
Creating a more enduring real estate community.
Since 2001, Hamilton Zanze has made multifamily real estate investments with the highest standards. Our commitment and expertise deliver more than positive outcomes — we realize impact that stands the test of time.
Together with our community of investors, we can meet high expectations — leaving every investment better than we found it.

Our environmental, social, and governance initiatives enable clients to make an impact in the worlds of housing and sustainability.
With our dedicated resources for all elements of evaluating, financing, repositioning, and managing assets, our clients have access to a team with unrivaled insights.

Prior to Hamilton Zanze, Mark sponsored the acquisition, ownership, and revitalization of nearly 40 Bay Area properties. His main focus has long been finding value-add properties in urban neighborhoods and re-working them into higher-quality properties with higher incomes, improved tenant profiles, and higher resale values.
Mark has considerable experience in partnership formation and operations, project planning and implementation, asset management, landlord-tenant and rent-control issues, risk management, and zoning and building matters. Before forming his own commercial brokerage and investment business in 1994, Mark worked in the San Francisco office of Marcus & Millichap, then co-founded a small brokerage firm and investment group.
Mark earned a B.A. with High Honors in English Literature from San Francisco State University and an M.A. in English and American Literature from Brandeis University, where he attended as a University Scholar and Fellow.
Since 2016, Mark has served on the board of First Graduate, previously serving on the board of a San Francisco affordable housing development corporation.
He lives in San Francisco with his wife and dog. They enjoy family, travel, culture and the arts, and food.

Prior to Hamilton Zanze, Tony Zanze’s experience in real estate included capital markets, asset management, leasing, development, and investment and brokerage of multifamily and commercial properties.
Before HZ, Tony was with RREEF Real Estate Investment Managers overseeing asset disposition. Before joining RREEF, he was manager of the San Francisco office of GE Capital Real Estate, where he handled the production of mortgage-backed securities, structured finance, and equity investments. From 1986 to 1997, Tony was with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, where he originated long-term fixed-rate loans and joint ventures.
Tony began his career as a sales investment broker with Cushman & Wakefield and holds a B.A. in Psychology from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. in Real Estate from the University of Wisconsin.

Kurt Houtkooper joined Hamilton Zanze in 2003 and was promoted to CEO in 2022. As HZ’s CEO, Kurt oversees the overall strategic direction of Hamilton Zanze and is responsible for developing and executing the firm’s investment objectives. Kurt has a primary role in building the acquisition and disposition strategy and forming relationships with family offices, RIAs and institutional partners.
Kurt was previously with Tishman Speyer Properties, where he was involved in marketing and leasing and establishing asset direction of over seven million square feet of Class A and Class B office space. Prior to Tishman Speyer, Kurt was vice president of investment sales at Grubb & Ellis Company, where he represented clients in the leasing, acquisition, and disposition of commercial properties.
Kurt graduated from University of California, Berkeley and now lives in Marin with his wife and three daughters.

Ashlee Cabeal is a partner and Hamilton Zanze’s Chief Financial Officer. Prior to her current role, Ashlee was a senior director on the HZ Transactions team and worked on acquisition, disposition, and refinance activity, providing expertise in deal sourcing, underwriting, loan originations, and closing.
Before joining Hamilton Zanze as an intern in 2010, Ashlee worked as a senior audit associate at Pricewaterhouse Coopers. There, she focused on servicing banking clients and private equity clients before returning to school for her M.B.A.
Ashlee has a B.S. in Accounting and a B.B.A. in Marketing from Loyola Marymount University, and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Davis. She is also a Certified Public Accountant in the state of California. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, the great outdoors, and cooking.

David Nelson, President of Hamilton Zanze, serves as a partner and is the Chief Investment Officer at the firm. He leads the transactions team managing the acquisition and disposition pipeline, arranging financing, equity, and closely partnering with owners, brokers, and institutional partners to orchestrate and execute on investment opportunities and strategies. David joined Hamilton Zanze in 2004 and has played an integral role in the firm’s sourcing and closing of over 250 multifamily property acquisitions, totaling almost 50,000 units and $5 billion in transaction volume across the United States.
He is a Bay Area native and graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of San Francisco. David resides in Tennessee and enjoys fly-fishing, golfing, and spending time with his wife and three children.

Todd Williams is a partner and Hamilton Zanze’s General Counsel. Todd joined HZ in 2014. He works with various HZ teams, HZ affiliates and subsidiaries, and outside counsel to guide and oversee the legal matters that affect the firm’s day-to-day business and its strategic goals—from acquisitions, dispositions, and exchanges to leasing and property management, corporate governance, and risk management.
Todd’s background spans both transactions and litigation, as well as experience as inside and outside counsel. He was previously an assistant general counsel at Paul Hastings, where for over a decade he focused on real estate and complex litigation and internal and external enterprise risk management. Todd has also worked at a Sacramento law firm specializing exclusively in real estate development and transactional work.
Todd completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley and obtained his law degree from the University of the Pacific. Originally from Sacramento, Todd currently lives in Lafayette with his wife and three kids and enjoys coaching his son’s and daughter’s soccer, rugby, and baseball teams as well as cheering for the SF Giants and California Golden Bears.

