Name
Eric Bannerot, Managing Director Portfolio Management
Can you tell a little bit about yourself, your background, and your role at Greystar?
I started my career in equity research at a hedge fund, which gave me a strong analytical foundation, but I was always drawn to real estate. In 2018 I joined Greystar in Charleston, South Carolina, our global H.Q. as a Senior Analyst on the U.S. value-add fund series.
After five years, I relocated to The Netherlands in 2023, and today I am a Managing Director in Portfolio Management, overseeing our European value-add funds with a focus on capital allocation, performance, and investor strategy.
This global experience has been invaluable to my career as it helped steepen my learning curve and understanding of the global complexities of the business.
Why did you choose to work at Greystar? And how has this stayed the same or changed within the organisation?
During university, I spent a year underwriting multifamily deals at a boutique investment firm that had spun out of Greystar during the financial crisis. That experience pulled me back into real estate and made the move to Greystar a very intentional one. I wanted a platform where I could see the full lifecycle of an investment, and Greystar’s scale and vertically integrated model stood out. That has remained consistent, while the opportunity set, particularly in Europe, has broadened as we have scaled across markets and sectors.
Which part of your work do you find most interesting and why?
The most interesting part of the role is the ownership over investor capital. You are responsible for a deal from initial thesis through execution and exit, with a clear focus on outperforming your underwriting. It comes down to constantly connecting assumptions to real-world performance and making the right calls across markets, assets, and capital.
Working at Greystar, which societal or market developments do you feel you contribute to?
Europe has a clear housing shortage, and we are part of the solution by delivering high-quality rental housing in markets where supply has not kept up with demand. Institutional capital can play a meaningful role in closing that gap, while improving the overall quality and professionalism of the housing stock.
What do you think of a National network such as FRESH Professionals, connecting people in the real estate industry?
Real estate is a relationship driven business, so networks like FRESH are very important early in your career. This is because they give you exposure beyond your day-to-day workflow and help build connections across the industry, which become more valuable over time.
What is something you wish you knew at the start of your career, or what advise would you give to young people joining the industry?
If I think back to when I was starting out, I would have focused more on how deals actually operate day to day, not just how they look in a model. That comes from asking questions and getting closer to how decisions are made on the ground, which is what helps everything click over time. Just as importantly, it is not only about getting to the answer, but understanding what is driving the numbers and being able to clearly communicate the key takeaways.
