ATLANTA (Feb. 10, 2025) – Peachtree Group (“Peachtree”), a diversified commercial real estate investment platform, deployed $1.6 billion in credit transactions in 2024, marking a 54% increase from 2023. This growth highlights Peachtree’s reach in private credit lending and its ability to provide financing solutions across multiple property types, including hospitality, multifamily, industrial and specialty assets.
Founded in 2007, Peachtree has evolved into a vertically integrated investment firm, strengthening its ability to source, underwrite and manage assets. Since 2010, it has played a key role in expanding private credit in commercial real estate, supporting hotels and other commercial real estate sectors. Through strategic growth, the firm has deepen edits leadership and expertise, accelerating expansion in commercial real estate lending.
The majority of Peachtree’s 2024 credit investments were concentrated in the hospitality and multifamily sectors, with $876 million and $392.3 million in transactions completed, respectively. The remaining $297.4 million was strategically deployed across industrial, land, mixed-use, retail, office and single-family residential asset classes, reinforcing Peachtree’s commitment to a diversified lending strategy.
“As we reflect on 2024, we executed a record level of transactions while expanding our lending platform to serve a broader range of commercial real estate asset classes,” said Greg Friedman, CEO and managing principal of Peachtree. “Looking ahead, we expect outsized growth by leveraging our private credit lending programs and launching additional initiatives to address underserved niches in the market.”
Since strengthening its credit team, Peachtree has executed more than $1 billion in commercial real estate transactions, underscoring its reach and execution capabilities in a challenging lending environment.
“With sustained high interest rates, reduced bank lending and $4.5 trillion in U.S. commercial real estate debt maturing by 2028, the need for alternative financing solutions is more critical than ever,” said Daniel Siegel, president and principal, CRE at Peachtree. “At Peachtree, we help borrowers navigate rising capital costs and liquidity constraints by offering flexible financing solutions across multiple asset classes.”
The Mortgage Bankers Association recognized Peachtree as the seventh-largest investor-driven commercial real estate lender in the U.S., further solidifying its position as a top-tier financing partner.
As a direct commercial real estate lender, Peachtree offers a full spectrum of financing solutions, including permanent loans, bridge loans, mezzanine financing, CPACE (Commercial Property-Assessed Clean Energy) loans and preferred equity investments. Expanding its capabilities, Peachtree also launched a Triple Net Lease (NNN) financing program last year to further support sponsors.
In addition to its broad lending platform, Peachtree continues to lead in CPACE financing, setting a record in2024 with 22 transactions totaling $316.6 million. The CPACE team also recently surpassed $1 billion in total transactions—an achievement few companies in the industry can claim—further cementing Peachtree’s position as a leader in structured financing solutions.
“As Peachtree continues to scale its lending platform, it remains committed to providing capital solutions that drive long-term value for borrowers and investors alike,” Friedman added.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is a vertically integrated investment management firm specializing in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in dislocated markets, anchored by commercial real estate. Today, the company manages billions in capital across acquisitions, development and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support andgrow its investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
Peachtree CEO Greg Friedman was quoted in this recent CoStar Group article by Sean McCracken talking about the lending environment for hotels in 2024 and the opportunities for investor, operator, lenders like Peachtree Group.
"Most traditional lenders aren't lending," said Friedman. "Forty percent of the debt market is traditionally made up of regional banks, community banks, national banks, and it's been in the press that banks are under pressure. So 40% of the market is struggling, the CMBS market makes up close to 25% to 30% of lending to hotels and that market is well under pressure, as well."But he said what is left of the market is attracted to hotels due to "really good asset-level performance."
Lending Conditions Likely More Certain for Hotels in 2024 (costar.com)
Ester Hertzfeld with Hotel Management Magazine spoke with Peachtree SVP Jared Schlosser about the hotel lending market in her most recent article.
Statista estimates the value of the commercial real estate market will reach $24.67 trillion in 2023. According to the Deloitte Center for Financial Services 2024 industry outlook, half the industry expects the cost of capital and capital availability to worsen through next year. Couple that with the $1.5 trillion wall of debt maturing before the end of 2025 and it’s easy to understand the trepidation in the market today.
But we’ve been here before.
The credit team at Peachtree Group has completed hundreds of transactions worth north of $15 billion. In our collective careers, we have seen borrowers navigate unstable markets, such as what we are experiencing today, in a variety of different ways.
Here are five tips for borrowers trying to navigate today’s difficult market, and secure funding for their project.
It has been a borrower’s market for several years now, and this is not one of them. Do not forsake the term sheet in your hand – the Fed has raised interest rates 11 times since March of 2022. Spending too much time on turns of a term sheet might leave you losing any spread concessions to increases in the benchmark or, even worse – lenders deciding to pull terms altogether. If you have an offer from someone you trust, you might want to take it.
On existing projects, your current lender is most likely your best friend. A lender willing to give you an extension is gold in this market. Getting additional terms out of your current lender is likely the least costly option, even if it comes with fees and a rate increase – it likely is still significantly less costly than what the current market will give you. However, I hope that you have been a good borrower – up to date on deliverables, communicative about the status of your project, etc. – make no mistake, the bank is doing you a favor, don't give credit committee a reason to say no.
Being one of the largest CPACE originators in the country, Peachtree has seen a significant increase in pipeline looking to apply proceeds retroactively. Properties are eligible for CPACE up to 3 years after certificate of occupancy in approved municipalities and proceeds can generally be up to 35% of stabilized value. It’s a source of capital that has become more interesting to first mortgage lenders as the proceeds could be used to paydown your first mortgage and size a new interest reserve.
We pride ourselves on being lenders who want to be part of the solution when a deal has a budget bust or stabilization is taking longer than anticipated. However, I always encourage borrowers to size up their budget contingencies (i.e., 7% vs. 5%) or structure additional interest reserves. Yes, it will increase your initial capitalization, but your lender will pick up 60-70% of that cost in the loan funding. It may mean more work on the initial capital raise, but it's usually less costly than going back to your lender and/or equity mid-project to get additional capital.
Lenders have access to data and information. They ultimately will discover the truth; it might as well come from you. This includes prior credit aberrations or issues and accurate property performance information. We have capital specifically for lending on special situations – there are a lot of deal-level risks that can be mitigated, but lack of trust with sponsorship is not one of them.
In uncertain times, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Peachtree is an experienced capital partner who understands commercial real estate's nuances. With funding options limited from traditional lenders, our team has the lending solutions, financial capacity, and expertise to close complex transactions in today's challenging capital market environment.
We are available to discuss your lending options that meet your business objectives. Visit us at www.peachtreegroup.com.
Daniel Siegel is president and principal of Peachtree's commercial real estate lending group.
Before joining Peachtree, he was with Ardent Companies as managing director and the head of high-yield investments leading the company’s debt investments. Prior to that, Daniel was vice president of acquisitions at Rialto Capital, overseeing the distressed loan acquisitions platform. During his tenure at Rialto, Daniel directly oversaw the acquisition of commercial real estate loans on domestic and international opportunities. Additionally, he developed the firm’s small balance loan acquisition platform and led the company’s first European acquisition.
Daniel has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Tulane University. Contact him at dsiegel@peachtreegroup.com.
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