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It’s one thing to have a successful career, but it’s another thing altogether to reach a remarkable level of success in the early part of one’s career. But that’s the predominant thread tying this year’s class of 50 Under 40 together.
The members of this diverse group have very different backgrounds, upbringings, educational attainments and even family histories. Some come from longstanding families heavily involved in real estate, while others had no such background and changed the direction of their careers after starting in other fields. Some have built businesses from the ground up, while others are instrumental in the current success of their companies. Many also take time out of their schedules to make notable contributions to their communities or charitable causes.
Whatever their past experiences, they all share the common traits of tenacity, intelligence and forethought. These emerging leaders are combining tried and true methods of relationship building along with new ways of doing business. Indeed, they have set the bar for excellence while many are still in their 30s.
Culled from an already-impressive initial list of nearly 400 young commercial real estate leaders, the rising stars who made the short list are already establishing their presence in the industry.
NESA R. AMAMOO, 37 Counsel Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP New York City Growing up in the suburbs, Nesa Amamoo often visited New York City, where she was fascinated by the architecture of the constantly changing skyline. That experience and her own interests led her naturally to the legal practice of commercial real estate at Skadden in 2006 after graduating from Harvard Law School. During her 12 years in the business, Amamoo established herself as a leader through her work on various CRE transactions on behalf of high-profile clients. Promoted to counsel in June 2018, Amamoo has served on Skadden’s associate committee for the past nine years. She also earned the firm’s Pro Bono Public Service Award for four straight years and she has been recognized as an Empire State Counsel Honoree by the NY State Bar Association.
DAVID S. AMSTERDAM, 37 President, Investments, Leasing & Eastern Region Colliers International New York City Through his 14-year career, David Amsterdam has held leadership positions at some of the country’s most notable real estate firms and shined a spotlight on expertise in brokerage. As a leasing VP for SL Green Realty Corp., he oversaw an eight-million-square-foot class A portfolio, completing 100 transactions annually. While he was associate director of global brokerage at Cushman & Wakefield, he represented corporate users and owners in more than three million square feet of deals, earning the firm’s Gold Production Award as well as multiple honors for service excellence. In his current role, Amsterdam leads a Colliers team advising clients on the East Coast and globally. He also serves on the real estate advisory board at Syracuse University and is on the board of Friends of Hudson River Park, a group behind the transformation of the US’ longest waterfront park.
BRIAN J. BAKER, 37 Vice President, Leasing Brixmor Property Group Carlsbad, CA Since kicking off his CRE career in 2004, Brian Baker has been a top dealmaker, having executed more than 350 leases involving 1.4 million square feet of retail space. At Brixmor, which he joined in 2009, he’s ranked among the firm’s top three producers in terms of leasing volume. Baker manages a five-person team that oversees the leasing initiatives at 42 shopping centers across four states totaling approximately eight million square feet, averaging more than 400,000 square feet per year. Though the portfolio he oversees has consistently held the highest occupancy in the company, averaging 96.5%, and the highest annualized base rent, he still finds ways to drive NOI growth by leasing the limited available space. With all his accomplishments, Baker is never complacent in helping to grow the company, and his ultimate goal is to extend his reach into other aspects of the business.
VALERIE BECKER, 36 Vice President, Commercial Real Estate The National Bank of Indianapolis Indianapolis Valerie Becker has made such an impact on her local market that the board of Executive Women in Finance, a professional organization for region’s financial business community, nominated her as a rising star. She’s established herself as a leader in financing, having secured in excess of $1.2 billion in loans over her 15-year career. Becker joined the National Bank of Indianapolis as a CRE lender after holding posts in the real estate finance group of Simon Property Group, Fitch Ratings’ CMBS group and prior to that, SunTrust Bank. At the latter, she resolved more than $300 million in high-risk loans and helped to form the bank’s special assets group, leading SunTrust to give her its Chairman’s Award (earned by top 3% of teammates) in 2011. Becker also has a passion for mentorship; she is currently coordinator of the ULI Indiana Mentorship Program and is on CREW Indianapolis’ UCREW committee.
KARIN BRANDT, 34 Founder & CEO coUrbanize Inc. Boston Just five years after coming up with the concept, Karin Brandt launched and grew coUrbanize to a highly successful full-scale technology company. A city planner by training, she formed the company after graduating from Techstars, one of the largest startup accelerator networks in the country, after witnessing the negative impact that a vocal minority of opponents can have on planned real estate developments. The software tool aims to change the way developers engage with community members and bring projects to fruition. The company now hosts more than 300 real estate development and planning projects across the US and Canada. Under Brandt’s leadership, coUrbanize has become one of the leading online community engagement platforms for real estate for such firms as Boston Properties, WinnCompanies, Brookfield and many others. Brandt has also gained wide recognition for her efforts in promoting affordable housing, and is considered a thought leader in her field by organizations like the Aspen Institute and ULI.
MARK E. CRAWFORD, 38 VP, Acquisitions & Dispositions Duke Realty Indianapolis In the span of five years, Mark Crawford has been responsible for more than $1.5 billion of capital transactions for Duke Realty. In 2017 alone, he managed more than $900 million in acquisitions in four separate markets. The bulk of that figure can be attributed to the the company’s largest acquisition to date—the $700-million purchase of six buildings and two development parcels in New Jersey, Southern California and South Florida. Crawford’s efforts also expedited Duke’s growth in high-barrier tier-1 markets and proved instrumental in the firm’s transformation from a diversified REIT with a heavy Midwest concentration to a pure-play industrial REIT with greater national diversity.
