Texas Multifamily Deep Dive

Matt Brendel is the Senior Managing Director of Legacy's Texas office where is responsible for development, construction, acquisition, and operations. Prior to joining Legacy Partners, Mr. Brendel was the Divisional President and Managing Partner of JPI, a national developer and builder of Class A multifamily, where he led the acquisition, development, construction and operations of over 30 communities in Texas with a combined project value of over $2 billion. Matt received both his B.B.A. in Accounting and his M.S. in Finance from Texas A&M University and is a Multifamily Leadership Board Member of the National Association of Home Builders.

Chris Dischinger is a proven leader within the real estate development industry and is co-principal and co-founder of LDG Development in Louisville, KY. He is committed to the business of building better lives through developing quality, affordable communities for hard-working families and active seniors to grow and thrive. In 1994, Chris formed LDG Development with his business partner Mark Lechner, successfully focusing on acquiring, developing, building and managing single-family homes. The company eventually grew to have a portfolio of more than 500 homes as well as acquiring and managing commercial real estate properties in 17 states. In 2002, LDG saw an opportunity to enter the Housing Tax Credit Program and by using this model, LDG has developed over 8000 units in multiple states. Today, LDG has three main divisions, all focused on maximizing growth and production. With the mission statement, “Everyone Deserves a Quality Place to Live”, the company has over 30 employees in its offices located in Louisville, KY and Austin, TX and are focused on developing and managing quality properties for the thousands of families of residents and families it serves. Chris has served as president of four different trade organizations including the national president of the Society of Exchange Councilors. He resides in his hometown of Louisville, KY with his family.

Mark Allen is a Senior Vice President in the Multifamily Services group for Colliers International in Dallas, Texas where he specializes in both market rate workforce and select affordable housing assets. Mark is committed to creating and preserving wealth for his clients and is a true consultant and advocate providing comprehensive services in the acquisition, reposition, and disposition of multifamily assets throughout North Texas and 1031 exchanges into alternative assets. Mark has an established track record of successfully selling multifamily assets and is responsible for maintaining client relationships. He is an integral part of all phases of the marketing process, including the oversight of transactions. Mark and his team’s success is evidenced by his loyal, repeat client base who rely on him to help expedite their goals. Prior to joining Colliers, Mark served as Vice President at Marcus & Millichap within the National Multi-Housing Group. Since entering commercial real estate in 2010 with Sperry Van Ness, Mark has worked on acquisition and disposition of numerous retail, medical and corporate users. As a proud alumnus of the University of Texas at Arlington, Mark earned both his MS in Real Estate and his BBA in Real Estate. He is a designated Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). He resides in Tarrant County with his wife, Devan Allen, Precinct 2 Tarrant County Commissioner.

Amber Rao is Vice President and Senior Mortgage Banker with KeyBank Real Estate Capital in Dallas, Texas. Amber provides clients with financing options through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, CMBS, Life Companies and Debt Funds across a variety of multifamily asset types to include conventional, student housing, manufactured housing and affordable housing. Over the last 17 years, Amber has been directly involved in loan production totaling over $2.5 Billion. Amber is an active member of The Real Estate Council, Commercial Real Estate Women and holds the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation. Amber was a founding member of the Mortgage Bankers Association MPact Advisory Committee and is the current Chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association CREF DE&I Council. Amber has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from John Carroll University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas with concentrations in Finance and Real Estate.

Over the last 20 years, Deepak Sulakhe has developed more than 7,300 units of multifamily housing totaling over $900 million in combined debt and equity financing. He founded OM Housing in 2005. His strong reputation enables him to partner with top consultants in architecture, engineering, finance, construction and property management. As a leader in the housing industry, he frequently participates on panels as a housing expert. His past experience includes titles such as Regional Partner/COO, Senior Vice President of Development and Development Director with national fully integrated apartment development firms. Throughout his career, Deepak has been successful in bringing in new business, expanding business relationships, streamlining development practices and orchestrating the development-construction-management continuum. With his unique set of skills that cover architecture and finance, he is not only able to enhance the physical aesthetics and value engineering of projects but also match that expertise on the financial structuring of projects. This unique multifaceted experience enhances value in providing well-structured, eco-friendly, high-quality affordable housing. His skill sets are reflected in all the prestigious awards and recognitions his projects have received. Deepak has a bachelor’s degree in Architecture, a master’s degree in Urban Design, and a master’s degree in Real Estate Development/Finance. He is a member of the Urban Land Institute, the National Association of Home Builders and the Texas Real Estate Commission.

