Executive Team
Mark Drumm, Managing Partner
Mark Drumm brings over 30 years of experience in real estate development and investment to the firm. Mr. Drumm serves as Principal of The Shelter Companies with a focus on development of multifamily housing featuring micro-units and co-living units. Together with Mark Simon, he has thoroughly researched and followed the evolution of micro-units, co-living, and “housing as a service” in the U.S. and abroad. Previously, he was a founding partner of the Cannon Company’s apartment division, responsible for development of more than 2,300 units in the Southeast. He served as Chief Strategy Officer for a $900MM private equity real estate fund. He is a founding partner of Adamo Homes, an age-targeted homebuilder in Colorado. Mr. Drumm has held key roles – including executive, strategy, risk, research, marketing, acquisition, investment, capital markets, and development – on over $4 billion in real estate developments and investments.
Mark Simon, Managing Partner
Together with Mark Drumm, Mr. Simon is a Principal and co-head of The Shelter Companies, the micro-unit and co-living development firm. Mr. Simon has more than 15 years of real estate experience. Most recently he directed the acquisition, repositioning, development, and asset management of over 7,000 units in major U.S. markets, with total capitalization exceeding $1.5 billion. Prior to joining Shelter, he served as a Principal and head of asset management for a boutique Dallas-based multifamily firm. There, Mr. Simon repositioned a portfolio of 1,500 value-add units in major Texas markets while overseeing the ground-up development, leasing, stabilization, and asset management of an additional 1,000 units of Class A luxury apartments.
FRITZ BARTON III, Managing Partner
Fritz Barton joined The ShelterCo in early 2024 as a partner and brings over 20 years of real estate experience to the team. Mr. Barton’s tenure spans all aspects of the acquisition and development investment lifecycle including: site selection, diligence, capitalization, financial analysis, construction, as well as management both at the property and partnership level across 5,200 units with a market value of $415MM. Prior to joining Shelter, Mr.Barton served as a Founder and Managing Partner at Veritas Residential Capital, where he helped lead the firm’s efforts for sourcing, underwriting, capitalization, construction and asset management on over 1,100 units throughout major Texas markets and Sunbelt Region. Additionally, Mr. Barton began his career at Trammell Crow Residential Services overseeing the property level lease up over 1,500 Class A multifamily units in the DFW area, which gives him direct experience with property operations. Mr. Barton is a graduate of Texas Christian University, committee member of the Touchdown Club, and leader with Joni & Friends. He lives in Dallas.