Our Team

Lee Bloch joined Carmel Partners in 2013 and is a Partner, Acquisitions & Development. With 23 years of industry experience, Mr. Bloch has been involved in both multifamily and retail development.

He currently leads the Acquisitions & Development Team on the East Coast, specifically in the New York, Boston and Washington D.C. Metro areas. In collaboration with the Western Region team under Mike Ruiz, Mr. Bloch also provides oversight and expertise for land acquisition, entitlement and development processes nationwide. He is a member of the Management Committee.

Prior to Carmel, Mr. Bloch held various positions, including Vice President at Archstone, Development Manager at Kimco Realty Corporation and he also served as both an Analyst and Associate for Time Equities.

Mr. Bloch received a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree from the University of Colorado and a Master of Science degree in real estate investment and development from New York University.

Mike Ruiz joined Carmel Partners in 2011. As Partner, Acquisitions & Development, Mr. Ruiz leads the Acquisitions & Development Team in the Western Region, including California, Seattle and Denver. In collaboration with the East Coast team under Lee Bloch, he also provides oversight and expertise for the acquisitions and dispositions processes nationwide.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Ruiz was a Senior Associate in PricewaterhouseCoopers Real Estate practice, where he advised private and public REITs on real estate matters.

Mr. Ruiz earned a Bachelor of Science in economics and business administration from Saint Mary’s College of California.

Will Cipes joined Carmel Partners in 2016 as Director, Development. As Senior Vice President, he and his team are responsible for sourcing acquisitions and new multifamily development projects in Southern California. He evaluates feasibility, performs sub-market due diligence and structures transactions.

His background includes more than 13 years in diverse capacities within the real estate industry. Prior to Carmel, Mr. Cipes was Vice President with Kanon Ventures, focusing on overall portfolio performance of over 2.5 million square feet of assets, including creative office, medical, retail and residential properties.

Mr. Cipes received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Pitzer College, and a master’s in real estate development from the University of Southern California.

Eric Weiss joined Carmel Partners in 2024. As Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Development, Mr. Weiss is responsible for sourcing existing asset pursuits and residential development sites throughout the New York and Boston Metro markets. He evaluates feasibility, performs sub-market due diligence and structures transactions.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Weiss was a Senior Vice President of Investments at Midwood Investment and Development in New York. There, he was responsible for sourcing and executing acquisitions across Midwood’s core markets, with a primary focus on multifamily, retail, office and ground-up development.

Mr. Weiss received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University and a Master of Business Administration from New York University.

Julian Smith joined Carmel Partners in 2018. As Vice President, Acquisitions & Development, Mr. Smith is responsible for sourcing residential acquisitions and executing on dispositions in Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. He evaluates feasibility, performs sub-market due diligence and structures transactions.

Prior to joining Carmel, Mr. Smith was a Commercial Real Estate Analyst within Wells Fargo’s Corporate & Investment Banking Group where he worked on balance sheet acquisition and construction lending.

Mr. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Michigan.