PHILIP A. CURRIE, 39 President J.H. Berry & Gilbert Inc. Birmingham, AL Looking at deals beyond dollars and square feet, Philip Currie focused on analytics, data and relationships to become one of the most sought-after tenant advisors in his market. During his 15 years with J.H. Berry & Gilbert, the past five as president, he’s helped the company further cement its reputation as an industry-leading CRE firm. His efforts have led to numerous prestigious awards from the local community, including many honoring young achievers in business, civic and social accomplishments. Despite the accolades, Currie is always looking for ways to improve the business and is known to be proactive, embracing technological advancements and innovation to meet the needs of his clients.
CLIFF DAVID, 39 STEVE GEBING, 39 Senior Managing Directors Institutional Property Advisors, a division of Marcus & Millichap Phoenix A friendship forged in college laid the groundwork for the business partnership between Cliff David and Steve Gebing that has earned them a reputation as top multifamily investment advisors in Arizona. In the past 18 months, the pair have sold nearly $2 billion in real estate—nearly half of which closed in 2017 via 41 transactions—and have another $600 million of transactions in escrow or on the market. David and Gebing have received Marcus & Millichap’s Chairman’s Circle of Excellence award in both 2017 and 2018 and Chairman’s Club award for the past four years. They were also bestowed with the firm’s National Achievement and Platinum Sales Recognition honors each year since 2011.
ALEX DEMESTIHAS, 35 National Director & SVP, Project and Development Services JLL Atlanta At JLL, Alex Demestihas’ drive, strategizing skills and insatiable desire to learn has earned him a reputation as a “ripple maker.” He has accrued a number of achievements since joining JLL in 2015, after holding development-related roles with Jamestown and CBRE. Demestihas leads the Corporate Interiors and Special Projects Group for PDS in the Southeast region, which consists of a team of 20 project managers who focus on corporate office, workplace strategy, adaptive reuse, landlord representation and move management for a number of major clients. The team, which has grown by 80% in the past three years, managed over 75 projects in 2017 alone. Also last year, he led JLL’s Variable Project Management Group to a 52% revenue growth and 77% margin growth year-over-year. An active member and mentor with ULI, Demestihas received the Catalyst Award in 2015 for his abilities in leadership and decision making, and JLL nominated him as a 2018 People Manager of the Year across the entire service line.
JAMES D. EVANS, 29 Vice President Kennedy Wilson Beverly Hills, CA Though he’s only been with the company for two years, James Evans has underwritten the acquisition of more than $1.5 billion of real estate and development projects for Kennedy Wilson. As the manager of the firm’s US retail portfolio, he is responsible for $2 billion in assets under management. He also oversees the company’s two largest US projects, both in Hawaii—Kona Village Resort, a five-star, ground-up hotel redevelopment, and Kohanaiki, a 600-acre private luxury residential club. Earlier this year, Evans was behind the underwriting and acquisition of one of the largest retail Q1 transactions in the US. Outside of CRE, his passion for design and travel led him to co-found Asunto, a magazine focusing on Latin American art, culture and society.
MATTHEW FERRARI, 36 Senior Managing Director, Acquisitions TruAmerica Multifamily Washington, DC Matthew Ferrari started his multifamily career with two of the biggest names in the business—Archstone, where he was a regional operations director, and AvalonBay Communities, where he spent four years as investments director, handling nearly $2 billion in transactions. TruAmerica hired him in 2016 to help establish and grow its East Coast operations, and he’s been responsible for nearly half the firm’s acquisitions since then, accounting for some $500 million in value-add multifamily assets. Promoted to a national position earlier this year, Ferrari has been responsible for approximately 40% of TruAmerica’s acquisition targets so far 2018 by expanding the firm’s presence into several new markets. In just the past year, he handled the purchase of about $1 billion in assets in Florida and Maryland, accounting for 15% of the firm’s 34,000-plus-unit portfolio. His dedication extends outside of CRE as well. He’s an active supporter of the global nonprofit, Hugs Foundation, and Chrysalis, a nonprofit serving the poor and homeless.
PETER FITZGERALD, 39 Executive Director Cushman & Wakefield Minneapolis How does one become a top-producing broker at one of the largest CRE brokerage firms? For Peter Fitzgerald, it’s all about perspective. Approaching every project with a fresh point of view, he seeks to create “buildings with character” that are financially and aesthetically attractive to landlords and tenants, and livable spaces where employees want to work. Acting on behalf of both landlords and tenants throughout the Twin Cities, Fitzgerald has negotiated more than 1,500 office leasing and sales transactions with a gross consideration of more than $1 billion. Considered a driving force behind some of the most significant office transformations in the market, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Fitzgerald ran his own firm, Concord Commercial Real Estate, before eventually merging that company with Cushman & Wakefield’s Minneapolis office.
