Kaufman & Company, the private investment and holding firm led by founder and CEO Daniel Kaufman, announced a dedicated Florida market initiative, deploying its own team members to its existing Orlando office and committing its own capital to acquire land and distressed assets across the state. The move signals that the firm sees a major buying opportunity in what it describes as a period of meaningful dislocation in Florida real estate.
The firm expects significant declines in both land values and existing asset pricing over the next 24 months and intends to be an active buyer throughout that cycle. “We are seeing tremendous distress in Florida right now, and with it, real opportunity,” Kaufman said. “I believe over the next two years we will see land and existing assets reprice in a significant way. We intend to be buyers. We are not raising capital, we are not setting up a fund, and we are not taking on investors. This is our own money, and that means when we like a deal, we can move.”
That proprietary capital structure is central to the strategy. Kaufman & Company is funding the Florida initiative entirely from its own balance sheet, will not raise capital, will not form any investment funds, and will not accept outside investors for this effort. Operating without third-party capital allows the firm to make decisions directly, underwrite on its own timeline, and offer sellers, lenders, and brokers a straightforward path to closing. In a market where speed and certainty of execution are often decisive, the absence of outside investors could give the firm an edge over competitors that must secure financing or investor approvals before proceeding.
Rather than hiring externally, Kaufman & Company is relocating and deploying members of its existing team to its Orlando office, which already serves as the firm’s Florida base. The Orlando team will work alongside the firm’s affiliated development, construction, and housing platforms to evaluate, acquire, and reposition assets. The initiative will focus on land, including entitled, partially entitled, and stalled development sites; existing assets facing capital, lender, or ownership pressure; workforce and attainable housing opportunities; and off-market and lender-driven transactions. The firm typically evaluates opportunities in the range of $5 million to $250 million.
The announcement underscores a broader bet that Florida’s real estate cycle is turning. By committing its own money and moving personnel into the market now, Kaufman & Company positions itself to act quickly if prices fall as expected. The firm’s affiliated entities, including Florida-based Convivium Living, DEK Builds, Kaufman Development, Kaufman Real Estate and Consulting, Oldivai, FORGE Development Partners, LoneStar Kaufman Development Partners, and Kaufman Ventures, give it in-house capabilities to acquire, develop, and manage assets through the cycle. Founder and CEO Daniel Kaufman has more than 25 years of experience building, lending, and investing across housing markets in Florida, Texas, the Mountain West, Vermont, and the Northeast, and has led investments resulting in over $2 billion in property investments and the financing and development of more than 10,000 housing units.
For sellers, lenders, and brokers, the initiative represents a well-capitalized buyer that can close without financing contingencies. For the broader Florida market, it is an early sign that some investors are preparing to deploy capital into distress rather than retreat from it. If Kaufman’s outlook proves correct, the next two years could see the firm emerge as one of the more active buyers of discounted land and assets in the state.
