Industry leaders at Connect Apartments 2026 in Los Angeles shared how they are navigating the current environment for Western U.S. multifamily, emphasizing that operational discipline and strong teams remain central to finding opportunity despite financing uncertainty. Speaking with Connect Media president and CEO Daniel Ceniceros at the outset of the in-person event, Hill Street Realty chairman Ethan Penner framed the coming period as a potentially attractive time for well-prepared investors.
Penner said he sees “a tremendous opportunity in this next three or four years” as multifamily assets are expected to come to market at what he characterized as reasonable, and in some cases attractive, prices. While acknowledging that the financing landscape has become less certain, he suggested that such periods often set the stage for value creation by groups that are positioned to act when assets reprice or change hands. As he put it, “Fortunes are typically made in this time, and we hope to be one of the beneficiaries.”
The conversation underscored that, even as capital becomes more selective, fundamentals such as sound underwriting, conservative assumptions, and hands-on asset management remain essential for owners and investors operating in Western multifamily markets. The panelists highlighted the importance of having experienced teams in place that can underwrite risk, execute business plans, and respond quickly as deal flow evolves.
In the accompanying video, additional perspectives come from Lonnie Hendry, chief product officer with Trepp; Amit Tyagi, principal with Gantry; Ivan Viramontes, associate director at Talonvest Capital; and Michael Cohen, managing partner at Brighton Capital Advisors. These participants bring a range of vantage points across data and analytics, debt advisory, capital placement, and investment management related to multifamily properties.
Together, the group explores where they are seeing trends, emerging opportunities, and ongoing challenges across the Western multifamily landscape. Their comments reflect the push and pull between near-term headwinds in financing and the potential upside created when assets adjust to new pricing expectations. For market participants focused on Western multifamily, the discussion provides insight into how experienced capital providers and investors are preparing to deploy capital, evaluate transactions, and position portfolios during a period when both risk and opportunity appear elevated.
The full video from Connect Apartments 2026 offers a deeper look at how these executives are interpreting current market signals, approaching underwriting and capital structure decisions, and identifying situations that may be better aligned with long-term value creation in a changing environment.