JULIAN FREEMAN, 38 Partner Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP Irvine, CA Known as a powerhouse dealmaker for prominent institutional landlord clients, Julian Freeman became the youngest partner at CCN upon being elected to the role in 2016. He routinely handles some of the most complicated lease transactions in the Western US on a first-chair basis, often opposite Fortune 500 companies, averaging some 200 deals per year totaling more than two million square feet. Freeman currently manages portfolio leasing for more than 50 million square feet of office, industrial and retail projects, supervising a team of associate lawyers and paralegals working on up to 50 transactions at any given time. He has served in various leadership roles both outside of the firm and within, including as a member of CCN’s skills development committee overseeing the internal continuing education program, as well as the associate, recruiting, marketing and research advisory committees.
DANIEL J. GALVAN, 34 Principal Coldwell Banker Commercial Rio Grande Valley McAllen, TX Daniel Galvan was only 22 when he became licensed to practice real estate but he moved quickly to become one of the market’s top producers and “go-to” brokers. By the time he was 25, he earned his broker’s license, took part in the acquisition of the Coldwell Banker Commercial franchise for the Rio Grande Valley, and obtained the CCIM Designation. Soon after that, he was named Coldwell Banker Commercial’s Rookie of the Year, and for every year since 2012, he was named to CBC’s Circle of Distinction. As the principal broker of the company, he handles both recruitment and transaction management, closing some 100 transactions per year. He currently oversees a leasing portfolio of over 2.5 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space and serves as lead property manager for another 125,000 square feet.
JIMMY GOODMAN, 39 Partner The Boulder Group Wilmette, IL Under Jimmy Goodman’s guidance, the Boulder Group has been ranked among the top 10 US companies for single-tenant retail transactions by Real Capital Analytics and CoStar for the past six years. Throughout his 15-year career, he’s worked on the sale of more than 500 net lease transactions aggregating $3.1 billion in value. On an annual basis, Goodman is involved in an average of 100 transactions valued approximately $400 million, on behalf of high-net worth individuals, developers, public and private REITS, partnerships and institutional investment funds. To date in 2018, he has closed on the sale of approximately $262 million of net lease assets occupied by major credit tenants. Outside of real estate, he is involved in the construction and capital campaign for the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School.
STEVE GROETSEMA, 33 Partner, Midwest Region Bridge Development Partners Chicago A strong work ethic coupled with resilience and an ability to be a “jack of all trades” helped Steve Groetsema rise from analyst to partner at Bridge Development within just eight years. His ability to lead and execute with creativity and certainty has contributed significantly to Bridge’s success, making it one of the most active developers in Chicago. Since taking on the role of director of leasing and development in 2012, Groetsema has sold more than 5.5 million square feet of industrial product, with an additional 3.6 million feet under development, including seven O’Hare redevelopments totaling 3.1 million square feet that are valued at $485 million-plus. Groetsema, who has earned multiple industry recognitions, serves on the board of directors of NAIOP and as a mentor for the NAIOP Developing Leaders Program.
JENNY HAEG, 37 Vice Chairman, Advisory & Transactions CBRE San Francisco Nicknamed the “startup whisperer,” Jenny Haeg has nearly two decades of CRE experience advising a star-studded roster of startups and technology companies. Much of her success is attributed to her ability to understand and maintain clients’ cultural identities as their businesses scale. When she founded Custom Spaces, after serving as the youngest SVP in the history of the CAC Group, it was the first and only female-founded CRE firm in San Francisco history. Also at that time, there was no other Bay Area firm focused on technology startups such as Airbnb, Square, Medium, Instacart and Spotify. Under her guidance as CEO, the firm soon expanded to provide real estate solutions for tech companies in markets such as New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and London. In her current role at CBRE, which acquired Custom Spaces in 2017, she represents high-growth startups and tech companies in the Bay Area and nationally.
ADAM W. HOOPER, 37 Chief Executive Officer RealCrowd Portland, OR In less than five years, Adam Hooper grew his firm from a start-up to one of the leading online investment platforms in the country. He worked in CRE for over a decade before entering the tech world, during which time he launched three national platforms for investment sales and brokerage. He also served as a partner at a leading capital markets firm, where he was integral in over $1 billion in joint venture equity transactions. When Hooper founded RealCrowd in 2013, it was one of the first crowdfunding companies for commercial real estate. Since then, the platform has helped 20,000-plus investors take part in more than $4.5 billion worth of commercial real estate transactions. RealCrowd remains one of the only online investment platforms in the US that offers direct investment in real property. Last year, Hooper launched a podcast on commercial real estate investing that has generated more than 125,000 downloads.
TIMOTHY J. HOPPIN, 37 Director, Affordable Housing Debt Hunt Real Estate Capital Denver Timothy Hoppin’s dedication to customer service is as well known as his expertise in originating affordable housing loans nationwide. He joined Hunt Real Estate Capital from Citigroup Corporate and Investment Bank, where he was a banking team VP in the Municipal Securities Division of Citi Community Capital. While there, he closed more than $300 million of taxable and tax-exempt debt for developers, non-profits and housing authorities. At Hunt, he leads the deal team and coordinates with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD FHA to move deals through the underwriting and closing process. In addition to a variety of complex 9% and 4% LIHTC transactions, Hoppin closed the first official workforce housing loan under Freddie Mac’s non-LIHTC Forward Permanent loan program, which was rolled out in May 2018. The property involved permanent workforce housing and seasonal employee housing in the ski resort community of Keystone, CO, where barriers to development are extremely high.
