Our mission

We aim to provide families with access to  high quality rental homes in areas that don’t provide quality entry-level housing

About us

Our Investment Philosophy

Our philosophy marries institutional-quality, data-driven investment analysis with exceptional boots-on-the-ground operational experience and meticulous asset management to deliver strong, risk-adjusted returns. 

Where we invest is just as important as what we invest in. Utilizing the management team’s extensive background in economic data and real estate analytics, Lafayette takes an academic approach to investing in markets with solid fundamentals and strong probabilities for future growth.

Our Culture & Values

At Lafayette Communities, we put our focus on people. Whether it is our residents, our employees, or our investment partners, we strive to maintain a strong culture based on mutual respect and transparency.

  • We are passionate about providing high quality, affordable housing. Our tenants’ safety and satisfaction are our main focus. We aren’t satisfied until they are satisfied.
  • We value our employees and are dedicated to fostering a positive work environment that is both challenging and rewarding
  • Our business ethics are fundamental to all our strategic relationships. We provide our investment partners with total transparency into our operations and our word is our bond.

Our people

Our team is comprised of a highly-talented roster of individuals with deep experience in real estate and investment management

LAFAYETTE HQ team

PROFESSIONALS AT NY HQ

LAFAYETTE COMMUNITIES TEAM

TEAM MEMBERS IN 7 CITIES

FAST GROWTH

%

FAST AUM GROWTH - WE'RE HIRING IN 2020!

investment professionals

Thibault Adrien

Founder & CEO

Mr. Adrien is the Founder and CEO of the general partners managing the Lafayette funds, and the Founder and CEO of Brandywine Homes USA. He oversees all investment decisions, property management and loan servicing operations, fundraising and investor relations.

While founding Lafayette, Mr. Adrien was a Senior Analyst at Sureview Capital, a long/short equity hedge fund, where he covered the U.S. Real Estate and Home Building sectors.

Previously, Mr. Adrien was a Vice President at Fortress Investment Group in the Private Equity area. Among many responsibilities, Mr. Adrien was a Board Member at Alea North America, a run-off insurance company, overseeing a $1 billion portfolio of asset-backed securities. Prior to joining Fortress, Mr. Adrien was a Mergers & Acquisitions investment banker at Lehman Brothers in London and before that, he was an attorney at Ashurst in Paris.

Mr. Adrien received a Post-graduate degree (DESS) in Business & Tax Law from Paris II University, and graduated with an MSc in Finance.

Dennis Cisterna

Build-for-rent - Chief Investment Officer

Dennis Cisterna is the Chief Investment Officer of Lafayette Communities, Lafayette’s BFR investment arm. One of the most well-known executives in the SFR investment space, he was previously CEO of Investability Solutions, a vertically-integrated service provider to institutional real estate investors. Prior to that Mr. Cisterna was Managing Director of FirstKey Lending, a portfolio company of Cerberus Capital Management, where he was on the executive team that completed the first-ever multi-borrower securitization in the SFR rental sector and led their origination team to more than $600 million in closed loans in less than two years. Before that he held a variety of management positions in the real estate sector including key roles at notable firms such as Johnson Capital, Lennar, and Toll Brothers.

Mr. Cisterna currently serves as a member of the National Rental Home Council, the Urban Land Institute, and the National Association of Home Builders.

Mr. Cisterna received his B.A. in Political Science from San Diego State University.

Christopher Mataja

Chief Underwriter

Christopher Mataja is the Chief Underwriter at Lafayette. He oversees the underwriting of all real estate acquisitions as well as loan origination and manages all debt transactions. Over the last six years, Mr. Mataja has contributed to establishing Lafayette’s reputation as one of the most reliable buyers and lenders in the single family home industry.

Prior to joining Lafayette, Mr. Mataja was an investment banking analyst with MD Global Partners in New York City, where he conducted due diligence and screened target companies for M&A, restructuring and capital market transactions.

Mr. Mataja received a Master of Management Studies from Duke University and a B.A. in Economics from Rollins College.

LIYA MO

Senior Associate

Liya Mo is a Senior Associate of Acquisitions and Operations at Lafayette, focused on the firm’s SFR investments as well as Brandywine Homes USA.

Prior to joining Lafayette, Ms. Mo worked at Deloitte Consulting in Real Estate & Location Strategy, helping companies find optimal space for geographic expansion and relocation. Before that Liya was with Rockefeller Group, FortBridge Capital Management and Goldman Sachs in real estate development, real estate acquisitions and asset management, respectively.

Liya graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in accounting and finance from Washington University in St. Louis, and an MBA/MA degree from the Wharton School and the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in Real Estate and Entrepreneurship & Innovation (MBA) and East Asia and Chinese language (MA).

Ross Basri

Analyst

Ross Basri is an analyst who participates in underwriting, research, and due diligence for new communities.

Prior to joining Lafayette, Ross worked at Jonathan Rose Companies, where he underwrote multifamily property acquisitions. Before that he was with Goldman Sachs, where he managed an equity derivatives portfolio.

Mr. Basri holds a BS in Applied Physics from Columbia University and is currently an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School with a focus in Real Estate.

asset management

Heidi Coppola

SVP Operations

Heidi Coppola is responsible for managing Operations and developing and implementing HR policies and best practices for Lafayette’s Property Management business. Ms. Coppola also assists in the development and growth of new lines of business that leverage the company’s core competencies.

