Our Team
Magma Equities is comprised of a team of innovative and experienced members. Working as a cohesive group, our company does not falter from challenges and consistently puts investors and clients at the forefront of our decision-making. With both overall strength and team members with individual qualities that contribute to the success of our company, we are able to find opportune circumstances in every situation.
Ryan Hall
Managing Principal
Ryan Hall is the Founder and Managing Principal of Magma Equities and chairs the firm’s Investment Committee. Ryan has 18+ years of experience operating multifamily assets and has managed over $4 billion in transactions nationwide.
Prior to founding Magma Equities, Ryan was the Senior Director of Asset Management at TruAmerica Multifamily where he asset managed a portfolio valued at over $1.5 billion. Ryan previously held asset management & acquisitions roles at MJW Investments, Empire USA LLC, JRK Property Holdings, and Passco Companies LLC.
Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona and an active real estate license in California. He also plays an active role in his community, committing his time and resources to a wide variety of charitable organizations including being on the Board of Directors for Walk With Sally.
Robert Murray
Principal
Bob Murray is a Principal of Magma Equities and sits on the firm’s Investment Committee. Bob has spent the past 35 years specializing in institutional-grade multifamily properties overseeing the management of over 60,000 apartment units and over $800 million of capital projects across the United States.
Most recently, Bob was instrumental in the launch of TruAmerica Multifamily in 2013. As a Managing Director, he helped enter most of the markets the company invested in through 2019. Bob has also held leadership positions with Benedict Canyon Equities, Big Rock Partners, Orion Residential, Trammell Crow Residential, SSR Realty Advisors, and Lincoln Property Company.
Bob holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from the Eller School of Business at the University of Arizona with an emphasis in Finance and Real Estate. He received the CPM designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of NMHC, a member of the professional retail organization ICSC, and a frequent guest speaker at multifamily conferences. Bob also volunteers his time and support to a variety of youth and charitable organizations in Seattle, Los Angeles, Tucson, Mexico, and East Africa.
Tom Short
Partner
Tom Short is a Partner of Magma Equities and sits on the firm’s Investment Committee. Tom has 13+ years of real estate experience in the areas of acquisitions/dispositions, development, asset management, due diligence, financial analysis, market research, and portfolio management. He has directly worked on over $2.2 billion worth of real estate transactions in his career including the acquisition of 6,000 multifamily units and disposition of 2,000 multifamily units.
Prior to joining Magma, Tom founded Arch Investment Group where he partnered with a family office to invest in real estate, focusing primarily on multifamily and industrial. Before Arch, Tom worked within the US Real Estate Fund group at Harbert Management Corporation where he was responsible for the underwriting analysis, asset management, market research, transaction management, and due diligence for transactions for the Central United States, including Texas.
Prior to HMC, Tom worked for Clarion Partners under the fund CIO in the sourcing and execution of deals on behalf of an open-end fund as well as other Clarion funds and separate accounts.
Tom earned a BBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University and lives in Dallas, TX.
Mike Wagar
Chief Financial Officer / Chief Administrative Officer
Mike Wagar is a Founding Executive of Magma Equities and is the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. Mike is responsible for all finance and accounting functions; he also oversees due diligence and investor relations and is actively involved in Magma’s day-to-day operations. Mike has over 15 years of experience acquiring and operating commercial real estate.
Prior to joining Magma Equities, Mike was the Director of Finance and Accounting at MJW Investments where he oversaw all cash management activities and lender & investor relations for the $500 million apartments and student-housing portfolio. Before MJW, Mike was the Portfolio Manager at TruAmerica, covering more than 140 multifamily properties throughout the US.
Previously, Mike worked as a Senior Associate for MIG Real Estate, a Newport Beach family office with over $2 billion in residential & commercial real estate. Mike managed acquisition underwriting and due diligence efforts for all of MIG’s multifamily & commercial investments across the country and also sourced multifamily opportunities in the Pacific Northwest.
Mike was trained as a civil engineer and spent several years in Toronto, Canada, and Oxford, England practicing as a structural engineer. Mike received a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University and an MBA in Real Estate from UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Scott Ogilvie
Director of Acquisitions
Scott Ogilvie is the Director of Acquisitions at Magma Equities and is responsible for the implementation of the company’s investment strategies through the sourcing, underwriting, negotiation, and execution of new investment opportunities. Scott brings 8+ years of experience across investment analysis, market assessment, and transaction management.
Prior to joining Magma Equities, Scott worked at HFF as an Investment Advisory Analyst in the Los Angeles office and was involved in over $300 million in institutional real estate transactions across the western United States. Before HFF, Scott worked as a multifamily investment sales broker with Marcus & Millichap in Dallas, TX. where he led a division of a multifamily investment sales team specializing in the marketing and disposition of smaller, value-add assets throughout Texas.
Scott earned his bachelor’s degree at Southern Methodist University. He is actively involved in the Loyola High School alumni committee, a member of the Eagle Scout Board of Review, and a proud supporter of Hope International.
Tom Jackson
Construction Manager
Tom Jackson is the Construction Manager at Magma Equities where he is responsible for planning and execution of all capital improvement projects. Tom is a seasoned construction professional with over 30 years of experience.
Prior to joining Magma Equites, Tom ran his own general contractor company Element Asset Resources, which focused on multifamily value add in California and Arizona. Tom also provided construction management consulting services in Texas and the southeast.
Previously, Tom was a Director of Capital Improvements for TruAmerica Multifamily where he managed and executed over $100 million in projects, including complex clubhouse and outdoor amenity projects as well deferred capital projects.
Lexie Patterson
Controller
Lexie Patterson is the Controller at Magma Equities where she is responsible for managing property and corporate accounting functions and investor relations. Lexie has over 6 years of combined real estate development and accounting experience.
Prior to joining Magma Equities, Lexie was a tax professional at BDO USA, LLP providing tax compliance services for diversified portfolios of 115 properties, with a focus on multifamily and retail. Previously, Lexie partnered with RCLE Investment Partners, a private family real estate firm, which invests in student housing and the acquisition and development of self-storage facilities in Texas and Oklahoma.
Lexie earned her Master of Accounting from the University of Oklahoma and is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Texas.
Chris Herrlinger
Director of Asset Management, Eastern Region
Chris Herrlinger is the Director of Asset Management at Magma Equities where he is responsible for overseeing the execution of asset-level business plans, monitoring the performance of existing investments and value-add opportunities in our Eastern Region.
Chris has over six years of direct multifamily experience, including active management of over 5,000 apartment units. Prior to joining Magma Equities, Chris was an Asset Manager at West Shore LLC and Henley Investments, real estate investment firms located in Boston, MA.
Chris is a CFA charter holder and earned his bachelor’s degree from Xavier University. He is a regular member of the CFA Society Boston.