Team
Founders
Nicolas Weinstein
President
Nicolas Weinstein co-founded Respark Residential in 2020 and is the managing director and founder of both W6 real estate investments (www.W6rei.com) and W6 Credit Strategies Ltd.
Mr. Weinstein has led the management and strategic deployment of capital in excess of $1.45b in gross asset values over a diversified set of assets including but not limited to multifamily, industrial, office, retail and hard money loans. Under Mr. Weinstein’s guidance, the team successfully acquired core plus multifamily properties located in Sunbelt states comprising a total of 3,478units. These acquisitions have delivered exceptional returns, with realized net returns to investors surpassing 20%.
Nicolas is a board member of Loveday & Co (www.lovedayandco.com), a premier developer and operator of senior care residences in the UK. Prior to Respark and W6, Mr. Weinstein worked on the healthcare industry as C- level exec, investor and board member in a wide array of companies and projects which included M&A work on CFR’s sale to Abbott Laboratories for $2.9 billion in 2014.
Mr. Weinstein holds a Master of Science in Finance from U. Adolfo Ibanez and earned an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg School of Management in 2012.
Benjamin Jones
Chief Investment Officer
Benjamin Jones co-founded Respark Residential in 2020 and, as its Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director, oversees all day-to-day operations of the investment platform.
Respark was formed to invest in multifamily properties throughout the United States. Respark currently owns and asset manages a diverse multifamily portfolio that includes 2,764 multifamily units and total AUM of $275+M. Respark invests throughout the capital structure, but focuses primarily on preferred equity and direct sponsor equity investment.
Prior to creating Respark, Mr. Jones was the founding partner and Managing Director of Lurin Capital. Mr. Jones built Lurin from a pure play start-up to a fully integrated multifamily platform with 4,000+ units. Prior to Lurin, Mr. Jones worked with Eureka Holdings to create its conventional acquisition platform, source all growth capital, and to scale the company from 2,000 units to more than 12,000 units over the course of three years. Prior to Eureka, Mr. Jones was the founding partner of Red River Multifamily, which developed and asset managed a portfolio of apartment and land properties for a high net worth family office. Earlier in his career, Mr. Jones held various positions in underwriting, securitization, and origination at Deutsche Bank and Nomura, focusing on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bridge, and CMBS products.
Mr. Jones holds a BS in Business Administration from Washington and Lee University and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.
Team Members
Justin Campbell
Senior VP, Acquisitions & Originations
Justin Campbell serves as the Senior Vice President of Acquisitions at Respark, where he reports directly to the Investment Committee. In this capacity, he leads the sourcing of preferred equity investments nationwide, while also spearheading the acquisition of new value-add and core+ deals across the Sunbelt region. Mr. Campbell’s responsibilities also include maintaining broker, sponsor, and investor relationships with existing and new potential business partners.
Prior to joining Respark, Mr. Campbell acquired and operated over 1,200 units consisting of multiple scattered sites across Los Angeles County. He also oversaw the bulk disposition of 650+ of those scattered sites. With over 12 years of experience in the real estate industry, he has held diverse roles spanning across capital markets, acquisitions, development, asset management and investor relations.
Eric DeVelasco
VP, Asset Management
Eric DeVelasco is the Vice President of Asset Management and oversees the operations of the Respark portfolio. He is responsible for the execution of the business plan for each asset, creating annual operating and capital improvement budgets, and evaluating the financial performance of the portfolio. Eric also handles investor relations and is responsible for the quarterly reporting of the portfolio.
Prior to joining Respark, Mr. DeVelasco oversaw the daily operations of a 2,000-unit affordable housing portfolio where he held similar roles and responsibilities to his role at Respark. Mr. DeVelasco holds a B.B.A. in corporate finance and minor in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.
Jose Luis de la Tejera
Acquisitions Analyst
Jose Luis de la Tejera joined Respark as an Acquisitions Analyst Intern and was later hired full-time in the same role. In his position, he contributes to identifying potential investments, underwriting equity and preferred equity opportunities, and assisting in the due diligence process. Prior to Respark, he gained experience at various real estate investment firms in South Florida, specializing in multifamily investment analysis and underwriting.
Jose Luis holds a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Miami Herbert Business School and a Bachelor’s in Economics from The University of Texas at Austin.
Scott Wien
Asset Management Analyst
Scott Wien is an Asset Management Analyst at Respark. He is responsible for optimizing portfolio performance, conducting financial analysis, and due diligence. Prior to his current role, he performed acquisitions for a family office, assisting in underwriting investment opportunities and market research.
Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida, where he was a member of the UF Real Estate Society. He is currently a member of the Urban Land Institute.
Our Mission
Respark’s mission is to provide a new spark for existing communities with improved experiences for our residents while generating outsized returns for our investors.
We accomplish this mission through innovation, integrity, transparent governance, and excellence in our execution.
Respark believes it is our responsibility to have a positive social impact. Therefore, we focus on reducing our carbon footprint via conservation programs with a focus on sustainability and encouraging philanthropy and educational opportunity for both our residents and our employees.
Our Platform
Respark creates value and generates superior risk adjusted returns in the multifamily residential real estate sector through investment flexibility, operational expertise, buying at a discount to replacement cost, and identifying arbitrage opportunities across asset classes.