Denny Cherette began his real estate career in 1977 and founded his first real estate firm in 1982. After selling that company to a large development group, he founded Investment Property Associates (IPA) in 1985, where he served as president and partner for more than 26 years. In 1993, he co-founded IPA Management to oversee the company's growing portfolio. Under his leadership, IPA and IPA Management grew to more than 130 employees with operations throughout western Michigan and in Phoenix, Arizona. Primary services included developing properties for the company's portfolio, third-party fee-based development, fee-based real estate strategic planning and consulting, and full service property management for multifamily and commercial properties. Denny's work focused on large scale, Class A apartment communities, ambulatory medical centers, medical offices, professional office buildings, banks, retail centers, and industrial facilities. During his tenure, Denny was responsible for strategic planning and execution, including the company's decision to expand into the Phoenix market after evaluating numerous metros throughout the United States. He was also responsible for raising equity capital, managing investor relations, arranging project financing, overseeing brokerage activities, including negotiations, and directing operational performance.In early 2012, Denny left IPA and IPA Management to establish Cherette Group. By that time, IPA's portfolio had grown to include more than 5 million square feet owned and/or managed. The portfolio included more than 3,600 multifamily units and student housing beds with an additional 900 units under development, as well as substantial investments in office, medical, and retail facilities. IPA Management is a recognized leader in its markets; the company has been honored as Management Company of the Year by the Property Management Association of Michigan on three occasions.