Leslie Furst to Serve as Chief Operating Officer of Blackfin Real Estate Investors

Blackfin Real Estate Investors, LLC announced that Leslie Furst, previously with Kettler, Inc., will serve as the company’s new Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Ms. Furst will be a senior officer responsible for debt placement, asset management, investor relations and company operations.

Prior to joining Blackfin, Ms. Furst was senior vice president of asset management and finance, as well as chief risk officer, of Kettler Inc., a privately-owned real estate developer, investor and property management company. In this role, Ms. Furst was responsible for overseeing asset management, all financing activities and lender relationships, and she was actively involved in equity placement and investor relations. She successfully managed more than $2 billion in funds on behalf of Kettler and its partners during her 15-year tenure with the company. Prior to Kettler, Ms. Furst was a vice president in the Charles E. Smith Division of Vornado Realty Trust, as well as a managing director of Bank of America.

“Leslie is a perfect fit to our senior management team,” said Doug Root, co-founder and managing partner at Blackfin Real Estate Investors. “Her extensive knowledge and demonstrated expertise in real estate and finance will play an integral part in Blackfin’s ongoing success, today and in the future.”

Ms. Furst holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is an active member of Urban Land Institute, a ULI Young Leaders Mentor and CREW DC on its community service committee.

Blackfin founders Doug Root and Andrew Buchanan, veterans of Washington-area real estate firms Kettler and Greystar Investment Group respectively, came together to form the real estate investment company in August 2016. In the last twelve months, they have closed six transactions that comprise nearly 2,000 multifamily units in markets such as Boston, Washington D.C. and North Carolina.

Andrew Buchanan said, “We are thrilled with the opportunities we secured in the last year. These assets represent our vision to take aging properties that need physical, cosmetic, and management upgrades and position them into truly top-quality apartment communities in the most desirable neighborhoods.”

About Blackfin Real Estate Investors

Blackfin Real Estate Investors is focused on acquiring and repositioning multifamily properties from the Carolinas to Boston. The company’s experience within real estate spans the spectrum of real estate investment management, capital renovations, property operations, finance and accounting. Founders Andy Buchanan and Doug Root have more than 30 years of combined experience working for institutional quality apartment acquisition, development, and management companies. Both are experienced real estate and investment management professionals. They have worked with some of the most respected names in real estate, development and investment management throughout the country and plan to continue working with this network as they grow their portfolio.