After leading Hamilton Zanze’s investment efforts for over a decade, president Kurt Houtkooper has been named CEO. He assumes the role from Mark Hamilton, a founding partner of the San Francisco-based private real estate investment company, who will remain highly engaged in the senior ranks. This promotion as well as a series of other leadership shifts follow a year where the company acquired more than $1 billion in multifamily communities.

“Kurt has led our investment activity from the early days and has deep regard with our staff, our investors, and our broader real estate partner and brokerage community,” said Hamilton. “His transition to CEO is natural for our continued success. We are lucky to have him at the helm.”
Houtkooper joined Hamilton Zanze in 2003, just two years after its founding. In addition to his investment direction role, he has been instrumental in the company’s recent launch of its first $50 million discretionary fund.
“By expanding our investment offerings to include this new discretionary fund alongside our individual property-based deals, we are growing significantly as we welcome additional institutional investors and investment advisory groups as partners,” said Houtkooper. “Not only is our first discretionary fund nearly fully subscribed, but our team is actively developing additional fund offerings to be launched in the near future as well.”
In addition to the CEO transition, Hamilton Zanze has added six new partners from within its leadership ranks. Longtime team members Tim Bruss, managing director of asset management; Ashlee Cabeal, chief financial officer; John Gilmore, managing director of project and risk management; Sean Luthy, managing director of investor relations; David Nelson, chief investment officer; and Todd Williams, chief counsel, are now vested in ownership alongside Hamilton, Houtkooper, and founding partner Tony Zanze.
“From our early days laying the groundwork for this company, we have gone on to build additional sister organizations and have expanded geographically beyond our earliest expectations,” said Zanze. “Under this expanded partnership team—a group that has been at the helm for many years—our investors have assured continuity for many years to come with well-seasoned stars leading the charge across all aspects of our operation.”