TARA HOVEY, 36 President and COO Optima Inc. Glencoe, IL Literally born into the real estate business, Tara Hovey today heads the company founded by her parents in 1978. Not that she parachuted into a leadership position. She first worked as a construction superintendent for an Optima condominium project in Skokie, IL. When the recession hit, she decided to earn her broker’s license and eventually became the firm’s sales and marketing manager. Even during the downturn, Hovey was able to increase both the average number of homes sold and leased per month. After receiving her MBA, she went to work in capital markets at Cushman & Wakefield, where she underwrote nearly $1 billion in debt and equity transactions. Hovey joined the family business full time in 2014 as senior vice president, and is working with her father on the leadership succession, and on growing the firm’s holdings and investor base. In four years, she has led the capitalization and financing of more than $1 billion in real estate, including construction financing for new developments, recapitalizations and dispositions.
KATIE E. KAZAS, 37 EVP, Capital Markets CA Ventures Chicago The secret to Katie Kazas’ success lies in building relationships and setting her style as an industry leader, colleague, mentor and volunteer. She seamlessly juggles capital markets duties while inspiring and training understudies, promoting a culture of inclusion as well as encouraging extracurricular involvement. She oversees a $2.6-billion loan portfolio across multiple asset classes, and has executed more than $4 billion of total loan volume. She’s closed on over $1.2 billion of loan volume in 2017, and is on track to end this year at $1.6 billion. Kazas also manages CA Ventures’ growing summer internship program, along with the firm’s rapid expansion into other verticals, and established three affinity groups at the company, aimed at wellness, social impact and women’s empowerment.
LARRY KOESTLER, 37 VP, Marketing & Communications NAI Partners Houston One way to make a name for yourself as a rising star: draw raves from both inside and outside your firm. Larry Koestler did it with a approach that positioned marketing to have a greater role than mere promotion. He honed his idea that business and brand development are worthwhile and important tactics at CBRE, where he built the firm’s global social media and digital marketing platforms. Within a year of Koestler taking over marketing and communications at NAI Partners in Houston, San Antonio and Austin, the group has rapidly captured the attention of its peers, clients and other business leaders. Among the many anecdotal compliments that the firm receives on his work, one direct competitor expressed amazement at the speed at which NAI could get its deals to the media. In addition to NAI’s daily operations, Koestler is responsible for overseeing the marketing, sales and lead generation for the company’s SwiftLease.com and SpaceShare brokerage platforms.
DAVID W. KRASNOFF, 37 Senior Director Avison Young New York City Over the course of his 15-year career, David Krasnoff has amassed a long list of loyal clients and colleagues and established himself as an industry leader. One of the top producer’s in Avison Young’s debt, equity and structured capital group, he has handled more than $4 billion in transactions nationally. His clients include institutional investors as well as local and regional players that depend on his high-touch, transparent, client-centric approach to deliver the best financing solutions. Krasnoff, who has made the mentorship of younger team members a priority, is also a past treasurer and executive committee member of NAIOP’s New York City chapter and volunteers with several community organizations.
CASEY W. KRECK, 37 Senior Vice President, Finance Dermody Properties Reno, NV Casey Kreck has driven value for all the companies for which he has worked, overseeing financing for the geothermal development company of Gradient Resources Inc. and at GE, where he was charged with a group of businesses totaling $1 billion in annual sales. He joined Dermody Properties in 2014, bringing a new perspective and introducing efficiencies and technologies to optimize the firm’s operations. Kreck is involved in all business decisions and is the lead on data management for the company, which is rapidly growing both its footprint and its $2.3-billion portfolio of 27 million square feet. In fact, Kreck’s been behind several deals that have contributed to Dermody’s growth, securing $1.1 billion in debt financing, a $120-million subscription line of credit and closing the first phase of Dermody’s Industrial Fund, raising $442.4 million.
RIGGS KUBIAK, 37 Co-Founder and CEO Honest Buildings New York City Riggs Kubiak was still quite early in his career when he established his role as a thought leader, innovator and disruptor in CRE. His firm, Honest Buildings, is the only platform that partners with owners to provide insight into how their projects are performing through collaborative, data-driven decision making. Since launching the firm in 2011, Kubiak has grown its headcount, which is expected to surpass 100 by year’s end, recruited some of CRE’s top leaders to serve on its impressive board of directors and raised nearly $50 million from VCs and owners. That capital injection enabled Honest Buildings to grow by over 1,000% in just 24 months, from $1 billion in project volume to more than $16 billion. Today, Honest Buildings facilitates more than $1 billion dollars a month in project volume and earlier this year, the team was awarded RealComm’s “Innovation of the Year” award.
