The Mormon church is expanding its real-estate empire across the United States: ‘They’re opportunists in a very calculated way’
In the United States, the Latter-day Saints have built a vast portfolio of long-term property investments, operating in many ways like a sovereign wealth fund
Just 20 minutes from Denver International Airport, plans are underway for a large-scale development named "Tributary." The community will feature over 12,000 homes, shops, parks, a school, and a fire station. Tributary's developer, Property Reserve, is a subsidiary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religious institution widely known as the Mormon Church.
Amy Wiles, a city council member in Aurora, the city hosting the 960-acre site, expressed excitement about the project, stating it represents a significant opportunity for the city.
The Mormon Church has amassed a real estate empire across the United States over the past century, with properties ranging from farms and ranches to apartments and hotels. This land ownership has made the church one of America's largest landowners, with billions of dollars in assets. The church's real estate strategy is described as sophisticated and investor-focused, akin to a sovereign wealth fund, rather than a religious organization.
The church's global head of development, Tyler Buswell, stated that its property holdings are intended to support its mission by providing homes and commercial spaces, as well as generating revenue to fund the church's mission.
The church's expansion into housing and master-planned communities has brought it into the political realm, with debates surrounding issues such as water usage, infrastructure, environmental preservation, and local control. While the church maintains that its land holdings are intended to support its mission, its real estate activities have garnered attention and scrutiny.
The Salt Lake City-based church discloses limited financial information about its holdings, even to its nearly 18 million members who are expected to tithe 10% of their income. According to a Bloomberg News review, the Mormon Church owns at least 2.4 million acres across the U.S., valued at over $20 billion. However, the actual number is likely much higher, as the estimate does not include holdings in nondisclosure states like Texas or investments made through outside real estate funds and partnerships. The church has declined to comment on the size of its portfolio.
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