Donald Caster

President at Auben Capital Partners

Speaker

Donald Caster is a seasoned real estate developer and operations executive with more than 30 years of experience leading complex multifamily real estate ventures across the United States. While some might say "seasoned" is simply a polite industry term for "he's seen a few market cycles," Mr. Caster prefers to think of it as having the benefit of experience from both the wins and the lessons.

His expertise spans the full lifecycle of real estate development, including land acquisition, entitlements, design, capitalization, underwriting, strategic planning, development execution, asset management, and value-add repositioning. Throughout his career, he has been involved in conventional, senior, subsidized, and student housing, as well as large-scale renovation and redevelopment projects nationwide.

Mr. Caster has worked closely with a diverse group of institutional, life company, and private investment partners, including Invesco, Northwestern Mutual Life, MetLife, the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, Lendlease, General Electric Investments, Ocwen, L&B Realty, IRET, Ellavoz, and Phoenix Development.

Prior to joining Auben Capital Partners, Mr. Caster served as Chief Operating Officer and President of The Klotz Group of Companies, where he directed operations for a diversified real estate portfolio exceeding $1 billion in value. Before that, as President of Sagebrush Companies, he led operations, asset management, acquisitions, and development activities for a portfolio valued at more than $500 million.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Caster served as Vice President of Alaska for Weidner Investment Services, overseeing operations for approximately 33 assets valued at $300 million. He also held the position of National Director of Renovations for RREEF/Deutsche Bank Real Estate in Chicago, where he managed nationwide renovation programs for assets exceeding $300 million in value.

Today, Mr. Caster combines institutional-level operational expertise with an entrepreneurial approach to growth, helping organizations scale, improve performance, and create long-term value across diverse real estate markets.

Speaker Track Summary

Donald Caster brings more than three decades of hands-on experience in multifamily development, acquisitions, operations, renovations, and asset management. Having led portfolios exceeding $1 billion and navigated multiple real estate cycles, he offers practical insights on scaling operations, executing value-add strategies, driving profitability, and leading high-growth organizations. Attendees can expect candid lessons, real-world case studies, and actionable strategies drawn from a career spent turning complex real estate challenges into opportunities.