Tim Bruss is a partner and Managing Director of the Asset Management team. Tim works closely with the asset managers to strengthen operations of the portfolio, drive net operating income, and execute on property-specific business plans.
Since joining the company in 2010, Tim has been involved in transactions, construction management, and data management. Prior to joining HZ, Tim worked as a project manager for a New Jersey real estate developer, overseeing the construction of a variety of commercial, retail, and residential assets.
Tim earned a degree in Engineering from Lafayette College and received his M.B.A. from the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His professional credentials include a Certificate in Sustainable Design from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and LEED accreditation.
Originally from New Jersey, Tim now resides in Oakland, CA with his wife, son, and daughter and enjoys spending time outdoors.

John Gilmore is a partner and Managing Director of the Hamilton Zanze Project & Risk Management team. Since joining the company in 2006, John has worked as a project/construction manager, risk manager, and asset manager. He currently oversees budgeting, project management, insurance and risk management, and various green initiatives.
John has a diverse real estate background encompassing development, construction, and property management. Prior to joining HZ, John worked for an emerging Northern California real estate development company as a project manager on an 80-acre mixed-use project. Previously, John worked as a project engineer for Webcor Builders on the 42-story St. Regis Museum Tower in San Francisco.
John is a San Francisco Bay Area native and has a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and an M.B.A. from Fordham University in New York. He now resides in Templeton, CA with his wife and three kids.

Peter Casey joined Hamilton Zanze in 2022 and is the Managing Director of Capital Markets. He oversees institutional fundraising, joint ventures, and debt procurement.
Prior to HZ, Peter held similar roles at Sack Properties and Interstate Equities Corporation (IEC). At IEC, he was responsible for raising $500 million across two commingled fund vehicles, including IEC’s first institutionally capitalized, discretionary fund. These commitments included allocations from leading Endowments, Foundations, Pension Funds and Family Offices. Prior to IEC, Peter worked in the Asset Management division of JP Morgan Chase & Co. In his role, he was responsible for business development, including raising capital from Family Offices and Foundations. Peter started his career in the Investment Banking division of JP Morgan Chase & Co., where he was responsible for sourcing real estate loans and securities for the firm’s securitization shelves, and providing interest rate hedging strategies to mortgage originators, banks, and hedge funds.
Peter graduated with a B.S. from Vanderbilt University and an MBA with a focus on Real Estate Investment from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He lives in Marin County with his wife and three sons.

David joined Hamilton Zanze as Senior Director of Marketing in 2022. He leads all marketing and communications efforts for the firm with a focus on brand building, content marketing, and the investor experience.
David has more than 25 years of marketing experience in the financial services industry. He previously served in the Chief Marketing Officer role for White Oak Commercial Finance, a division of White Oak Global Advisors, and as Director of Integrated Marketing for Silicon Valley Bank. Additionally, he managed marketing communication programs for Charles Schwab Advisor Services and served as Director of Digital Marketing for BlackRock, where he led iShares ETF go-to-market strategies in Latin America, Southern Europe, and Asia.
David earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from U.C. Davis. He resides in San Francisco and enjoys tennis, traveling, and jazz.

Toby Costello is a Senior Director and leads the Investor Relations team. Since joining HZ in 2016, Toby works to foster relationships with current investors and grow the investor network. He is also a licensed Real Estate Broker in California.
Prior to Hamilton Zanze, Toby spent over 10 years in commercial real estate brokerage in both office leasing and multifamily investment sales. Most recently, he co-lead the San Francisco multifamily investment sales practice at CBRE where he represented individual investors and small private equity firms in the purchase and sale of investment properties. Toby has deep roots in San Francisco as a fifth-generation native.
Toby is an avid consumer of podcasts, enjoys reading, and keeps himself sane by biking, fly fishing, and spending time outdoors. Toby resides in Mill Valley with his wife and two daughters.

Justin Fossum joined HZ in February 2014. As Senior Director on the Asset Management team, Justin manages operations for a portfolio of HZ properties. He works with property managers and staff, regional managers, and regional maintenance supervisors to strengthen cash flow and execute property specific business plans. Prior to joining Hamilton Zanze, Justin worked as an analyst at Rosen Consulting Group.
Justin received his BA in History from Emory University and his JD from Tulane Law School. He was born and raised in the Bay Area and now resides in Florida with his wife and daughters. In his spare time, Justin enjoys cooking, fishing, reading, and chess.

Anthony Ly is a Senior Director on the Hamilton Zanze Transactions team. He evaluates potential sale and financing opportunities and works with commercial brokers, lenders, and buyers.
Anthony has experience in asset management, leasing, and acquisitions. He received his B.A. from the University of California, Riverside in Political Science and Law and Society. He also holds an M.S. degree in Real Estate and an M.B.A. from the University of San Diego. Anthony is a licensed real estate broker and active member in the Urban Land Institute.
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Anthony enjoys working out, playing golf, and is a dedicated San Francisco Giants fan.

Berit Tomten is a Senior Director on the Hamilton Zanze Project Management team. She ensures all capital projects at the HZ properties are completed on time and within budget.
Berit joined the HZ team in 2013. She was previously a project manager for Ecological Steel Systems and an assistant project manager for Heery International. She gained experience as an architectural intern at Wattenbarger Architects and at MacDonald & Mack Architects and as a journeyman laborer in construction.
Berit is a LEED AP in Building Design + Construction and received her B.S. in Architecture and Art from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and an M.S. in Construction Management from the University of Washington. She was born and raised in Eau Claire, WI, and in her free time enjoys skiing and other winter sports.
We’re surrounded by a community of affiliates that complement our core operations.


