Michael H. Zaransky, founder and managing principal of MZ Capital Partners and co-chief executive officer of Prime Property Investors, Ltd., is a recognized, decorated figure in the multifamily real estate space.

Founded in 2005, MZ Capital Partners, based in Northbrook, Ill., has concentrated its efforts on Class B suburban properties, which appeal to often-ignored middle-tier renters. Michael Zaransky, forever eager to integrate novel approaches and explore new horizons, was well aware of that opportunity, and further aware that there were a number of private investors seeking to enter the multifamily space.

Those investors needed only to partner with someone possessing the requisite expertise in that area, and that is what Michael and his team provided, and continue to provide. MZ Capital Partners, forever able to discern demographic trends and develop an understanding of submarkets, has consistently unearthed new investment and management opportunities.

Michael Zaransky is known for his meticulous approach — for researching a property, performing a thorough in-person examination and then analyzing the market before green-lighting a project. That process has proven so successful that in 2017 MZ Capital Partners made the Inc. 5000, a list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies as compiled by Inc. Magazine.

Michael Zaransky earned his real estate license in 1979, having followed a grandfather and his father, David Zaransky, into the profession. He hit the ground running, sparking the growth of Prime Property Investors (PPI) by focusing on the student housing sector. His vision was such that PPI then expanded into suburban apartments and healthcare facilities; again and again, he oversaw the renovation and restoration of existing structures, giving middle-class families access to affordable apartments featuring top-of-the-line amenities.

A James Scholar graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Michael Zaransky earned his J.D. at Northwestern University School of Law. He holds memberships in the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO-Gold), the National Apartment Association, the National Multifamily Housing Council and the Urban Land Institute.

Michael has published the real estate investment books “Profit by Investing in Student Housing” (2006) and “Purchase Rehab, and Reposition Commercial Investment Property” (2007), both through Kaplan Publishing. He has also published several articles on the subject of real estate investment and lectured extensively on the topic.

Michael sits on the board of the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and serves on the Executive Committee, as the immediate past chairman of the board, of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago/Jewish United Fund, one of the largest philanthropic organizations in the nation.

The latter strikes deep at the heart of who he is, as his in-laws survived Nazi concentration camps during World War II, though several of their family members did not. Those who remained instilled within him the value of giving back to one’s community, while also making it a better place. And he has endeavored to do the latter, one building at a time.