AARON KUTNER, 34 Director, Acquisitions AXA Investment Managers – Real Assets New York City Though he’s one of the youngest professionals on this year’s list, Aaron Kutner is already an integral member of the senior management team at one of Europe’s dominant real estate investment managers. His work goes beyond simply running acquisitions; he is tasked with expanding the firm’s global reach and building out its US real estate platform. Kutner’s diverse background made him an ideal candidate for the undertaking. Over his 12-year career, which includes roles of increasing responsibility with Prudential (now PGIM Real Estate), midmarket commercial lender CapitalSource and Clarion Partners, Kutner has completed more than $4 billion in CRE transactions throughout the US, across the risk spectrum and in various structures and property types. In his two years with AXA, he has overseen a doubling of the firm’s domestic assets under management.
NATHANIEL LIFSCHITZ, 39 Real Estate Partner Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP New York City Since being elevated to partnership in Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson’s prestigious real estate practice this year, Nathaniel Lifschitz has only cemented his position as a go-to resource for prominent clients in New York and nationally. He has served as an advisor on billions of dollars’ worth of transactions for a roster of clients that includes RXR Realty, Blackstone Group, J.P. Morgan, and the Children’s Investment Fund. Most recently, Lifschitz represented Brookfield Office Properties on its $1.15-billion financing of the office portion of 5 Manhattan West from a syndicate of mortgage lenders. He also counseled on a JV between JD Carlisle Development and Fosun Property in connection with $350 million in construction financing for a 66-story condominium at 126 Madison Ave., and advised lead lender J.P. Morgan in the origination and syndication of a $900-million construction loan to affiliates of Extell Development for Central Park Tower. Lifschitz, who switched his practice to real estate after a stint as a litigator, serves on the legal committee of the Moriah School in his free time.
PATRICK R. LUTHER, 30 Managing Principal & Founder, National Net Lease Group and Investment Properties Group SRS Real Estate Partners Newport Beach, CA At just 30 years old, Patrick Luther has reached a level of success seen among professionals decades his senior. Having graduated college in the midst of the recession in 2008, he cut his teeth in Las Vegas, tending bar at night and spending his days relentlessly pursuing even the smallest deals. He gradually built up his book of business and at age 28, he and partner Matt Mousavi started SRS’ National Net Lease Group. Luther drove NNLG through a period of explosive growth over the next two-and-a-half years, from an office with four people to 40 staffers in seven offices across the country, closing on 600 properties worth in excess of $2 billion. He and Mousavi handled the bulk of the $572 million in volume that the NNLG/IPG team has closed year to date. In addition to overseeing daily brokerage activities and guiding a team of more than 30 brokers, Luther maintains a reputation as one of the most active agents in the business. The CCIM designee has thus far amassed a transaction volume exceeding $2 billion in net lease deals.
STEVE M. McCLURE, 38 Chief Operating Officer The Spectrum Cos. Charlotte, NC In the 14 years since joining Spectrum Cos. as a broker, Steve McClure has established himself as a new breed of leader who’s as committed to his community as he is to his company. As COO, he plays a key role in driving Spectrum’s mission, vision and business strategy. In addition to leading the firm’s service lines of asset management, capital management, development and contract services, McClure is helping to transform Spectrum into an evergreen company with a diverse strategy that can withstand economic cycles. , while ensuring that it fulfills its mission, “Changing living by creating special places.” Spectrum has more than five million square feet of property under management or development, including 1,600 apartments, in a portfolio valued at $1.5 billion. Last year, McClure helped build the Spectrum Opportunity Fund, enabling the firm to buy and develop up to $500 million in additional commercial and multifamily properties. On an altruistic level, his Spectrum Cares program has inspired employees to give back to the community. Earlier this year, he pioneered the first Spectrum Day, during which employees devoted 300-plus hours of service to local nonprofits. McClure also serves as president of the North Carolina Board of Architecture, to which he was appointed by the state’s governor in 2013.
BRENDAN W. MILLER, 38 Chief Investment Officer Thorofare Capital Los Angeles By age 28, Brendan Miller had already represented an impressive list of companies in his real estate career with Cushman & Wakefield, including the Walt Disney Co., Mass Mutual, the NFL and many others. His experience was broadened even more when he was approached by Disney to relocate from Los Angeles to Hong Kong to serve as an asset manager for the firm’s real estate subsidiaries throughout the Asia Pacific region. Miller brought his vast range of expertise to Thorofare in 2011, a year after the firm was founded. Since then, he and his partners have built a multi-strategy SEC-registered investment advisory firm that has, through its funds, generated $76.5 million in profits to investors with zero losses. With Miller as CIO, the company has raised and deployed five discretionary funds and two JV vehicles with DoubleLine Capital that, combined, have closed 200-plus CRE transactions totaling more than $1.5 billion. Miller, who is also active in a number of charitable endeavors within his community, firmly believes that individual success is only satisfying if the entire team is successful. As such, he is known as a leader and mentor that is willing to do what’s needed to help his company and its associates prosper.
NANCY MOSES, 37 Vice President Trammell Crow Co. Los Angeles Nancy Moses is in a class of her own, working her way from an entry-level administrative position in 2005 to earning the vice president title and a spot in Trammell Crow Co.’s national healthcare leadership group within 10 years. During that time, she also delivered nearly 500,000 square feet of medical office space to the Greater Los Angeles area, and hasn’t remotely slowed down her pace. In her current role, Moses handles all aspects of the development process, from sourcing new opportunities to execution and disposition. Her ability to bring user groups to consensus, followed by seamless delivery, has made her highly sought after among her clients, which include such groups as J.P. Morgan, the University of Southern California, the County of Los Angeles, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital. Moses has personally delivered in excess of 1.1 million square feet of projects to the Los Angeles market, and has another 520,000 square feet in projects under way, worth some $600 million. In recognition for her work, Moses has received a number of awards outside of TCC from such organizations as the Los Angeles Business Council, the American Concrete Institute, BOMA and the Design-Build Institute of America.
