Conor
Keilty
Senior Development Leader | Principal
Senior real estate development leader with 15+ years spanning construction, architecture, and sponsor-side development. From land acquisition and master planning through entitlement, financing, construction, and disposition — with the design judgment and owner-side fluency to translate between capital, consultants, and stakeholders.
About
Background
Over 15 years of experience across construction, architecture, and sponsor-side development. Ground-up and adaptive reuse projects across multiple markets and use types. Responsibility from land acquisition and master planning through entitlement, financing, construction, and disposition. Strong development judgment with an owner-side ability to translate between capital, design, construction, and stakeholder perspectives. Early risk framing in complex regulatory, programmatic, and capital environments. Licensed architect with deep owner-side experience in principal-led development environments.
Core Competencies
Technically fluent in financial modeling and BIM workflows, enabling direct interrogation of assumptions and clearer, faster development decisions.
Experience
Professional History
Structured Real Estate
Chicago, IL and RemoteMerchant-Build Development Platform · January 2016 – Present
Contributed to the formation, growth, and operation of a full-cycle merchant-build development company over more than a decade, progressing through increasingly senior sponsor-side development roles.
Principal
Jun 2022 – Present- Land acquisition strategy, feasibility parameters, underwriting assumptions, and investment positioning alongside co-principals
- Master planning and platting with ownership, consultants, and municipalities
- Commercial negotiations with tenants and operators — lease terms, build-out requirements, delivery schedules
- PSA negotiations and legal review with co-principals and outside counsel
- Capital structuring and financing execution with lenders, equity partners, and internal principals
- Entitlement and permitting coordination for complex, use-intensive projects
- Multidisciplinary consultant team direction
- Owner-side construction leadership — scope, cost, and schedule resolution
Senior Development Manager
Sep 2018 – Jun 2022- Led multiple concurrent projects from acquisition through construction and stabilization
- Sponsor representative with lenders, equity partners, tenants, consultants, municipalities
- Underwriting, financing, closing processes, diligence coordination, capital reporting
- Feasibility studies, budgets, schedules with risk allocation and return sensitivity focus
- Primary interface with planning departments and entitlement authorities
- Construction cost control, value engineering, risk mitigation
- Mentored junior staff and supported internal process development
Development Manager
Jan 2016 – Sep 2018- Land acquisition analysis, site due diligence, early-stage development strategy
- PSA, lease reviews, legal coordination
- Zoning approvals, entitlements, permit submissions
- Early design coordination and consultant management
UEB Builders
Dallas, TX and Phoenix, AZAssistant Superintendent → Project Engineer → Estimator · Aug 2010 – Dec 2015
- Began in the field supporting daily construction operations, subcontractor coordination, and site logistics
- Managed RFIs, submittals, document control, and field/design coordination
- Marketing and proposal support — pursuit strategy, project narratives, client-facing materials
- Part-time estimating while completing Master of Architecture — quantity takeoffs, pricing analysis, bid preparation
- Developed comprehensive understanding of scope definition, pricing, constructability, and execution risk across the full project lifecycle
Credentials
Education & Licensure
Registered Architect, State of Arizona
License No. 72077 · Issued September 2020 · Active
Arizona State University
Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) · 2013–2016
University of Arizona
B.S. Engineering Management · 2006–2010
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