Michael Zerda re-joined LaSalle in October 2021 as Head of European Debt and Value-Add Strategies, responsible for LaSalle’s higher octane equity strategies and market leading debt platform in Europe. He was previously with LaSalle from 2009 to 2015.
Michael has 21 years’ experience investing in equity and debt opportunities in Europe and the US, across a wide variety of real estate asset classes. Since 2010, he has been responsible for transactions totalling over $7 billion in net equity contributions, and $20 billion in gross loan commitments, across 103 individual transactions in major Western European markets spanning senior debt, mezzanine debt, corporate debt, development finance, and equity joint ventures.
Michael was most recently Head of Europe for Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies, where he oversaw the growth of one Europe’s most active non-bank lending platforms and led various notable initiatives, including providing a €1.2bn whole loan for Henderson Park’s purchase of Green REIT, the first ever financing for a public to private real estate transaction in Europe by a non-bank lender, the establishment of a +€1bn pan-European logistics lending program, and expansion into most Western European markets.
Prior to joining Blackstone, Michael spent six years at LaSalle Investment Management overseeing the set-up and growth of its market leading debt and special situations platform. During his time at LaSalle, Mr Zerda was involved in raising €1.9bn of capital commitments of which €1.7bn was deployed during his tenure across 35 individual direct equity, preferred equity, whole loan, and mezzanine investments.
Prior to joining LaSalle, Michael was Vice President in Merrill Lynch’s Global Principal Investments division in London, where he focused on European equity investments, including the acquisition of a €13bn portfolio of non-performing loans and a loan servicing company from Banca Intesa in Italy. Prior to that he worked at Archon Group, Goldman Sachs’ real estate and distressed loan management platform and Archon Capital, Goldman Sachs’ real estate mezzanine platform.
Michael received a BA in Finance from the Neely School of Business at Texas Christian University, where he graduated with honors.
Meet the team
Senior Analyst, Fund Management
Head of LaSalle Encore+ Transactions
Executive Chair of Debt and Value-Add Strategies
Managing Director, Fund CFO
Deputy Fund Manager, LaSalle E-REGI
Analyst, Fund Management
Fund Management Analyst
Head of Healthcare Real Estate, United States
Director, Head of Portfolio Management, Debt and Value-Add strategies
Assistant Fund Manager, LaSalle E-REGI
Senior Managing Director, Fund Management
Managing Director, Debt Investments
Deputy Portfolio Manager, LaSalle Property Fund
Head of Custom Accounts, Asia Pacific
Director, Debt andValue-Add Strategies
Managing Director, CFO of JLLIPT
Managing Director, Debt & Value-Add Strategies
Portfolio Manager and President of LaSalle Property Fund
Fund Management Associate
Senior Vice President, Value-add Investments
Deputy Fund Manager
Co-Head of Australia
Portfolio Manager
Fund Manager, LaSalle Encore+
Director, Debt Investments and Assistant Fund Manager, LaSalle Real Estate Debt Series
Head of Korea
Portfolio Management
Americas Head of Research and Strategy
Global Head of Research and Strategy
Director, Value-Add Investments
Managing Director, Sustainable Investments
Portfolio Manager
Managing Director, Value-Add Investments
Portfolio Manager
Regional Portfolio Manager, LaSalle Global Solutions
Global Head of Climate and Carbon Strategy
Chief Executive Officer, Canada
Portfolio Manager
Senior Managing Director, Fund Management
Head of International Accounts
Senior Managing Director, Fund Management
President and Chief Investment Officer, Income and Growth Funds, Americas Co-CIO
Representative Director, Japan
Co-Chief Investment Officer, Asia Pacific
Managing Director, Securities
Managing Director, LaSalle KVG and Fund Manager, LaSalle E-REGI
Head of Custom Accounts, Europe
Executive Vice President
Chief Investment Officer, Securities Portfolio Manager
Head of Value-add Investments
Fund Director, European Custom Accounts
President and Chief Executive Officer, LaSalle Debt Investors
Co-Head of Australia
President and Chief Executive Officer, JLL Income Property Trust
Head of Custom Accounts, United States
Co-Chief Investment Officer, Asia Pacific and Head of Greater China
Deputy Fund Manager
Senior Analyst, Fund Management
Assistant Portfolio Manager
Head of LaSalle Real Estate Debt Strategies, Europe
Chief Investment Officer, LaSalle Global Partner Solutions