Mr. Haahr founded Silver Portal Capital and is its Senior Managing Principal, having over 25 years of experience in real estate and the capital markets, with a track record that exhibits a depth of investment banking, investment advisory and capital raising expertise. He directs a team that provides services in the areas of strategic/financial advice and capital formation to a focused group of private and public real estate clients owning/operating all types of commercial, healthcare, and hospitality properties as well as their Boards of Directors. Mr. Haahr has originated and closed over $20 billion of equity, debt and financial advisory transactions for the real estate industry, involving more than 150 transactions.
Prior to forming Silver Portal in 2001, Mr. Haahr was Co-Head and Managing Director of Real Estate Investment Banking for Wachovia Securities (presently Wells Fargo Securities) from 1999-2001. In addition, he founded and headed the Private Transactions Group, established to link private institutional investors with private and public real estate companies through strategic joint ventures.
Mr. Haahr also founded and was head of the Real Estate Lodging and Leisure Group at EVEREN Securities (successor firm to Kemper Securities) from 1991 until joining Wachovia, where he had sole responsibility for strategy, P&L, and all new business generation.
Mr. Haahr received his MBA from the Henry B. Tippie School of Management at the University of Iowa, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Iowa State University, and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He is a past member of multiple corporate boards, including serving as an independent director of Reven Housing REIT, Clarion Partners Property Trust, and as Trustee of the James A. Graaskamp Center for Real Estate at the University of Wisconsin. Mr. Haahr has maintained a number of industry affiliations over the years, including the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and Pension Real Estate Association (PREA), and is a frequent speaker at a variety of industry events.