Comprehensive range of market-leading expertise
Our History
Halpern was founded in 2011 by Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner, Jon Halpern, a fourth-generation real estate investment builder. Having recognized the opportunity and value in a hybrid/operator model, Halpern joined together a team of experienced professionals, bringing together a substantial track record as real estate operators, institutional investors, and capital markets professionals.
Halpern brings a unique blend of experience and execution expertise, delivering an institutional level platform to its investors and partners. Today, Halpern is actively engaged as a sponsor and operating partner in development, equity, and structured investments in major metropolitan centers and urban lifestyles cores in the Northeast, Colorado Front Range, and other high growth markets, with a key focus on Opportunity Zone investments. Since its inception in 2011, the Halpern platform has executed 16 investments, with 11 successful realizations and 5 active investments representing well over $1.5 billion of development value.
The Team
Halpern’s team is comprised of experienced real estate and private equity professionals with broad-based private and public market experience. Halpern’s Principals have led some of the industry’s notable and most complicated deals and managed billions of dollars in institutional and high net worth capital throughout the U.S. and Internationally.
To achieve best-in-class project execution and financial results for investors, the firm is strategically scaled allowing its principals to work efficiently with partners and stakeholders through control investments at the co-sponsor level, to not only provide advantageous capital structures, but also the platform, support, and governance. Halpern is both opportunistic and selective in the projects it takes on. The firm has been an early mover on Opportunity Zones and other forward thinking ground-up development and adaptive reuse projects, with a particular expertise in urban infill development in emerging neighborhoods.
Mr. Halpern has over 30 years of professional experience in Real Estate investing. Mr. Halpern began his career in 1985, stepping in to lead Halpern Enterprises, one of New York’s leading regional commercial and residential property owners & operators. Mr. Halpern successfully navigated the franchise through the real estate correction in the 1990’s. In 1994, he partially exited Halpern Enterprises’ commercial office portfolio through an UPREIT merger with Reckson Associates Realty (RA:NYSE), New York’s leading commercial office owner, and joined the company as Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors upon Reckson’s public listing on the NYSE. In addition to his management and corporate governance roles, Mr. Halpern co-founded the Reckson Opportunity Partners fund, through which he acquired and supported management to develop multiple real estate operating companies including HQ Global Workplaces, the world’s largest serviced office company and American Campus Communities, the US leader in student housing (ACC:NYSE). After the successful exit of the HQ Global investment in 2000, Mr. Halpern was asked to take leadership of the company in late 2001, as it faltered in the technology driven economic downturn. Between late 2001 and 2003, he served as CEO of HQ Global investment, successfully restructuring the business.
In 2003, Mr. Halpern was charged with launching the Real Estate Private Equity business at Marathon Asset Management, an $11 billion global investment management firm. Between 2003 and 2010, Mr. Halpern was responsible for the firm’s multi-billion-dollar real estate business. Mr. Halpern was invited to join Marathon’s leadership team as both Partner and Executive Management Committee member.
In 2011, Mr. Halpern recognized the opportunity and value in a hybrid investor/operator model and founded HREV to develop a scalable real estate investment, operating, and advisory platform. HREV brought together a core team of senior professionals to build a best-in-class real estate investment, operating, and advisory platform.
Mr. Halpern recently moved to Boulder, Colorado from Tribeca, New York where he and his family were actively involved in the New York Community. Mr. Halpern continues to serve on the Westchester Medical Center Foundation and the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, and previously served on the Hudson River Park Trust. Mr. Halpern received a Bachelor of Science in Business with concentrations in Real Estate and Finance, from the University of Colorado.
Prior to joining Halpern Real Estate Ventures, Mr. Halpern was a project manager at JMH Development, a Brooklyn based boutique developer focused on high-quality residential and hospitality projects throughout the New York Metro and South Florida markets.
Mr. Halpern received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with concentrations in Finance and International Affairs from the George Washington University.
Mr. Simon received a B.A. from Emory University (1988) and a J.D. from Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law (1992).
Mr. Douglas earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in German and Russian language and literature, with a concentration in Political Science from the University of Denver, a Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Chicago and a Master of Science degree in Finance from the University of Colorado.
Prior to joining Halpern, Mr. Deuser served as a Senior Project Manager at The Durst Organization, where he was responsible for overseeing the ground-up development of residential, commercial and mixed-use projects. His projects with the organization included multiple phases of the 2+ million square foot Halletts Point development, VIA West 57th Street, and EOS at 855 6th Avenue, among others. Prior to working in-house at The Durst Organization, Mr. Deuser managed the implementation of energy and sustainability projects – including the LEED certification of the Empire State Building and the construction of the Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park, both for Jones Lang LaSalle – and as an independent consultant to The Durst Organization.
Mr. Deuser received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, with a concentration in Structural Engineering and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Management from The Johns Hopkins University.
Ms. Hughes previously was a Senior Associate in KPMG’s Deal Advisory group in New York, NY where she conducted pre- merger & acquisition financial due diligence on behalf of corporate and private equity clients, with transaction experience on the buy- and sell-side. Prior to KPMG, she was a Research Analyst at Cook Street Consulting – an institutional investment advisory firm in Denver, CO – where she began her career.
Ms. Hughes received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Mr. Mogylevskyy earned his Bachelors of Finance from Metropolitan State University of Denver and his MBA from University of Colorado at Denver, with a concentration in Financial Analysis. He moved to Denver, CO in 1998 from Ukraine.
Prior to joining Halpern, Ms. Bolton was an Accounting Manager at Novare Group, a Real Estate Development Company located in Atlanta, GA where she managed a portfolio of real estate assets from acquisition to disposition. She gained significant experience while working with lenders and equity partners to fund new construction and the cash management needs associated with funding development projects.
Ms. Bolton started her career in public accounting as an auditor at Aprio, LLP, where she interfaced with clients to perform real estate and construction audits in the multifamily sector and specialized in the preparation of cost certifications for development projects that received Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).
Ms. Bolton received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting for her undergraduate degree from The University of Alabama. Ms. Bolton also received a Master of Accountancy degree from The University of Alabama.
Sarah is Chair of the Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB), a Board Member of Earth Day New York and a member of the Board of Trustees of the College of the Atlantic, one of the leading sustainability colleges in the US.
Sarah holds a B.S. from Boston University School of Management and a certificate from New York University. She is certified as a TRUE Zero Waste Business Associate by GBCI.
Environment
Halpern is committed to sustainable development and innovative solutions to achieve aggressive sustainability goals. Through a strategic partnership with Think Zero–the leading waste reduction & diversion consultancy–Halpern proactively integrates materials management into its portfolio.
Strategically Located
Halpern has strategically located offices in New York City, NY and Boulder, CO for close proximity to high-growth, metropolitan markets.