PHILADELPHIA, PA–Holliday Fenoglio Fowler says Ben Appel has joined the firm as a director in its Philadelphia office, focusing on medical office capital markets and investment sales transactions throughout the United States. Appel will be a member of HFF's medical office building group within its national healthcare practice, with an emphasis on the Philadelphia MSA and the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

“Ben's background and relationships in the medical office space will bring tremendous value to HFF's healthcare clients as we continue to build out this platform and more specifically the medical office building group at HFF,” says John Pelusi, executive managing director and head of HFF's national healthcare practice.  “Ben will be working alongside our team leaders, Michael Bennett, Phil Mahler, and Evan Kovac, to continue building our national practice group, as there is exceptional demand for medical office buildings due to the aging baby boomer generation and the stability of this asset class.  HFF is equipped to handle a variety of client needs in this arena, including seniors housing and life sciences.”

Appel joins HFF from Marcus & Millichap where he was most recently a director of their Healthcare Properties Group and the Net Leased Properties Group.  He has advised public and private REITs, pension fund advisors, fund managers, private equity, family real estate offices, and local and regional developers on medical office and industrial properties in excess of $600 million.  He is a member of NAIOP and the Jewish Federation of Real Estate.  He holds a BS degree in Economics and Business Management & Finance from the University of Maryland.

“We are excited to have Ben join our efforts in building out our product specialties in the Philadelphia office, especially in light of the $160.75 million recent sale of 833 Chestnut,” says Mark Thomson, senior managing director and head of HFF's Philadelphia office. As previously reported by GlobeSt.com, HFF arranged the sale of 833 Chestnut Street on behalf of its previous owner, Digital Realty Trust, which sold the 12-story, 705,000 square foot property to HCP, a publicly traded healthcare REIT.