WHO WE ARE
Founded in 2005, Tailwind Group (“Tailwind”) is a top twenty owner and manager of off-campus student housing in the United States. The Company takes a unique approach to property management and value-add creation at all their student housing assets, which has allowed them to aggressively grow over the past several years. The number of assets under management have doubled since the beginning of 2021. Today, Tailwind operates 40 unique properties in 15 different states across 23 college communities that make up nearly 19,500 bedrooms. Tailwind’s hands-on and direct sales strategy allowed year-over-year rent growth from 2023 to 2024 to achieve almost 11%, which was nearly double the industry average.
The Principals of Tailwind have developed a robust corporate support structure which provides direct support in areas of property management, leasing and marketing, corporate operations, technology, accounting, asset management, leadership development, and human resources. They put an intense focus on people, embodied by everyone at the Company, which helps to carry out their mission of, “Fighting for the highest possible good of the people that matter most: our team members, residents, investors, and communities we serve.”
OWNERSHIP GROUP
KYLE SMITH
Founding Principal ksmith@thetailwindgroup.com
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
BRANDON SMITH
President & Chief Executive Officer bsmith@thetailwindgroup.com
MICHAEL SATHER
Principal & Chief Investment Officer msather@thetailwindgroup.com
Founding Principal lsmith@thetailwindgroup.com
CASEY PETERSEN
Chief Operating Officer cpetersen@thetailwindgroup.com
JACOB OURADNIK
Chief Financial Officer jouradnik@thetailwindgroup.com
KRYSTAL PIERCE
VP, Investor Relations & General Counsel kpierce@thetailwindgroup.com
LANDON SMITH
THE VERTICAL INTEGRATION ADVANTAGE
DEAL ORIGINATION
Extensive industry network that understands our investment profile and provides access to multiple off-market opportunities and capital partners.
INVESTOR ALIGNMENT
Tailwind Group principals and senior leadership invest significant personal capital into each transaction, aligning interests with partners and investors.
TRACK RECORD
Tailwind Group has a proven track record of executing successful projects ranging from ground up development to value-add opportunities that has provided strong returns through cash flow and long-term appreciation.
EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE
Tailwind Group’s team includes real estate management, development, finance, and investment professionals with decades of combined transaction experience.
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT & ENHANCEMENT
Tailwind Group manages every property it owns to quickly respond to market uncertainty or allocate internal resources across all markets.
ACTIVE ASSET ALIGNMENT
Strong team of corporate resources that are engaged from acquisition to disposition.
400+ EMPLOYEES
19,500+ BEDS
15 STATES
40 PROPERTIES
$150M+ ANNUAL REVENUE
$1.2B+ IN ASSETS MANAGED
INVESTMENT STRATEGY
Tailwind Group’s mission is fighting for the highest possible good of the people that matter most: our team members, residents, investors, and communities we serve. In doing so, we create a business that provides growth and opportunities to our employees and the communities we serve – thereby generating optimal returns to our investors.
BUILDING BLOCKS OF SUCCESS
Experienced team that leverages our extensive network to source well-positioned development and value-add opportunities in strategic markets
Continuously refined market and risk analysis that adapts today’s macro-economic environment to our strategy
Rigorous, yet conservative underwriting
Strong relationships with lending partners to obtain favorable, diversified funding
Vertically integrated real estate company that creates additional value through active asset and on-site management
Position assets for long-term hold or maximize short-term value via disposition
AREAS OF FOCUS
Tailwind Group primarily invests in student housing that demonstrates the following criteria:
Power Four conference universities (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC)
Athletic programs that are perennial contenders for national championships or bowl games
Proximity to universities with business models that support steady enrollment growth contributing to favorable supply and demand metrics
Early-to-mid 2000’s vintage assets in need of extensive interior or exterior capital upgrades
Convenient access to transportation to campus via private or public shuttle services The Quarters Gainesville
UNIQUE APPROACH TO VALUE-ADD RENOVATION
Over the past seven years, Tailwind Group has created and refined a unique approach to large-scale, value-add renovation opportunities in the student housing space. Most operators in the industry take a slow and staggered approach to renovations over a 3–5-year period to maintain stable occupancies and slowly garner the rent growth that the renovation provides. While this can be effective and avoids long stretches of lower occupancy, Tailwind Group has taken a contrarian approach.
Tailwind Group seeks out student housing assets with occupancies between 50-75% and negotiate a purchase price at a steep discount to replacement cost. Upon acquisition, work begins immediately to relocate residents and completely vacate 3-4 buildings to begin full-scale renovations. Once a building’s renovation is complete, residents are relocated from non-renovated buildings to an upgraded unit. This process is repeated over the course of 8-12 months until all buildings’ renovations are complete. Simultaneously, our leasing team begins to advertise and tour the newly renovated units while driving our flagship leasing and marketing strategies that target aggressive, yet attainable market rate increases of $50-100 per bed. Depending on age of property and need, Tailwind Group will concurrently renovate the clubhouse, leasing office, and amenity package capitalizing on additional rent increases of $25-50 per bed.
By the following academic year, Tailwind Group has completely turned around the asset, offering newly renovated units at $100-150 premiums compared to the year prior with occupancies at 90%+. Once stabilized, Tailwind Group recapitalizes the asset via refinance to return capital to investors and stabilize marketed investor returns.
After - The Landing CoMo
Before - The Landing CoMo
TAILWIND CULTURE
WORK HARD, PLAY HARD
Tailwind Group is committed to creating and sustaining a workplace culture that is second to none. We strive for every team member to operate by our core values—in doing so, they are affecting a positive change in their respective communities. Tailwind’s mission is to fight for the highest possible good of our team members, residents, investors and partners, and the communities we serve. We do that by prioritizing people - by fostering a culture of genuine care and respect for everyone; by creating an environment of both high support and high challenge; by placing relationships, well-being, and growth of our people at the heart of every decision we make. We embrace an innovative spirit - by refusing to be outhustled and being responsive to the ever-changing needs of our people and our Company; by our commitment to being solution-focused, nimble, and ready to seize the next opportunity; by pushing the boundaries of industry “norms” while staying grounded in our purpose. We have unwavering integrity - by committing to be honest and taking full ownership of our decisions; by cultivating a culture of people that are humble, accountable, and transparent; by doing what’s right, even when it’s hard.
