Croatan Investments Hires Ammanuel Metta as Senior Vice President of Transactions in Texas
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Croatan Investments has named Ammanuel Metta Senior Vice President, Transactions, the firm announced September 21, 2026, adding a senior investment professional based in Texas to deepen its multifamily origination and deal-execution capabilities across the Sun Belt.
Metta brings nearly two decades of multifamily investment experience across Texas and other major U.S. markets. His addition expands Croatan's senior investment presence in one of the country's most active rental housing markets, with the firm citing his relationships with owners, brokers and capital partners as central to the hire.
Role and Responsibilities at Croatan Investments
In his new role, Metta will work across Croatan's investment platform to source and evaluate new opportunities, develop market and industry relationships, and help guide transactions from initial evaluation through closing. The firm said his addition is intended to strengthen connectivity between its origination, underwriting and execution functions as it seeks to capitalize on an evolving investment environment.
Ben Bartlett, Chief Operating Officer of Croatan Investments, said the firm views having experienced investment professionals close to its markets as increasingly important to its ability to identify and act on opportunities.
"Ammanuel gives us a stronger origination presence in Texas while adding another experienced perspective to our investment team," Bartlett said. "His relationships, judgment and ability to evaluate opportunities across market cycles will help us broaden our opportunity set, move with conviction when we see relative value, and continue scaling the platform with discipline."
Croatan's Texas and Sun Belt Footprint
Croatan Investments is a rental housing investment manager serving private wealth and institutional capital, headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with approximately $1.5 billion in assets under management. The firm pursues value-add apartment strategies concentrated in the Southeast and broader Sun Belt, and sponsors Delaware statutory trust offerings and other private placements targeting tax-advantaged structures for high-net-worth and 1031 exchange capital.
Texas represents a meaningful component of Croatan's existing portfolio. The firm has acquired multifamily assets including Broadstone Vintage Park, a 386-unit property in Houston acquired in 2022; Arco & Pilare, a 350-unit community in Georgetown acquired in 2021; and Sutter Ranch, a 228-unit Houston property also acquired in 2021. Croatan has also made a preferred equity investment in District West, a 117-unit build-to-rent project in Houston, further reflecting its Texas rental housing exposure.
Beyond Texas, Croatan's portfolio spans markets including Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Destin, Greenville, Memphis, Norfolk and Washington, D.C. Team members operate across major Sun Belt and coastal markets, including Austin and Dallas in Texas, as well as Atlanta, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Singapore.
Part of a Broader Platform Build-Out
The Metta hire is part of a broader expansion at Croatan. The firm simultaneously added Javel "Jay" Wilson as Senior Vice President of Asset Management, a role focused on leading asset management efforts and deepening the firm's senior bench to support business plan execution across its existing portfolio and future investments.
The dual hires follow earlier platform-building moves, including the addition of a Senior Vice President of Capital Markets focused on fundraising. Croatan launched its debut Multifamily All-Weather Fund I in 2020, targeting $100 million for acquisitions and development in Mid-Atlantic and Sun Belt states, and followed with Multifamily All-Weather Fund II in 2022 with the same regional emphasis. The "All-Weather" strategy is designed to invest across market cycles — a characteristic the firm explicitly cited in describing Metta's experience and judgment.
Texas Multifamily Market Context
Texas remains one of the most active rental housing markets in the country, though it is also navigating a supply-driven reset in rents, vacancy and cap rates following a wave of new apartment deliveries. Nationally, average multifamily cap rates reached 5.87% in the second quarter of 2024, up from 5.50% in 2023, reflecting repricing amid higher interest rates. National occupancy has hovered around 93% as absorption has slowed in the wake of elevated new supply.
Against that backdrop, Croatan said Metta's Texas base and cycle-tested investment judgment position the firm to identify relative-value opportunities as the market continues to adjust. His hire extends Croatan's senior origination presence into a state where the firm already holds multiple assets and has an established network of owner, broker and capital partner relationships.
Sources
Croatan Investments — Croatan Welcomes Ammanuel Metta (September 21, 2026)