Clear Height Properties announces new Director of Acquisitions

Clear Height Properties (Clear Height) has named Ryan Maher its Director of Acquisitions to execute an aggressive acquisition plan for industrial and office properties in Chicago and across the Midwest. The announcement was made by Gary Rose, the company’s COO and President.

As Director of Acquisitions, Maher’s role will be to identify, assess and evaluate opportunities to acquire properties according to Clear Height’s established acquisition criteria and, in the process,  further relationships with the brokerage community. The ultimate goal is to expand the Clear Height portfolio of industrial and office buildings.

“Buoyed by our existing capital partners, and potential opportunities to add others, our goal is to be aggressive and thoughtful in acquiring over $100 million in properties over the next 12 months,” says Rose. “Adding Ryan Maher to the team will help us position ourselves to explore the opportunities and pursue that goal.” 

Clear Height’s current portfolio consists of industrial and office buildings totaling approximately 3 million square feet of space. Its portfolio is located primarily in the Chicago metropolitan area, as well as in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Based on the firm’s acquisition criteria, it will explore opportunities throughout the Midwest, including but not limited to, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Kansas, and Missouri.  

“Clear Height Properties is a fundamentally strong organization consisting of dynamic professionals with a proven ability to succeed,” Maher says. “It’s an exciting next chapter for me to join these consummate professionals to help employ their well-defined and aggressive expansion plans.” 

Maher has more than 5 years of commercial real estate experience, with a specific focus on commercial brokerage. Since 2016 he was a broker in the Chicago offices of NAI Hiffman. During this time Maher represented private companies, financial institutions, investors, and developers in the leasing, acquisition, and disposition of commercial real estate assets. Clear Height was one of his clients. 

Rose says that Clear Height will be aggressive but selective, a course of action the firm has taken since its founding. In general, Clear Height primarily seeks infill, value-add and core plus industrial properties as well as sale leaseback properties. The firm’s acquisition strategy also includes well-located, value-add office properties. 

Some of its greatest successes, for both office and industrial properties it adds to its portfolio, are the result of timely renovation and repositioning programs that raise the stature of a property in the marketplace which makes it more attractive for small to mid-size users. In the process Clear Height offers effective alternative space, with room for tenants to grow and expand. The repositioning programs help to push occupancy rates and rents higher adding value to the assets.