John DeSantis - Senior Vice President
Mr. DeSantis joined Kearny Real Estate Company in 2017 (whose San Diego office became Emerald Real Estate Partners in 2025) and is responsible for acquisitions, development management, and asset management. During his time with Kearny and now Emerald, he has managed and executed over $240 million in purchases and sales, $380 million in loan transactions, $150 million in development projects, and $100 million in leasing transactions totaling over 650,000 square feet across industrial, office, and land assets. His notable accomplishments include the development and disposition of the 311-acre Otay Crossings Commerce Park subdivision, the acquisition and development of the 353,000-square-foot Otay Border Crossings industrial project, and the lease-up and asset management of the 375,000-square-foot Emerald Plaza office tower.
Previously, Mr. DeSantis worked at Phase 3 Real Estate Partners, a San Diego-based life science real estate developer, where he contributed to acquisitions, asset management, and investor relations. He played a key role in the acquisition and asset management of six Class A life science conversion projects with a combined development basis of $750 million.
Before Phase 3, Mr. DeSantis was part of the asset management group at Sunstone Hotel Investors (NYSE: SHO), a real estate investment trust that owned 25 institutional-grade hotel properties across the United States.
Mr. DeSantis holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Administration from Cornell University and is a licensed California Real Estate Broker. He is also a member of the San Diego chapter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and is a former member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).
