Leading new development specialists Hana Cha and Morgan Ball to help build growing West Coast operation

Luxury tech-driven real estate platform Compass is officially bringing its successful new development division to the West Coast. The Los Angeles-based group will launch with two industry veterans at the helm – Hana Cha and Morgan Ball – who will report to Senior Managing Director Justin D’Adamo.Ms. Cha and Mr. Ball join Compass from The Agency New Development Group where they served as Managing Director of New Development and Director of New Development, respectively.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Cha has overseen more than $500 million in new development sales transactions. Hana was responsible for managing over $2 billion in marketing and sales mandates at The Agency, which included Los Angeles’ largest mixed-use residential project,the 504-unit Oceanwide Plaza in DTLA.An integral force at The Ritz-Carlton Residences at L.A. Live, Ms. Cha spearheaded strategic sales initiatives with developer AEG, which led to the successful sellout of more than 200 transactions totaling over $375 million in sales revenue.

Prior to joining the Agency in 2011, Ms. Cha was involved in three of the largest new development projects in the mid-Wilshire neighborhood of Los Angeles: The Mercury, by Kennedy Wilson; The Summit, by Big Rock Partners; and Solair, by ST Residential, the residential subsidiary of Starwood Capital.

“I am excited to be a part of building Compass’ West Coast New Development platform, and to be working with a team of leading industry experts. Compass New Development’s in-house marketing expertise and technology resources will take this business to the next level – and developers are going to experience the immediate benefits of a nationally integrated marketing and sales powerhouse,” said Ms. Cha.

Added Mr. Ball, “Compass New Development has established itself as a leader in marketing, technology, and analytics, which, coupled with a tremendous pipeline in New York, will facilitate the creation of a truly successful national platform. I look forward to working with Justin to build the preeminent new development division from coast to coast.”

Mr. Ball played an integral role building The Agency New Development Group's pre-development advisory business, working closely on landmark properties including Wanda's One Beverly Hills, a leading luxury mixed use project from internationally recognized architects Richard Meier & Partners. In his capacity as pre-development adviser, Mr. Ball oversaw a pipeline of new inventory with potential market value in excess of $3.0 billion.

Morgan relocated to Los Angeles from New York two years ago, where he was an executive with Faena Properties, and helped oversee the creation of the acclaimed

Faena House, Faena Hotel, and Faena District in Miami Beach. Working closely with renowned architects Foster + Partners, Mr. Ball helped to design one of the most recognizable luxury hotel-residences in the world. Prior to real estate development, Mr. Ball worked in corporate finance for a leading investment bank.

“With seasoned veterans like Hana and Morgan, Compass is well-positioned to introduce our technology-enhanced new development research, planning, marketing and sales services to Los Angeles developers in a very powerful way,” said Mr. D’Adamo.

Compass New Development represents the industry’s most compelling inventory including projects by renowned architects such as Annabelle Seldorf, Tadao Ando, and Sir Norman Foster. The division has achieved significant recent milestones including:

-The sale of a $17 million Manhattan penthouse at the Annabelle Seldorf-designed 347 Bowery which could shatter neighborhood price records

-The inaugural gathering of the Compass New Development Council in Sunny Isles, Florida where top agents from across the country discussed luxury markets, new development trends, and national and international buyer outreach

- Cultivating a $3+ billion portfolio of current and pipeline projects

Launched in 2013, Compass was founded byRobert Reffkin, a former Chief of Staff to Goldman Sachs’ President & COO, and his business partner Ori Allon, who sold two previous companies to Google and Twitter.The Company began its national expansion last year, opening offices in Washington, D.C., Miami, Boston, the Hamptons, Los Angeles, and Aspen. The company’s proprietary technology brings actionable intelligence and transparency to real estate, empowering both the consumer and the agent to make decisions smarter and faster. Compass continues to create tools within a mobile workspace that saves agents and clients hours of time by reducing reliance on multiple platforms, bringing greater efficiency to the process of finding a home.

Compass has raised $135 million in investor funding, more than any other residential brokerage in the country, from key investors including Institutional Venture Partners, Thrive Capital, Founders Fund, 406 Ventures, Advance Publications, Inc., Kenneth Chenault, CEO of American Express and Marc Benioff, Founder and CEO of Salesforce.com.

About Compass:

Compass is a technology-driven real estate platform dedicated to creating a seamless and intelligent home buying, selling, and renting experience. Combining the country’s top agents, proprietary market insights, and integrated mobile and web technologies, Compass is developing the future of real estate decision-making. Compass has locations in New York City, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Washington DC, Boston, Miami, the Hamptons, and Aspen, and has raised $135 million in investor capital. For more information on Compass, and to view more than $5 billion in exclusive Compass properties, visit www.compass.com

Source: http://newyork.citybizlist.com/article/365687/compass-new-development-goes-national-with-new-los-angeles-division