Waterton has closed its latest fund with $1.73 billion in commitments from institutional investors, in what the firm describes as one of the largest value-add multifamily funds in the country.
The Chicago-based real estate investment and property management firm announced the final closing of the Waterton Residential Property Venture XV fund.
Waterton said it plans to use the fund to capitalize on the ongoing “period of historic pricing disruption” because of rising interest rates and other factors that have slowed the flow of real estate deals throughout the country and pushed down prices.
“We expect to see significant opportunities in the multifamily sector as a result of the current, interest-rate driven disruption and the near-term oversupply in certain markets with healthy longer-term fundamentals,” David Schwartz, chairman and CEO of Waterton, said in a statement. “This fund represents a strong conviction in a sector and a strategy we’ve been executing for almost 30 years, and a unique cycle-specific opportunity to generate additional alpha in the current market environment.”
Founded in 1995, Waterton owns a $10 billion portfolio of real estate, with a focus on U.S. multifamily and hospitality properties.
Waterton said it already has used the fund to back big acquisitions in Chicago; White Plains, New York; and near the waterfront of Lake Washington just outside Seattle.
The firm also said it has made more than $100 million in credit-focused investments, including both mezzanine and securitized debt.
Waterton’s first purchase from the fund came last October, when it paid $81.9 million for the 346-unit Alta Grand Central building in Chicago. The two connected 14-story towers at 221 W. Harrison St. in the South Loop have been rebranded as The Grand Central.
Waterton has more acquisitions scheduled to close by the end of this month and throughout the fourth quarter, according to the statement.
In all, Waterton said it plans to invest in 30 to 40 multifamily distressed and value-add properties throughout the country, including in urban and suburban markets.
“Our fundraising success in the midst of a challenging fundraising environment, speaks to our long-term performance as a multifamily specialist and the strong investor relationships we’ve built over the years,” Michelle Wells, managing partner, investor relations at Waterton, said in the statement. “We are so pleased with the impressive group of global institutional investors we have in the fund — both long term and new partners — and look forward to continuing to invest in what is expected to be a compelling cycle.”