The State of the Houston Multifamily Market

The Risks, Challenges, and Rewards in Jumping into Houston Multifamily

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  Brandt Bowden

  As Chief Executive Officer, Brandt Bowden oversees Capital, Development and Construction efforts for Hanover Company. He is integral to the planning and execution of Hanover's corporate strategy. Brandt joined Hanover in 2002 as a Development Partner covering the East Coast. In 2009, Brandt headed Hanover's Capital Markets division and soon took on the role of Chief Investment Officer. As CIO, he oversaw the investment and financing of approximately $5 billion in apartment development. Brandt is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and serves on the Multifamily Gold Council. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College, and currently serves as the Houston-area District Enrollment Director. In addition, Brandt serves on the Board of Trustees at The Kinkaid School.

  The Hanover Company

  CEO

  Brandt Bowden

  CEO

  The Hanover Company

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  Gabe Lerner

  Gabe Lerner is a seasoned commercial real estate and investment management leader with over a decade of experience spanning mixed-use, office, retail, and large-scale land acquisitions. Currently, he serves as Executive Vice President at Lincoln Property Company in Houston, where he focuses on expanding Lincoln’s service businesses, as well as its development and investment portfolios in the market. Additionally, his priority is to grow Lincoln’s mixed-use development business. Originally from Houston, Gabe has led real estate acquisition, development, and financing initiatives in markets across the globe and nationally, with a particular focus on the energy and real estate sectors. His comprehensive expertise encompasses Acquisition and Divestiture Management, Legal Due Diligence, and Asset Evaluation. Prior to joining Lincoln, Gabe held the position of Managing Director at Allied Orion Group. He was responsible for the acquisition, development, and alternative investment opportunities, concentrating on multifamily properties across the Sun Belt states. His strategic vision and leadership played a crucial role in expanding the company’s portfolio and driving its growth. Gabe’s career also includes a tenure as Managing Director for one of China’s largest private real estate developers, ZTC Investments. In this capacity, he spearheaded investments, oversight, and management of projects outside mainland China, with a portfolio that included ventures in North America, Europe, Japan, and other global locales. Gabe started his career working as an attorney in Houston, Texas.

  Lincoln Property Company

  EVP

  Gabe Lerner

  EVP

  Lincoln Property Company

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  Stacy Hunt

  Stacy has been with Greystar and its predecessor firm since 1982 and is currently responsible for national client relations and new business pursuit for the company’s 670,000 unit domestic management operation. Since joining Greystar, Mr. Hunt has helped build the firm’s management portfolio through the opening of regional offices in Arizona, Florida and additional offices in Texas. Stacy is a member of the National Apartment Association, the National Multi Housing Council joint legislative committee, the board of directors of the Houston Apartment Association and the Westchase District, Treasurer of the Better Government Fund of the Houston Apartment Association and is a licensed Texas broker. He also served as president of the Houston Apartment Association in 1992 and the Texas Apartment Association in 1998. In 1973 Stacy earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Texas. Mr. Hunt has witnessed the firm’s growth from 2,000 units to its current ranking as the largest apartment manager in the United States, with more than 670,000 units in 43 states. Greystar also manages approximately 24,650 units in China, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The company’s owned portfolio consists of over 51,000 units including 87 properties under construction and 31 stabilized properties in markets across the US. Mr. Hunt is based in Houston, Texas, and the Greystar corporate office is located in Charleston, South Carolina.

  Greystar

  Executive Director

  Stacy Hunt

  Executive Director

  Greystar

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  Susan Pohl

  Experienced Vice President, Acquisitions with a demonstrated history, working for over twenty five years in the multi-family investment industry purchasing over 30,000 units valued at over $3B nationally. Skilled in Real Estate Acquisitions, Finance, Dispositions, Asset Management and Development. Strong real estate professional with a BA in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.

  Barvin

  SVP, Acquisitions

  Susan Pohl

  SVP, Acquisitions

  Barvin

• Moderator

  Patrick Dennis

  Vice President – Sr. Client Solutions Director

  JE Dunn Construction

Remarks from the Podium

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  Chris Vargas

  As the Executive Vice President of Business Development at Chargie, Chris is responsible for bringing intelligent and reliable EV charging solutions to multifamily and commercial properties around the country. He has a proven track record of delivering products and services that drive innovation and growth for real estate owners, managers and investors. Before joining Chargie, he served as Director of Business Development at Boingo Wireless, a leading provider of 5G technology. Prior to Boingo, Chris held leadership positions at Verizon Enhanced Communities, Hughes Communications, rent.com, Global Enterprise Resource Group, and CU Solutions Group, and was one of the first five employees at DirecTV.

