CREA LLC

What CREA LLC does

CREA LLC (legal name CREA, LLC) is a privately held, full-service Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) syndicator headquartered at 30 S. Meridian St., Suite 400, Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 2001 and operating with 11–50 employees across four US offices (Indianapolis, Boston, New York, and San Diego), the firm structures and manages LIHTC equity transactions between institutional investors seeking tax-advantaged affordable housing exposure and affordable housing developers needing equity capital for their projects. Cumulative disclosed impact metrics include $13.5B+ in LIHTC equity raised, 1,059 properties under management, and 97.4K+ affordable homes developed.

The company's product surface centers on LIHTC Equity Syndication Services, its core offering, supported by a stakeholder-coordination platform called CREAConnect that connects investors and developers for transaction management and partnership coordination. Complementary programs include CREACares (a corporate social impact initiative supporting affordable housing communities) and CREA Foundation, Inc. (a nonprofit educational initiative assisting students). The technology footprint is positioned as enabling integration across the LIHTC ecosystem rather than as a distinct software product line; no patents, API, SDK, or AI/ML disclosures are present.

CREA's revenue model is transaction-fee-based: the firm earns structuring and management fees on the LIHTC equity it syndicates, with pricing negotiated deal-by-deal and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is enterprise relationship-driven, executed through dedicated Investor Partnerships and Developer Partnerships programs via direct B2B field sales, supplemented by LIHTC industry conference participation and LinkedIn/website thought leadership. The firm is led by Jeffrey Whiting (President & CEO), Tony Bertoldi (Co-President), and Roger Shank (CFO), with senior coverage spanning acquisitions, originations, investor relations, marketing, account management, IT, and HR. No parent company, outside investors, or funding rounds are disclosed.

Name

CREA LLC

Legal name

CREA, LLC

Website

https://cityrealestateadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CREA LLC is a privately held, Indianapolis-based Low-Income Housing Tax Credit syndicator that connects institutional investors with affordable housing developers, having raised over $13.5B in LIHTC equity across 1,059 properties. It operates four US offices and earns transaction and asset management fees on syndicated deals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Tax Credit Syndication

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Real Estate Asset Management (BPAJAMAB)

Keywords

• Tax credit syndication
• Low-income housing tax credits
• Affordable housing investment
• LIHTC equity raising
• Real estate tax credits

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. LIHTC Equity Syndication: CREA raises equity capital from investors and syndicates it into Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) transactions, earning fees for structuring and managing these tax credit investments. The company has raised over $13.5B in LIHTC equity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CREA LLC is a national Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) syndicator that raises equity from institutional investors and syndicates that capital into affordable housing developments sponsored by developers. The firm provides transaction structuring, investor and developer relationship management, and ongoing asset management, supported by its CREAConnect technology platform that connects and manages stakeholder interactions.

Product overview

CREA LLC is a single unified affordable housing investment company offering tax credit syndication services. The company operates as a tax credit syndicator focused on LIHTC equity raising, with affiliated initiatives including CREAConnect (impact tracking platform), CREACares (community impact program), and CREA Foundation (educational support). The company manages properties under its portfolio and partners with investors and developers to create affordable housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CREA Foundation: CREA Foundation, Inc. is committed to helping students cross the finish line through education support programs.
• CREAConnect
• CREACares

Products and services

• LIHTC Equity Syndication Services Full-service LIHTC equity syndication in which CREA raises institutional capital, structures the investment, pairs it with affordable housing developers, and provides ongoing asset management and reporting. The service is offered to institutional investors seeking tax credit investments and to developers seeking equity for LIHTC-financed rental housing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,059 properties under management
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Developer PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffordable housing developers who own and operate properties. CREA provides equity syndication services to enable these developers to access institutional capital for their affordable housing projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Stratford Capital Group: Affordable housing and LIHTC-focused investment manager serving institutional investors with comparable equity-syndication capabilities, though smaller in scale than CREA.
• National Equity Fund: Mission-driven LIHTC syndicator deploying equity into affordable housing developments, with a comparable tax-credit-focused business model serving similar institutional investor and developer segments.

Broad incumbents

• PNC Real Estate: Large bank-affiliated CRE platform that includes LIHTC syndication among a broader CRE capital markets practice, competing for institutional tax-credit investors with more diversified capabilities.
• JLL Capital Markets: Global CRE advisory platform that participates in tax credit syndication and affordable housing capital raising alongside broader investment sales, advisory, and debt placement services.
• Walker & Dunlop: Large CRE capital markets and servicing platform with multifamily and affordable housing financing capabilities, overlapping with CREA in serving affordable housing developers seeking tax-credit equity.

Direct peers

• Enterprise Community Investment: Affordable housing-focused investment platform that syndicates LIHTC equity and deploys capital into community development, structurally similar to CREA's syndication + impact positioning.
• Boston Financial Investment Management: Long-standing LIHTC syndicator and asset manager focused exclusively on affordable housing, with a directly comparable product mix and institutional investor base.
• Hunt Capital Partners: Specialist LIHTC syndicator targeting institutional investors and developers of affordable housing, with a comparable equity-syndication-first business model.
• R4 Capital: Specialized LIHTC syndicator and affordable housing lender, directly comparable in business model, customer base (institutional tax credit investors), and product focus to CREA.
• Raymond James Tax Credit Funds: One of the largest LIHTC syndicators in the US, operating the same equity syndication model for institutional investors in affordable housing — a directly comparable counterparty to CREA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crea-llc
• Xx.com/cityreadvisors
• Facebookfacebook.com/creallc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CREA LLC