A Chicago multifamily investor is looking to sell 10 properties across eight states for about $500 million, bringing the 2,845-unit portfolio to the market after recent signs that major investors are coming off the sidelines.
Trilogy Real Estate Group has hired Newmark brokers to sell the properties in and around the Midwest, with pricing expected to come in around a half-billion dollars, according to one of the Newmark brokers leading the deal, Michael Collins.
Offers for single properties, parts of the portfolio or all 10 properties will be considered, he said.
Trilogy is looking to cash in on the portfolio during a time of transition for the national multifamily market, following a considerable slowdown in recent years partly because of higher interest rates. Sentiment appears to be improving, though, after the Federal Reserve recently announced the first in an expected series of interest-rate cuts.
Behemoths such as Equity Residential, Waterton, AvalonBay and RMR Group recently have given signs that they’re ready to go on extensive acquisition sprees, adding hope for owners such as Trilogy that are ready to cash in on some of their investments.
“We think the worst is in the rear-view mirror,” Collins said. “We see investors starting to lean in and price deals more aggressively.”
Properties in the portfolio were built between the 1980s and 2018.
The most recently completed property is the 138-unit NoCa Blu Apartments building at 2340 N. California Ave. in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.
Trilogy’s portfolio includes two properties in Columbus, Ohio — the 324-unit Bradford at Easton at 4150 Silver Springs Lane and the 292-unit Central Park Apartments at 105 Radio City Blvd. — and another two near St. Louis. Those are the 194-unit Reflection Cove at 13992 Reflections Drive in Ballwin, Missouri, and the 309-unit Residences at the Streets of St. Charles at 1650 Beale St. in St. Charles, Missouri.
Other properties are the 386-unit Waterchase Apartments at 3100 Waterchase Way in Wyoming, Michigan; the 272-unit Park Laureate Apartments at 2050 Stony Brook Drive in Louisville, Kentucky; the 408-unit Villas at Bailey Ranch at 8751 N. 97th East Ave. in Owasso, Oklahoma; the 320-unit Waterford Place Apartments at 8037 Waterford Circle in Memphis, Tennessee; and the 202-unit Pointe at St. Joseph at 307 E. Lasalle Ave. in South Bend, Indiana.
Depending on which combination of buildings an investor buys, a new owner could assume existing debt at favorable interest rates, according to Newmark. The blended interest rate on the portfolio is 4.64%, according to the marketing materials, which say the portfolio is 94% leased.
In-place rents are 11% below market rates, offering the buyer a chance to push up rents as leases expire, according to Newmark.
Collins describes Trilogy’s decision to sell the properties now as “fund-life driven.”
“These markets have never had a huge run-up in supply, so market rents have been accretive,” Collins said. “This is a chance to repatriate capital to their existing investors.”
For the record
The portfolio is being marketed by Newmark brokers Adam Spies, Josh King, Douglas Harmon, Adam Doneger, Marcella Fasulo and Michael Collins. Local brokers are Liz Gagliardi and Chuck Johanns in Chicago; George Skaff in Columbus; Blake Pera in Memphis; Skaff and Natt Newcomer in Louisville and South Bend; Skaff and Christian Zaciewski in Grand Rapids; and Tim McKay and Brandon Lamb in St. Louis and Tulsa.