J.J. Smith - Founder & CEO

Trained as an architect with pragmatic solutions to just about any problem but with a mind wired for the entrepreneurial real estate development world, J.J. Smith has a knack for visualizing opportunities unapparent to others and executing upon that vision.

A proven real estate executive that helped build a start up into a global development and investment firm, J.J. has orchestrated over $6.0 Billion in real estate development from the ground up across multiple countries and over 40 states in multiple asset classes. He has developed over 40,000 beds of student housing across 70 different major campuses nationwide and is widely considered an expert in next-to-campus, urban infill high-rise student housing development and management operations.

J.J.’s extensive campustown experience includes Tier 1 Universities in Power 5 Conferences;

Ames, Allendale, Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Auburn, Athens, Bloomington, Boca Raton, Boise, Champaign, Charlottesville, Chicago, College Park, College Station, Columbia, Columbus, Eugene, Evanston, Flagstaff, Gainesville, Iowa City, Isla Vista, Knoxville, Lawrence, Lincoln, Los Angeles, Madison, Minneapolis, Moscow, Nashville, Normal, Oxford, Phoenix, Pullman, Reno, Sacramento, Santa Barbara, Seattle, State College, Tampa, Tallahassee, Tempe, Tuscaloosa, Tucson and West Lafayette.

J.J. has also overseen the development of 5,000 multifamily units while forging new business strategies in the senior living, industrial, medical office and life sciences spaces.

J.J. has an unmatched track record of identifying and sourcing development and acquisitions opportunities with an uncanny ability to match investor criteria to real life opportunities to achieve investment goals. J.J. has also built some of the most accomplished teams in the real estate industry with a keen eye for identifying talent across development, construction, property management and operations and maneuvering the talent to maximize efficiency and resources.

J.J. was a Crains Chicago Business 40 Under 40 Recipient in 2018 and Real Estate Forum’s 50 Under 40 in 2017. He holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration in Real Estate Finance from University of Illinois at Chicago as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Architectural Studies from University of Illinois, Urbana - Champaign.

J.J. is a member of the Urban Land Institute and National Multifamily Housing Council.