Prior to joining Lafayette, Ms. Coppola worked for a single-family investment firm, Key Property Services, where she oversaw the valuation and brokerage businesses and provided operations expertise to the construction business, in addition to business development. Prior to that Ms. Coppola co-founded REO Clearinghouse to help servicers and nonprofits collaborate better around the disposition of low-value single family homes, and consulted for National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST), where she oversaw the acquisition and resolution of their first pool of non-performing loans (NPLs), and spent over two decades at Citigroup/Citicorp, where she helped establish policies and procedures for a new investment banking servicing platform.

Ms. Coppola holds a B.A. in Political Science from SUNY Binghamton, New York and a J.D. from American University Washington College of Law.

Jackie Lee

SVP Operations, Brandywine Homes USA

Jackie Lee helps manage Operations for Brandywine Homes USA.

Ms. Lee was previously an Operations Director at FirstKey Homes, a Cerberus Capital Management company. Prior to that she held various senior property management positions at Altisource, Travel Advantage Network, and Zerekon Holdings.Before that, Ms. Lee founded her own PM company, Clear Creek Properties, in 2003.

Ms. Lee studied Business management at le Tourneau University in Texas. She is a  real estate broker licensed in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Texas.

Neven Simikic

Asset Manager

Neven Simikic is responsible for overseeing the REO portfolio of Lafayette. He supervises the recovery and renovations of at-risk properties and ensures that maximum returns are recovered.

Prior to joining Lafayette, Mr. Simikic managed multifamily renovation projects in New York, and before that he had more than eight years’ experience as portfolio manager for a commercial real estate development company in Belgrade, Serbia.

Mr. Simikic holds a B.A in Business Administration from Bocconi University (Italy).

Finance

Chris Grosselfinger

Senior Fund Controller

Chris Grosselfinger oversees fund management and administration as well as financial reporting for the firm’s funds.

Previously Mr. Grosselfinger was a Vice President of Finance at Pretium Partners, a real estate-focused private equity firm, where he worked with both the funds and corporate accounting. Prior to that, he was an Assistant Vice President at the Blackstone Group where he worked in various capacities with both the funds and the firm’s corporate finance group. Before that Mr. Grosselfinger was a Manager at Bisys/RK Alternative Investments in their fund administration group.

Mr. Grosselfinger holds a BS in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Andy Mieles

Property Controller

Andy Mieles is Property Controller, responsible for overseeing the accounting for all Lafayette rental properties, reconciling and maintaining bank accounts and preparing, coordinating and reviewing year-end closing of books and records. In addition, he assists the chief financial officer with fund-level accounting and reporting, and coordinates with outside tax and auditing consultants.

Prior to joining Lafayette, Mr. Mieles accumulated 12 years of experience as assistant financial controller and senior accountant with various real estate investment and property management companies, including the Related Companies, L.P.

Mr. Mieles holds a B.S. in Accounting and an MBA in Accounting, both from Nyack College in New York.

ROHAIL AHUJA

Associate

Rohail Ahuja works in both the Lafayette finance and investment teams to prepare financial reports and analyses for investors. He also supports the fund controller with financial reporting and management.

Prior to joining Lafayette, Mr. Ahuja was an audit associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in the firm’s Qatar office, where he was involved in the external audits of major financial services companies in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. He also worked on the real estate team of Castlelake L.P. in Luxembourg, where he prepared and updated financial models to support investment projects.

Mr. Ahuja holds a BSc in Finance from Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan and an MSc in Management from HEC Paris (France). He is also a qualified chartered accountant (ACCA, UK).

MELISSA FORT

Leasing & Accounts Payable

Melissa Fort is responsible for all aspects of accounts payable. She is also Lafayette’s office manager which includes duties such as travel arrangements, cash expenses and ordering supplies.

Prior to joining Lafayette, Ms. Fort worked in real estate, including both residential and commercial properties. She has had various responsibilities ranging from accounts payable to accounts receivable, as well as lease administration, and she has also had assistant property manager duties. Her ten-plus years of real estate industry experience includes time with Forest City Ratner, TF Cornerstone, and Cushman Wakefield.

Ms. Fort holds an A.S. degree in Accounting from New York City College of Technology.

Charlene Delia

Bookkeeper

Charlene Delia is responsible for various duties in assisting Lafayette’s Office Manager with Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable.

Prior to joining Lafayette, Ms. Delia was in the accounting field for over 30 years. She has knowledge of various industries including Residential & Commercial Construction Companies, Accounting Firms, and Restaurants & Distributors.

Marketing

Maylis de Lacoste

Marketing Director

Maylis de Lacoste is in charge of Lafayette’s marketing outreach strategies. In this capacity, she oversees all marketing communications for Lafayette private equty;  Brandywine PM and Lafayette Lending, she is in charge as well of  each business lines CRM platform implementation and lead acquisition.

Before joining Lafayette in 2017, Ms. de Lacoste spent 10 years in the financial services industry as a sales trader, then worked in the real estate market as a real estate retail and sales consultant at Crown Acquisition and a real estate residential salesperson at CORE.

Ms. de Lacoste graduated with a Master’s degree in Management from Bordeaux Business School in France, and also studied at New York University, where she majored in finance.

Human Resources

Isabelle Levilain

HR Director

Isabelle Levilain develops and implements HR strategies and initiatives for Lafayette and Brandywine Homes USA. Additionally, she maintains the firms’ pay plans and benefit program, and oversees and manages a performance appraisal system to drive individual and team success.

Prior to joining Lafayette, Ms. Levilain was an investment banker at BNP Paribas, covering large corporations in the Luxury Goods sector, in France. Before that Ms. Levilain was a Senior Associate, also at BNP Paribas, in both London and Tokyo.

Ms. Levilain holds a Post-graduate degree (DESS) in Corporate Finance from Paris I Sorbonne University.