Based in Atlanta, The RADCO Companies is an opportunistic real estate investment management firm specializing in multifamily, hospitality, and more. As one of our 2022 Top Fundraisers, The RADCO Companies and similarly sized firms used Juniper Square’s Digital Subscriptions to raise 19% more capital than their peers. We sat down with Vice President Nicoletta DeSimone to discuss the importance of remaining nimble—yet disciplined—in uncertain times.
Q: When did you first get into real estate? What about the space attracted you?
A: I knew pretty early on that I wanted to work in the space. I graduated from Villanova University, where I co-majored in real estate and earned a BBA. I found myself intrigued by the realistic and necessary nature of the business and remain inspired by the understanding that real estate touches the lives of everyone.
Q: Tell us more about The RADCO Companies and what your role is.
A: Founded in 1994 by our CEO, Norman Radow, RADCO is a privately owned, vertically integrated, real estate investment manager. We have remained a best-in-class, opportunistic investment manager through several cycles over the last three decades. We are most well known as a multifamily owner/operator but re-entered the hospitality space in 2021. We constantly strive to find unique opportunities that provide outsized returns for our investors. I personally focus on investments with a concentration in capital markets. I lead equity capital raising and formation as well as debt placement firmwide.
Q: What is RADCO’s investing philosophy?
A: RADCO prides itself on being opportunistic, nimble, and disciplined. We invest up and down the risk spectrum, with a focus on the multifamily and hospitality sectors. Our portfolio is concentrated in the southeastern United States, although we have held assets nationwide in prior cycles. We chase opportunities in high-octane markets with strong and long-term growth fundamentals.
Q: Given the headwinds CRE faced in 2022, what do you think RADCO did differently than your peers to have such a successful capital-raising year?
A: RADCO isn’t immune from market challenges. We faced our fair share in 2022, but we faced them head-on and proactively. Despite the difficult headwinds, the factor that led to our success was our ability to quickly pivot, with a keen eye on multiple market indicators and the evidence from our owned portfolio.
We remain astutely dialed into our asset management metrics. We lean on lessons learned from our experience as a workout/distressed asset service provider. By leveraging our broad experience, we were able to seek out and capitalize on opportunities that made sense from a risk-adjusted basis in the current environment.
Q: Do you expect it will be easier or harder to raise capital in 2023?
A: It will certainly be an interesting year to raise and deploy capital. We do not anticipate capital market fundamentals improving vastly, but they should stabilize, providing some clarity and liquidity.
We are putting our current portfolio and investors first while keeping an eye out for expansion opportunities.
Q: What is your approach to capital raising this year?
A: We are focused on expanding our current network of partners while still maintaining and honoring our existing roster. We feel very well positioned from an asset perspective and are ready to grow the portfolio for the right opportunities. Our LPs are more sensitive to liquidity in this environment, and our investments that provide interim cash returns are in favor.
Our platform is built, so we never feel we need to do a deal, but we are equipped to act quickly when we want to do a deal. We are seeing fundamental shifts in the market that we like and will be ready to deploy when those opportunities arise.
Q: Where do you expect RADCO to be in another five years?
A: I anticipate RADCO will have a sizeable multifamily and hospitality portfolio in the next five years and will have expanded into additional markets. We will certainly maintain the core competencies that allow us to operate as a nimble and opportunistic investment manager driving yield for our investors. We have been known to pivot as needed, which could lead us into different business lines within the real estate space.
Q: Any advice for your younger self?
A: Patience is important. Everything takes time, but being focused and thoughtful will get you to where you want to be.
The RADCO Companies was featured as one of our 2022 Top Fundraisers, based on our analysis of the capital raised by our clients using Digital Subscriptions. Digital Subscriptions is one of our digital fundraising tools available to GPs, helping them raise millions more in capital year-over-year.