Veris Residential agrees to go private in $3.4 billion sale to Affinius Capital consortium

Overview

Veris Residential, a publicly traded apartment landlord with 7,681 units across the Northeast United States, has agreed to sell itself to a private investor group led by Affinius Capital for $19.00 per share in cash. The deal values the company at $3.4 billion and will remove it from the New York Stock Exchange. It comes just weeks after an activist investor publicly demanded the company put itself up for sale, arguing that its shares traded at a steep discount to the actual value of its buildings.

In This Story

3 Videos

3 People

Deal closes as planned; Veris delists in Q2 2026

3 Context

Archstone-Smith Take-Private and Collapse (2007-2013)

Key Indicators

$19.00

Price per share

All-cash offer representing a 23.2% premium to the unaffected closing price on February 4, 2026

$3.4B

Enterprise value

Total deal value including assumption of debt, financed through equity and a $2.08 billion bridge loan

7,681

Apartment units

Luxury rental units across 22 properties, primarily in New Jersey and the greater New York metro area

20%+

Core FFO growth in 2025

Funds from operations per share rose over 20% year-over-year, reaching $0.72 for full-year 2025

$140M

Termination fees

Reciprocal breakup fees that both sides must pay if they walk away from the deal

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People Involved

Mahbod Nia

Chief Executive Officer, Veris Residential (Led the company through its office-to-apartment transformation; now overseeing sale process)

Bruce Schanzer

Chairman and Chief Investment Officer, Erez Asset Management (Activist investor who pushed for strategic review; holds 4.87% of Veris shares)

Bradford Klatt

Co-founder, Vista Hill Partners; co-founder, Roseland Property Company (Part of acquiring consortium through Vista Hill Partners)

Organizations Involved

Veris Residential

Publicly Traded REIT

Status: Target company; agreed to be acquired

A Northeast-focused luxury apartment real estate investment trust that owns 22 properties with 7,681 units, primarily in New Jersey's waterfront markets.

Affinius Capital

Institutional Real Estate Investment Firm

Status: Lead acquirer in the consortium

A San Antonio-based real estate investment firm with $61 billion in assets under management, formed from the 2023 merger of USAA Real Estate Company and Square Mile Capital.

Vista Hill Partners

Real Estate Investment and Development Firm

Status: Junior partner in the acquiring consortium

A real estate investment firm focused on clustered property portfolios in the Northeast, led by Roseland Property Company co-founder Bradford Klatt and Kushner Real Estate Group president Jonathan Kushner.

Erez Asset Management

Activist Investment Fund

Status: Holds 4.87% of Veris shares; pushed for strategic review

A fund manager focused on small-cap real estate investment trusts, founded by former Cedar Realty Trust chief executive Bruce Schanzer.

Timeline

Veris agrees to $3.4 billion go-private deal
Acquisition

Veris Residential's board unanimously approved a $19.00 per share all-cash acquisition by an Affinius Capital-led consortium including Vista Hill Partners, taking the company private at a 23.2% premium to its unaffected share price.
5 days ago
Activist letter becomes public through SEC filing
Disclosure

Erez's December letter to the Veris board was made public via a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, sending shares up as investors anticipated a potential sale.
February 3rd, 2026
Erez Asset Management demands Veris explore a sale
Activism

Activist investor Bruce Schanzer, holding 4.87% of Veris shares, sent a letter to the board arguing the stock was worth $22 to $25 per share and urging a formal strategic review.
December 1st, 2025
Peer REITs launch strategic reviews
Market

Centerspace initiated a strategic review, joining Aimco and Elme Communities in exploring sales or liquidations, signaling a broader wave of multifamily REIT deals.
November 1st, 2025
Veris sells Jersey City offices for $766 million
Divestiture

The company sold a major Jersey City office portfolio for $766 million, nearly completing its exit from commercial office real estate.
October 14th, 2022
Company rebrands as Veris Residential
Corporate

Mack-Cali officially became Veris Residential, beginning to trade on the NYSE under the ticker VRE and signaling its complete pivot to multifamily housing.
December 7th, 2021
Mahbod Nia appointed CEO
Leadership

Mahbod Nia, a veteran of NorthStar Realty Europe and Goldman Sachs, took over as CEO and immediately began accelerating the sale of office assets.
March 1st, 2021
CEO departs amid transformation push
Leadership

CEO Michael DeMarco departed and MaryAnne Gilmartin was appointed interim CEO, signaling accelerating change at the company.
July 1st, 2020
Activist investors push for Mack-Cali board changes
Activism

Activist shareholders targeted Mack-Cali, leading to a board shakeup and the beginning of a strategic rethink about the company's office-heavy portfolio.
January 1st, 2019
Mack-Cali acquires Roseland Property Company
Acquisition

Mack-Cali acquired Roseland Property Company—co-founded by Bradford Klatt—for up to $135 million, planting the seeds of a multifamily residential platform.
June 1st, 2012
Mack-Cali Realty formed through merger
Corporate

Cali Associates merged with The Mack Company to create Mack-Cali Realty Corporation, a publicly traded office-focused REIT.
January 1st, 1996
Cali Associates founded in New Jersey
Corporate

Brothers John and William Cali founded Cali Associates in Cranford, New Jersey, beginning what would become a six-decade journey through commercial real estate.
January 1st, 1962

Scenarios

Deal closes as planned; Veris delists in Q2 2026

Discussed by: TipRanks, Investing.com, and multiple REIT analysts covering the transaction

The most straightforward outcome: Veris shareholders approve the deal, regulatory conditions are met, and the Affinius consortium closes the $3.4 billion acquisition in the second quarter of 2026. The company delists from the New York Stock Exchange and operates as a private apartment landlord. The $2.08 billion committed bridge loan and reciprocal $140 million termination fees suggest strong financial commitment from both sides. This path follows the template of Elme Communities, which completed its own sale process in a matter of months.

