Celebrating DLP Capital’s 20th Anniversary

Every great journey begins with a single step.

For DLP Capital, that step came in 2006, when founder Don Wenner earned his real estate license with a vision to transform lives through real estate. The exponential growth of DLP over the next two decades was not luck, but the result of a deliberate pursuit of purpose-driven impact that continues to define us today.

Twenty years of building Thriving Communities is more than a milestone; it's a result of resilience, adaptability, and a commitment to creating environments where families choose to stay, grow, and flourish. This anniversary is not only a time to celebrate, but to reflect on how our journey began, where it has led us today, and the lasting impact it will have for generations to come.

Two Decades in the Making

Founded in 2006 by Don Wenner in Bethlehem, PA, DLP was built on the belief that real estate can be a force for good—driving lasting positive impact and empowering people and communities. From day one, the firm has operated under the conviction that purpose and prosperity aren’t mutually exclusive but intrinsically linked. What began as a local single-family brokerage and home-flipping business has since become one of America’s fastest-growing private companies,¹ whose growth has been shaped by years of focus, discipline, and extraordinary execution.

By 2008, DLP had sold hundreds of homes, completed dozens of flips, and built a small but passionate team committed to doing real estate differently. Just one year later, DLP Realty was born—introducing a 68-day home sale guarantee that challenged industry norms and set the firm apart early on. In 2010, DLP expanded south into Florida, an early step toward DLP’s evolution from a local operation to a national platform.

DLP’s growth story is one of steady progress, which included launching the firm’s first sponsored equity fund in 2013, expanding lending and operator relationships, acquiring rental communities nationwide, and completing DLP’s first build-to-rent community by 2017. Along the way, we raised more than $60 million in our second sponsored equity fund—while maintaining a perfect record of zero principal losses.²

But numbers only tell part of the story. DLP's commitment to tangible impact strengthened in 2018 as we expanded our impact platform by launching the DLP Positive Returns Foundation and initiatives designed to ensure our growth created opportunities not just for investors, but for residents, team members, and communities as well.

As DLP continued to grow, our progress was increasingly matched by recognition and reach. By 2020, DLP was named one of Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces and ranked among their Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America. The firm’s sponsored funds surpassed $1 billion in assets under management, serving more than 1,200 investors. National partnerships strengthened our presence across the country, with assets under management exceeding $5 billion by 2023. The following year, we proudly supported more than 3,000 investors on their financial journeys, oversaw the management of more than 15,000 rental units, and announced plans to revitalize downtown Jacksonville, pouring back into the community that DLP proudly calls home.

Today, we’ve scaled our real estate investment operations with discipline, experience, and a clear sense of purpose—serving almost 4,000 investors, supported by a team of nearly 600 employees, and ending 2025 with billions invested in the building of Thriving Communities.² This milestone wouldn’t be possible without the relationships we’ve built, the trust we’ve earned, and the values that define how we operate. It represents the investors who’ve placed their confidence in us, the team members who live out our core values, and the communities we’ve transformed. Every partnership forged, every lesson learned, every market cycle weathered—these experiences have shaped not just our growth, but our identity.

Year 20 isn’t just a reason to look back, but a moment to align on what truly matters as we move forward.

DLP’s Next Chapter

Heading into 2026, we're celebrating not just the growth and achievements of the past 20 years, but the people, partnerships, and communities that have made this possible. The principles that have guided DLP from the very beginning—disciplined growth, long-term thinking, and a commitment to making a meaningful impact—remain at the heart of everything we do.

The next chapter of DLP's story will be written by building relationships that endure and creating value that compounds. We're not just maintaining what we've built, we're expanding it, refining it, and pushing ourselves to deliver even greater value to both our investors and the communities we serve.

We’ve delivered on milestones that began as the vision of a young real estate agent. With optimism, purpose, and the beliefs that have guided DLP from day one, our mission to build Thriving Communities and transform lives will continue to guide how we invest, lead, and serve as we look forward to turning today’s vision into tomorrow’s reality. Here’s to 20 years of growth, partnership, and impact—and to the journey that lies ahead!