers has completed the development of more than 20,000 apartment units, representing 70 communities valued at more than $1.5 billion. He has planned, directed and implemented the successful combination of Federal LIHTC and the Florida State Apartment Incentive Loan program. In addition to Meyers Group, Meyers founded both the Related Companies Florida Low Income Tax Credit Housing Development Group in the 1980s and the Cornerstone Group in the 1990s.

NICHOLAS MINOIA During its two decades in business, Diversified Properties has developed more than 10,000 units and manages a development pipeline spanning 4,000 residential units in 10 communities. This success is a tribute to founder and managing partner Nicholas Minoia, who launched the firm in 2000 and has led it to develop more than $1.5 billion in real estate. Diversified Properties is one of the northeast region’s most experienced commercial real estate builders and owners with a deep history in developing and managing multifamily communities throughout the Northeast US. Its unique ability to recognize non-traditional geographic and demographic opportunities currently underserved by multifamily housing and bring in-demand communities to life has enabled the company to stand out in a crowded Northeastern multifamily market. In addition, Minoia and his team are skilled in distressed and challenging multifamily assets. With deep experience in financing and banking, Minoia lends his expertise as a board member for ConnectOne Bank and he has also served as a project manager for Habitat for Humanity.

JANET D. NEMAN Janet Neman is EVP at Kidder Mathews, where she is a top producer and last year ranked number one overall in the Southern California region. Neman has sold more than $1.6 billion in assets during her 35-year industry career, including nearly $90 million in transactions in 2020. This year, Neman has completed nearly $40 million in transactions with more than $100 million in escrow. She recently represented the seller and buyer on the sale of a 30-unit building in Los Angeles for $10.6 million. The property had been listed by another broker, and through her extensive marketing campaign and knowledge of the market, Neman was able to achieve the highest pricing possible for the seller. Last year, she represented clients in the off-market acquisition of a three-building, 122-unit multifamily portfolio in Granada Hills, CA, for $25 million; a rare value-add opportunity in the San Fernando Valley.

DAVID OROPEZA David Oropeza has spent his entire 35-year investment brokerage career at Gebroe-Hammer Associates, where he has closed billions of dollars in multifamily transactions and helped the firm grow from a boutique operation to a global brokerage. As executive managing director, Oropeza oversees a team of investment brokers in North Jersey. Regarded as a top urban transit-village specialist, Oropeza is credited with continually expanding the firm’s presence, transaction activity and client base, and his work includes several prominent development deals. During the past five years, he has arranged more than 70 transactions involving more than 4,000 units amounting to a combined $641.21 million in sales, with a significant percentage falling into the value-add investment opportunity category. Oropeza is often the sole broker exclusively representing the sellers and procuring the buyers for assets that he has secured an exclusive listing. He also serves as an advisor to clients seeking to market their multifamily investment properties, expand their portfolio holdings or engage in 1031 exchange properties.

CHRISTOPHER RAGLAND The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted Christopher Ragland’s ability to overcome adversity and challenges. Ragland, who is the founder, CEO and principal of Ragland Realty and Management LLC, continued to acquire properties for his clients during the pandemic, acting as a bridge of confidence in an otherwise uncertain time. His 20 years of industry experience helped him to accurately predict low payment defaults in specific market segments when doom-and-gloom scenarios were prevalent. Ragland is the primary interface with the firm’s family office clients and he directs the overall vision of the company as it continues to spread its portfolio across the country. He has assisted institutional investors and family offices in the emerging single-family asset investment class. His success has earned him recognition within the industry, including Private Lender of the Year in Austin in 2019, and invitations to speak at conferences on alternative investment asset classes.

MARC D. RENARD Marc Renard, executive vice chairman of Cushman & Wakefield’s global capital markets group, does not shy away from challenging deals. He has been involved in several large, complex deals in the Western U.S. Renard and his team have closed more than 525 capital markets transactions, valuing more than $37 billion, including more than 45 capital markets transactions totaling more than $3.2 billion in deal value within the past three years. Renard has led his team in brokering some of the West Coast’s most prominent multifamily investment sales, including The Boulevard on Santa Monica, a 337-unit apartment community for $281 million, which was the largest multifamily sale in Los Angeles in 2020 and was awarded the Best Multifamily Deal of the Year by the Los Angeles Business Journal. Cushman & Wakefield has recognized Renard numerous times as a top investment broker in California and the western region, and in 2013, Renard was lauded as the top-producing global capital markets broker at the firm.

DAVID SCHWARTZ In January 2020, David Schwartz was appointed to a two-year term as chair of the National Multifamily Housing Council, the apartment industry’s trade group. During his tenure, Schwartz has faced challenges including onerous rent reform as well as COVID-19. His ability to lead through challenges is built upon lessons he has learned throughout his career. He leaned on a mentor’s advice to ‘learn the business before you do the business’ as he persevered through cold calling early in his career as a tenant broker at AMLI, before serving as VP of acquisitions at Equity Residential Properties Trust, prior to co-founding Waterton, where he now serves as chairman and CEO. Throughout the pandemic, Schwartz was committed to keeping Waterton residents in their homes and employees in their jobs. The firm implemented a rent-relief program across its portfolio to assist residents and implemented enhanced cleaning protocols in all communities. By leading with a measured approach to business, Schwartz has seen Waterton through significant growth both in assets under management (AUM) and in the number of associates.

C. LAMAR SEATS During a career spanning more than three decades, C. Lamar Seats has focused on creating workforce and affordable housing and encouraging the federal government to address the needs of these markets. Seats joined Greystone as SVP of FHA production in March 2021, and before that, he served as deputy assistant secretary of multifamily housing programs at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he oversaw more than $21 billion in production throughout 2020. Seats remains concerned about the decline in homeownership resulting from the continual increase in single-family home prices and the financial pressure that puts on renters. At Greystone, Seats leverages his experience in public service to forge private-public partnerships and other collaborative efforts to address issues that hinder affordable multifamily housing. His duties include overseeing origination teams that handle multifamily affordable housing and construction finance via HUD-insured programs, and growing Greystone’s FHA lending platform.

PETER SHERMAN Peter Sherman, principal and head of multifamily capital markets at Avison Young, is one of the firm’s top Los Angeles brokers and he brings a wide array of multifamily advisory expertise to his role. Throughout his 17-year career, Sherman has led or been directly involved in more than $7 billion of multifamily investments, joint-venture partnerships and debt/equity raisings. Prior to joining Avison Young in 2016, Sherman helped lead the institutional multifamily practice at CBRE and he served as the founder and principal of Brooktree, a multifamily investment company. Within Sherman’s current role, he leads the firm’s Southern California multifamily institutional investment sales practice, while focusing on expanding in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. In addition to serving as principal, Sherman expanded his role to head up the firm’s national multifamily practice, including work in Maryland and North Carolina. Sherman and his wife are involved in several charities and local community activism in Venice, CA.

TAYLOR SNODDY Since joining NorthMarq in 2018, Taylor Snoddy has consistently topped the firm’s leaderboard for production volume and he is on pace to finish this year as the firm’s top salesperson with nearly $3 billion in transaction volume, comprising 407 property sales of 26,000 units. As managing director of investment sales at the firm, Snoddy leads his team to market, value and counsel multifamily property investors. In addition to his impressive production volume, Snoddy has been instrumental in developing NorthMarq’s footprint across Texas; efforts which include expanding the firm’s Austin, San Antonio and Dallas teams. Snoddy recently sold S2’s 2,000-unit portfolio to Manhattan Five Partners LLC, as its first entry into the Dallas market. He additionally assisted S2 in acquiring 1,350 apartment units. He also recently sold a seven-property portfolio in Stephenville, TX, composed of 659 units. Snoddy is a member of the Texas Real Estate Commission and NMHC.

AVERY SOLOMON Avery Solomon places a high value on relationships both with her team and her clients, which has set the precedent that she is only a phone call away when they need her. This accessibility has led to confidence among her clients in their investments. As senior managing director of client services for Cushman & Wakefield’s multifamily East region, Solomon is responsible for ensuring that the firm achieves its client-centric goals. She spearheads initiatives that reinvent the firm’s multifamily business, including her portfolio-building approach to considering assets that competitors might overlook. In the past year, Solomon has played a key role in integrating the firm’s multifamily team to its asset services platform by helping bridge systems and processes between the two organizations. She has also worked to align the client services team from a geographic model to a strategic support model. She serves as a mentor and an active member of Cushman & Wakefield’s Women’s Integrated Network.

