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lmTree Funds has appointed Blake Curtis as its new director of acquisitions, according to a report by the Phoenix Business Journal. Curtis is an industry veteran with extensive experience in various sectors of the commercial real estate industry in Arizona. His new role at ElmTree Funds involves leading acquisitions for two recently launched funds, focusing primarily on industrial properties across the country.

    The industrial sector has been particularly hot during the pandemic due to the surge in online shopping, leading to increased demand for new distribution facilities for household deliveries. Despite the recent cooling of the market in Phoenix, new opportunities have emerged, attracting investors like ElmTree Funds.

    Curtis believes that having a strong balance sheet can provide strategic advantages in both good and bad markets. He joins ElmTree Funds after serving as a principal at WeBuild Residential, where he focused on multifamily projects and adaptive re-use of suburban offices into residential properties. He also oversaw acquisitions, joint ventures, and brokerage operations during his tenure.

    Before WeBuild Residential, Curtis worked at SimonCRE in Scottsdale, where he specialized in retail centers as managing director of capital markets and acquisitions. He also worked in the retail and industrial sectors for Cole Real Estate Investments.

    Curtis is based in Phoenix and is an active member of the local chapter of NAIOP and the Urban Land Institute’s Industrial Product Council. He is also involved in philanthropy through the Executive Council Charities for Arizona.

    In his new role at ElmTree Funds, Curtis plans to maintain his focus on the Arizona market while expanding his reach nationally. He believes that given the advanced manufacturing boom in Phoenix and the desire for fulfillment expansion, ElmTree Funds should be top-of-mind for tenants as they begin to ease back into the market.