  Chargie

  EVP

  Chris Vargas

  EVP

  Chargie

Forward-Thinking Development, Design and Construction

How Top Firms are Building, Designing and Delivering Products in a Competitive Market

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  Crystal Bledsoe

  Crystal Bledsoe is Vice President of Multifamily and oversees the operations of the multifamily assets nationwide. Crystal joined the team in September 2016. Crystal’s primary role is the oversight and management of HHC’s 5000 multifamily units. Crystal also works with the development teams across the national portfolio from concept to delivery. Prior to joining HHC Crystal worked with multiple owners and developers across the USA. Crystal received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Sam Houston University and is currently enrolled in the Executive MBA program at Bauer College of Business. Crystal also holds several multifamily industry certifications. Crystal is a part of NAA and sits on several board positions advocating for multifamily owners and developers Crystal resides with her husband and children and is a long-term resident of Montgomery County.

  Howard Hughes Corporation

  VP

  Crystal Bledsoe

  VP

  Howard Hughes Corporation

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  Matthew Bronstein

  Matthew joined BHW Capital in 2021, where he focuses on various aspects across the entire multifamily ground-up development life cycle including capital markets, asset management, construction, and pre-development due diligence. Prior to joining BHW Capital, Matthew was Vice President at NorthMarq, a national capital markets leader in commercial real estate debt, equity, investment sales, and loan servicing. While at NorthMarq, Matthew was responsible for structuring and arranging over $600 million of debt and equity transactions across a broad range of property types including multifamily, industrial, retail, office, hospitality, and specialty mixed-use on behalf of private and institutional investor clients. His capital relationships span insurance companies, agency lenders, private equity & debt funds, CMBS conduit lenders, and local/regional/national banks. He was presented with NorthMarq's Analyst of the Year award for 2018. Matthew is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business with a B.B.A. in Finance and a McCombs School of Business Certificate in Real Estate Finance. Matthew currently serves on both the University of Texas at Austin’s Real Estate Finance and Investment Center’s Advisory Council (REFIC) and the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Houston Small Scale Development Council. He is also an active member of NAIOP and Federation’s CRES. Outside of commercial real estate industry, Matthew serves on the Board of Directors for Second Servings of Houston, Houston’s only prepared and perishable food rescue non-profit organization. During his time at the University of Texas, Matthew was President of the Undergraduate Real Estate Society (URES), and an Analyst for the UT Real Estate Finance & Investment Center's student-managed REIT Fund. He is a native Houstonian and a licensed Texas Real Estate Salesperson.

  BHW Capital

  VP

  Matthew Bronstein

  VP

  BHW Capital

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  Hachem Domloj

  As CIVE®’s President & CEO, Mr. Domloj has over 20 years of experience in Civil & Structural Engineering, Construction Management and Design. Mr. Domloj has driven the company's growth starting from a small engineering consulting firm to its existing state of being a Design Build firm, providing top-down design, engineering and construction services to Commercial, Industrial and Community sectors. He is now responsible for developing, designing, coordinating, reviewing and evaluating projects and ongoing work of the engineering and construction division at CIVE. Under his leadership, the company has expanded into international markets by establishing presence in Doha, Qatar, while also establishing CIVE Ready Mix in Houston and A2Z Building Material in Dubai, UAE as part of the company’s long-term vision. CIVE continues to receive recognition and accolades by independent publishers both at local, regional, and national level. He has also been appointed by the Mayor of Houston, and Councilman Ed Pollard to serve the Houston community as member of Board of Directors to TIRZ #1 - a redevelopment initiative by the Houston City Council.

  CIVE

  President

  Hachem Domloj

  President

  CIVE

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  Noel Arvizu

  Director

  ADT

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  Ben Mahala

  Ben Mahala, AIA, is a Principal at Powers Brown Architecture, and leads the firm’s Multi-Family practice. Ben has more than 22 years of experience in the Multi-family housing market with a diverse portfolio of all product types and construction types. Designing with the end-user in mind allows him the ability to tackle large product types in a timely manner to hit tough schedule restraints. His multi-family experience includes Student Housing, Market-rate apartments, affordable housing, adaptive re-use and Senior Living. Ben believes that a project’s design should draw from its surroundings and context.

  Powers Brown Architecture

  Principal

  Ben Mahala

  Principal

  Powers Brown Architecture

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  Ken Mendez

  Ken Mendez started in the built environment solutions in 1996, and has worked in several capacities in the Architecture & Design industry. Gaining expertise from a multitude of teams and manufacturers, he has served as a District Account Manager for both Kimball and Teknion, then moving on to Vice President of Sales for both Office Pavilion, and Workplace Solutions. For three years, Ken was the Regional Director for Knoll for the Houston Region. He currently utilizes his expertise in the multifamily market at Division Six and CORE Office Interiors in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. His bold approach puts people, process, and technology at the forefront of his go-to-market strategy. Ken excels at his job because of the care and growth he provides for his clients and employees to maximize their potential and ensure they each have the solutions and tools they need to succeed.

  Division Six

  President/Partner

  Moderator

  Ken Mendez

  President/Partner

  Division Six

Where Is Money Coming From?