MICHAEL SOROCHINSKY Michael Sorochinsky’s ability to recognize market trends and economic cycles, along with his investment strategies, business philosophy and transaction execution, is the driving force behind Cypress Equity Investments’ $5 billion real estate portfolio. Sorochinsky founded the firm in 2001. In 2006, Sorochinsky noticed significant stress on credit markets and began advising clients to sell their properties. Under Sorochinsky’s leadership as CEO, CEI sold 80% of its portfolio for significant gains before the Great Recession in 2008. In 2010, Sorochinsky recognized an emerging opportunity to develop class A apartments in cities while the economy was still grappling with the recession. Due to this, the firm amassed a development pipeline of more than 9,000 luxury apartments in ten top markets with a projected value of $5 billion. CEI is now a leader in multifamily acquisitions, life science lab/office development, self-storage development and general partnership and limited partnership investments. In addition to investing in more than 1,500 affordable housing units, Sorochinsky and CEI are active participants in helping solve the homelessness crisis.

ALICIA STOERMER CLARK Throughout the past 17 years, Alicia Stoermer Clark has put in the time and hard work at Seldin LLC to climb the ranks to her current position as CEO, for which she oversees property management, commercial management, service, construction, compliance and brokerage operations. Looked upon as a role model within the firm, Clark continually examines situations from different perspectives to ensure that all options have been reviewed and explored. Seldin maintains a large selection of tax credit and HUD housing properties in its portfolio through her leadership. She serves as a strong affordable housing advocate by dedicating much time to being a voice for those whose mission is to provide quality, affordable housing. Clark also notably spearheaded Seldin’s partnership with Metropolitan Community College and its workforce innovation division. The partnership created a 90-hour certification program focused on key areas of multifamily service needs. While successfully leading the firm, raising five children and remaining active in local charitable organizations, Clark earned her doctorate in 2017.

KURT STUART As head of commercial term lending for the Northeast, Kurt Stuart led the creation of JPMorgan Chase’s affordable housing preservation program, which is part of the firm’s $30 billion commitment to advance racial equity across the US. The affordable housing preservation program funded more than $4 billion in production during its first four months, which will preserve affordability in more than 36,000 units across the country. A 15-year veteran of the industry, Stuart leads a team of more than 150 professionals responsible for loan originations, strategic direction and the financial performance of CTL’s Northeast region multifamily loan business. JPMorgan Chase’s CTL team, which is one of the largest private multifamily finance players outside of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, focuses 99% of its efforts on workforce housing. Stuart is a member of JPMorgan Chase’s commercial real estate council and he is passionate about coaching and mentoring the firm’s up-and-coming talent, summer analysts and Advancing Black Pathways fellows. In addition, he is an active advisor on the CRE Business’s diversity and inclusion council.

ELLEN THOMPSON For nearly 20 years, Ellen Thompson has been creating innovative technologies for the multifamily industry. In 2002, Thompson launched the first internet listing service that filtered apartment communities by their exact neighborhoods in Philadelphia, PA. She has also been early to market with multifamily-specific platforms for social media, reputation management, chatbots and artificial intelligence-based lead-nurturing solutions. Thompson currently serves as CEO of Results Repeat, one of Philadelphia’s fastest-growing firms, where she oversees all operations. She additionally sits on the board of the apartment marketing firm, Respage. Under Thompson’s leadership, Respage launched a technology called Amenity Scheduler, which limits the number of residents that can simultaneously use common area amenities, solving a major issue for property managers during COVID-19. She serves as the membership chair of the Pennsylvania Apartment Association’s suppliers council and she also serves on the selection committee of Launch Lane, which provides grants and mentorships to healthcare startups owned by members of underrepresented communities.

PAUL TUCHIN Since joining Trammell Crow Co. in 2013, Paul Tuchin has delivered more than 200,000 square feet of class A office space and more than one million square feet of high-quality industrial space in the Phoenix area. Passionate about real estate and making his hometown of Phoenix a better place to live and work, Tuchin’s focus drove him to establish TCC’s residential business, High Street Residential, in 2015. Tuchin and his HSR Phoenix team are currently managing five active multifamily projects, which will total 1,350 units. During the pandemic, Tuchin managed supply-chain challenges while working on the construction of a 160-unit multifamily development, which was completed and opened to residents earlier this year. In addition to serving as a principal at the company, Tuchin serves as a volunteer at numerous local non-profit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Society of St Vincent Du Paul and Community Supported Agriculture. He has been a guest speaker at several industry events.

REED WEINBERG Two decades of experience in the multifamily space have made Reed Weinberg, president of PRG Commercial Property Advisors, an authority on the sector. Weinberg’s track record spans a broad range of complex transactions, many of which involve non-traditional buyers and sellers, financial institutions and nonprofit organizations. In his role as president, Weinberg is responsible for overseeing a team of associates and running all of the company’s operations, while also building and maintaining his practice. During the pandemic, Weinberg led PRG Commercial Property Advisors to a significant volume of multifamily transactions in Kentucky and Indiana. He additionally grew the firm’s team by more than 30% last year, in an effort to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever. In addition to his work at PRG Commercial Property Advisors, Weinberg remains active in his community. He currently serves on the Downtown Louisville Revitalization Committee and he has served as president of the board of trustees for his synagogue, in addition to serving on multiple other non-profit boards and committees.

MARK J. WEINSTEIN Widely regarded as a thought leader within the multifamily sector, Mark Weinstein serves as founder and president of MJW Investments and the majority owner of its diversified real estate portfolio. A 35-year industry veteran, Weinstein commenced his career in law and founded MJW Investments with the acquisition of a five-unit property, while completing his Juris Doctor degree in 1983. Weinstein focused the company largely on development until 2007 when the firm began acquiring student housing. Under his leadership, MJW Investments has become a full-service, vertically-integrated real estate company with a portfolio valued at more than $1 billion, including more than 1,000 multifamily units and 7,000 student housing beds across eight states. Selective in acquisitions, Weinstein leads the firm to focus on unique property attributes that he believes will lead to enhanced investor returns. Weinstein is also involved with several real estate organizations, as well as non-profit organizations.

THEODORE T. WELDON During his time at Lendlease, Theodore Weldon has led the development of three residential projects in Chicago that transformed underused, distressed or blighted land into healthy neighborhoods and communities. As executive general manager of development within the Americas region at Lendlease, Weldon oversees the execution and delivery of the company’s Chicago development projects. He is also responsible for managing the continued growth of the development business in the Chicago market through pursuing and identifying urban regeneration projects, while also supporting Lendlease’s development efforts nationally. Prior to joining Lendlease, Weldon began his career as a consulting actuary before shifting to development, beginning with the management and re-development of several class C office buildings and managing several new construction and rehab residential developments. Weldon serves on the board of the Chicago Metropolitan Housing Development Corp. and the Chicago Architecture Biennial.

GREG WEST Under Greg West’s leadership, ZOM Living has grown from a regional player in Florida to a national leader in the multifamily space by building various sector projects in fast-growing cities across the country. As president and CEO of ZOM, West is responsible for all aspects of the company, with a focus on development activities, as well as project design, permitting and construction. Having been with the company for 24 years, West has been deeply involved with the development process, including new opportunities, due diligence and underwriting parameters. He has been directly responsible for the development of more than 20,000 multifamily units, valued at $4.5 billion. He spearheaded ZOM Senior Living, a division that is currently constructing three communities in Florida. Last year, the firm also closed several major site acquisitions and development capitalizations valued at more than $800 million and totaling more than 2,700 apartment units.

ALISON WILLIAMS Alison Williams brings nearly two decades of commercial real estate experience to her role as SVP and chief production officer at Walker & Dunlop. Williams began her career in 2003 at NorthMarq, where she worked her way up from analyst to VP, prior to joining Walker & Dunlop as a senior director in 2014. After serving as a broker at Walker & Dunlop, Williams stepped into a leadership role, leveraging her extensive knowledge of multifamily production and underwriting to lead operations and originations for the company’s national multifamily platform focused on loans of $1.5 million to $10 million. Williams leads production for the entire platform, which aims to achieve more than $5 billion of annual volume by 2025 – a key component of Walker & Dunlop’s Drive to ’25 growth initiatives. As chief production officer, Williams is tasked with recruiting new hires, managing the team’s budget and revamping the group’s business model. She has also worked to build out a national team with a focus on hiring diverse candidates and fostering an inclusive culture. Williams is active within the employee resource group, Women of Walker & Dunlop, and the organization, Real Estate Network Empowering Women. She also serves as a member of professional organizations such as the Mortgage Bankers Association and NMHC.

JANE WU Jane Wu founded Panorama Holdings LLC with the goal to impact communities. She serves as president of the firm, which specializes in real estate development, investment, finance and consultation. In her role, Wu sets the strategic vision, leads development efforts and ensures the company’s mission of making Charlotte, NC a better place to live, work and play. Wu nurtures the growth of all team members, including a team in China. As of March 2021, Panorama Holdings had developed 1.8 million square feet of multifamily, hospitality and office assets. The company has $350 million in assets under management and $1 billion of assets in its pipeline. Wu is committed to economic development activities as well as corporate social responsibilities. During the pandemic, Wu and her team organized the donation of personal protection equipment to medical professionals in both the U.S. and China.

