San Diego State of the Market

Since founding MG Properties Group in 1992, Mark has overseen the acquisition, development and management of 90 properties totaling over 16,000 units. As President, he has guided the growth of MG Properties Group, raising money for new investment partnerships and overseeing the renovation, lease-up and property management of the company's portfolio of value-add communities. Prior to forming MG Properties, Mark was a tax specialist for five years with international accounting firms Ernst & Whinney and Touche Ross and worked for six years in senior financial management positions with Hybritech Incorporated and Solar Turbines Corporation. In 2006, Mark was selected as a finalist in the Ernst& Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. He serves on the Executive Board of the USD Burnham Moores Real Estate School, is a member of the National Multi Housing Counsel Board of Directors and SD Economic Development Corporation Strategic Round Table, and has served on many charitable boards. He has been a speaker at numerous industry events. He graduated with a degree in Business from Drexel University in 1979 and became a licensed Certified Public Accountant in 1981 and a California licensed Real Estate Broker in 1990.

Kaitlin Murphy Arduino is President of Murphy Development Company, a leading developer of corporate industrial and technology parks in San Diego.  Mrs. Arduino is responsible for day-to-day management of MDC, as well as all aspects of the development cycle including land use analysis and site selection, entitlement and permitting for the company’s corporate business parks, and construction project management. Mrs. Arduino also works with the CFO to source the construction and permanent financing for Murphy Development’s existing assets and new acquisitions, and manages the leasing of the company’s vacant space. MDC recently completed a state-of-the-art facility for The Salvation Army in Otay Mesa, the 137,000 SF Campus at San Diego Business Park Building 3 which is now fully leased, and a 40,000 SF office TI for the GSA. MDC is also under construction on 400,000 SF of spec buildings, both R&D and industrial, in Otay Mesa and Scripps Ranch. Mrs. Arduino started her career at HFF, one of the country’s largest real estate capital intermediaries.  During her time there, Mrs. Arduino underwrote over $1.5 billion in commercial properties; as an originator, she closed over $90 million in financing. Mrs. Arduino holds a Masters in Real Estate Economics and Finance from the London School of Economics, where she graduated with distinction.  Mrs. Arduino completed her undergraduate degree in finance at the University of Arizona.  She currently serves as Vice Chair for the Otay Mesa Property Owners Association, and previously served on the SANDAG ITOC committee and the Otay Mesa Planning Group.  Mrs. Arduino is an active member of CREW and NAIOP. Mrs. Arduino volunteers her time with Young Life Beach Cities.

Founder of RAF Pacifica Group and Co-Founder and Principal of SR Commercial, Adam Robinson is a strategic real estate investor and operator specializing in the acquisition, development, operations, and management of commercial real estate. Robinson is currently acquiring land and developing speculative commercial real estate, primarily in San Diego County. Over the past few years, he has acquired 2.5 million square feet, more than 2 million of which is for a long-term hold, and has an additional one million square feet of speculative development in the pipeline over the next 24 months. He oversees a portfolio of more than four million square feet of real estate, with a niche focus on office and industrial product. Robinson has directed more than $1.3 billion in investments and has focused his career on establishing the vision and strategy necessary to execute successful value-add commercial real estate transactions. His deep industry expertise in acquisitions, development, and brokerage, combined with his strategic networking, has enabled him to successfully drive value and attractive returns for his capital partners. Robinson has been a featured speaker at the University of San Diego, as well as at commercial real estate conferences such as NAIOP and SIOR. He is also an investor in multiple operating businesses. Robinson holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of San Diego. He is a licensed real estate broker in the state of California and holds numerous professional affiliations, including CCIM, SIOR, and CPM. He is the past president of the San Diego chapter of SIOR.

As Director of Real Estate Development, Ryan is responsible for site selection, land acquisition, constraint analysis, due diligence, financial feasibility, municipal approvals, design and construction coordination and lease/sale negotiations. With over 18 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, Ryan has facilitated over 700 sale and lease transactions exceeding $800 million in value and representing approximately 9.2 million square feet. As an industrial and office specialist, he understands current market trends and implements mutually beneficial solutions for customers and project stakeholders. His attention to detail and strong leadership skills along with his past experience allow him to execute creative, effective strategies on behalf of his customers

