Canadian manager Sagard Real Estate has made a key leadership appointment as it looks to bolster its position in the Southwest of the United States.
Bryan Russell has joined the firm as the acquisitions lead for the market, based in Newport Beach. The move follows a year-and-a-half spell at TA Realty in Orange County, where Russell previously managed a portfolio of multiple product types.
As part of the new role, Russell will support Sagard’s expansion in the Southwest region and help source high-quality investment opportunities. He told II that the firm’s impressive growth trajectory and collaborative culture drew him to make the shift.
The manager hopes to capitalize on the potential rebirth for property in Southern California and Phoenix, areas that were hurt by the downturn in real estate.
“After a period of market recalibration and shifting investor sentiment, the real estate sector is entering a more opportunistic phase,” he said. “Across regions and asset classes, there is now greater alignment between pricing and long-term fundamentals, creating space for disciplined, value-oriented investment.”
Although uncertainty remains, there is a growing sense of clarity returning to the market.
“The Southwest continues to benefit from strong demographic and economic fundamentals, supporting long-term demand across the industrial, multifamily, and select retail asset classes,” he added.
In the new role, Russell plans to target specific sub-markets in Southern California and Phoenix that remain particularly attractive due to population growth, limited new supply, and sustained investment across the region. With ample capital to deploy into highly targeted markets and property types, Sagard Real Estate is well-positioned to make disciplined acquisitions and successfully execute on investments both throughout the Southwest and across the country, he said.
The firm believes the real estate market has bottomed out, and that conditions are gradually becoming more supportive of transaction activity.
Sagard Real Estate, which is also building a portfolio of industrial real estate near seaports including an acquisition of a large-scale property at exit 8 near South Brunswick, NJ, some multi-family buildings, and other alternative property types, is hoping to take advantage of attractive valuations that have been hard hit by changing trends and rising interest rates over the last few years. Sagard is a global manager with private equity, private credit, venture capital, and real estate and backed by Power Corporation. Power Corp. is controlled by the Desmarais family in Canada.
“As pricing clarity improves and underwriting assumptions adjust, the market is better positioned for a thoughtful return to deal flow over time,” said Russell.
Although the move demonstrates a renewed belief in the Southwestern U.S. region, other southern areas of the country have performed better in recent years, with some even seeing a resurgence in the wake of the pandemic. The metro areas of Nashville and Austin, for example, have been transformed in this time.
