Redwood’s investor relations team took part in the 2022 Opal Financial Group Annual Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum West. The conference brought investment managers, private wealth professionals and families together to discuss the foundations in which they built their wealth and the various investment strategies that are keeping portfolios growing and plentiful.

Among those who both attended and participated in the conference as a panelist, Redwood’s Chief Financial Officer, Toney Morton, shares his views from the event.
 

Q: As an attendee of the Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum West, what were your top three takeaways from the conference?

Each family office is truly unique, and each has its own set of values, goals, and aspirations. Like other business or charity organizations: i) governance, ii) legacy planning, and iii) mission of each family office should be identified and documented to avoid major disruptions.

Families are complicated and unique; adding investment, charitable, and business decisions to the mix can certainly add another layer of complexity!

Q: As one of the participants in the "Real Estate Investing: What are the Opportunities" panel, what key points are you hoping attendees took away from that discussion?

Not every real estate investment is the same, nor is every real estate sponsor comparable. In this unique economic environment, each real estate sponsor has its own set of issues or complications, in addition to opportunities.

With our long-term vision, we do our best not to overreact to the current conditions, while striving to be responsible stewards of capital on behalf of our investors and lenders. While all real estate sponsors want normal interest rates, Redwood can look past a current uptick in interest rates and focus on providing a solution for changing household formations and the lack of housing across the United States. The housing shortages are real, and the demographic trends support continued investment in our single-story apartment home neighborhoods.

Q: What kind of interest did you find from investors in multifamily real estate investing?

We found investor interest and helped raise awareness for the Redwood brand. There is certainly a barrier of entry to the family office realm. Often these offices have been investing or co-investing with other offices for years, if not decades, so getting in the door as a plausible new investment opportunity takes time.

I believe our mission aligns with the long-term view of most family offices, and our 30+ year-track record of success stands for itself. Long-term real estate ownership allows investors and family offices to benefit from depreciation, cash flow, and value creation into perpetuity, all while preserving and growing family wealth.

Q: Was there anything about the conference that surprised you?

Not necessarily surprised, but the real-life examples of certain family offices losing all or most of their wealth during the Great Recession were an unfortunate, but timely reminder of the governance necessitated within family offices.

Q: For those who have not attended this event but are considering going to a future conference, what would you tell them? How can they make the most out of the experience?

The Opal Group conference was well-organized, well-attended, and featured an array of timely and relevant topics for family offices. I highly recommend attendance and encourage all to take full advantage of the networking and learning opportunities available.

The Redwood Equity Program allows accredited investors to participate as partners in the funding of new Redwood Apartment Neighborhoods. If your family office is interested in learning more about investment opportunities with Redwood, call 216.360.9441 or fill out a contact form.