Seth Garrett has a unique “insider” perspective on real estate. As a former commercial real estate broker, Seth’s in-depth understanding of his clients’ issues and what they need from their law firm enables him to provide meaningful guidance on a wide range of matters. Through his work as a real estate broker prior to becoming a lawyer, Seth honed his negotiation and transactional skills while representing commercial and industrial real estate developers, business owners and investors. This skillset along with his legal proficiency aids him in solving multidimensional and highly sophisticated transactional matters. Seth currently represents clients in transactional real estate and business matters, including: investment, acquisitions and dispositions, planning and development, leasing, financing, construction and property management of retail, office, industrial, multifamily, residential and hospitality projects as well as entity formation, governance and dissolutions of limited liability companies, corporations and partnerships. Noteworthy among Seth’s recent accomplishments is an acquisition of a multi-million dollar office development with several tenants in a short timeframe. In order to maximize the team’s efficiency, the due diligence related to the project was delegated to various team members and managed by Seth, ensuring that the client ultimately closed on the property and the transaction was beneficial to both parties. Seth is actively involved in the business, real estate and legal communities. He has served as Chair, Vice Chair and New Member-at-Large of the San Diego County Bar Association’s Real Property Section and was previously a member of the Editorial Board of San Diego Lawyer magazine. He is also a member of the Urban Land Institute, Building Industry Association, y|GEN and NAIOP. He is a member of the Allen Matkins Community Outreach Committee and volunteers his services with the California Innocence Project, San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the Honor Foundation, and the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. He is an adjunct professor at University of San Diego’s Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate where he teaches “Legal Aspects of Real Estate.”

Brad Lancaster, CPC, is a Senior Project Manager at Vertex's San Diego office, where he is primarily responsible for owner representation in all stages of the Construction life cycle within Southern California. Brad holds over 25 years of experience in the construction and real estate industry, and has managed a wide variety of development, logistical, and capital expenditure programs in retail, healthcare, food service, sports facility, education, aviation, and office sectors.

Henry Manoucheri’s successful real estate career spans over 30 years. Henry began his career at Marcus & Millichap in 1985 and became one of their top brokers, being recognized throughout California as well as nationally. He has brokered over $500,000,000 worth of transactions in apartment buildings, office buildings, industrial properties, shopping centers and land. After leaving M&M, Henry launched his own privately held acquisitions business, as principal. In less than six months the number of apartments owned grew 200% from 400 to 1,200 units. Having demonstrated a detailed knowledge of acquisitions, operations and construction, Henry was able to partner with Bank of America to acquire and renovate a large apartment community in Carlsbad, CA. The asset was acquired at a purchase price of $50,700,000 with $10,500,000 in equity from Bank of America and $1,200,000 of equity from high net-worth investors. After successfully renovating the property and enhancing day-to-day operations, Henry sold the property four years later for $78,000,000 generating a profit of nearly $9,500,000 for himself and his investors. From this point forward a career of buying significant, well located apartment communities in Southern California began, acquiring 100+ unit properties throughout Los Angeles, Inland Empire, Ventura and San Diego County. Trisail of Bank of America and Urdang Advisors completed 10 large transactions with Henry over a successful 10 year relationship with acquisitions ranging from 200 to 450 units on transactions of $20 million to $70 million. This provided the economic platform for Henry to grow the portfolio to over 4,000 units. Additionally, Henry continued improving and refinancing smaller apartment communities, delivering 400 – 800% total returns to his investors over time. Henry, supported by research and analysis, sensed a changing marketplace and began selling select assets at record prices and cap rates from 2006 to 2008. The vast majority of sales were not used in trade, but rather to fund future acquisitions during the next down-cycle and to provide returns to investors. With over 30 years of experience in the business, Mr Manoucheri has been able to successfully navigate the company through difficult times by focusing on value-add propositions, detailed operations, and favorable financing opportunities, thereby profiting even during down cycles. This devotion to discipline, hard work , continuous examination of operating results and a hands-on approach has enabled Henry to deliver an average return of 22% percent annually across numerous assets, based on cash flow, and a return of over 60% per annum on assets sold. Currently the company is engaged in expanding its current holdings by acquiring new, value-add opportunities from various sellers, troubled borrowers, and financial institutions alike. Henry holds a BS in Finance and Real Estate from Cal State, Northridge, CA.

