Managing Director, Hospitality

Walker & Dunlop; Greater London; On-site; GBP 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Career advancement

Competitive compensation

Social activities

Supplemental health insurance

Pension plan

Mental health services

Job summary

Walker & Dunlop seeks a Managing Director- Hospitality- UK to lead hotel capital markets coverage and grow the hospitality advisory platform across EMEA. You will originate, structure, underwrite, market, and close institutional-grade hotel transactions, combining senior client leadership with hands-on execution.

You will guide strategy, manage partners, and mentor junior team members while engaging with investors and lenders to maximize value.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in finance, real estate, or economics.
• 12+ years of commercial real estate, hotel capital markets, or advisory experience.
• Demonstrated track record leading complex transactions and client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Originate and execute UK hotel transactions across multiple channels.
• Manage senior client relationships and develop junior professionals.
• Lead, coach, and develop analysts while ensuring high-quality execution.

Skills

Hotel capital markets

Client leadership

Strategic development

Financial modelling

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA preferred

Tools

ARGUS

Excel

Salesforce

Job description

Department: EMEA Capital Markets - Hospitality

We are Walker & Dunlop. We are one of the largest providers of capital to the commercial real estate industry, enabling real estate owners and operators to bring their visions of communities — where people live, work, shop, and play — to life. We are committed to creating meaningful social, environmental, and economic change in our communities.

Department Overview

Our EMEA experts deliver exceptional debt and equity solutions across the commercial real estate spectrum, combining deep capital markets expertise with local EMEA real estate knowledge to maximise returns and minimise risk for our clients. Walker & Dunlop's EMEA Hotels Investment & Sales practice provides institutional-grade hotel brokerage, sell-side advisory, debt and equity placement, and M&A services across the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, and the broader EMEA region. With a focus on single-asset and portfolio transactions in the £70-500m range, our team connects institutional investors, private equity, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and owner-operators with the capital and counterparties that drive exceptional outcomes. Through our unified approach, we serve the full hospitality spectrum while leveraging Walker & Dunlop's extensive global capital network, proprietary technology, and transaction expertise to maximise value for our clients.

The Impact You Will Have

As Managing Director- Hospitality- UK you will lead Walker & Dunlop's hotel capital markets coverage and play a senior role in growing the firm's hospitality advisory platform across EMEA. You will originate, structure, market, underwrite, execute, and close institutional-grade hotel transactions across sell-side brokerage, debt advisory, equity placement, and M&A. The role combines senior client leadership and business development with hands‑on transaction execution, market intelligence, and the development of junior professionals.

Primary Responsibilities

• Originate and execute UK hotel transactions across sell-side brokerage, debt advisory, equity placement, and M&A, with a focus on institutional and upper-midmarket single-asset and portfolio opportunities.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities, deepen existing client relationships, and own the UK hospitality pipeline with rigorous CRM discipline and regular reporting to EMEA leadership.
• Lead transaction structuring, financial analysis, market research, valuation, underwriting, capital marketing, and preparation of investment and financing materials.
• Manage transactions through all stages from initial opportunity identification and mandate through investor or lender outreach, negotiation, diligence, documentation, and closing.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with UK and international hotel owners, institutional investors, private equity firms, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, lenders, and operators.
• Provide authoritative market intelligence on UK hotel transaction activity, pricing, financing conditions, operating trends, and relevant regulatory dynamics.
• Coordinate global investor and capital‑provider outreach for UK mandates, leveraging Walker & Dunlop's US and international relationships and integrated capital markets platform.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the UK, the US, and the broader EMEA platform on cross‑border hospitality mandates and capital flows.
• Represent Walker & Dunlop at UK and pan‑European hotel investment conferences, client meetings, and industry events, including IHIF and other relevant forums.
• Lead, coach, and develop analysts and other junior team members; delegate work effectively while maintaining high standards for quality, accuracy, and client service.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

In office attendance is required, Monday through Friday.

Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree required; preference for finance, real estate, economics, or a related discipline.

12+ years of commercial real estate, hotel capital markets, real estate advisory, or investment banking experience, with significant UK hospitality experience.

Demonstrated track record of originating and executing hotel transactions in the UK at the institutional or upper‑midmarket level.

Demonstrated experience leading complex transactions, managing senior client relationships, and developing junior professionals.

Eligible to work in the United Kingdom.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Established relationships with UK and international hotel owners, institutional investors, private equity firms, family offices, banks, alternative lenders, and hotel operators.

Deep knowledge of UK hotel transaction dynamics across urban, resort, luxury, full‑service, and portfolio opportunities.

Strong technical grounding in hotel valuation, underwriting, financial modelling, financing structures, transaction diligence, and closing processes.

Excellent financial modelling skills, including advanced Excel capability; experience with ARGUS and hotel‑specific analytical tools is advantageous.

Ability to evaluate debt and equity alternatives, assess financing proposals and commitments, and translate complex analysis into clear client recommendations.

Proven written and oral communication, presentation, negotiation, and senior stakeholder‑management skills.

Proficiency in MS Office and CRM systems, with the ability to learn Salesforce and other company software as needed.

Ability to manage multiple complex, time‑sensitive mandates while maintaining excellent attention to detail, organisation, and execution discipline.

Ability to show ownership of your work, take on challenges, acknowledge growth opportunities, and demonstrate patience when learning new processes.

Courtesy, respect, and thoughtfulness in teaming with colleagues and other stakeholders.

What We Offer

• Flexible working hours, career advancement, and competitive compensation package.
• We arrange social activities to help our employees and families become familiar with each other and our culture.
• In addition to other benefits, we offer supplemental health insurance, a pension plan, and 100% complimentary and confidential mental health services.

Walker & Dunlop utilizes Workday for automated applicant tracking. No hiring decisions are fully automated, and our talent recruiting team may be reached at any time at [e-mail]. You have the right to request information on the screening process. You further have the right to withdraw or delete your information at any time.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We are committed to equity in all steps of the recruitment and employment experience. We believe in equal access to opportunities in our workplace.

We do not tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on any characteristic protected by applicable law, such as race, color, national origin, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, sex, age, disability, veteran or military status, and genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

We strive to be a safe place to ask questions, build professional relationships, and develop careers.

Our experience is the combination of everything that’s unique about our culture, our core values, our company meetings, our commitment to success, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it’s our people. Our employees are self‑disciplined, hardworking, curious, trustworthy, humble and truthful. They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference, and they make us the #1 Top Workplace in our area.