As featured in “CRE Daily”
By Valerija I, CRE Daily, 1 June, 2026
RREAF Holdings Chairman & CEO Kip Sowden and President Doug McKnight recently joined CRE Daily’s No Cap podcast to discuss the firm’s growth, investment philosophy, and outlook on opportunities across residential real estate and hospitality.
Read more below about how RREAF is positioning itself in today’s market and the strategies driving its continued expansion across the South and Southeast.
During the conversation, Sowden and McKnight shared the story behind RREAF Holdings and explained how the company evolved into a vertically integrated real estate platform focused on multifamily, hospitality, master-planned communities, build-to-rent developments, and other residential-focused investments.
“We wanted to figure out what asset classes and locations would be the most recession resilient,” McKnight said. “For us, it was all things residential in the South and Southeast and drive-to-leisure hospitality.”
The discussion highlighted RREAF’s vertically integrated operating model, which includes in-house construction, legal, insurance, title, and capital markets capabilities. According to Sowden, this structure allows the company to move quickly and capitalize on opportunities that may not be accessible to more traditional investment platforms.
“We never wanted institutional capital at the holding company level sitting in our committees telling us what to do,” Sowden said.
Sowden and McKnight also discussed the firm’s approach to acquiring properties in today’s market environment, noting that many opportunities are emerging through bridge lenders and distressed situations as owners face refinancing challenges.
“We’re buying at 65% to 70% of what the previous buyer paid in 2021 and 2022,” McKnight said.
The conversation also explored RREAF Communities and the firm’s long-term vision for large-scale master-planned developments. Sowden described projects that combine residential neighborhoods, build-to-rent housing, multifamily communities, commercial development, and supporting infrastructure designed to meet growing housing demand throughout the region.
On the hospitality side, McKnight discussed RREAF’s focus on extended-stay hotels, citing strong demand drivers from healthcare, education, infrastructure, and corporate users seeking flexible accommodations. Sowden added that the company is actively pursuing opportunities with leading extended-stay brands, including Hilton LivSmart, Hyatt Studios, and Marriott StudioRes.
Looking ahead, both executives expressed confidence in the availability of capital and the long-term outlook for real estate investment activity.
“For the first time in four or five years, we’re seeing a lot of institutional joint venture equity coming back into the market,” McKnight said. “There is a tremendous amount of liquidity sitting on the sidelines right now.”
The episode concluded with a discussion on migration trends, housing affordability, and why RREAF remains focused on high-growth, business-friendly markets across the South and Southeast.
We appreciate and thank CRE Daily, and Valerija I, for featuring Kip Sowden, Doug McKnight, and RREAF Holdings and for providing a platform to discuss the firm’s investment strategy, operating model, and outlook for the real estate market. To access the full article on CRE Daily, please click here.