TEAMS

AO MULTIFAMILY STUDIO AO is a design-driven architectural interior and planning services firm based out of Orange County, CA. As one of the top architecture firms in the country, its multifamily studio leads in the revitalization of urban developments through cutting-edge designs. Led by managing partners RC Alley, Ed Cadavona and Steven Gaffney, the studio works in sync with market experts from the firm’s retail, office, hospitality and industrial studios in order to develop authentic and engaging mixed-use and master-planned communities across the Western US. As of August 2020, the firm had achieved $64.5 million in revenue, with the multifamily studio accounting for 45% of the total revenue. The team has received accolades for its work across market-rate, affordable and senior housing developments, as well as other high-density multifamily projects that utilize wrap, podium and walk-up construction methods. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, AO has continued to offer expert solutions and feasibility studies for retail owners that wish to repurpose their buildings and land into multifamily communities. The multifamily studio also specializes in creating seamless indoor/outdoor flows in a time of indoor restrictions.

BERKADIA HUD Led by Steve Ervin, Tim Nunan, Kevin Kozminske and David Blake, Berkadia’s HUD team provides clients with customized debt, financing and equity solutions. The team is made up of 40 professionals, including nine current and former FHA chief underwriters. Berkadia has maintained the number two ranking among FHA-insured lenders nationwide in 2018, 2019 and 2020, and it has remained a thought-leader in the space throughout the pandemic. The HUD team closed more than $2 billion in FHA-insured financing within the first half of 2021, aiming to surpass the nearly $3.5 billion it generated in 2020. Last year, Berkadia also assisted HUD and Ginnie Mae in crafting policies, providing counsel and navigating the unpredictable space. The HUD team’s strong relationships with both HUD and clients has been the key to its success. Berkadia has additionally improved diversity within the HUD group by designing an active diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiative.

CBRE MULTIFAMILY The multifamily team at CBRE completed $24.4 billion in multifamily investment sales and handled $29 billion in financing last year. Led by Brian McAuliffe, Mitchell Kiffe, Jeanette Rice and Kyle Draeger, the team has been recognized by Real Capital Analytics as the top U.S. multifamily broker since 2001 and the Mortgage Bankers Association once again recognized CBRE as a top multifamily loan originator in 2020. With more than 300 dedicated professionals, the team works across all aspects of brokerage, finance and investment banking for a broad range of investors both nationally and globally. As president of CBRE’s multifamily capital markets, McAulliffe focuses on leading the firm’s institutional multifamily sales and debt capital markets activity, while Kiffe serves as the head of national multifamily loan production for CBRE’s debt & structured finance platform. Rice drives all of CBRE’s data as the head of Americas multifamily research and Draeger serves as the head of CBRE multifamily capital, CBRE’s Fannie Mae DUS lending operation.

CLAY NEWTON, JORDAN CARTER & TYLER LINN, KIDDER MATHEWS PORTLAND MULTIFAMILY TEAM The Kidder Mathews multifamily investment sales group in Portland, OR led the Oregon and Southwest Washington market in the sale of existing apartment properties and multifamily development land last year, ranging in value from $2 to $30 million in value. The team’s combined transaction value totals more than $1 billion. In addition to leading the region in sales, the principals, Clay Newton, Jordan Carter and Tyler Linn, serve as reliable sources of information by speaking at the leading industry organization events and providing market reports that offer clarity to investors who were concerned about the stability of the marketplace and viability of apartments throughout the uncertainty. In 2020, the team worked pro bono with a local builder to redevelop a property that had been decimated in the 1950’s. The development will not only provide affordable housing, but it also represents the beginning of a conversation around equity in a neighborhood with a blighted history.

COLLIERS MSP CAPITAL MARKETS | MULTIFAMILY INVESTMENTS Leaders Ted Bickel and Jeff Budish are pioneers within the multifamily market. They are driven by an ethos that emphasizes the importance of collaboration and de-siloing the multifamily development process in service of their business and the client’s best interest. The two professionals work closely with Colliers’ land team to identify development site opportunities, offer pre-development underwriting and consulting, source equity for projects and sell projects upon completion. Throughout the last 18 months, Bickel and Budish have held the highest market share of sales volume for apartments in the Minneapolis metropolitan market, with an average yearly sales volume of $150 million to $200 million. In the past year, the team sold $430 million. Throughout the team’s lifespan, it has ranked within the top three teams in the market. Bickel and Budish regularly serve as mentors. They guide younger brokers, mentor high school students, coach sports and serve as ACT prep tutors.

CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD’S NICK MEOLI / MIKE DONALDSON TEAM Cushman & Wakefield’s Nick Meoli and Mike Donaldson have procured more than $1.5 billion in multifamily sales since joining Cushman and Wakefield in 2019. Soon after joining the firm, the two professionals secured the CoStar Power Broker award for 2020 multifamily investment sales. With more than 10,000 units sold or listed since the onset of the pandemic, within one of the largest geographical coverage areas of any Florida multifamily brokerage team, Meoli and Donaldson serve as one of the most active multifamily brokers in the state. The duo’s specialty is market-rate communities including portfolio sales. They also hold expertise in fractured condominium sales and affordable housing. Last year, Meoli and Donaldson ensured that pre-COVID transactions and assignments got across the finish line and they pushed hard to create interest in offerings during periods of uncertainty. Meoli and Donaldson participate in numerous charitable events sponsored by their clients, giving back to the communities in which they transact.

FRANKLIN STREET’S TAMPA MULTIFAMILY INVESTMENT SALES TEAM During the COVID-19 pandemic, communication was the key for Franklin Street’s Tampa-based multifamily investment sales team. In addition to keeping a constant flow of communication with all clients, prospective clients, potential buyers and internal team members, the team increased its in-house production of thought-leadership content, including a podcast and virtual panel series. Earlier this year, the team, comprising Darron Kattan, Zachary Ames, Avery Jordan and Mark Savarese, arranged one of its largest deals ever, a 517-unit apartment community in St. Petersburg, FL, which traded for $56 million. The team additionally recently completed the sale of a 230-unit property in Port St. Lucie, FL for $41.6 million and a 320-unit property in Fort Pierce, FL for $32.2 million. The team also sold two properties in Lakeland, FL, neither of which had traded in more than 30 years.

GEORGE SMITH PARTNERS – THE YAZLEE TEAM During the past three years, the Yazlee team at George Smith Partners has achieved a deal volume that exceeds $1.5 billion. Led by principals and managing directors Jonathan Lee and Shahin Yazdi, the team has successfully financed the highest dollar amount of multifamily deals in 2021, more than any other team at George Smith Partners. The team, which also includes members, Jarod King, Miles Musalman, Matt Kirisits, Paul Monsen and Kyle Redmond, has closed more than $350 million in capitalized deals year-to-date and it currently has more than $500 million in financings in applications, representing 2,500 multifamily units and 18 transactions. The team has repeatedly arranged multifamily construction financings located in the qualified Opportunity Zone space and also uses crowdfunding as a tool to finance complex transactions. In addition to their roles as team leads, Lee and Yazdi have effectively created new revenue streams for the company and they serve as mentors to individual brokers.

GREYSTAR REAL ESTATE PARTNERS ALLIANCE ACQUISITION TEAM Greystar Real Estate Partners’ alliance acquisition team is led by Mike Clow and Helen Trapp, both members of the firm’s executive committee. During the pandemic, Clow and Trapp led the firm in acquiring and integrating Alliance Residential, the fourth largest multifamily management company at the time. As executive director and the leader of Greystar’s third-party operations and its client services team, Clow brought the acquisition opportunity to the firm and oversaw the completely virtual onboarding process. As senior managing director and leader of Greystar’s strategic services group, Trapp worked to integrate the team while providing strategic support for Greystar’s COVID-19 operations. With the integration of Alliance Residential, Greystar increased its US footprint by 25% and grew to nearly 19,000 employees. The company now oversees a portfolio of more than 2,600 communities and 690,000 apartment units across 42 states and 13 countries.

GREYSTEEL AFFORDABLE HOUSING The Greysteel affordable housing investment sales practice launched in 2017 with two team members focused solely on the Mid-Atlantic region. In 2021, the team now has 13 originators and two full-time dedicated financial analysts covering the entire US. Since the team’s inception, the company has become a top-five firm in affordable housing disposition volume. The team is responsible for arranging sales and financing for institutional, middle market and private client multifamily properties with an emphasis in the LIHTC and project-based subsidy sectors. The Greysteel team additionally provides commercial real estate consulting services to several non-profit organizations across the country. The team is dedicated to adding value regardless of the client.

IPA TEXAS The Texas team of Marcus & Millichap’s Institutional Property Advisors is led by executive managing director of investments Will Balthrope and senior managing director of investments Drew Kile. As experts of multifamily property acquisitions and dispositions, Balthrope and Kile excel through their dedication to their clients’ needs and their ability to adapt to the ever-changing market. Through a culture of camaraderie, adaptability and transparency, IPA Texas successfully closed more than $1.8 billion in apartment sales in 2020. While working out of the firm’s Dallas office, the team volunteers its time at local food banks. Understanding the importance of serving the community, the Dallas office raised more than $50,000 during the pandemic to help Feeding America serve more than 500,000 local Texans.

