Will McIntosh launches ArcBridge Research Group with IREI

Dr. Will McIntosh has formed ArcBridge Research Group in a joint venture with Institutional Real Estate, Inc. to provide outsourced research, consulting and independent due diligence to real estate firms, lenders and advisers. The move aims to close a gap for organizations that need institutional-quality research but lack the staff, budget or time to build it internally.

Why it matters: - ArcBridge Research Group is targeting a gap in real estate: many firms need institutional-grade research, but cannot afford or staff a strong internal team. - The venture is positioned to serve institutional investors, lenders, brokerage firms, advisers and family offices that need independent analysis for complex decisions. - The joint venture adds third-party due diligence for private wealth advisers and their clients, where unconflicted real estate analysis is often hard to find.

What happened: - Dr. Will McIntosh announced the formation of ArcBridge Research Group on June 30, 2026. - ArcBridge is a joint venture with Institutional Real Estate, Inc. and will provide outsourced research services, project-based consulting and independent third-party due diligence. - IREI holds a minority equity interest in ArcBridge Research Group. - IREI has designated ArcBridge as a strategic partner and a sponsor of all IREI publications.

The details: - ArcBridge Research Group will work with institutional investors, real estate investment managers, real estate consulting firms, commercial and residential brokerage firms, banks, non-bank lenders, regulatory agencies, private wealth advisory firms and family offices. - The firm will produce independent, objective due diligence reports on real estate investment programs for the private wealth advisory market. - The ArcBridge team includes Will McIntosh as founder, CEO and global head of research. - Other team members include Paul Briggs, Geoffrey Dohrmann, Jay Johnson, Zho (Joe) Yu, Cayman Seagraves, Stace Sirmans, Jeffrey Fisher, Jim Valente and L. Rachelle McIntosh. - Seagraves and Sirmans founded Agentic Assets, which developed the Corbis.ai and EQUIRE.ai real estate research and underwriting platforms. - ArcBridge researchers will use those platforms to streamline research workflows, improve productivity and produce higher-quality work products. - McIntosh brings more than 35 years of experience in real estate research, investment strategy and academic leadership. - McIntosh holds a Ph.D. in Finance and Real Estate from the University of North Texas, an MBA from Eastern Kentucky University and a B.S. in Business Education from Eastern Kentucky University. - McIntosh most recently served as global head of research for Affinius Capital, formerly USAA Real Estate, where he oversaw the firm's global research platform and helped develop commercial real estate investment strategy. - Before that, McIntosh led global research for the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority's Real Estate Department and helped build its global real estate research capability. - McIntosh received the 2017 James A. Graaskamp Award from the Pension Real Estate Association. - IREI was founded in 1987 by Geoffrey Dohrmann and serves the global institutional real estate investment industry. - IREI produces five monthly publications: Institutional Real Estate Americas, Institutional Real Estate Europe, Institutional Real Estate Asia Pacific, Institutional Investing in Infrastructure and Real Assets Adviser. - IREI also operates the Institute for Real Estate Operating Companies and the IRE.IQ database, an AI-enhanced market intelligence tool. - IREI's daily email newslines provide market analysis and intelligence. - IREI says it has served pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations and their advisers for nearly four decades. - IREI lists a website at More information. - ArcBridge Research Group lists a website at More information.

Between the lines: - IREI is lending ArcBridge both credibility and distribution reach through its minority stake and publication sponsorship. - The partnership also signals growing use of AI-enabled tools in institutional research and underwriting workflows. - Dohrmann framed the venture as a response to constrained supply of truly independent real estate research. - McIntosh framed ArcBridge as a way to replace research that is insufficient, conflicted or unavailable at the needed quality level.

What's next: - ArcBridge will begin serving clients across institutional research, consulting and due diligence assignments. - The company is expected to lean on both McIntosh's research background and IREI's industry network to win business. - The firm's use of AI-based platforms suggests future emphasis on faster turnaround and more scalable research delivery.

The bottom line: - ArcBridge is a niche research venture built to sell independent, institutional-quality real estate analysis to a market that often cannot produce it in-house.