Dan has been at Sunroad since 2003. Dan focuses on a diverse set of responsibilities, including the construction, leasing, acquisition, and finance of real estate projects, and the management and operations of automobile dealerships. Dan’s previous experience includes starting a software company GFE.com from 1999-2000, and working for Allied Partners in New York from 2001-2003. At Sunroad, Dan oversees all real estate activities. The responsibilities are- Acquisition: which include all analysis, evaluation, due diligence, transaction negotiation, processing of maps, permits, and plans. Leasing – Oversees management of brokers and marketing materials to maximize rents, minimize vacancy, and work to create efficient space plans. Product Design/Development – During schematic and design phases, Dan is intimately involved with the consultant team, including architects, interior designers, landscape engineers, and property managers to determine ideal floor plans, unit mix, finish details, and design direction. Construction – Dan works closely with Sunroad’s Director of Construction throughout the construction phases. He will oversee the pre-development input from selected Contractors, evaluate the ideal bid process (GMAX, Cost Plus, or Stipulated Sum), and oversee the construction and quality control process. Dan received his BA from UCSD, and received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business and his MA from the Lauder Institute for International Studies. His volunteer activities include Poway Center for Performing Arts, Board position of Young Presidents Organization, Burn Institute, National Association for Industrial and Office Properties, Developers Forum, and the San Diego Chamber of Commerce.

Christopher Veum, Associate AIA and Affiliate IIDA, President of AVRP Studios, oversees the company’s workplace, life science and healthcare design. He focuses on the current and future needs of a divergent, mutigenerational population and how those different generations have and will change the built environment. As a recognized thought leader, it is his passion to make the workplace more productive, efficient and aligned with each organization’s culture, values and vision. He is also a frequent speaker at national conferences on healthcare designs and the work environment. He focuses on the user experience, human-centered design and healthy environments to enhance the human experience. At 26, he was one of the youngest designers to receive a national AIA design award. He is a consummate researcher and award-winning designer, recognized by clients and peers as a keen strategist. Some of his clients include BioMed Realty, Microsoft (globally), Hologic, Intel, Cymer, Red Door Interactive, Sharp Hospital, Sharp Rees-Stealy. Veum’s projects have topped many publications’ list such as Forbes Magazine’s Top 10 Coolest Office in America, among others.

A graduate of Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo, David formed McCullough Landscape Architecture as a sole proprietorship in 1999 while consulting for another firm. After wife and partner, Catherine joined the business in 2001 and became Chief Executive Officer and President in 2002; the firm became a woman-owned corporation and a certified Small Business by the State of California. With offices in San Diego and the Bay Area, McCullough creates spaces for hospitality, retail, mixed-use and institutional properties around the world. As principal landscape architect, David oversees all aspects of the design and production of firm projects at McCullough. He serves as head designer on all projects and maintains quality control on all work completed. Previous projects have earned awards and recognition in several national publications. David finds time in his schedule to take leadership in creative organizations such as the the San Diego Architecture Foundation (SDAF) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) local Urban Design Committee. He currently serves as Chair of the Pecha Kucha Night program, which is on its sixth successful year. He finds it inspiring to take part in such a diverse mix of creative minds while bringing them together to share with the public their wild ideas. In addition, recently David was appointed by San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer to serve on the Historical Resources Board as Chair, which governs the identification, protection, retention and preservation of historical sites in San Diego. Concurrently, he has been invited to serve on the city’s Code Monitoring Team (CMT). David’s design philosophy is centered around merging context and creative passion with grit, soul, and style. The firm takes every project with a uniquely creative approach that centers around diversity, discovery and conservation. David feels it’s important to engage the human spirit with nature, while expressing empathy. Recent projects include a large waterfront development in Shanghai, China, Seaport San Diego redevelopment, several multifamily projects in Calgary and Vancouver, along with other notable hospitality, entertainment, and mixed-use collaborations in the Western US and Canada.

Zack Ebner, Senior Manager of Product Management for Quantum Fiber. In his most recent role, he served as the West Region Manager of Multifamily Development and Sales within the Connected Communities segment. Zack joined the organization in 2018 and successfully led a team of account managers providing fiber-based property-wide instant WiFi solutions to multifamily properties in key markets including California, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas along with select cities in Washington state.    His primary areas of experience and focus relate to business development, internal staff success, owner/developer relationship growth, and pre/post-implementation project management.   Zack holds a B.S. in Information Technology and Marketing from Marquette University and resides in Gilbert, AZ.

As the regional director for SageGlass, Mahesh leads the sales and business development strategy for the Western and Central Regions of the United States.  With over 25 years of professional experience and an extensive background in energy-related technologies, Mahesh offers extensive expertise on energy efficiency and sustainability in the built environment. His profession certifications include Certified Energy Manager, Certified Demand Side Management Professional, Business Energy Professional and Six Sigma Black Belt. SageGlass, the global leader in smart window technology, helps create low-carbon buildings that enhance occupant wellness by delivering the world’s best dynamic glass.