IPA’S DAVID GEBING TEAM Institutional Property Advisors of Marcus & Millichap leaders Steve Gebing and Cliff David secure and sell multifamily investment properties throughout Arizona. In 2020, Gebing and David were both named CoStar Power Brokers and they each earned Marcus & Millichap’s two most prestigious internal awards, the circle of excellence award and the chairman’s club award. Last year, they were also recognized as IPA’s top US sales professionals for the second year in a row. Gebing and David closed more than $1.7 billion in property sales in 2020 and they were each promoted to executive managing directors, the highest designation a Marcus & Millichap and IPA investment professional can attain. Utilizing their industry experience, the two professionals quickly adapt to the ever-changing rules and regulations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Gebing and David both support charitable and civic-minded organizations on an ongoing basis, and they each play an active role within their respective church communities.

JLL’S SINGLE FAMILY RENTAL TEAM Within JLL capital markets’ multi-housing platform, the JLL single-family rental team specializes in the alternative commercial real estate asset class which includes varying types of single-family rentals, such as build-for-rent, scattered home portfolios and horizontal multi-housing. The JLL single-family rental team was officially formed during the COVID-19 pandemic for a market that displayed a level of resistance throughout 2020, due to low inventory and renter demand fueling a surge of institutional and private investor interest. As the popularity of single-family rentals surged, the team had the opportunity to work in real-time with many of JLL’s capital and operator clients on opportunities within the sector for new groups to participate in. The team quickly adapted to the new climate last year by utilizing the firm’s analytics and staying a step ahead for their clients by communicating with each business line and keeping best interests at the forefront.

MARCUS & MILLICHAP FLUELLEN-HOOVER MULTIFAMILY GROUP Leveraging Marcus & Millichap’s national platform, the Fluellen-Hoover multifamily group works closely with all types of investors to achieve results for clients. Led by senior managing directors of investments, Nick Fluellen and Bard Hoover, the group specializes in the acquisition and disposition of multifamily property throughout Dallas and the surrounding area. The full-service team assists clients with any needs when buying and selling properties. Throughout the pandemic, the group’s resiliency, teamwork and organization enabled it to continue to serve as a resource for clients. Despite a temporary slowdown in transactions, the team finished 2020 up from their 2019 production. Throughout his career, Fluellen has received 15 sales recognition awards and 12 national achievement awards. He has also been voted into Marcus & Millichap’s chairman’s club five times. Bard has additionally received nine sales recognition awards, eight national achievement awards, and has been voted into the firm’s chairman’s club four times.

MCGUIREWOODS AFFORDABLE HOUSING The McGuireWoods affordable housing team is a multidisciplinary team of lawyers and McGuireWoods Consulting policy professionals that are dedicated to advising clients on all sides of affordable housing projects, developments and transactions. As an extension of the firm’s national real estate capital markets practice, the team represents multifamily agency lenders pursuant to the Fannie Mae multifamily affordable housing program and the Freddie Mac optigo lender targeted affordable housing program, as well as mortgage banking and mortgage brokerage services and letter of credit-backed construction bond transactions. Led by Scott Adams, Kristen Kirby and Tracy Baynard, the affordable housing team is skilled in all aspects of affordable housing, mixed-income housing, mixed-use housing and community development matters. The team’s clients range from closely held, community-based businesses to Fortune 100 companies.

NEWMARK FLORIDA MULTIFAMILY CAPITAL MARKETS The Newmark Florida multifamily capital markets group’s 14 investment sales brokers and four debt and structured finance producers have operated as a team for more than 20 years. In 2018, the team exceeded $4 billion in volume for the first time in the state of Florida; a production volume that it has continued to maintain throughout 2019 and 2020. Last year, the statewide team completed 118 transactions totaling $4.4 billion in volume. The investment sales team sold 60 properties for a total of $3.1 billion in volume. For comparison, the next closest competitor sold 32 properties for a total of $2 billion in volume. This gave the Newmark team a 35% market share in the state, according to figures compiled by Real Estate Alert.

RCLCO’S REAL ESTATE ECONOMICS LEADERSHIP TEAM Throughout the past three years, RCLCO’s real estate economics leadership team has conducted thousands of assignments for multifamily developers both domestic and international, in an effort to assist and inform development projects. The team, led by CEO Adam Ducker and managing directors Gregg Logan, Derek Wyatt, Erin Talkington and Todd LaRue, has written more than 80 articles for the firm’s advisory publications on topics ranging from domestic in-migration patterns impacting multifamily rent growth to monthly updates on the residential housing market. RCLCO recognized the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic early on in an article published on March 2, 2020, where Logan provided predictions regarding which sectors would be hardest hit and provided advice for real estate businesses on how to handle the crisis. As a result, the team has been in high demand, speaking at multiple virtual events hosted by ULI, the American Planning Association, Marcus & Millichap and other industry organizations.

RPM Living’s Transitions and Due Diligence RPM Living’s Transitions and Due Diligence team is unique within the multifamily real estate field because no other property management company has an entire team dedicated solely to the transition process. At the time of the group’s inception in 2014, RPM Living managed only 6,900 units. Since then, the team has worked to increase its capabilities and take on a larger volume of transitions. The transitions and due diligence team is responsible for managing the entire takeover process for communities onboarding to RPM Living, in addition to disposition management, due diligence and utility management. Responsibilities during the transition process include coordinating with internal departments to put the appropriate systems in place and successfully transferring everything over, from security deposits to social media accounts, prior to takeover. As a testament to its achievements, the team ranked 42 on the NMHC Top 50 Largest Apartment Managers list in 2020, and it leaped to number 11 in 2021.

TAYLOR STREET ADVISORS’ MULTIFAMILY TEAM Taylor Street’s multifamily team stands out within the space because it works seamlessly with the firm’s other entities, including Taylor Street Advisors, Taylor Street Capital Markets and Taylor Street Property Management. In doing so, the team can provide clients with the most relevant information so that they are able to make informed decisions and reach their investment goals. The team established itself on a national level by understanding the lending landscape and building networks in cities such as Seattle, where the team closed a $12 million refinance of a historic office building in 2020. Recognized as a top producing firm last year, Taylor Street Advisors served as a leading brokerage during the COVID-19 pandemic by closing more than $75 million in transaction volume throughout 2020. Taylor Street Advisors’ multifamily team additionally commanded a market share of 22% of all mobile home park sales in the Phoenix area during the pandemic.

THE WALKER WEBCAST BY WALKER & DUNLOP As the commercial real estate industry has historically been a relationship-based business, the COVID-19 conditions made face-to-face sales approaches nearly impossible. Walker & Dunlop CEO Willy Walker created the Walker Webcast in March 2020 in hopes of keeping the lines of communication open with clients, investors, recruits, employees and the broader market amidst the isolating circumstances of the global pandemic. The weekly, live, hour-long video series offers expert insights on leadership, personal development, the economy and real estate. The Walker Webcast has since evolved into a full-scale content marketing ecosystem including blog posts, social media campaigns, a dedicated microsite, short and long-form YouTube videos, a podcast, as well as earned media and broadcast TV appearances. In 2020, 69% of Walker & Dunlop’s $41.1 billion in transaction volume, and 64% of the firm’s $11.78 billion in new loan transaction volume, came from companies that attended the webcast. In total, the program has produced 60 webcasts and it has received more than 1.4 million live, replay and podcast views as of June 2021.

ORGANIZATIONS

AMERICAN LANDMARK APARTMENTS American Landmark Apartments / Electra America is one of the fastest-growing multifamily owner-operators in the nation. Based in Tampa, FL, American Landmark Apartments specializes in the opportunistic acquisition and management of value-add multifamily assets located in high-growth markets throughout the Southeast U.S. Growing from 23,000 units in 2018, the company now holds roughly $4.5 billion in multifamily real estate or a current portfolio of more than 34,000 units across some of the most attractive Southeastern markets.  Last year American Landmark Apartments found itself in a unique position to help its residents cope with the public health and economic issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm’s property management teams moved quickly to implement new sanitation protocols and roll-out new technological enhancements to reduce the spread of the virus. Despite the disruption last year, American Landmark Apartments reported 14,505 lease renewals and 15,594 new move-ins.

AVANATH CAPITAL MANAGEMENT Avanath Capital Management is an investment manager in the affordable and workforce housing sector. As an impact investor, the company has more than 11,000 units across the U.S. The firm actively advocates on behalf of the affordable housing industry and incorporates social impact programs into communities that improve resident outcomes and investor bottom lines. Avanath Capital Management’s mission is to invest in traditionally underserved communities and preserve affordability throughout the nation. Not only does the firm invest in buildings, it also supports on-site services, amenities and activities that add value to residents’ lives. These programs, including after-school programs, financial literacy, wellness classes, arts and crafts and technology training, often directly correlate to reduced resident turnover, which contributes to the long-term success of a property.