RORY MURPHY, 33 Partner Transwestern New York City Kicking off one’s career at the start of an economic downturn provides a rather quick education in the merits of creativity and perseverance. Those early lessons learned remained with Rory Murphy through his career, which started with Cushman & Wakefield in 2007. He joined Transwestern in 2015 and has since been among the firm’s leading producers, specializing in tenant representation and agency leasing, with a focus on high growth media and technology companies. He became one of company’s youngest regional leaders when he was promoted from SVP to partner in just two years. As such, he looks to increase the firm’s intrinsic value, brand awareness and client service through managing day-to-day operations, recruiting top talent, growing the client roster and executing on business objectives in New York and nationally. Murphy, who has completed three million square feet of transactions to date, has qualified to attend Transwestern’s exclusive National Recognition Conference for three years running. Outside of his daily tasks, Murphy serves on Transwestern’s board of directors and executive committee, as well as on a newly created tenant advisory services task force.
NICHOLAS NICOLAOU, 37 Senior Vice President Gebroe-Hammer Associates Livingston, NJ During the past 13 years, multifamily sales specialist Niko Nicolaou has been at the forefront of some of the biggest deals in his market, such as the recent $330-million disposition of a 118-building, 2,137-unit portfolio. Representing clients throughout the Northern NJ/NY metro area, Nicolaou sets new personal year-over-year sales benchmarks. In 2017 he led transactions involving 1,681 units and aggregating $456 million, oftentimes serving as the sole broker exclusively representing the seller and procuring the buyer. A product of Gebroe-Hammer’s training program, Nicolaou is now paying it forward, mentoring the next generation of multifamily brokerage professionals. He’s also a staunch supporter of a number of charities such as HousingWorks, which fights to secure quality housing and healthcare for people living with HIV/AIDS.
CAITLIN O’CONNOR, 39 Assistant Portfolio Manager PGIM Real Estate San Francisco While spending a year in Barcelona, Caitlin O’Connor saw the transformative effect the recently held ‘92 Olympic Games had on the city’s waterfront. That spurred her interest in real estate and she embarked on a path that brought her to an investment management position with PGIM Real Estate. Continuously challenging herself with diverse positions of increasing responsibility, she was promoted to her current role a year ago. O’Connor now oversees West Coast investment and asset management activities for the firm’s flagship US core plus equity fund, with $13 billion in gross assets under management. She works with the vehicle’s investor clients and manages a team of seven asset managers on a 50-asset CRE portfolio with a gross asset value of $5.5 billion. Outside of PGIM, O’Connor is involved with NAIOP and ULI, and works toward the advancement of women in the Bay Area real estate scene.
JOE A. PELLA, 35 SVP and Georgia CRE Market Manager SunTrust Bank Atlanta Joe Pella embodies SunTrust’s principles and values of “one team” and “client first.” The strength of his leadership is reflected in his annual teammate engagement scores, which lead the pack among the bank’s CRE regions. His passion for delivering service and fostering teamwork while managing risk has contributed to outstanding revenue growth for his region. Under his direction, Georgia CRE has exceeded $1 billion in loan production for each of the past four years, and has seen stellar growth in deposit balances, treasury management and capital markets revenue. Pella and his team have exceeded virtually every financial and sales goal during his tenure. He is charged with the additional tasks of leading the partnership with the SunTrust sports and entertainment group, focusing on CRE projects associated with stadium venues, and the firm’s recruiting efforts at the University of Georgia.
JONATHAN PHARRIS, 38 Co-Founder and President CapRock Partners Newport Beach, CA Jonathan Pharris was just 29 when he co-founded CapRock in 2009. He became president five years later, leading acquisition and fund investment strategies for the nearly 11 million square feet of industrial real estate the company has acquired, developed or has in the pipeline, all worth a collective $1.6 billion. He’s been instrumental in the capital-raising efforts for the firm’s various funds, which have raised millions of dollars targeting value-add investment throughout California, Arizona and Nevada. By the end of this year, CapRock will have more than four million square feet of class A industrial under construction in the Inland Empire, making it one of the largest developers of its kind in the Western US. He was also behind a historic $450-million land sale the firm recently closed in one of SoCal’s most sought-after markets; CapRock is being retained to develop the site for Fortune 1000-caliber tenants.
ANN-FLEMING POWELL, 39 Director, Tenant Representation Trinity Partners Charlotte, NC She’s currently the only female office tenant rep director among Charlotte’s CRE firms, but that isn’t what makes Ann-Fleming Powell stand out. Rather, she’s known for her role in creating one of the most successful tenant representation teams at Trinity Partners, let alone her local market. Since taking over her firm’s office tenant representation service line in Charlotte in 2015, Powell has grown revenue by more than 300%. The CCIM designee honed her skills as tenant rep broker at JLL and later at Lincoln Harris, where she ran a Bank of America client account. Over a six-year period, she negotiated nearly two million square feet in office leases on behalf of the bank. Outside of brokerage, Powell is passionate about mentoring for women in CRE, as well as pancreatic cancer research and various local charities.
