Crow Holdings, a leading national real estate investment and development firm, and the Robert and Margaret Folsom Institute for Real Estate at SMU Cox School of Business announced today the joint hiring of acclaimed real estate professional Mark G. Roberts as Director of Research at both institutions. Roberts, who has extensive experience in real estate research, finance, and architecture, is joining both organizations to develop insights, market research, and commentary on real estate topics of interest to investors, developers, operators, and other industry participants. He will also extend his expertise into the classroom, teaching market analysis and strategy to undergraduate and graduate students.
Roberts, a fellow at the Real Estate Research Institute, a regular contributor to the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries, and a registered architect, has over 30 years of real estate experience. He recently served as Executive Director of the Real Estate Center at the UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business, and he previously served as a Managing Director at DWS Real Estate, where he held several senior leadership positions including Head of Research & Strategy, Alternatives and Real Assets, Head of U.S. Multi-asset & Solutions, and Co-Head of Research.
“We are honored to partner with SMU to create this important joint role and excited to bring Mark into the collective fold, adding his knowledge, viewpoint, and acumen to the team,” said Crow Holdings CEO Michael Levy. “The built environment is rapidly evolving, and his ability to analyze data, contribute to strategy, and comment on the overall real estate investment landscape is a great benefit to us, our investors, and our partners.”
“Since its founding in 1984, the SMU Folsom Institute has helped undergraduate and graduate students apply lessons they’ve learned on our campus to successful careers in real estate,” said Joseph Cahoon, Director of the Folsom Institute for Real Estate. “Mark is a tremendous addition to our Institute, and we are fortunate to bring on someone with such a unique background, informed perspective, and ability to educate and provide thought leadership for the real estate industry.”
“I am incredibly honored to join the esteemed faculty at the Folsom Institute as well as the talented team at Crow Holdings,” Roberts said. “It is a rare opportunity to be able to be a part of two incredible organizations at once, each with their own legacy of excellence. I look forward to adding my voice to the conversations going on in both classrooms and boardrooms during this exciting time for real estate investment and development.”
Prior to joining DWS’s Real Estate in 2011, he served as Global Head of Research at Invesco Real Estate, a division of Invesco Asset Management Limited. Roberts was the Chairman of the Board of NCREIF, President of RERI, Chairman of the NCREIF Research Committee, and a member of the NCREIF Fund-Index Subcommittee, which developed the NFI-ODCE Index. He initiated and served on the Leadership Committee of the Global Real Estate Fund Index, which is a joint effort of NCREIF (US), INREV (Europe), and ANREV (Asia-Pacific). Roberts holds an MS in Real Estate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BA in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana.
About Crow Holdings
Crow Holdings is a leading national real estate investment and development firm with more than 70 years of history, $24 billion of assets under management, and an established platform with a vision for continued success. Crow Holdings pursues compelling investment opportunities through a range of strategies, product types, and ventures, consistently seeking to create value for its investors, partners, and communities. Operating from 17 offices in key markets across the U.S., Crow Holdings has extensive industry reach and expertise in multifamily, industrial, office, and specialty sectors, having developed or acquired more than 225 million square feet of real estate. The firm’s ongoing legacy is rooted in its founding principles: partnership, collaboration, and alignment of interests. For more information, please visit www.crowholdings.com.
About SMU Cox Folsom Institute for Real Estate
The Robert and Margaret Folsom Institute for Real Estate at the Cox School of Business was originally established to provide outreach to the real estate community to be actively involved in the research and debate of critical private and public land use issues. The Institute is the backbone of the study of the real estate industry at the Cox School and SMU, supporting real estate academic programs at both the BBA and MBA levels. The Institute cultivates tomorrow’s real estate leaders through its dedication to academic excellence, applied learning, thought leadership, and career development.