BEHRING COS. As the core operations behind Behring Cos., Behring Capital LLC has made numerous significant contributions to the multifamily sector. The privately-owned, vertically-integrated real estate developer and private equity platform specializes in income-focused, mixed-use residential investments, from trophy-quality, transit-oriented developments to workforce and student housing. One of the firm’s most impactful contributions to the sector is its role in the revival of the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which provides foreign investors with permanent residency in exchange for job-creating investments in the U.S., such as construction projects. Just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program was devastated through regulation changes to the program’s requirements which paralyzed the flow of investments to a 99% drop in petitions. The Behring Companies took on the Department of Homeland Security with litigation, challenging the legality of the rule changes, and in June, Behring Regional Center won the lawsuit against the U.S. government in federal court, scoring a massive victory for EB-5.

CARROLL For nearly two decades, CARROLL has raised the bar in the multifamily space through data-forward investing, unmatched returns, commitment to workplace inclusion and diversity, community involvement and year-over-year growth. The company credits its success to its methodical approach to investing, developed through years of experience, thousands of deals and proprietary portfolio data. CARROLL’s portfolio consists of more than 30,000 units, with an average 95% occupancy rate throughout the Sunbelt region. The firm has raised more than $2.7 billion of equity through CARROLL-sponsored funds and joint ventures. The institutional investment firm has successfully purchased, developed or sold more than $12.5 billion of real estate. Over the past three years, CARROLL has achieved great transaction success with 97 total transactions; made up of 49 acquisitions and 48 dispositions. With $2.79 billion in acquisition volume and $2.34 billion in disposition volume, CARROLL continues to grow its diverse portfolio with expansions into the West and Mountain West real estate markets. In addition to its portfolio growth, CARROLL takes pride in being socially conscious and involved in the greater communities that it resides in.

CASORO GROUP Casoro Group has conducted more than $1 billion in multifamily real estate transactions nationally since its inception in 2003. The company continues to actively grow its investment portfolio and its influence throughout the US. Casoro Group focuses on vertical integration and has several umbrella companies that create opportunities for investors to easily manage their properties. Each sub-company is high-functioning, with responsibilities ranging from management services, energy procurement, water conservation operations, general contracting and affluent multifamily investments. Casoro Group is additionally dedicated to diversifying the industry and providing education, experience and opportunities to minorities. The company is working to change the scope of inequalities in the industry through its charitable branch, Casoro Group Education Foundation. The 501(c)(3) is fueled by donations and investments in its Onyx Impact Fund and it partners with students attending post-secondary education, such as historically black colleges and universities, to offer commercial real estate education programs, paid internships and scholarships.

CGI+ REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT STRATEGIES Los Angeles-based, CGI+ Real Estate Investment Strategies is a multifamily investment and development firm with more than $1.6 billion in assets under management. The company’s portfolio of multifamily and mixed-use assets comprises 3,000 apartment units located in Los Angeles, New York, Florida and Georgia. Involved in every aspect of the company’s ever-growing portfolio, founder and CEO Gidi Cohen ensured success even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The company weathered the crisis due to its diversified portfolio, which allowed it to maintain a steady stream of income and maintain its aggressive strategy of developing and acquiring assets that could propel its continued growth.

COMUNIDAD PARTNERS Minority- and women-owned real estate investment firm Comunidad Partners specializes in workforce and affordable housing within culturally-diverse neighborhoods. To date, the firm has invested in more than 40 communities throughout the country, totaling more than 11,000 workforce and affordable housing units. Comunidad Partners’ core strategy is to invest in these property types at the nexus of ESG, DEI and PropTech throughout the Sunbelt states, with a focus on cultural and social impact. The firm invests in its residents by fostering environments that create opportunities in education, health and equity through upward economic mobility for residents. Over the last three years, Comunidad Partners has acquired 15 properties throughout the Sunbelt region, bringing its deal volume of $1.1 billion to date. In 2020, Comunidad Partners launched a free virtual healthcare program for residents across its portfolio. The program allowed residents to obtain health services that would traditionally only be obtainable through an employer.

DECRON PROPERTIES Decron Properties was founded in 1955 by Holocaust survivor, Jack Nagel, and it has since grown to one of the largest privately-owned real estate firms in California. Jack’s son, David Nagel took over the role of CEO in 1988 and grew the firm’s portfolio from 10 buildings with a $200 million valuation into a $2.5 billion enterprise, with expected 2021 revenues of more than $225 million. Today, the company’s $2.5 billion portfolio encompasses 9,000 units throughout California, Washington and Arizona. Additionally, despite the pandemic, the firm successfully expanded its footprint in new markets through various acquisitions in 2020. In 2021, the Los Angeles Business Journal recognized David Nagel on its LA500 List of the most influential people in Southern California. In addition, Nagel was named on the LA Times list of Los Angeles’s CRE Visionaries.

GAGE MULTIFAMILY SERVICES Founded by twin brothers Rich & Rob Trepanier, Gage Multifamily Services serves the Central Texas area as a multifamily general contractor with value-add renovation expertise. Gage Multifamily Services stands out among competitors due to its quality work and customer service on projects such as transforming a motel into an apartment complex, ground-up fire reconstructions, occupied and unoccupied unit renovations and office and amenity renovations. When COVID-19 slowed things down, the team pressed on and completed production of an adaptive re-use project, an occupied student housing renovation, complete fire reconstructions and more. The company’s renovation work additionally utilizes energy-efficient plumbing and lighting fixtures and existing building envelopes. Gage Multifamily Services is a member of the Austin and San Antonio Apartment Associations and it contributes to local causes.

GREYSTAR REAL ESTATE PARTNERS Greystar Real Estate Partners owns, operates and develops rental housing globally, including traditional multifamily, mixed-use, student living, active adult and corporate housing. The company started in 1993 managing 9,000 residences and it has since grown to manage 740,000 units/beds globally. Offering expertise in investment management, property management and development globally, the firm’s institutional investment platform has $41.3 billion of assets under management and more than $27 billion of equity on behalf of worldwide institutional investors across a variety of rental housing investment strategies. The vertically-integrated company has more than 1.5 million residents and 19,000 team members in 64 offices across 14 countries, making it the largest rental housing operator and developer in the U.S.

GRUBB PROPERTIES Founded in 1963, Grubb Properties is a vertically-integrated real estate investment and development firm focused on addressing the nation’s crisis in essential housing. The firm works to fill the gap between the affordable and luxury housing sectors in ways that appeal to today’s residents by providing well-equipped apartments in accessible and vibrant urban locations. Grubb Properties’ Link Apartments brand transforms distressed urban parcels into value-driven, connected, live-work-play environments. Grubb Properties also advances discussions surrounding parking and car-focused development by using creative solutions to minimize parking and car dependence. The firm often purchases well-located office buildings with large surface parking lots, before upgrading and repurposing the lots with multifamily housing and shared parking decks to serve office tenants by day and residents by night. Grubb Properties additionally sponsors several private-equity real estate investment funds, including Grubb Real Estate Fund VII, 2021 Grubb Qualified Opportunity Fund and Glen Lennox Fund.

KAPLAN RESIDENTIAL Real estate development firm Kaplan Residential specializes in acquiring and developing innovative multi-housing and build-to-rent projects throughout the Southeast US. The company originally developed strong roots in Atlanta during the city’s construction boom in the 1980s, when Kaplan Residential president Morris Kaplan saw Atlanta’s potential to become a major city in the South. Starting with a build-to-rent development in the center of Atlanta, Kaplan then diversified the firm’s services and pushed the industry to embrace cutting-edge multifamily models. Today, Kaplan Residential has more than $300 million in development, thousands of multifamily rental units, industry accolades, award-winning projects, a dedicated team, a strong track record of repeat equity and debt partners, and an expansive pipeline of partners.

LARKEN ASSOCIATES Larken Associates owns and manages 2,500 multifamily residential units across 23 unique communities. The family-owned and operated company was founded more than 50 years ago and it has become one of the fastest-growing real estate companies in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania region. Larken Associates implements a long-term ownership strategy, offers a full suite of in-house capabilities and employs an understanding that the spaces it creates and manages are places where communities and families thrive. Larken Associates has developed or repositioned more than 1,500 units across eight communities within the past three years. Prior to the pandemic, the firm had been experiencing explosive growth and increased employee count. The firm displayed resiliency during the pandemic by rapidly shifting protocols and procedures in order to continue operations and keep all multifamily construction projects on schedule.

