Easton Harbor advises institutional developers, family offices, opportunity funds, and private investors across the full real estate development life cycle — in 19 major U.S. markets.
10 critical questions every developer should answer before breaking ground.
Whether you're evaluating a new investment, navigating a complex development, or optimizing an existing portfolio, we tailor our approach to your objectives.
End-to-end guidance from feasibility through stabilization — site evaluation, entitlement strategy, design coordination, contractor selection, and construction oversight across all asset classes and markets.
Financial modeling, capital structure optimization, debt and equity sourcing, joint venture negotiation, and investor reporting. Experience with conventional debt, HUD, LIHTC, EB-5, and institutional equity.
Operational improvement, value-add repositioning, master planning, revenue growth strategies, and technology integration. Proven results: eliminated six-figure monthly losses and doubled operating revenue.
Owner's representation, project oversight, budget and schedule management, contractor coordination, and quality assurance from pre-construction through certificate of occupancy and project closeout.
Portfolio rationalization, facility strategy, return-to-office planning, real estate department restructuring, outsourcing advisory, and supply chain location planning for corporate occupiers.
Market feasibility studies, competitive landscape analysis, demand projections, rent comparables, demographic research, and investment underwriting to support data-driven decision making.
Every client engagement is different. We adapt our approach to your specific structure, objectives, and timeline.
You have the pipeline, the capital relationships, and the operational infrastructure — but your team is stretched across multiple active projects. Easton Harbor steps in as a trusted extension of your development team, managing feasibility, entitlements, design coordination, and construction oversight on individual projects so your senior leadership can stay focused on portfolio-level strategy and new opportunities. We speak your language and operate at institutional standards.
Your family's real estate holdings may range from legacy assets to new development opportunities, and you need an advisor who can evaluate both with the same rigor. Easton Harbor provides the strategic oversight and development expertise of a full-time CIO or VP of Development — without the fixed overhead. We help you assess new investments, optimize existing properties, structure joint ventures, and make confident decisions backed by institutional-quality analysis.
Your fund has identified a market thesis and raised capital — now you need to execute. Easton Harbor accelerates your deployment by providing hands-on development management, underwriting support, and operational oversight across your portfolio. We have direct experience structuring deals across conventional debt, LIHTC, Opportunity Zone, EB-5, and HUD financing programs, and we bring established relationships with capital providers, contractors, and operating partners in your target markets.
You have significant real estate holdings or are considering a major development investment, but you don't have an in-house real estate team. Easton Harbor serves as your principal-level advisor — someone who has sat in the developer's chair and understands how deals are structured, how projects get built, and where value is created or destroyed. We protect your interests with the same care we would bring to our own capital, translating complex real estate decisions into clear, actionable recommendations.
Easton Harbor was founded by Erik A. Steffensen with a simple premise: institutional developers, family offices, and private investors deserve an advisor who combines the strategic sophistication of a large firm with the accountability and personal commitment of an owner-operator.
Drawing on more than 20 years of hands-on development, investment, and consulting experience, Erik built Easton Harbor to be the kind of partner he would want on his own projects — deeply knowledgeable, relentlessly practical, and fully aligned with client outcomes.
Before launching Easton Harbor, Erik held principal roles at a national top-25 commercial developer, led development of over 2,000 niche multifamily units for a New York-based family office, and co-led a real estate consulting practice serving Fortune 500 companies, healthcare systems, PE sponsors, and hospitality operators at a national professional services firm.
Opinion article proposing alternative policy ideas to support affordable housing development — addressing the systemic challenges facing urban markets. Published February 2020.
Article on bridging the gap between emergency response plans and normal operations — keeping safety, equity, and employee choice at the center of return-to-office strategy.
Featured case study on commercial real estate asset acquisition strategy, developed in collaboration with the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
Excerpts from LinkedIn recommendations by clients, partners, and colleagues.
He is one of the most intelligent and innovative real estate asset and facility strategy and development professionals I have had the opportunity to partner with. Erik can collaborate across all levels of an organization, from entry level to the C Suite, creating and delivering a common vision.
