About MacFarlane

Travel Through Our Timeline

Founded more than 30 years ago to serve what were then the newest players in the property market – pension funds – MacFarlane Partners has built, bought, renovated, managed and sold real estate assets of every major land use for over 40 institutional clients.

Working to capitalize on strengthening markets and persevere through downturns, here’s how we have grown from a small, separate-account investment manager focusing on core real estate assets into one of the nation’s leading urban/smart-growth specialists.

Major Firm Milestones

  • MacFarlane's Beginning
    March 1987

    Victor MacFarlane forms his own firm to invest in real estate on behalf of pension funds and other institutions.

  • An Industry First
    March 1996

    MacFarlane forms the first institutional real estate venture dedicated to urban properties with CalPERS, Magic Johnson and Ken Lombard.

  • Investing in Smart Growth
    March 2001

    Urban venture’s mandate is broadened to allow a wide range of investments that facilitate smart growth.

  • Time Warner Center Investment
    January 2003

    First urban investment outside of California – the retail and garage components of the Time Warner Center in NYC.

  • Initial Closing of Urban Fund II
    November 2006

    Initial closing is held of Urban Fund II, which eventually will total $1 billion in equity from 14 institutions. 

  • D.C. Portfolio Investment
    August 2007

    MacFarlane makes its largest urban investment to date, acquiring a portfolio of properties and development projects in Washington, D.C.

  • Emerging Managers Fund Formed
    April 2008

    MacFarlane forms a fund with CalSTRS to invest in and alongside “emerging” real estate operating and development companies.

  • Urban Fund III Closes
    December 2009

    MacFarlane closes Urban Fund III, having raised $211 million in equity from three non-domestic institutions.

  • Initial Urban Fund III Investments
    May 2011

    MacFarlane makes its first investments for Urban Fund III, acquiring two development sites in the SF Bay Area.

  • First Seattle Investment
    December 2011

    MacFarlane makes its first investment in Seattle, acquiring a site in the city’s South Lake Union neighborhood on which it will develop apartments.

  • First Urban Fund III Development Completed
    November 2013

    Residents begin moving in to Venn on Market in SF — the first Urban Fund III development project to be completed.

     

  • Park Fifth Projects Break Ground in DTLA
    August 2016

    MacFarlane breaks ground on the Trademark mid-rise and, in March 2017, the adjacent Park Fifth tower.

  • Emerging Manager "Graduation"
    October 2017

    Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners “graduates” from EM Fund I and receives $200 million in equity from CalSTRS.