LENDLEASE AMERICAS Lendlease Americas puts a premium on achieving environment, health and safety goals by implementing Global Minimum Requirements (GMRs) throughout the lifecycle of its projects. Launched in 2015, the firm’s GMRs provide a focus on front-end planning, risk and innovation across the operational lifecycle and create an effective framework for managing environmental, health and safety. The firm’s multifamily portfolio of urbanization projects across Boston and Chicago has been verified as net-zero carbon. During the past three years, Lendlease has hit numerous milestones through multifamily projects across the country. Aiming to continually transform places where communities thrive, Lendlease currently has a robust residential pipeline in place and plans to add more than 2,500 units in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles over the next six years.

LUMENT Lument was formed in October 2020 as the result of a merger of Hunt Real Estate Capital, Lancaster Pollard and RED Capital Group. Lument successfully continued to serve clients across the acuity and affordability spectrum throughout the merger and during the pandemic. Lument was named the top-ranked FHA lender in the U.S. by both volume and loan count for 2020. The firm completed 388 FHA transactions across the acuity spectrum, totaling $5.8 billion; an increase of 74% over its top-ranked 2019 FHA volume. The company closed 101 FHA multifamily accelerated processing transactions totaling nearly $2 billion for FHA’s 2020 fiscal year. In HUD’s fiscal year 2020, Lument closed more than 40 note modifications for multifamily developers, totaling more than $500 million, resulting in a total FHA multifamily volume of $2.5 billion for the year. Lument additionally assists developers in providing high-quality, affordable housing to low-income renters nationwide. In 2020 alone, the firm closed more than $3 billion in affordable housing transactions, which created or preserved affordable housing in more than 140 communities.

MARKWOOD Private real estate investment, development and management firm, Markwood has garnered a regional reputation in New York and California as an innovative development firm that creates enhanced value for investors by positioning under-the-radar properties for long-term growth in a way that promotes sustainability and aligns with the city’s emerging lifestyle patterns. Markwood pursues investment opportunities in two strategic categories of repositioning and development projects in established and emerging urban areas, and well-positioned operating properties in transitional and established districts. At the forefront of automated parking in Los Angeles, the firm additionally helps to mitigate the city’s issues by introducing parking solutions and providing fully- and semi-automated parking in its developments. Currently, Markwood is preparing for the 2021 groundbreaking of Santa Monica Barrington, a 45,500-square-foot mixed-use project, for which the firm produced four potential revenue streams through a complex entitlement process that nearly doubled density to 51 units. The firm’s innovative, automated parking strategy packs in density within a highly-reduced footprint. Markwood’s creative skills and artful entitlement work at additional properties have caught the eye of investors by allowing density to double through the implementation of an advanced semi-automated parking system.

MERIDIAN CAPITAL GROUP Meridian Capital Group is a top financial intermediary in the multifamily real estate sector. In 2020, the firm closed $38 billion in financing; 73% of which was for multifamily properties. Last year, the firm also ranked as the number one intermediary for multifamily properties by the Mortgage Bankers Association. Representing many leading real estate investors and developers, the company’s clients benefit from long-standing relationships with more than 250 traditional and non-traditional lenders. Multifamily loans constitute a substantial component of the firm’s business. Over the past five years, Meridian Capital Group has arranged more than $134 billion in financing for multifamily properties nationwide, ranging from individual properties and multi-building communities to multi-state portfolios. Despite the pandemic, the firm closed $27.9 billion in financing for multifamily properties and closed 2,752 multifamily transactions in 2020. Expanding its reach, Meridian Capital Group, alongside Barings, launching NewPoint Real Estate Capital in January 2021 to pioneer a new approach to multifamily finance. The lending platform builds upon Meridian’s extensive relationships and will encourage a shift from traditional practices in multifamily finance to more innovative and efficient models.

META HOUSING A mission-driven developer, Meta Housing builds affordable and mixed-income apartment communities throughout California for families, seniors, veterans and individuals experiencing homelessness. The firm’s projects extend beyond brick-and-mortar and infuse vibrancy into communities; providing residents with programs and supportive services to enhance lives. Meta Housing has developed nearly 90 projects totaling 8,000 units, including arts colonies, family and senior housing, permanent supportive housing and veterans housing. Recognizing the impact that engagement and continued learning had on the longevity, health and happiness of senior residents, the company was one of the first developers to incorporate arts into its housing models, such as art classes and theaters. Meta Housing expanded these components into its affordable family properties and leveraged the programs as catalysts for community revitalizations and arts districts within cities. For example, Meta Housing worked closely with the City of Glendale to create an affordable arts colony, which would provide affordable options to residents throughout the city, as well as attract artists to the region. The firm’s projects have received more than 100 awards highlighting its innovative designs, quality programs and services, and sustainable building measures.

MZ CAPITAL PARTNERS MZ Capital Partners serves as a leader in innovation and creativity within its multifamily developments by adapting each project to the needs of its submarket. The firm creates communities that provide for the increasing needs of rental housing at an attainable price point. The firm’s projects are built as market-rate communities and are Natural Occurring Affordable Housing. During the pandemic, MZ Capital Partners completed a 112-unit ground-up development in Naperville, IL. The project was projected for an 18-month full-lease up and the property reached 100% occupancy with a waitlist in three months, all under the conditions of virtual showings, applications and lease executions. In addition to being recognized for its company culture, MZ Capital Partners also personally prioritizes its communities’ residents. Early on during the pandemic, the company carried out monthly complimentary pizza party nights by delivering a pizza from a local restaurant to each resident’s apartment at no charge, to help cope with the lockdown. The firm and its principals also give back to the communities they operate in through charitable and civic work.

NORTHEAST PRIVATE CLIENT GROUP Northeast Private Client Group helps investors and property owners generate wealth in order to have more freedom and opportunity for the future. The firm’s goal is to provide a personalized experience for each individual and their real estate investment asset. The company’s collaborative environment ensures that each team member is working towards the same goal, with a proprietary process that maximizes value and facilitates a smooth transaction. The company recently expanded into the Southeast with sales in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, including representing a seller and procuring a buyer for the sale of a 148-unit multifamily in an Atlanta suburb for $11.4 million, or $77,000 per unit and a 4.53% cap rate. Northeast Private Client Group has been repeatedly recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the fastest-growing private companies. In 2021, the firm ranked on the annual New York list, due to its 65% growth over two years. The company gives back to the communities it serves by donating to charities. The company is also financially supporting the acquisition and renovation of the Bridgeport Rescue Mission building in Bridgeport, CT, which will house volunteer workers for the non-profit organization that provides vital services to individuals facing hunger, homelessness and addiction.

OPPORTUNITY HOUSING GROUP Opportunity Housing Group strives to acquire market-rate apartment buildings, offer lower rents and provide long-term rent growth caps in order to provide affordability and stability for middle-income families in California. Aiming to benefit middle-income families, which make up one-third of the workforce within the state, Opportunity Housing Group researched a new financing structure to create affordable housing. The firm worked with the California Statewide Communities Development authority and Citibank to issue bonds on the public market. The structure allows the firm to acquire assets and immediately reduce rents to levels that are affordable to 80-120% of the Area Median Income. This became even more important during the pandemic as middle-income essential workers, such as medical workers, teachers and government workers, were so critical to keeping communities going. The firm launched its acquisition program in 2021 and it has since closed on its first asset, a 261-unit project in Monrovia, CA, at which low-income residents enjoy rent savings of $400-600 a month. As the housing crisis continues, Opportunity Housing Group is proud to be able to give back to the essential workforce. The company’s current pipeline of more than 2,000 units is all expected to close this year.

PARK PARTNERS RESIDENTIAL Park Partners Residential is committed to positively impacting and contributing to the evolution of Boca Raton, FL, the hometown of managing partners Alex Rosemurgy and Rick Giles. As a privately-owned developer, owner and operator of luxury multifamily apartment communities, the vertically-integrated firm has acquired and developed more than $500 million in multifamily real estate since its inception in 2015. Rosemurgy and Giles recognized that the future of multifamily real estate lies in thoughtfully designed, mixed-use developments that foster community by creating lifestyle centers where people can spend time and connect. The firm notably created Uptown Boca, the first new retail and class A multifamily development lifestyle center to open in Boca Raton, FL in more than 20 years and the largest mixed-use project to open in Palm Beach County this year. The developers secured a $125 million construction loan for the project in 2019. The 38-acre project offers 179,000 square feet of retail space, 456 luxury rental apartments and lifestyle amenities including a zero-edge pool, a ride-sharing lounge, an outdoor kitchen, a kids play area, a dog park, a gaming and theater room, a 24-hour fitness, and a yoga, spin and stretching room.

POST BROTHERS Post Brothers is a leading Philadelphia-based residential real estate company whose team of designers and architects has re-imagined some of the most iconic developments in the city. Post Brothers has developed more than 30 properties and 4,000 apartments since it was founded in 2006, and it holds a current portfolio valued at more than $1.4 billion. The company acquires, designs and redevelops some of the most strategically located, in-demand multifamily properties in the Philadelphia area. To achieve its mission, Post Brothers has curated a team of designers and architects to transform buildings and contribute to Philadelphia’s evolving landscape and economy. For each project, the firm aims to create luxurious, amenity-rich living that is accessible at an attainable price point for everyone from students to empty nesters. In recent years, Post Brothers has unveiled several new buildings in various neighborhoods, that range from The Popular, a transformed mixed-use development that features a 30,000-square-foot rooftop terrace, a 10,000-square-foot fitness center and spa and historic touches from its past as a manufacturing warehouse, to The Atlantic, the firm’s most upscale residential building, featuring a luxury amenity suite and a penthouse, that commands the highest rents in the city.