Building your Capital Stack and Financing Deals in a Volatile Market

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  Warren Hitchcock

  Warren currently serves as senior vice president/managing director in the Houston, Texas office for NorthMarq Capital. With 2 decades of experience in commercial real estate investment banking, he is responsible for managing the office as well as multiple teams originating, underwriting, marketing, and closing debt and equity financing. Throughout his career he has completed the capitalization of a broad array of assets including multifamily, office, retail, industrial, hospitality, data, storage, and medical properties, ranging from suburban apartments to downtown office towers.  Warren has a long history of successfully structuring highly complex capital. He has been involved in several of Houston’s most iconic and challenging transactions.  As an example, he successfully originated the financing for some of Houston’s most challenged assets, specifically transacting and financing the 2.1 million sq. ft. former Exxon Mobil office campus which was less than 30 percent occupied at closing. Transactions have included arranging permanent long-term life company financing, agency multifamily debt, short-term bridge financing, mezzanine debt, and equity joint ventures with various institutional capital sources. The capital relationships he has forged bridges all real estate investors including life companies, Fannie, Freddie, FHA, banks, pension funds, bridge funds, and private equity funds.  Warren is a Top 10 Producer Nationally on an annual basis at NorthMarq and currently serves on the Equity Advisor Board and Northmarq Producers Council, an appointment reserved for NorthMarq’ s top originators. In addition to his responsibilities at NorthMarq, he is an active member of a number of organizations including: Association of Commercial Real Estate Professionals (ACRP) as past President & Chairman, CCIM, a NAIOP committee member, and member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) serving on numerous committees. Warren, who has two small children now, was born and raised in Houston, Tx but holds an undergraduate degree from The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He lives by the creed “Persistence Always Pays Off”

  Northmarq

  SVP & Managing Director

  Warren Hitchcock

  SVP & Managing Director

  Northmarq

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  Scott Ferguson

  Scott Ferguson is a Senior Director of Multifamily Acquisitions for Westmount Realty Capital in Dallas, Texas. He has a career spanning more than 25 years handling multifamily acquisitions, dispositions and asset management. Career to date he has completed in excess of $1.8B in multifamily transactions with long employment stints with UDR, Archon (Goldman Sachs) and GFI Capital Resources. Scott holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA in Real Estate Investment from the University of North Texas. He holds his Texas Real Estate Brokers license and CCIM designation.

  Westmount Realty Capital

  Senior Director, Multifamily Acquisitions

  Scott Ferguson

  Senior Director, Multifamily Acquisitions

  Westmount Realty Capital

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  Douglas Dillard

  Douglas Dillard has nearly 20 years of experience as a finance and accounting professional. In his current role as Chief Financial Officer, he manages finance and operations for several subsidiaries of St. Christopher Holdings and DC Partners. Mr. Dillard’s diverse background includes accounting leadership, financial planning and analysis, and technology consulting. Mr. Dillard graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and holds an MBA in Accounting. He is certified in Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Jet Reports and was previously a licensed loan officer in the mortgage industry. He has passed the Green Belt Certification course at the University of Houston College of Technology. Mr. Dillard has been an adaptive athlete for over 20 years and is passionate about getting disabled athletes into sports. For the past 5 years, he has contributed and participated in both Achilles Houston and Telluride Adaptive Sports Programs.

  DC Partners

  CFO

  Douglas Dillard

  CFO

  DC Partners

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  Cody Laughlin

  Cody Laughlin is a co-founder and Managing Partner of Blue Oak Capital. Mr. Laughlin is the director of Acquisitions and Chief Investment Officer and oversees the company’s acquisitions and business development. Cody has eleven years of experience in alternative investments. Prior to Blue Oak Capital, Mr. Laughlin was the founder and President of Laughlin Investment Group, LLC, a privately held real estate investment group where he managed the company’s acquisition portfolio of residential real estate. In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Mr. Laughlin worked as a Registered Nurse in the Texas Medical Center. He is a graduate of McNeese State University with a bachelor’s degree in science of Nursing.

  Blue Oak Capital

  Founder, Director of Acquisition

  Cody Laughlin

  Founder, Director of Acquisition

  Blue Oak Capital

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  Adam Weaver

  Adam Weaver advises clients on sophisticated commercial real estate transactions and financings. As a counsel in Pillsbury's Real Estate practice, Adam focuses on all aspects of commercial real estate and real estate finance. Adam has experience drafting purchase and sale agreements, real estate joint ventures and related documents for office, retail, multi-family, industrial, large-scale residential and mixed-use developments. His diverse client base and experience representing both purchasers and sellers as well as borrowers and lenders enables him to provide a balanced understanding that is key to successful negotiations.

  Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman

  Counsel

  Moderator

  Adam Weaver

  Counsel

  Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman

Opening Remarks With Will Breaux

• OPENING REMARKS

  Will Breaux

  President

  Iconic Systems