CBRE Investors Chairman Zerbst to Retire

After more than a decade with CB Richard Ellis Investors, Robert Zerbst, now the company’s chairman, will bid adieu to the firm. The industry veteran’s retirement from CBRE Investors will be effective December 31 of this year. Zerbst kicked off his career at CBRE Investors in 1997 as CEO of the company, bringing to the table his real estate expertise honed as founder and CEO of Piedmont Realty Advisors and partner with RREEF Funds, as well as a history in academia and research. He served as CBRE Investors’ CEO until last year, when he was named chairman, and Vance Maddocks stepped into his shoes as the new CEO. When Zerbst first came onboard, CBRE Investors was a successful national pension fund advisor. But what a difference a decade makes. During his tenure, Zerbst spearheaded the company’s evolution into a thriving global investment concern, taking its portfolio of managed assets from a respectable $3.7 billion to a phenomenal $44 billion. As he makes his exit, Zerbst leaves the company with a highly coveted roster of investors and assets under management, 50 percent of which are outside of the U.S. While Zerbst will no longer be a daily presence at CBRE Investors, he will maintain a connection to the firm as a special advisor to Maddocks. Beyond the company’s doors, Zerbst will take on the position of chairman of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Managers.