PROPERTY MARKETS GROUP (PMG) Property Markets Group holds more than 30 years of development experience and is a leader in the multifamily industry. The company was the first and largest major developer to embrace a co-living component with oversized amenities in a downtown class A high rise. Its projects are also known to integrate local art installations and craft food and beverage operations into the daily resident experience. In 2019, PMG launched the multifamily brand, Society Living, in order to address a growing demand for attainably-priced downtown rental communities. Society Living creates vibrant living spaces that foster personal growth with a culture of inclusivity and unity. The firm’s brand offers traditional units with co-living options and amenities such as co-working spaces, fitness studios, communal kitchens, smart package lockers, bike storage facilities, app-based keys and more. PMG’s current multi-billion dollar nationwide portfolio totals more than 8,500 residential units and more than 16 million square feet of development. The company’s Society Living brand platform currently has rental projects in Denver, Nashville, Atlanta, New York, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. In addition, PMG is currently expanding its affordable housing division nationally.

SWENSON Since 1990, the Swenson family has been a partner in the revitalization and historic restoration of the Santa Cruz, CA region. At SWENSON, four generations of expertise and a proven design-develop-build platform deliver unique designs, quality developments and dynamic construction methods. Offering development, construction and architectural services, SWENSON takes on projects that can benefit the communities in which they are built. For instance, SWENSON recently brought a historic land parcel back to life more than 30 years after two buildings were destroyed on the site due to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The firm has completed construction on the 119,715-square-foot mixed-use project, which offers 79 units, totaling more than 74,000 square feet of residential space, on a parcel that had sat vacant for decades; reigniting the entrance to downtown Santa Cruz, CA. SWENSON also recently addressed the need for quality senior living in San Jose, CA with the completion of the 45,500-square-foot Sonnet Hill Senior Living, which offers three stories of assisted living and memory care including 52 units and 78 beds. The company additionally created the Swenson Foundation, a non-profit that provides resources to low-income, underserved and at-risk populations within the community.

THE BEACH CO. Five generations have passed down the Beach Co. torch since it was founded in 1945. The company has delivered high-quality multifamily projects and landmark properties to key markets across the Southeast for more than 75 years. With a diverse portfolio of property types, the company takes a unique approach to development projects in order to cater to specific demand drivers of each market. The firm has notably helped shape the Charleston, SC market into the thriving tourism and business center community that it is today. In January 2021, after decades of planning, the Beach Co. welcomed its first residents to The Jasper, a luxury 12-story mixed-use building located in the city’s Harleston Village neighborhood. As the only new development on the waterfront in the historic district, the project marks the end of a 12-year legal battle between the developer and the city, which paved the way for the city’s 1930’s zoning ordinances to be updated. Since 2006, the firm presented more than five plans to the city and held dozens of public meetings regarding the site’s future. During the project’s construction, the company also significantly contributed to the restoration and beautification of two nearby parks.

THE KISLAK COMPANY INC. For 115 years, the Kislak Co. has been an advisor and resource in the acquisition and disposition of multifamily properties among private investors, multi-generational real estate owners, public and private companies and institutional investors as they build portfolios and create wealth. Regionally, within New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania, the Kislak Co. has sold more multifamily properties and generated the sale of more residential units at a higher dollar volume than any other real estate brokerage firm. Within the past three years, the Kislak Co. has experienced tremendous growth; closing more than 600 transactions valued at more than $2 billion. The firm recently completed a $65 million sale of a more than 600-unit portfolio, a $55.4 million sale of 140 units in Fort Lee, NJ, and a $40 million sale of a 259-unit property in Dutchess County, NY. This year, the firm has already set numerous records through its transactions, such as achieving the highest price ever paid for a multifamily property in Sussex County, NJ, and achieving a new record price-per-unit for central Pennsylvania. Through the Kislak Family Foundation, the company is committed to community service and philanthropy.

THE MILESTONE GROUP The Milestone Group is a leading real estate investment management firm and sponsor of discretionary private-equity funds focused on the US multifamily sector. Since its founding in 2003, the firm has completed more than $8 billion of real estate investments across 18 investment vehicles representing more than 80,000 multifamily units. The Milestone Group finds innovative solutions to solve unique challenges for sellers and creates win-win transactions that are often overlooked by the broader market. In the past three years, 75% of the company’s acquisition volume has been from off-market transactions where the firm solves sellers’ challenges that are forming impediments to a sale to the broader market. With a history of executing public company M&As, IPOs, take-private transactions, joint-ventures, recapitalizations, tax-deferred exchanges, reverse exchanges, entity recapitulations and more, the firm continues to deliver best-in-class returns to investors. In May 2021, the Milestone Group completed the final closing of its fifth discretionary value-add fund and 18th investment vehicle, Milestone Real Estate Investors V LP. The fund closed with $750 million in total capital commitments, representing buying power of more than $2 billion for US multifamily properties. The fund, raised during the COVID-19 pandemic, represents the company’s largest fund to date.

THE MORTAR GROUP Since 2004, the Mortar Group has achieved return profiles that average 18% annually. Upon observing the robust, high-demand New York City multifamily market, the Mortar Group plans to leverage its investment team and generate superior risk-adjusted returns by managing, remodeling, leasing and/or selling primarily multifamily properties located in attractive New York City boroughs. Within recent years, the Mortar Group has achieved various accomplishments, such as Frost, a new 10-unit residential building located in Brooklyn. The project exemplifies the firm’s approach to architecture and development by uniquely tailoring each living space to meet the needs of modern families. The Mortar Group also recently developed a boutique condominium in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, which features a unit mix of three-bedroom floorplans, a ground-floor duplex and a studio.

THE NRP GROUP The NRP Group is a vertically-integrated developer, owner, builder and manager of multifamily housing, with 1000 associates operating across a 14-state footprint. Since its founding in 1994, the NRP Group has had the mission to create exceptional rental opportunities for individuals and families regardless of income. The firm has developed more than 43,000 apartment homes and it currently manages more than 23,000 residential units. Through innovations such as Healthcare & Housing and Public Housing Agency Partnerships, the NRP Group aims to accelerate the supply of high-quality affordable housing so that underserved people and communities can gain access to new pathways of sustainable opportunity. The company works with healthcare providers to impact social determinants of health through affordable housing and, in conjunction with MetroHealth and CCH, it has developed more than 200 affordable and market-rate units, as well as a 5,000-square-foot Metro Economic Opportunity Center in Cleveland, OH. The firm has also partnered with public housing agencies to develop 13 projects through a structure that treats new developments as public buildings in order to receive tax-free 75-year ground leases, in exchange for including 50% market units and 50% workforce or affordable units.

THOMPSON THRIFT John Thompson and Paul Thrift began planning their business partnership while attending college together and their goals came to fruition in 1986 with the founding of Thompson Thrift. Since then, Thompson Thrift has grown from a locally-focused development and construction company into an integrated, full-service real estate company with a national scope. Thompson Thrift launched its residential business unit in the aftermath of the Great Recession, a time during which homeowners increasingly turned to renting. The company aims to attract and retain renters-by-choice; residents that otherwise would have been a homeowner, but prefer the maintenance-free, highly-amenitized conveniences of multifamily renting. The properties of Thompson Thrift’s Watermark Residential business unit are situated near school districts and employment hubs; ideal for a range of renter pools. The firm expects all teams to embody the principle of servant leadership; putting the needs of others first and always being prepared to ask the simple question—how can we help? Last year, Thompson Thrift successfully weathered the pandemic by continuing asset activity and residential care. Whether working at home or on-site, the Watermark Residential teams dedicated themselves to providing necessary services, going above and beyond, in many cases. The staff worked hard to keep amenities open where they were able. Pools, fitness centers and work-from-home areas were regularly cleaned and sanitized, allowing stay-at-home residents to take advantage of these property features. With the mission to positively impact team members and the communities they serve, Thompson Thrift and Watermark Residential also participate in numerous community service endeavors.

