Josh Hoffman
The Moneyball Mindset
Scott Hatteberg's baseball card sits on Josh Hoffman’s desk, constantly etching the motivational quote, "You just need to get on base", into his mind. This mantra from the book/movie “Moneyball” has become a mindset he brings to work every day as a multifamily real estate attorney.
As a child, Josh was always told that his love of debating would make him a great lawyer one day. Though he didn’t fully know what that meant, he was driven to turn those observations into reality. Josh’s interest in real estate began at a young age, too. Growing up in Westchester County, New York, he loved to go with his father, a part-time real-estate broker, to open houses. Exploring the architecture and admiring the designs of the properties quickly turned into a self-described “love affair” with real estate.
Josh attended James Madison University for his undergraduate degree before completing law school at the University of Pittsburgh. During his second year of law school, he landed an externship at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which was his first foray into working in real estate.
His law career began at Cohen and Grigsby (now Dentons). Josh later joined Meyer, Unkovic & Scott LLP, where his focus was on commercial real estate transactions. His next job was at Greystone, one of Freddie Mac’s Optigo® lenders, which exposed him to the asset management side of multifamily real estate.
These experiences ultimately led him to Freddie Mac Multifamily in 2020. He was excited by the prospect of being part of a large team of dedicated multifamily professionals. Today, Josh serves as an associate general counsel in the Legal Division’s Multifamily Real Estate department dedicated to supporting Production and Underwriting teams in both the Western and Northeast regions.
What makes you excited about coming to work every day?
A: I really enjoy the collegiality on the Multifamily Legal team. It’s refreshing to work on a team where you can continually learn from and alongside a deep bench of experienced attorneys.
What do you like most about working at Freddie Mac?
A: The work we do at Freddie Mac isn’t performed in a vacuum; we are helping to set the standard for the entire multifamily finance industry. It’s inspiring to work at a place where you can drive positive change and feel as though your efforts are making a difference in people’s lives. Not everyone gets to feel that way at their job, so I consider myself fortunate.
How does the "you just need to get on base" mantra apply to your work?
A: The mantra helps me to support clients by setting realistic goals, focusing on tangible wins and making sound risk decisions. If you only aim to hit home runs, you are going to rack up a lot of strikeouts along the way. It’s the belief that if you do the little things the right way, the results will continue to compound.
What trait makes a great teammate?
A: Early in my legal career, I recall sitting down with a senior partner and pointing out some staffing issues we were experiencing at the firm. He responded, "I have plenty of people here who are good at identifying issues; I need more people who are good at solving problems." That advice stuck with me. A great teammate doesn’t point out the problem and wait for others to solve it. They don’t simply rest on tradition. They strive to find creative solutions and challenge outdated methods.
Ten years from now, what would you like to say you accomplished here?
A: On a team wide level, I want us to continue to be the best in class for multifamily finance, while cultivating a reputation for thoughtfulness and collaboration. Preserving that type of culture requires true intentionality.
On a personal level, my aim is to be recognized as an asset to my clients, rather than an obstacle to getting deals done. While my clients don't personally choose me as their lawyer, I want them to feel that, given the choice, they would have picked me.
Josh at the beach with his child.
Josh enjoying the mountains with his wife and dog.
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