He's a real professional and great to work with. As our client's representative, he was demanding but fair. He is knowledgeable and always looking for opportunities to add value. Erik is a true gentleman, holding to high standards while working for the win-win with project stakeholders.
The thing that impresses me most about Erik is how adept he is at applying his business acumen, experience and capabilities to any situation he is thrown into. Others follow him because he is competent, confident and a critical thinker and because he thinks holistically about how to solve problems.
Erik is a seasoned real estate professional with a proven track record in real estate strategy, development and capital sourcing/management across asset classes. Erik's detailed and thoughtful approach to real estate and relationships quickly build credibility and comfort with investors, lenders and all stakeholders.
Erik is a dynamic real estate executive with terrific analytic skills. I found him to be personable and professional in my extensive dealings with him. Overall, he has the capacity to create and administer complex deals and relationships.
He is super bright, comes up to speed on new topics amazingly fast, and has a broad range of expertise across real estate and other industries. He is great at complexity but also breaking things down and communicating to a broad range of stakeholders.
A closer look at how Easton Harbor created value for clients through strategic advisory and hands-on execution.
A mixed-use office and retail project was experiencing chronic vacancy, negative cash flow of $40,000 per month, and declining tenant interest. The ownership group needed an immediate change in strategy to avoid further capital calls.
Easton Harbor took over turnaround management, conducting a comprehensive market repositioning analysis. We reorganized the marketing strategy, re-engaged the brokerage community, identified and executed targeted capital improvements to improve curb appeal and tenant experience, and renegotiated vendor contracts to reduce operating expenses.
Within 12 months, the property moved from significant monthly losses to breakeven and then positive cash flow. The repositioned asset was sold in 2022 at a strong basis, delivering a 32% cash-on-cash return to investors.
A mission-driven affordable housing provider was struggling with rising maintenance costs, inefficient unit turn processes, and an outdated technology stack that was limiting their ability to scale operations across their growing portfolio.
Easton Harbor developed a comprehensive 3-phase operations improvement plan covering maintenance workflows, unit turn processes, and inventory management. We also performed a full technology stack analysis and rationalization, evaluating property management, work order, and development operations platforms against industry best practices.
The implemented improvements reduced maintenance expenses by 15% across the portfolio, shortened average unit turn times, and provided a technology roadmap that supported the organization's growth plans.
A permanent supportive housing and clinical services provider needed a long-term strategic plan to expand services and increase revenue to support their growing community impact, but lacked the real estate and financial planning expertise to build a credible growth roadmap.
Easton Harbor developed a comprehensive 10-year Master Plan encompassing facility expansion, service line growth, capital planning, and revenue diversification. We modeled multiple growth scenarios, identified development opportunities within the existing portfolio, and created a phased implementation timeline aligned with the organization's mission and capacity.
The Master Plan provided a clear, board-approved roadmap to double operating revenue over the planning horizon, with specific milestones, capital requirements, and decision points for each phase of growth.
10 critical questions every developer should answer before breaking ground.
A cross-section of advisory and development experience spanning multifamily, hospitality, healthcare, retail, corporate, and industrial.
Capital structuring and unit modeling for a 350-unit market-rate, LIHTC, and commercial project. City of Chicago RFP submission.
350 UnitsBrand development, financial modeling, and design for a 4-star tech-enabled wellness hotel. Site negotiations for $90M flagship.
$90M FlagshipTurnaround of failing project. Eliminated $40K/month losses in 12 months.
32% Cash-on-CashStructuring, feasibility, and concept design for $50M outpatient facility between two healthcare operators.
$50M Facility163-unit senior community on 8 acres. Secured $30M in debt and equity financing.
163 Units · $30M600-bed student housing with 30K+ SF retail across seven buildings. EB-5 and conventional financing.
600 BedsCo-developed $100M mixed-use TOD retail/multifamily project. Led 900-unit master plan bid.
$100M · 900 Units248-unit fully-featured Class A luxury residential on prominent infill parcel with I-94 frontage.
248 UnitsWhether you have a specific project in mind or want to explore how Easton Harbor can support your real estate objectives, we'd welcome the conversation.