TOPAZ CAPITAL GROUP LLC Topaz Capital Group LLC invests on behalf of ultra-high-net-worth individuals, family offices and institutional groups. Providing ways to earn well-risk-adjusted returns on capital for its more than 200 investors, the company additionally incorporates innovative practices at multifamily workforce communities to provide a higher quality of life for tenants. Growth-oriented in terms of building out its multifamily portfolio and expanding its investment team, the company aims to outperform for its local equity partners, local operators and servicers and its middle-class workforce tenants. Since its inception in 2017, Topaz Capital Group has acquired more than $200 million of multifamily workforce housing garden-style assets and it has delivered numerous eco-friendly green projects. Topaz Capital Group was able to increase its retention rate during the pandemic by listening to its partners and service providers, and deepening relationships with tenants in order to provide support during these uncertain times. The firm has served as a thought-leader by contributing to media outlets and it has received industry awards for its projects. Topaz Capital Group additionally founded Topaz Charitable Foundation Inc. as a vehicle to giving back to the communities that it owns and operates in.

TOWER CAPITAL Tower Capital is an independent commercial real estate finance firm that specializes in assisting private and middle-market commercial real estate owners, operators and developers throughout the country. The Arizona-based company has facilitated nearly $2 billion in debt and equity financings. The firm’s 2021 activity has encompassed 31 acquisition, refinancing and construction deals, including more than 2,800 multifamily units, nearly 800 single-family build-for-rent units and a robust deal pipeline. The company has participated in a wide array of debt and equity placements across asset classes, with debt funds, banks and agency lenders as active capital sources. In recent years, the firm has closed more than $400 million in build-for-rent financing transactions and it continues to serve as a leader in the marketplace with another $1 billion of projects across numerous states in its pipeline. In 2020, despite the pandemic, Tower Capital closed more than $400 million in financing transactions, with lending activity spanning the acquisition and refinancing of more than 3,200 multifamily units, developmental capital for more than 639 single-family build-to-rent units and senior debt for 760,000 square feet of retail space.

TRUAMERICA MULTIFAMILY Since its founding in 2013, TruAmerica Multifamily has steadily grown into one of the most active multifamily investors in the country, with an $11 billion portfolio of more than 45,000 units nationally. The company has largely focused on investing in and renovating class B garden-style and mid-rise apartment communities, which are located in the first or second ring submarkets outside major metropolitan areas and employment hubs. Through its focus on workforce housing and market-rate apartments, the firm targets markets where the supply and cost imbalances are the greatest. In recent years, TruAmerica Multifamily has continued to fuel its national growth through a series of acquisitions, further solidifying itself as one of the most active buyers in the country. In May 2021, TruAmerica Multifamily acquired two communities in Florida and Georgia; expanding its Southeast portfolio to 10,000 homes. In June 2021, the company added nearly 1,000 apartment homes to its multifamily portfolio, after acquiring two garden-style communities in Tennessee and Arizona in separate transactions totaling $196 million. In addition, the firm partnered with Blackstone to acquire 5,800 units in San Diego for $1 billion, representing one of the largest real estate deals in San Diego County history.

UNIVERSE HOLDINGS Universe Holdings owns and operates a diverse portfolio of multifamily holdings in Southern California’s largest cities and highest barrier-to-entry coastal markets. The firm focuses on identifying off-market, value-add investment properties, using proprietary market analytics that enable them to consistently deliver optimized returns through varying economic cycles. Within the first year of being founded in 1994, the company’s assets under management tripled from 400 to 1,200 units. Today, Universe Holdings owns more than 7,700 apartment units throughout the US and has a portfolio of more than $1 billion. Within the past year, Universe Holdings has expanded its brand, opened offices in both New York and Florida and acquired its first East Coast acquisition. The company’s growth is propelled by its founder and CEO Henry Manoucheri’s ability to see potential in markets where others do not. Manoucheri invested in Inglewood, CA three years before the Rams moved to the area, by observing that the neighborhood boasted stable occupancy, under-performing assets and opportunities to acquire assets at well below replacement value. Universe Holdings has also had success in investing in niche-type properties, including neglected, historic, art deco properties, before restoring them to their original glory, enhancing the value of both the property and the neighborhoods in which they are located.

URBAN COMMUNITY Urban Community collaborates with community members, designers, technologists, city officials and builders in order to re-envision downtown San Jose, CA and enhance the urban user experience. Through its projects, the development firm strives to create exceptional environments that catalyze the community at every layer. The company recently announced its closing on the Metro Gardens Apartments property and its plan to reimagine the property into a newly-designed complex built around the community. Located in San Jose’s South University neighborhood, the project, titled Atrio, brings a unique proposition to the area as ownership options will be offered to residents, community members, local businesses and investment partners. This non-exclusive, temporary, post-pandemic housing is meant to act as a vehicle to help essential workers get back on their feet by enabling them to live where they work. In addition, Urban Community has founded two non-profit organizations. One organization creates Shelter-In-Place kits, which provide medical, nutritional and emotional support for community members whose livelihood has been negatively impacted by COVID-19, and a second, soon-to-be-launched organization, which will focus on making San Jose a clean, safe and vibrant city where people can live, work and play.

VERITAS INVESTMENTS Veritas Investments is one of the largest multifamily operators in California, with more than 250 properties. The firm provides high-quality housing within classic, character-rich properties, while caring deeply for residents and neighbors and enhancing the communities in which it operates. The company also excels in resident relations, employee support, public policy and ESG issues. Many of Veritas Investments’ properties are distinct apartment buildings located in sought-after, walkable urban neighborhoods. Through its privately-owned family of companies, Veritas offers investors a vertically-integrated platform that includes property acquisitions, finance, asset management and reporting, project management, leasing, property management, redevelopment and sustainability management. In June, Veritas voluntarily extended its self-imposed moratorium on COVID-related evictions until December 21, 2021, far surpassing local, state and Federal moratoriums. The progressive approach means that more than 7,000 residents living in Veritas-managed properties will have an extra three months’ breathing room. The company has given its residents and small business tenants millions of dollars in direct relief; offering residents forgiveness of up to 50% of unpaid rents and established payment plans for residents that required more time to get back to normal. During the pandemic, Veritas also reached out to help residents with critical needs, such as grocery or medical delivery, and provided frontline employees with “hero pay” before required.

WATERFORD PROPERTY CO. Waterford Property Co. is an owner-driven diversified real estate investment and development company. Waterford’s commercial acquisitions total 1.5 million square feet and its residential acquisitions total 3,100 apartment units that have been developed or acquired and 3,068 units of entitled residential land. The company is also active in the traditional affordable housing space, having developed $150 million in projects totaling 450 units. The company creates affordable housing for the missing middle-income demographic in California – households making between 80% and 120% of the area median income. Waterford targeted this housing segment as part of its business plan and multifamily portfolio due to the state’s housing shortage. Since the start of 2021, Waterford and the California Statewide Communities Development Authority have together acquired six multifamily communities in Southern California, totaling 2,022 units of housing and more than $1 billion of acquisition value to convert to middle-income housing. The acquisitions are part of an innovative workforce housing finance program created in 2020 by CSDSA. Overall, Waterford’s portfolio is 80% focused on residential projects, of which about 10% are LIHTC development projects, 15% residential land, 55% middle-income housing and 20% market-rate housing.

WC EQUITY GROUP WC Equity Group focuses on influencing the multifamily marketplace while being a beacon of value-driven success. The firm provides dedicated investment experience to assist in building ongoing income streams and attractive total returns. The company has assembled a tier-one network, comprised of agents, contractors, property managers, bankers, attorneys, business owners and insurance specialists throughout Florida. WC Equity Group’s investment insight enables the firm to provide clear and transparent metrics, allowing its clients to make informed and intelligent decisions. The company focuses on investing conservatively where needed and pushing the envelope where it sees opportunities. The firm provides a unique concierge investing platform of real estate investment and management services paired with its clients’ individual investment goals. The focus is personalized and features 24/7 support to continually obtaining excellent results. Additionally, WC Equity Group educates its talent and new hires to operate from a place of integrity and to build through serving. For the past three years, both the firm’s deal volume and number of units under management have increased year-over-year. A current project for the company comprises a new $8 million development, centered around affordable housing and high-end amenities.

ZEGO (POWERED BY PAYLEASE) PropTech company, Zego helps operators modernize the resident experience and boost retention. The firm has led the charge in defining and owning the category of resident experience management, in which all resident touchpoints can be improved in order to deliver remarkable community living experiences. This year, the firm compiled the State of Resident Experience Management report, a 78-page guide offering industry insights from multifamily operators and recommendations to improve the resident experience. Established in 2003, Zego was born out of the need for better, more convenient rent payment options that were mutually beneficial to community managers and their residents, and it has substantially evolved since then. The mobile-first engagement platform unifies the most critical resident touchpoints, spanning the renter lifecycle including payments, utilities, communications and smart devices, and it arms property managers, owners, developers and homeowner associations with the tools needed to modernize all aspects of the resident experience process. Zego currently services 6,000 residential real estate companies that represent 12 million units nationwide. In June, the firm was acquired by Global Payments, a worldwide provider of payment technology and software solutions, which enabled Zego to extend its software into the real estate vertical and provide more opportunities for seamless property management and best-in-class resident experiences. In February, Zego also acquired Mobile Doorman, enabling the firm to offer customers faster innovation and enhancements to the products they rely on.