GREG REED, 36 Senior Vice President Capital One Multifamily Finance Newport Beach, CA The sheer volume of transactions that Greg Reed has closed serves as testament to his expertise in loan execution. One of Capital One Multifamily’s top direct producers in terms of agency volume, he oversees a team of five that services a nearly $6-billion portfolio of some 250 loans. Reed averages $1 billion in annual originations through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, though he exceeded this figure last year with $1.5 billion in originations. Within less than a decade, the total number of loans he’s closed has surpassed the $10-billion mark, but the volume was not earned at the detriment of quality. In fact, Reed’s attention to detail and engagement have resulted in an impressive record of attracting new customers and retaining existing ones. The recipient of numerous industry awards, Reed is also an active supporter of Food on Foot, which provides financial donations and volunteer assistance to the homeless.
BRYAN D. ROSENBERG, 31 Director HFF Chicago Throughout his career, Bryan Rosenberg’s ability to go the extra mile has helped him amass a transaction volume of more than $6 billion in the past four years alone. He holds the sales record for highest price per rentable square foot in the Chicago CBD with the 2014 sale of 300 N. LaSalle, and has been behind the trades of other major assets including Chicago’s AMA Plaza and the Galleria and Tower at Erieview in Cleveland. Rosenberg is a two-time Investment Broker of the Year award winner, from the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and a two-time winner of the NAIOP Chicago Broker Transaction of the Year award for the Chicago Old Post Office Building and AMA Plaza transactions. He spent the past two years on a NAIOP Developing Leaders Forum and continues to participate in the program.
MICHAEL P. SAIGN, 36 Executive Managing Director NKF San Jose, CA One of the most active brokers in the highly charged Silicon Valley CRE market, Michael Saign earned a spot on NKF’s inaugural Chairman’s Club as one of the firm’s top-producing agents. In his time with the company, he’s completed over 400 assignments worth in excess of $4 billion. This year alone, Saign has been behind 2.5 million square feet of class A office and R&D transactions, some of which were among the nation’s largest, such as a million-plus-square-foot, long-term lease with a major social media company on behalf of the ownership of Moffett Towers II. One of Silicon Valley’s first CRE professionals to have earned LEED accreditation, Saign also specializes in developing and implementing strategies for diverse occupier clients in the technology, life science and professional service industries. Personally, he is passionate about finding a cure for Parkinson’s Disease, and has been a director of the Parkinson’s Institute and Clinical Center for the past three years.
FRANK J.H. SCHULZ III, 36 Managing Principal The Klabin Co. Torrance, CA When he rose to his current position two years ago, 34-year-old Frank Schulz III was charged with overseeing the vision, direction and growth of the Klabin Co. He was certainly up to the task, having finalized more than 380 sale and lease transactions worth some $1.7 billion over the past 10 years. A two-time winner of the SIOR Largest Transaction Award, Schulz recently negotiated the sale of a 400,000-square-foot office park in Carson, CA that will be redeveloped into a state-of-the-art industrial project, and the purchase of a 31-acre parcel on a former oil refinery in Torrance, CA. A former chair of SIOR’s global young professionals group and past president of SIOR’s Los Angeles chapter, Schulz is board chairman of Sharefest Inc., an organization dedicated to empowering youth and transforming communities.
MITCH SINBERG, 39 Senior Managing Director and Co-Head, Florida Originations Berkadia Boca Raton, FL No stranger to helping firms establish a presence in the market, Mitch Sinberg had already helped Beech Street Capital and Grandbridge successfully open up shop and expand in Florida when he joined Berkadia. In the five years since joining the firm as head of South Florida production, he’s become co-leader of five offices in the state. He oversees one of the top-producing regions for Berkadia, which last year was ranked first by HUD and second by both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, based on delivered loan volume. He also led the region’s massive growth in volume, which rose from $200 million in 2013 to $3.3 billion in 2017, making Berkadia the second-largest originator of commercial mortgages in all of South Florida. Sinberg’s team alone was responsible for some $2.4 billion in deal closings in 2017. Those successes have earned him a consistent place on Berkadia’s CEO Circle of top producers.
BECKY SULLIVAN, 36 Chief Operating Officer DJM Capital Partners San Jose, CA Although raised in a family of developers and construction executives, Becky Sullivan is a true example of someone working their way up from the bottom. She started her career 14 years ago as an entry-level assistant to DJM president Lindsay Parton. Within a year, she became project manager of a mixed-use development with 200,000 square feet of retail and 467 apartment units. She’s been unstoppable ever since, having overseen some of DJM’s largest and most complex projects. Sullivan now leads all processes and procedures across DJM’s sales, marketing and development teams, and capably manages a two-million-square-foot portfolio valued at $1.3 billion. An active member of several CRE and community organizations, Sullivan is particularly dedicated to Team G, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting pediatric cancer.
