Our Team

Experienced Operators Across Industrial Real Estate

The Hornet team combines institutional investment management experience with entrepreneurial operating expertise across acquisitions, asset management, development, and capital formation. Together, the principals have led or contributed to $25B of real estate investments across industrial, multifamily, office, retail, and mixed-use assets in transactions spanning industrial, multifamily, office, retail, and mixed-use real estate.

Principals and Investment Team

Collectively responsible for billions of dollars in acquisitions, development, asset management, and capital deployment across institutional real estate.

Scott Birne

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Scott Birne is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Hornet Real Estate. He is responsible for all components of the firm’s success, including but not limited to identification of investment opportunities, transaction execution, capital formation, management, and eventual disposition.

Previously, Scott served as an Executive Director on the Real Estate Americas platform within J.P. Morgan Asset Management, a leading real estate investment management firm with approximately $80 billion under management. As an Acquisitions Officer and Principal overseeing the Texas, Mountain West, and Midwest regions, Scott led new acquisition and development sourcing on behalf of open-end, closed-end, and separate account investment vehicles comprised of either institutional or private high net worth investors.

With national experience spanning various asset classes across the risk/return spectrum, Scott has led or assisted on nearly $4 billion in new direct investments. Scott graduated Phi Beta Kappa with High Honors and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Certificate in Business Foundations from the University of Texas at Austin.

Max Zeff

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Max Zeff is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Hornet Real Estate, specializing in small bay industrial acquisitions, joint venture structuring, and risk-adjusted investment execution. He is also the Founder and CEO of Kalonymus, a multi-platform real estate investment firm focused on building long-term value through disciplined, strategy-driven investing.

Prior to founding Kalonymus, Max spent seven years at Carmel Partners, where he led sourcing, acquisitions, entitlements, and development across Southern California, including driving the firm's reentry into the San Diego market. During his tenure, he facilitated the capitalization of more than $850 million in transactions spanning over 1,150 apartment and condominium units, 100,000 SF of office, and 47,500 SF of retail and restaurant space.

Mr. Zeff holds a B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.