Roers Companies Owners and Co-founders, Brian Roers and Kent Roers, sat down with REJournals reporter Dan Rafter recently to talk about company success, the multifamily market in the Twin Cities, how investment works in regards to Roers Cos. projects, and future plans for growth.

Article Excerpts

“What do you enjoy about working in commercial real estate?
Brian: I enjoy the positive impact we have on people. It starts first with the homes that we provide. It is pretty incredible that in 12 years we have provided more than 12,400 homes for people. Those homes also provide construction jobs. The financial people, leasing people, contractors … So many jobs go into these housing projects.

We have also helped our team at Roers Companies. We have a program in which our team members can buy shares in our buildings and be partners in our company alongside us. It is gratifying to watch them growth their wealth, learn financial lessons and become leaders. We have people working in positions that they never dreamed of having.

Then there are our investors. They have great expectations from us. They want to grow their legacy wealth that they can pass on to their family or donate.”

“Are investors returning to the multifamily market now that there is some interest-rate stability?
Kent: There is a housing shortage in the United States. That is the case no matter what interest rates do. Apartment buildings continue to rent out. Some submarkets aren’t doing as well as others. The urban cores of Minneapolis and St. Paul are slower. But our suburban multifamily markets have remained strong. There is strong demand for housing in the suburbs. We opened a property in Maple Grove. It opened at 60% occupancy and grew to 95% within months. There is still strong demand for multifamily housing.”

Read the full article online here.