19 Oct From the NFL to Walker & Dunlop – Casey Merrill joins W&D’s Apprise Team
Walker & Dunlop, Inc. expanded its Apprise platform today with the addition of Casey Merrill as Managing Director – West Coast Region Lead. Highly regarded in the industry for his attention to detail and steadfast sense of commitment, Merrill is recognized for providing strategic valuations and consulting services on a wide variety of property types nationally, and on the West Coast where he will be expanding Apprise’s presence.
“I’m thrilled to join Walker & Dunlop and build on the success of the expanding Apprise platform,” said Merrill. “I trust in the company’s leadership and mission and look forward to leveraging my experience to expand the team in the region and take business to the next level.”
Most who know him will attest to his leadership skills and tenacity that were honed from his career prior to commercial real estate as an NFL defensive end. Playing for eight seasons on the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants, Merrill was drafted in to the NFL in 1979 and brings the hard work ethic to Apprise, along with 35 years of real estate appraisal experience.
“Casey truly embodies our culture and the Walker Way, and we are excited to welcome him to our growing Apprise team,” said Meghan Czechowski, Senior Vice President and Head of Apprise. “As we continue to modernize the appraisal industry, Casey will be critical to achieving our goals of investing in the next generation and leveraging digital innovation to provide great service and partnership to our clients.”
Prior to joining Walker & Dunlop, Merrill worked as executive managing director of the Southwest Region for Colliers International Valuation & Advisory Services where he was responsible for valuations and consulting services in CA, HI, AZ, NV and NM. Before Colliers, Merrill worked as a managing director at CBRE and vice president of appraisals at Wells Fargo.
Merrill earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Davis, and has the following credentials: MAI (Member of Appraisal Institute designation), ASA, (Accredited Senior Appraiser designation), and FRICS, (Fellow Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors designation). He is also a member of the Appraisal Institute, the American Society of Appraisers, and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Apprise, a wholly owned subsidiary of Walker & Dunlop, is focused exclusively on the U.S. market. The firm’s national team has a collective track record of valuing $150 billion worth of commercial real estate properties, comprising more than 900,000 units per year. Leveraging proprietary technology, Apprise serves a client base that includes GSE lenders, owners/operators, banks, and institutional lenders. The Apprise team specializes in FIRREA- and USPAP-compliant appraisals, as well as consulting assignments for multifamily assets.