Kim Parker (formerly Schwimmer), President of Dynamic CRE, started in commercial real estate in the mid-1990s and has developed unique expertise brokering undeveloped land. Kim represents real estate developers, business owners, investors, and families with their land acquisitions and divestitures throughout the state of Texas. She has closed hundreds of transactions throughout Texas, in both tertiary markets and the urban core. Kim is also the sole Managing Member of The Land Experts, a consultant and developer of luxury workforce housing in Texas. Kim founded The Land Experts in 2014 and since its inception, has participated in the development of 16 luxury workforce housing developments totaling 2,500 apartment units, with another 1,000 units currently under development. These first-class communities are located throughout the state of Texas. Information about the Land Experts’ developments can be found at www.TXLandExperts.com. Before going into real estate, Kim began her career on Wall Street and spent a decade working in the banking and mutual fund industries. Kim worked in the Dallas finance scene for several years and started a land investment consortium which transitioned into a full-time career in commercial real estate. Kim, formerly co-owner of RKS Group, is now President of Dynamic Commercial Real Estate, serving developers, investors, and landowners throughout DFW in their site selection, acquisition and property sales. Kim obtained a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Fordham University. Kim has participated in BISNOW panel discussions on commercial real estate trends and is a sought-after industry resource on developing affordable housing. Kim, a 2021 D-CEO Power Broker, is a member of the Commercial Real Estate Women Network (CREW), Commercial Broker Alliance of North Texas, NTCAR, Metrotex Association of Realtors, and Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers (TAAHP). Kim is also a Board Member of Operation Community Care, a non-profit based in Southern Dallas dedicated to providing vulnerable families, single parents, and children with everyday essentials.

Kelcie Berry oversees asset strategy for over 6,000 units located in Houston, Austin, San Antonio and College Station. Responsibilities include coordination with the development, construction, and operations personnel to maximize asset performance and investor return . Kelcie has closed over $700MM in investment sales during her time at Alliance. She previously worked for Wells Fargo’s Commercial Real Estate Group as a Relationship Manager. Ms. Berry is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a BBA in Finance and Business Honors, and an MS in Real Estate. She is active with the Aggie Real Estate Network (AREN), ULI and The Women’s Resource.

Christy Sanchez is the Vice President of Property Management for The Bainbridge Companies, a leading owner, developer and manager of multifamily communities. With more than 20 years of industry experience managing 13,000+ assets nationwide, Christy oversees global operations for Bainbridge’s management portfolio and supports growth initiatives for the firm’s third-party management platform. Christy’s experience expands across all asset types, with specific expertise in A+ stabilized and lease-up assets, renovation and value-add communities, and mixed-use. She holds a Management Certification from Bookhaven College and is a Certified Property Manager (CPM) through the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM). Christy also holds a Certified Apartment Manager (CAM) designation through both the National Apartment Association and IREM. She is President-Elect for the Austin Apartment Association and serves as a delegate for the Texas Apartment Association.

As the Vice President of Sales for AvidXchange, Brian Thayer specializes in helping companies streamline accounts payable operations and creating efficiencies through automation and best practices. Throughout his ten-year tenure at AvidXchange, Brian has worked with hundreds of Real Estate companies, helping them evaluate and implement automation solutions. He is passionate about helping businesses become more efficient, reducing their environmental footprint, and positioning organizations to grow with negative financial impact. Brian received his BS in Business Administration, as well as Business Management & Marketing, from Bryant University.