Phoenix State of the Market

The president, creative visionary and business mastermind behind MODUS Development, Ed Gorman created a unique solution to eco-friendly urban living by combining his aptitude for technology and design with his extensive background in real estate development. What started as an idea of innovative housing with location, design and technology at its core, has since led MODUS to become the leading developer of eco-friendly living featuring innovative buildings with award-winning environmentally friendly designs located in prime urban areas. Not only is Gorman’s MODUS Development nationally recognized as one of the premier developers of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-H), but he was also among the first in the nation – and the first in Arizona – to unveil net zero energy living spaces. Prior to MODUS Development, Gorman began his career with technology companies AT&T, Apriva and Iridium Satellite. Followed by years spent in real estate development, which included site acquisition, design, construction, and financing. Gorman is a LEED accredited professional, Urban Land Institute (ULI) member, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) member, and is a board advisor for the Arizona State University Masters in Real Estate Development (MRED) program, which is also where he received his MBA following his Bachelor’s of Science from the University of South Carolina. Now considered a pioneer in the industry, Gorman has continued to keep MODUS Development on the cutting edge of urban living. Projects such as The Galleries at Turney in Phoenix, AZ and Parc Riviera in San Diego, CA solidified his standing as a leader among his peers, while upcoming residential projects that are currently under development in Arizona and California – MZ Townhomes in Scottsdale, AZ was recently unveiled as the first zero energy housing project in the state, with three more projects to be unveiled in 2016 – will continue to keep him at the forefront of innovative, energy-efficient living.

Brandon Harrington, senior vice president, delivers innovative capital to entrepreneurial and institutional clients. As the senior partner of the Harrington/Steffen team, Mr. Harrington is responsible for originating and structuring debt and equity opportunities nationwide. By leveraging life company, bank, CMBS, and private equity relationships, as well as Walker & Dunlop’s direct Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD, CMBS and bridge lending capabilities, the Harrington/Steffen team is able to effectively source and structure capital to maximize their client’s returns. In 2016, the Harrington/Steffen team was recognized by Ranking Arizona as #1 within the category of capital and finance. Prior to joining Walker & Dunlop, Mr. Harrington was partner and managing director at Cohen Financial, where he served in a similar capacity. Previously, Mr. Harrington served as an associate loan officer with Marcus & Millichap Capital Corporation. During his tenure in commercial real estate finance, Mr. Harrington has arranged over $1.5 billion in financing volume. Recognized as an expert in commercial real estate finance, Mr. Harrington is a frequent panelist and speaker at industry events. Mr. Harrington earned a Bachelor of Science in business from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Beyond the company, Mr. Harrington is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) and the Arizona Multihousing Association (AMA).

Marcia is keenly attuned to the multifamily market downtown Phoenix and has been involved in various capacities at promoting new development. From her leadership role with the Hance Park Conservancy (the redeveloping central park for Phoenix which will transform downtown living) to her work in Commercial Real Estate with Cambridge Properties, and a background in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, she understands that residential growth is key to downtown Phoenix renaissance. The appetite for urban living and walkablity is growing as is the demand for product which fulfills new lifestyle choices for Phoenix. With the new Walkable Urban Code in place for downtown, developers are no longer replicating the suburban model for infill residential projects and energy and material efficiency awareness by consumers creates more demand for sustainable building practices. Marcia Karasek is on the Commercial Team with Cambridge Properties. She is affiliated with Smart Pad Living, bringing a new, sustainable and commercially viable building technology to the Phoenix market and PhxPlaces, a mapping and calendaring application for placemaking and commercial real estate marketing. Education: Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) from University of Pennsylvania ­ Philadelphia, PA 1995; Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (BSFS) from Georgetown University ­ Washington, DC 1987; Development Economic Studies from Université de Dakar ­ Dakar, Senegal 1984; Arizona Commercial Real Estate License.

Gary has over 20 years of finance, investment management, marketing, business operations, and consulting experience. At ViaWest, Gary leads the capital markets function and oversees the firm’s entry into new geographic and property-type markets. He previously managed the company's multi-family activities, overseeing the acquisition, conversion, and disposition of over 2,000 apartment units to condominiums for a national multifamily/condominium client. He earned his BA in Economics from Northwestern University, spending his Junior Year at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan. After working in marketing and sales strategy in Tokyo, Japan with Bridgestone Corporation, he returned to the US to earn his MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Gary is fluent in Japanese and proficient in Spanish. Gary has been an active member with Urban Land Institute (ULI), currently serving as Vice-Chair of the Arizona District Council and Chair of Small Scale Development Council – Gold (SSDC). He is also a member of the Arizona Chapter of Young Presidents Organization (YPO) He resides in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife Julie and two sons, Zachary and Matthew.

Jeff Geyser is currently Co-Owner/Founder and President of Lawrence & Geyser Development Corp. (L&G). Since 1995, L & G has developed and re-developed almost 2 million square feet of commercial real estate in Arizona, California and Oklahoma. In addition, Jeff has been involved in purchasing over 25 bank owned and distressed retail properties since the end of 2009. The total value of these projects is over a quarter of a billion dollars. Geyser’s projects have included the South Mountain Plaza, the Village Shops, Central and Thomas Plaza, Central Station and the Historic My Florist Center in Phoenix and the Falls of Ocotillo and Downtown Ocotillo in Chandler (AZ), Tempe (AZ) Crossings, Euclid Plaza in San Diego (CA) and more recently, the Metro Marketplace in Phoenix. He is a life-long resident of Arizona and currently resides in Phoenix with his wife and two children. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and a law degree from Arizona State University. He is also a member of the President’s Club at ASU and has endowed the Geyser Family Scholarship at ASU which provides financial aid to students from local high schools.

Jay Ramos is an accomplished real estate professional with experience in land acquisitions, financing and asset management. Jay serves as a Senior Director of Real Estate Development at Opus and is responsible for directing Multifamily development in Arizona. Jay began his career with UBS Investment Bank in Los Angeles, California. Most recently, Jay held roles at Leon Capital Group and Mark-Taylor Residential. At Leon Capital Group Jay was responsible for seven multifamily projects totaling 1,100 units in various stages of development. While at Mark-Taylor Residential, Jay was responsible for strategic oversight and financial performance of a Class-A, multifamily apartment portfolio consisting of 2,200 units and a market value of $650M. Jay’s focus at Opus is pursuing and managing development opportunities from concept through occupancy and disposition. Jay is a veteran of the U.S. Navy having served in Desert Storm. Jay grew up in the Central Coast of California having received a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University.

Phil Breidenbach is an Executive Vice President, Office Properties Solutions Group, with Colliers International. He has specialized in commercial real estate since joining Colliers in 1984. Phil represents both landlords and tenants and focuses on “life of the asset” landlord representation, tenant advocacy, site selection, corporate solutions, and acquisitions and dispositions. The Office Properties Solutions Group builds on the strengths of its members with a synergy not often found in today’s commercial real estate environment. The team structure allows representation of both landlords and tenants, and the diverse base of knowledge and expertise leads to successful and tailored real estate solutions. The team builds relationships that continue far beyond a single successful transaction. PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Phil is a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR), which is the leading professional office and industrial real estate association. Just under 3,100 practitioners hold the prestigious SIOR designation worldwide, representing today’s most knowledgeable, experienced, and successful commercial real estate brokerage specialists. Phil has consistently been recognized as one of the industry’s leading professionals locally and for several years has been recognized as a top producer at Colliers.