Turning Pro in Real Estate: How Tom O’Hare Is Scaling Multifamily & Infill Developments Across the Midwest, USNA ‘01
Mar 22, 2026
“Once you go off on your own, everything mixes together. The personal and the professional, and having people you can go out to makes all the difference.” - Tom O’Hare, USNA ‘01
Tom O’Hare is a U.S. Navy veteran and the founder of Keel Capital and Keel Home Development, where he leads multifamily and infill residential projects across the Midwest and Northern Virginia. Before stepping out on his own, Tom spent 17 years in real estate investment banking followed by serving as CIO and COO of a national single-family rental platform. Those years on the institutional side shaped his disciplined approach to underwriting, deal structuring, and capital formation, and gave him the foundation to launch his own development companies with confidence.
Today, Tom focuses on workforce housing and ground-up developments that address supply gaps in growing markets. Through a relationship-driven and detail-oriented approach, he partners with investors, municipalities, and local stakeholders to bring impactful housing projects from concept to completion.
In this episode of the SABM podcast, Scott chats with Tom about:
Stepping Into Entrepreneurship: What it took for Tom to leave a corporate executive role and “turn pro” as a full-time developer
Midwest Multifamily Strategy: Why markets like Michigan and Ohio offer strong demand, supply gaps, and favorable development incentives
Urban Infill Development: How shorter-cycle projects in Northern Virginia complement long-term multifamily developments
The Brixton Project: A 148-unit workforce housing development backed by tax increment financing and strong rent fundamentals
Deal Sourcing Through Relationships: Why Tom finds the best opportunities through networks, direct outreach, and boots-on-the-ground insights.
Timestamps:
00:28 Tom's Real Estate Journey
01:20 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
04:46 Types of Real Estate Projects
07:57 Current Projects and Market Focus
10:12 Future Goals and Plans
14:31 Sourcing Deals and Partnerships
16:15 Closing Remarks and Contact Information
Connect with Tom:
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A special thank you to Tom for joining me this week. Until next time!
-Scott Mackes, USNA '01