Sanderford Speaker Series Featuring Greystar

On September 12, 2025, the White Ruffin Byron Center for Real Estate welcomed J. Alberto Donoso (Engineering ’05, Darden ’11), Senior Managing Director, and Cameron Thompson (Economics ’22), Senior Analyst, Investments, of Greystar as part of the Sanderford Speaker Series. Students from across Grounds engaged in a lively dialogue with Donoso and Thompson, gaining perspective on how Greystar navigates market cycles, creates value across verticals, and develops global strategies. The event gave students a firsthand view of how the company is shaping the future of global real estate, while also discussing the exciting career opportunities available for the next generation of UVA graduates.

Greystar’s Integrated Platform
Founded in 1993 by Bob Faith, Greystar has grown into the leading name in rental housing, specializing across multifamily, student, and senior living sectors while expanding into industrial and innovative construction models. The company operates across three major verticals.

• Property Management: The foundation of Greystar’s business and its most stable revenue source, providing operational insights that directly inform investment decisions.
• Investment Management: With $79 billion in assets under management, Greystar raises and deploys capital through discretionary funds, separate accounts, and joint ventures, providing flexibility for diverse investment strategies.
• Development & Construction: A high-growth vertical focused on multifamily, student housing, senior housing, and industrial projects. Greystar is increasingly leveraging modular construction to accelerate delivery, lower costs, and vertically capture more value.

This integrated model provides Greystar with unique advantages: data from property management operations strengthens underwriting, while development and construction capabilities reinforce operational expertise. The result is a resilient “evergreen” business model that positions the firm to emerge stronger after downturns.

Global Reach and Innovation
Greystar’s international growth can be traced from its U.S. roots (1993-2013) to strategic expansions beginning in 2013. The company has adapted its organizational structure abroad, emphasizing local leadership and market-specific strategies while drawing on the firm’s global expertise. Today, Greystar employs more than 28,500 team members who manage 3,800 communities across nearly 250 markets, operating from 65 offices in 19 countries.

Greystar is also investing in technology to improve decision-making. The firm is piloting tools that integrate design, cost estimation, and pro forma modeling, enabling teams to evaluate sites in hours rather than weeks. Donoso noted that while the industry is still discerning real value from AI-driven startups, Greystar’s strategy is to test new technologies selectively while maintaining focus on core strengths.

Career Pathways
Greystar invests heavily in talent development. The Internship and Analyst Rotational Program provides undergraduates with hands-on experience in both development and investment, while MBA students can pursue summer internships across business lines. Thompson emphasized that growth at Greystar is not only upward but also lateral, with opportunities to explore different teams and even global offices.