Lafayette Real Estate Announces New Build-to-Rent Development Near Sarasota, Florida

Lorraine Crossings joins Lafayette’s BTR program of more than 2,000 homes, representing over $700 million in capital allocations

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lafayette Real Estate, one of the country’s leading and longest standing single-family rental asset managers, announced today a land acquisition with plans to develop a build-to-rent (BTR) community called Lorraine Crossings in the Sarasota, Florida suburb of Lakewood Ranch. This transaction represents the firm’s latest BTR community and expands Lafayette’s development pipeline, which comprises over 2,000 BTR homes and lots under development, representing more than $700 million in allocated capital.

Despite the challenging investment and interest rate environment, Lafayette has remained one of the most active BTR developers in the country with a growing pipeline of new rental housing communities in desirable markets across the Sunbelt. In particular, the coveted Lakewood Ranch submarket of the Sarasota MSA is one of the fastest-selling master-planned communities in the U.S., with high rates of household formation and highly rated local schools driving strong and growing demand for housing.

“The creativity and adaptability of our strategy continues to drive our ability to secure highly coveted land in target markets across the U.S. – in this case, the significant growth of the Lakewood Ranch area makes Lorraine Crossings a key addition to our portfolio,” said Thibault Adrien, Lafayette Real Estate’s founder and CEO. “Developing the community in-house via our development arm, Marquis Homes, will allow us to build at an attractive basis, supporting our efforts to maintain attainable pricing for renters. Importantly, 25% of the homes in Lorraine Crossings will be dedicated for workforce households earning up to 120% of the area’s median income, further advancing our affordability goals for families of all types and sizes.”

The land at Lorraine Crossings is fully entitled and shovel ready. Lafayette oversaw the seller's execution of entitlements in line with the firm’s vision for the site. Marquis Homes, Lafayette's vertically integrated homebuilding affiliate, will oversee the horizontal development of the site and will facilitate the construction of the homes. Development is expected to begin this month, with first deliveries slated to occur in the second quarter of 2026. Lafayette’s affiliate, Brandywine Homes USA, will handle lease-up and property management for the community as the homes are completed.

About Lafayette Real Estate

Lafayette is a pioneer in the single-family rental (SFR) and Build-to-Rent (BTR) space. In 2023, industry peers voted Lafayette as the Best SFR company in the US as well as CEO of the year for Thibault Adrien, at the annual IMN Awards. Launched in 2011, Lafayette has a track record of generating compelling returns across four realized funds while maintaining a high level of resident satisfaction, with average renewal rates in excess of 70%. Lafayette’s operations are vertically integrated, including asset management, property management (Brandywine Homes USA) and development & construction (Marquis Homes) professionals. Today, Lafayette has $1.3bn in AUM, consisting of a portfolio of over 5,000 homes (including 1,000+ under development) mainly in the US sunbelt. For more information, visit lafayette-re.com.