A rival bidder emerges and tops the $19 offer

Discussed by: Erez Asset Management (which argued shares are worth $22-$25), Seeking Alpha contributors, and REIT M&A analysts

Erez Asset Management argued Veris buildings are worth $22 to $25 per share—significantly above the $19 offer. If the merger agreement includes a go-shop provision allowing the board to solicit competing offers for a limited window, another institutional buyer or REIT could enter with a higher bid. Large multifamily acquirers like Blackstone, Brookfield, or a public apartment REIT seeking Northeast exposure could see strategic value. The $140 million breakup fee would be the cost of entry for any competing bidder. The gap between the offered price and Erez's valuation provides runway for a topping bid.

Shareholders reject the deal as undervaluing the portfolio

Discussed by: Erez Asset Management and proxy advisory services that evaluate REIT take-private transactions

Veris shareholders—including Erez Asset Management at 4.87%—may view $19 per share as too low given the activist's public argument that the properties are worth 40% to 70% more than the pre-deal stock price. If proxy advisory firms side with dissenting shareholders, or if enough institutional holders decide the company's improving financials (20% growth in funds from operations, 68% operating margins) justify holding out for more, the shareholder vote could fail. This would leave Veris public but under continued pressure to find an alternative path to closing the valuation gap.

Deal collapses over financing; Veris remains public

Discussed by: Commercial real estate finance analysts tracking lending conditions

The transaction relies on a $2.08 billion bridge loan alongside equity commitments. If credit markets tighten significantly before closing—or if lenders reassess the risk of concentrated Northeast multifamily exposure—financing could become more expensive or harder to secure. The reciprocal $140 million termination fee would compensate Veris if the buyers walk away, but it wouldn't change the company's fundamental situation: a public REIT trading below what private buyers believe the buildings are worth, in a market where several peers have already exited public markets.

Historical Context

Archstone-Smith Take-Private and Collapse (2007-2013)

October 2007 - February 2013

What Happened

Tishman Speyer and Lehman Brothers took Archstone-Smith Trust, one of America's largest apartment REITs with over 40,000 units, private for $22.2 billion in a leveraged deal at the peak of the pre-crisis real estate boom. When Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy in September 2008, Archstone became one of the largest distressed real estate assets in the world.

Outcome

Short Term

Archstone spent years in limbo as a Lehman Brothers estate asset, unable to grow or recapitalize while its properties aged.

Long Term

Equity Residential and AvalonBay Communities ultimately purchased Archstone's portfolio for $6.5 billion in 2013—less than a third of the original take-private price—in one of the largest apartment transactions in U.S. history.

Why It's Relevant Today

The Archstone deal illustrates the risk of leveraged apartment REIT take-privates: timing and financing structure matter enormously. The Veris deal's $2.08 billion bridge loan and relatively modest leverage compared to the 2007 era offer a counterpoint, but the cautionary tale remains relevant for shareholders evaluating whether to accept $19 per share now versus holding out for more.

Cedar Realty Trust Activist Campaign and Sale (2021-2022)

2021 - 2022

What Happened

Cedar Realty Trust, a small shopping-center REIT, faced pressure from multiple activist investors including its own eventual CEO, Bruce Schanzer, who transformed the company during his 11-year tenure. After activists forced board changes, Cedar launched a strategic review that ended with the company being sold in three separate transactions at $29 per share—a 71% premium to its pre-process trading price.

Outcome

Short Term

Shareholders received a significant premium as the company was broken up and sold to buyers who valued individual properties above the company's public-market trading price.

Long Term

Schanzer's success at Cedar informed his playbook at Erez Asset Management, where he has applied the same activist strategy—arguing for strategic reviews at undervalued small-cap REITs—to targets including Veris Residential.

Why It's Relevant Today

Schanzer's role is a direct throughline: the same investor who successfully extracted a 71% premium at Cedar Realty is now arguing Veris shareholders deserve more than the 23% premium on the table. His track record gives credibility to the argument that $19 may not fully reflect the portfolio's private-market value.

Blackstone's REIT Acquisition Spree (2021-2022)

2021 - 2022

What Happened

Blackstone, the world's largest private real estate investor, spent tens of billions acquiring publicly traded REITs at premiums, including Bluerock Residential Growth REIT (multifamily, $3.6 billion), Preferred Apartment Communities ($5.8 billion), and American Campus Communities (student housing, $12.8 billion). The strategy exploited persistent gaps between public REIT share prices and private-market property valuations.

Outcome

Short Term

Blackstone rapidly scaled its rental housing portfolio, becoming one of America's largest apartment owners.

Long Term

The deals established a template for large institutional buyers to scoop up public REITs trading below net asset value, accelerating the trend of apartment companies leaving public markets.

Why It's Relevant Today

The Veris deal follows the same structural logic that drove Blackstone's spree: public apartment REITs trading below what private buyers calculate the underlying buildings are worth. Affinius Capital is applying the same playbook at a smaller scale, and the persistence of this public-to-private valuation gap across multiple years and multiple buyers suggests it reflects a durable market inefficiency rather than a one-time opportunity.