Transwestern Introduces New Investment Platform

Image by Mohamed Hassan, via Pixabay.com

Transwestern has launched an opportunistic investment platform dubbed Transwestern Ventures, as the new arm of family companies Transwestern Real Estate Services, Transwestern Development Co. and Transwestern Investment Group.

The platform will operate under the leadership of Fred Knapp as managing partner and will handle nationwide real estate investments across various sectors. Targeted properties include life science, health-care, office, industrial and hospitality assets, as well as multifamily and land development opportunities.

The new entity will benefit from the existing Transwestern network, which comprises more than 2,000 leasing, operations, development and investment professionals across 33 cities, partnering with local experts. Ventures will bring operational expertise to undermanaged or undervalued assets, seeking out unique investment opportunities.

Transwestern Ventures has a distinct competitive advantage through its direct access to the knowledge, resources and capabilities of the Transwestern organization, driving greater value for clients and investors, Knapp said, in prepared remarks.

Transwestern Development Co. has been involved in several commercial ventures through 2021, including an industrial development partnership with QuadReal Property Group in Florida. The duo is constructing a 943,426-square-foot logistics park on a 64-acre lot in Ocala, Fla. In a separate deal last October, Transwestern Investment Group sold a fully leased industrial property in Colton, Calif., for nearly $58 million.

Skilled team

Prior to joining Transwestern, Knapp was principal and head of acquisitions at global investment management company EQT Exeter, where he handled investments across the office and life science sectors. He also earned leadership and real estate investment experience in his roles at Cousins Properties and Morgan Stanley Real Estate Investing, as well as Crow Holdings, where he began his career. Knapp holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and accounting from Texas A&M University, where he graduated cum laude.

Vice President Hugh Stewart and Associate James Duncan will join Knapp in assisting with sourcing, financial evaluation and acquisition strategies. Prior to joining Transwestern, Stewart was with Lazard— a financial advisory and asset management firm—where he focused on technology, media and telecommunications investments. He earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin and a BBA from Cornell University.

Since 2019, Duncan has been an analyst at Transwestern Healthcare Advisory Services. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.