Murn to Head Residential Division of WRIT

ROCKVILLE, MD-Former Tower Companies and Kettler executive Edward J. Murn IV has been appointed managing director, head of the residential division of Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (WRIT).

The company says that Murn will oversee operations, investments and development for WRIT's 11-property, 2,540-unit residential portfolio. His real estate career in the Washington, DC region spans more than 20 years, serving most recently as director of development at The Tower Companies. During his tenure at Tower, he was responsible for the firm's metro DC area assets and projects including The Blairs, White Flint Mall, and Tower Oaks.

Prior to Tower, he served as vice president of multifamily development with Kettler, Inc. Previously, he was director of acquisitions & development-northeast investment group with Archstone-Smith Trust and director of capital markets at Charles E. Smith Residential Realty, Inc. He began his professional career as a commercial real estate banker in the Washington metro area.

“We are excited to welcome Ed Murn to WRIT. He comes with extensive multifamily operational and investment experience from The Tower Companies and Kettler, Inc., two exceptional DC real estate firms, making him an excellent addition to our team as we look to expand our residential portfolio. This addition, along with our recent hiring of Paul Weinschenk to head up our retail division, demonstrates our commitment to maximizing the growth potential of our core residential and retail sectors,” states George F. “Skip” McKenzie, president and CEO of WRIT.

WRIT owns a diversified portfolio of 69 properties totaling approximately 9 million square feet of commercial space and 2,540 residential units, and land held for development. These 69 properties consist of 25 office properties, 17 medical office properties, 16 retail centers and 11 multifamily properties.