Troy Merkel is a real estate partner who leads the national construction and real estate practice at RSM US LLP. He has more than 20 years of experience providing assurance and consulting services to the real estate industry.
As the national assurance digital strategy leader, Troy also oversees the use of automation, generative AI and other transformative technology for all assurance services at RSM.
Troy serves all types of real estate companies, including developers, operators and investors across all asset classes. He consults with clients to address structuring and business needs and help optimize their operations and team performance. He has experience advising clients on income tax basis and in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, international financial reporting standards, and the reporting standards of the National Council of Real Estate Investment Fiduciaries and the Pension Real Estate Association. He is also experienced in accounting for asset acquisitions and complex leases and focuses on tax-advantageous and government-subsidized deal structures.
In his national assurance digital strategy leader role, Troy focuses on setting strategy and goals for deployment of the digital experience across the firm’s assurance practice, leading delivery of the digital experience, and representing the practice in enterprise-wide digital initiatives. Troy brings unique insight to this role because he continues to serve clients, which allows him to maintain a deep and practical connection with the practice.
In connection with this leadership role, Troy is a member of the firm’s digital integration group and technology collaboration council, as well as its assurance practice executive team, which guides resource allocation related to digital strategy.
A self-professed “eternal optimist,” Troy sees opportunity in each new day. He is passionate about professional development and training the next generation of RSM leaders. Outside the office he is a husband and father to four sons. He has been a passionate coach in several youth sports for more than 20 years—and now enjoys coaching his sons—an experience that has helped him develop his leadership skills. While he can’t score a goal or land new business for someone out in the field, he can coach his team to be in the best position to be able to do so. Seeing the success of those he has had a chance to mentor is the most rewarding experience of his life.
Troy has been involved with RSM’s Family First employee network group (ENG) since its inception. As a working dad, he tries to set an example with his team to demonstrate the successful balance of both roles. He also supports the firm’s African American and Canadian ENG, where he finds the dialogue around diversity and racial understanding vital to the growth of the firm.
