Jeff Aeder

Founder, JDI Realty

Two demographic inevitabilities have dictated Aeder’s recent moves at JDI Realty: families priced out of homeownership and an aging population facing a housing shortage.

Aeder founded the firm in 1988 and built a reputation on distressed and undervalued assets. Over more than three decades, he’s overseen roughly $3.5 billion in equity and debt investments across multiple property types.

In recent years, Aeder has leaned into suburban rental housing, wagering that high interest rates would keep would-be buyers on the sidelines. In 2024, JDI acquired a 164-townhome portfolio across Chicago’s collar counties for $34 million and partnered on suburban apartment acquisitions in Roselle and other markets. He spent $24.5 million to acquire Evolve at Lake Zurich, a 120-unit senior living complex in 2024.

The company has also taken calculated risks on distressed office and corporate campuses, most notably the $35 million purchase of the 1 million-square-foot Innovation Park in Libertyville alongside R2 Companies, where Takeda Pharmaceuticals just inked a big lease expansion. The discounted price was less than the seller paid in renovation costs and gives JDI the flexibility to weather a tricky office market.

JDI further carved out a role as a go-to lender for real estate players in need of fast funding, issuing a $34 million debt package to Latsko Interests for a high-end Gold Coast retail portfolio in 2023. That posture can mean uncertain hold periods and hands-on operations, particularly as office recovery remains uneven.

— Caleb McCullough