W. KYLE TANGNEY, 33 Managing Director Greysteel Washington, DC A core part of the leadership team, Kyle Tangney has been with Greysteel since its launch in 2012 and has been instrumental in the development of its infrastructure and its expansion into new markets and practice areas. He serves as the lead investment sales professional and top producer for Mid-Atlantic, which is Greysteel’s most active and established investment sales and debt territory. Tangney guided the Mid-Atlantic multifamily sales team in the closing of more than $575 million in transactions in 2017, representing an increase of 182% over the prior year; the team is on track to set another record in 2018. On an individual level last year, Tangney was awarded the 2017 President’s Club recognition for being in the top 10% of deal volume, and was chosen by his peers among Greysteel’s 11 offices for the Professionals’ Choice Award.
STEPHANIE L. TITUS, 38 Vice President, Structured Products Bank of America Charlotte, NC The skills she developed at a leading independent research firm during the first seven years of her career served Stephanie Titus well when she entered the real estate arena in 2010, joining Bank of America’s CMBS servicing group. Three years later she earned an underwriting position on the CMBS production team, where she remains as a senior underwriter. Having assisted the firm in achieving 25% annual volume growth in 2017, Titus is one of BofA’s most prolific underwriters, with more than $1 billion in career transactions under her belt. She’s just as busy in her extracurricular activities. She sits on the council for BofA’s Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development for Women organization, and has been an active member of CREW’s Charlotte chapter.
CHRIS TOURTELLOTTE, 33 Managing Director LaTerra Development Los Angeles As head of acquisitions and capital markets for one of the most active and fastest growing real estate development companies in California, Chris Tourtellotte has established himself as a prominent force in the market. In the three years he’s been with LaTerra, Tourtellotte has led the firm’s transformation from being a buyer and seller of land to an investor and developer of urban infill apartment and mixed-use development sites near transit and employment centers. As part of this effort, last year he oversaw the acquisition of seven such project sites in Southern California that have a total projected buildout value of around $1 billion. Also in the past year, Tourtellotte recruited several key multifamily executives to the firm. An active member with ULI and member of its Los Angeles housing council, Tourtellotte co-founded the SnowGlobe Music Festival on the ideals of sustainability, outdoor sports, entertainment, design and community.
ALEKS TRIFUNOVIC, 39 President Lee & Associates | Los Angeles West Inc. Santa Monica, CA In addition to negotiating transactions in the brokerage arena, Aleks Trifunovic runs the day-to-day operations of Lee & Associates’ Los Angeles office. Over the course of three years, he’s expanded the operation from a dozen brokers to about 30, and has increased revenues by 400%. Charged with the firm’s strategic planning, Trifunovic is credited with invigorating the new office by melding technological efficiencies with traditional business practices. He is well-known for creating a work environment where employees can thrive while training the next generation of brokers. Among his major personal achievements are Apple Inc.’s Culver City facilities lease and the sale of the Howard Hughes airport to the Ratkovich Co. Trifunovic’s outside activities include serving as president of SIOR’s Greater Los Angeles Chapter.
MARTIN TURNER, 39 Chief Executive Officer Retail Solutions Houston First a broker in the Austin headquarters, Martin Turner moved to Houston to set up Retail Solutions’ new shop in the market. Under his guidance, the local brokerage operations have grown by roughly 900% in less than three years, becoming one of the largest in the market. Plus, the office is on pace to to triple its year-over-year production volume. Turner’s success earned him a promotion to CEO of the firm, which has expanded its footprint into multiple states. The former NCAA tennis player has worked with a long list of national retail and restaurant brands and prominent landlords and developers during his tim. He was previously a leasing executive with Weingarten Realty Investors, where he handled a two-million-square-foot retail portfolio in Texas and Louisiana.
KEITH WASSERMAN, 33 Co-Founder Gelt Inc. Tarzana, CA Growing up in a family of real estate investors, Keith Wasserman and his cousin, Damian Langere, were still in their 20s when they founded Gelt in 2008. Focusing primarily on value-add and distressed multifamily throughout the Western US, the firm has since acquired more than 8,000 apartment units and mobile home sites, valued in excess of $1 billion, on behalf of hundreds of domestic and foreign investors. As if that weren’t enough, Gelt launched a number of new entities, including Gelt Venture Capital, a seed stage investor in agricultural, real estate and transportation tech firms, and Domuso, a payment and financing tech platform for apartment renters. In 2017, Gelt established Happy Home Communities, a buyer of mobile home communities and RV resorts throughout the West. That same year, Gelt was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status for its Resident Relief Foundation, which provides grants to people at risk of eviction due to unexpected financial crises.
AMI ZIFF, 33 Director, National Retail Time Equities New York City Ever the entrepreneur, Ami Ziff put himself through college by leveraging his tennis skills to create a highly profitable tennis academy, “On the Ball,” where he taught hundreds of students. Ziff’s used his talents to expand Time Equities’ retail presence, taking advantage of market inefficiencies to acquire more than $500 million in assets. During his tenure, the firm has experienced the most accelerated and dramatic increase in square footage by asset class across the portfolio. Today Ziff leads a national team of more than 100 on retail acquisitions, dispositions, asset management and leasing of a 7.7 million-square-foot portfolio of 115 properties across 24 states. He also finds time to volunteer with the ICSC Next Generation program in various capacities, and is currently the chair of the Next Generation National Leadership Board.
