The September Perspective: Vol. 1
Q1 2026
What a first quarter for September Search Partners! We have a few updates to share, and we are delighted to launch our inaugural newsletter. We have gathered market themes and significant people moves—please take a look and let us know if you have any questions or feedback.
Market Themes
The Big Get Bigger: The largest firms continue to attract an outsized portion of capital flows. This dynamic makes fundraising—and therefore growth—challenging for smaller organizations. We are also now seeing talent within the behemoths reacting to the effects of scale.
Taking Marks, Looking Ahead: As transaction volume has increased, more firms are marking their books at more current values. While write-downs are painful, many organizations are ending the year with optimism, as they feel the market has likely already hit bottom.
M&A and Integrations: A wave of M&A activity that has included such notable firms as Angelo Gordon, Bridge IG, Artemis, Rockwood, and others, has shifted the market. Consolidation will have knock-on effects for deals and talent, and we are only just starting to see those impacts. We expect the consolidation trend to continue into 2026.
Succession: Firms continue to work through succession plans, often at the behest of their investors.
Emphasis on Asset-Class Expertise and Operations: Consensus seems to be building that the best returns for the next cycle won’t be determined by picking the right asset class but rather by selecting well within asset classes and operating with excellence.
AI. AI. AI.: Along with creating seemingly unlimited demand for data centers, AI is reshaping the workforce—even for real estate firms often reluctant to adopt technology. Look for AI-enabled tools to begin eliminating more research and administrative tasks and to sharpen investment theses.
Infrastructure and Real Estate: Speaking of data centers, the delineation of infrastructure and real estate is increasingly blurry, and many organizations are acknowledging this convergence by merging teams.
Click here if you want more information on how these themes are playing out in the talent market.
Notable People Moves
| Individual | Title | New Organization | Former Organization | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bert Crouch | Partner, Head of Real Estate Equity | Apollo | Invesco | Dallas/New York |
| Larry Teitelbaum | MD, IR | Greystar | PGIM | New York |
| Kristy Heuberger | President, Investment Management | Fogelman Properties | LaSalle | Chicago |
| Eric Plesman | CEO | Oxford | HOOPP | Toronto |
| Stephane Jalbert | Head of Real Estate | Australian Super | PSP | London |
| Julie Heigel | MD | Osso Capital | Waterton | New York |
| Greg Noorigian | CHRO | Rockefeller Group | Revantage | New York |
| Vernon Chin | SMD, co-Head of North America Real Estate | Lone Star | Divergent Group | New York |
| Wendy Pryce | MD, Investment Management | DigitalBridge | Nuveen | New York |
| Andrew Fixler | VP | Wafra | Pimco | New York |
| Maggie Deichmann | MD, East Coast Acquisitions | CityView | Affinius | New York |
| Michael Tussie | CIO | Elion | UBS | Miami |
| Julie Burdick | Equity Investments | Berkshire | Tricon Residential | San Francisco |
| Ivo de Wit | MD, Portfolio Management | Harrison Street | Goldman Sachs | London |
| Rui-Min Chin | Director | Pretium | Blackstone | New York |
| Nick Doering-Dorival | CIO | Palatine | Apollo | New York |
| Michael Jordan | CIO | Lifestyle Communities | GIC | Dallas |
| Eric Gorman | Managing Director of Investments | Harrison Street Private Wealth | Aether Investment Partners | Denver |
| Andrew Lane | Principal | Centerbridge Partners | Invesco | New York |
| Alex Schaefer | MD, Investments | Marcus Partners | AXA Investment Managers | New York |
| Matt Pomeroy | MD, Valuations | Sagard Real Estate | Chatham Financial | Denver |
| Robert Soave | MD, Head of RE AM, Impact Investing | Nuveen | L+M Development | New York |
| Craig White | SMD, North American Distribution | Manulife | EQT Real Estate | New York |
| Erin Dixon | Principal | Sterling Investors, LP | Northwood Investors | New York |
| Dirk Wakeham | CEO | RealPage | Vista Equity Partners | Dallas |
| Joseph Paskov | SVP, Investments, Value-Add | LaSalle | BGO | Chicago |
| David Greenberg | President of Holland Residential | Holland Partner Group | Griffin Capital | Los Angeles |
SSP News
The firm’s first few months were busy and productive. Of the searches we launched in 2025, 50% were with clients we have worked with before and 50% came from new relationships. Searches range from C-Suite to VP level and span investments, asset management, and capital formation, representing a well balanced slate, which we feel indicates a healthy hiring market.
As we look into 2026, we are thrilled to announce that we are expanding. New hires for January include:
Jannah Babasa Babasa,, Managing Director. Of her 9 years in executive search, Jannah has been focused on real assets for 7 years. She also acts as an Ambassador for the White Ruffin Byron Center for Real Estate at UVA, her alma mater. When not advising clients and counseling candidates, Jannah could be anywhere…including any one of the 24 countries she has visited in the last 2 years.
Kelly Harrington (Harrington) Kraus,, Managing Director. Prior to her career in executive search and recruitment, Kelly worked in private wealth management, focused on supporting executives’ financial planning. Kelly graduated from UVA, where she played Division I lacrosse, and now acts as an Ambassador for the White Ruffin Byron Center for Real Estate. Outside of work, Kelly channels that same athletic energy into long runs, with her happiest moments coming when she’s in motion.
Bridget Coumbe Coumbe,, Project Manager. Bridget has worked in executive search since 2021 and manages to keep an amazing number of plates spinning at once. She can be counted on for quick pop-culture references and strong opinions about music and coffee. Bridget graduated from the University of Arizona and misses those Tucson sunsets every day.
Renée Chan Chan,, Associate. Renée joins SSP after graduating from Columbia University in 2025, beginning her career in real assets executive search shortly thereafter. At Columbia, Renée was a two-time captain of the women’s varsity squash team along with numerous other activities. She spent her summers interning with real estate companies and wrote her thesis on the environmental cost of AI. In her free time, Renée loves coaching junior squash players and is known for making a killer tiramisu.
