Apprise by Walker & Dunlop Adds Two Senior Directors to its Growing Multifamily Valuation Business

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. and GeoPhy announced today the expansion of their multifamily appraisal business, Apprise, with the addition of Senior Directors John Wu and Anthony Fontanazza. Based in Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Wu is part of Apprise’s affordable housing practice group and brings over 13 years of experience in valuing Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) subsidized, and market rate properties. Mr. Fontanazza is based in South Florida and is focused on valuing multifamily assets of all types, including existing and proposed apartment properties in primary and secondary markets throughout Florida.

“We are thrilled to welcome John to our Midwest team and Anthony to our Florida team,” commented Meghan Czechowski, Managing Director and Valuation Lead for Apprise. “Our hiring momentum continues to build, supporting our continued growth across the United States, as well as the expansion of our service offerings.” 

Mr. Wu has been active in the real estate appraisal field since 1998 and is seasoned in valuations of affordable housing projects. Prior to joining Apprise, Mr. Wu worked within the multifamily practice of CBRE’s Valuation and Advisory Group, specializing in multifamily rental assets ranging from small, walk-up apartment complexes to institutional-grade apartment communities, both in urban and suburban areas. Mr. Wu is a Certified General Appraiser in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Indiana, and he has experience in other Midwestern states. He also obtained his HUD MAP certification in 2008, which allows him to conduct valuation and market study assignments of multifamily and mixed-use properties financed through HUD/FHA financing programs, including Tax-Credit multifamily rental assets.

Before joining Apprise, Mr. Fontanazza was part of the Multifamily Valuation Team at Colliers International where he specialized in the appraisal and valuation of multi-housing properties. His experience includes all multifamily asset types, including garden and midrise apartments, urban high-rise, mixed-use, fractured condominiums, student housing, and affordable housing. He also has experience with Freddie Mac’s Small Balance Loan program and Fannie Mae’s Multifamily Small Loan program. Mr. Fontanazza has completed work for various client types, such as mortgage brokers, agency lenders, banks, ownership groups, as well as CMBS and Life Company lenders.

Apprise, a joint venture between Walker & Dunlop and GeoPhy, delivers USPAP/FIRREA compliant multifamily appraisals with unprecedented property- and market-level insights in as little as five business days. Apprise employs industry-leading data analytics and valuation software that allows its appraisers to more efficiently and consistently apply valuation methods in well-supported appraisals. Focused exclusively on the U.S. market, Apprise currently covers more than 40 states and is targeting nationwide coverage by the end of 2020. Apprise’s team of experienced professionals has quadrupled in size since January, 2020. Cumulatively, the team has completed appraisals for over $70 billion worth of commercial real estate properties per year, comprising more than 470,000 units. For more information on Apprise, visit https://www.apprise.us.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States. The company provides a comprehensive range of capital solutions for all commercial real estate asset classes, as well as investment sales brokerage services to owners of multifamily properties. Walker & Dunlop is included on the S&P SmallCap 600 Index and was ranked as one of FORTUNE Magazine’s Fastest Growing Companies in 2014, 2017, and 2018. Walker & Dunlop’s 850+ professionals in 40 offices across the nation have an unyielding commitment to client satisfaction.