Multifamily developer Alliance Residential Co. has brought back Justin Donaldson to lead its development efforts across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
A Washington-area native, Donaldson was rehired as a managing director for the mid-Atlantic region after first joining the company in May 2021 and founding the D.C. office. He left in 2023 to work as a senior director at multifamily giant Greystar.
"We're looking for ground-up multifamily development sites throughout the region, whether that's Northern Virginia, Maryland, D.C., central or southern Virginia," Donaldson told CoStar News in an interview. "The great thing about this platform at Alliance is the ability to do various different product types, all multifamily focused."
His team is already working on a project near Richmond, Virginia, that is going through the design and site plan process, though he declined to provide specifics. It is also closing in on a few opportunities in Northern Virginia.
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Alliance focuses on the development, construction and acquisition of residential projects across more than a dozen states and nearly 40 markets. It is the 25th-largest apartment owner, with 38,208 units in its portfolio, according to the 2026 NMHC Top 50 Owners list from the National Multifamily Housing Council.
"Justin was instrumental in getting our DMV operation off the ground, and his return brings a level of market depth and relationship capital that is difficult to replicate," Donald Santos, a senior managing director with Alliance, said in a statement. "He has spent the past several years closing complex deals and building a strong track record in this region."
Before joining Alliance the first time, Donaldson worked for JBG Smith and as a real estate development consultant. At Greystar, he managed a portfolio of ground-up development projects totaling more than $750 million in capitalization and closed two projects in the area: a 389-unit complex in Richmond and a 200-unit development in Bethesda, Maryland.
He holds a master's degree in real estate from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree in finance from Miami University in Ohio.