As Multifamily Dive's senior reporter, Les Shaver dissects capital markets' impact on apartment housing nationwide. His reporting portfolio spans:
"The most compelling pitches connect balance sheets to building maintenance logs," Shaver noted in a recent industry panel.
Les Shaver has established himself as a cornerstone of business journalism through two decades of rigorous reporting on real estate markets. Beginning his career at Marine Corps Times, Shaver honed his analytical skills covering military housing policies before transitioning to commercial real estate reporting at GlobeSt. His 2015 move to Multifamily Dive marked a strategic pivot toward specialized multifamily housing coverage, positioning him as a leading voice in tracking capital flows through apartment REITs, CMBS markets, and institutional investment vehicles.
Shaver's April 2025 investigation into Vistria Group's landmark affordable housing fund exemplifies his ability to decode complex financial instruments. Through interviews with 14 institutional investors and housing advocates, the piece reveals how public-private partnerships are reshaping urban development priorities post-COVID. His analysis of the fund's geographic allocation strategy—particularly its focus on Sun Belt markets facing acute workforce housing shortages—has been cited in three congressional housing policy briefings.
"The $2.5 billion commitment represents not just capital deployment, but a fundamental rethinking of how pension funds engage with social infrastructure," Shaver writes, capturing the fund's transformative potential.
This April 2025 deep dive into commercial mortgage-backed securities combines forensic data analysis with on-the-ground reporting from distressed properties. Shaver tracked 73 troubled loans across 14 states, identifying patterns in over-leveraged Class B assets. His revelation that 42% of delinquent properties had undergone value-add renovations without corresponding operational improvements sparked industry-wide reevaluations of asset management strategies.
Shaver's March 2025 investigation into a high-profile Bay Area receivership case combines court document analysis with exclusive interviews from property managers and tenants. The piece traces how changing work-from-home patterns eroded the financial viability of a 198-unit downtown high-rise, serving as a cautionary tale for urban core investments. His follow-up reporting influenced three city council proposals for adaptive reuse conversions.
Shaver prioritizes stories revealing how pension funds, REITs, and private equity firms are reshaping housing markets. A successful pitch might analyze emerging trends in Opportunity Zone investments or trace how insurance companies are rebalancing real estate portfolios amid climate risks. His recent CMBS delinquency piece demonstrates particular interest in financial instrument impacts on physical assets.
While national trends form the backdrop, Shaver's most impactful work ties macroeconomic data to specific property-level challenges. PR professionals should provide hyperlocal vacancy rate analyses paired with operator interviews. His San Francisco receivership story model shows the power of connecting municipal policy shifts to asset performance metrics.
With 20+ years covering HUD policies and fair housing regulations, Shaver seeks stories demonstrating how new rules alter investment calculus. A compelling angle might explore how recent energy efficiency mandates are affecting value-add renovation budgets across different asset classes.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on RealEstate, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
