Did you know that Zonda offers bespoke consulting?
And that the team boasts over 700 years of experience between them?
The Zonda Advisory Group represents the heart of what Zonda does: turning data into strategy.
Chief Advisory Officer Tim Sullivan lists the ways that Advisory turns data into wisdom:
- Boots on the ground: we conduct over 1,000 market studies nationwide annually
- We can value land and homes (and rental communities) precisely using cash flows and land plan optimization models
- The team is an impartial third party that can defend a narrative to facilitate deals
- Our research process is flexible and multi-variate so we can create scenarios
- Our perspective is earned.
“We go beyond the data and connect insights from demographic shifts, the evolution of product segmentation, and the personality of each local market. This helps us curate the best outcomes for new development and repositioning.”
Read on to learn more about this powerhouse team and what they can do for you.
1. The Advisory team has a LOT of experience
Many members of Zonda’s Advisory Group have decades of senior leadership experience helping to run land development and homebuilding companies. For example, Executive Vice President of Advisory Don Walker ran a home builder that built and sold 2,000 homes annually.
In addition, his time as a CFO and Senior Director of Finance allows him to help build-to-rent (BTR) builders and for-sale homebuilders and developers maximize profitability through product recommendations and pricing strategies.
The team includes specialists in multifamily housing, build-to-rent, 55+ housing, education, mortgage, and regional focuses. Get to know the team here.
2. They drill down into the data to reach the ‘why’
With all of Zonda’s research reports justifiably drawing attention, custom consulting can get overlooked. But the Advisory team brings a remarkable depth of experience and expertise to an array of projects.
The team works with builders, developers, mortgage lenders, building product manufacturers, banks, and even public entities like school districts.
“My core business is the most thoughtful analysis of remodeling, forecasting, and strategic research for product manufacturers and investors,” says Todd Tomalak, Principal for Building Products and Remodeling.
“We use real data to decompose the ‘why’ behind building product growth, where others rely on narrative, we discover the mechanism.”
3. They combine national breadth with local depth
Zonda Advisory brings together a comprehensive national viewpoint with local expertise. That gives you confidence that your project is being considered from multiple angles.
Says Kimberly Byrum, Managing Principal, Multifamily, “Partnering with our advisory team means gaining access to a national platform that underwrites down to the micro-market level with unparalleled detail.”
“Built on a foundation of sound methodology and absolute data transparency, we collaborate directly with clients to establish the definitive market-based underwriting assumptions required for complex decision-making.”
4. They turn info into insights
The Advisory team does more than provide analysis; it works alongside clients as a strategic partner, helping them clarify goals, evaluate options, and make better decisions.
“Our consulting team pairs decades of experience with a rare continuity: many of our consultants have worked together for 25 or more years, and several have held senior roles inside land and housing development companies,” says Peter Dennehy, Principal, Homebuilding for National, MPC, Urban/Mixed-Use, 55+ Housing.
“We’ve advised on every land use across every U.S. region and in select international markets.”
“What sets us apart is how we work. We are partners, not just advisors, translating data, consumer behavior, and market dynamics into insights clients can act on while sharpening their strategic thinking along the way. From project inception and planning through implementation, marketing, and disposition, we design customized research that helps clients make better decisions.”
5. They’ll tackle your project with your goals in mind
Here are some of the projects that the team tackles on behalf of banks, developers, building product manufacturers, and others.
- Land banking
- Market feasibility
- Product recommendations
- Supply/demand analysis
- Absorption forecasts
- Market selection/expansion studies
- Mixed use analysis
And builders can benefit from this holistic approach.
Notes Nicollette Chapman, SVP, National Mortgage Data Solutions: “Builders should have a relationship with a bank, an independent mortgage bank, and a broker. All three have different programs, products, and appetite for risk.”
“Understanding how to leverage lender offerings can unquestionably impact a builder’s bottom line.”
