Senior CRE Originator

CRE Senior Originator

The CRE Senior Originator is responsible for sourcing, structuring, and executing CRE lending opportunities by building and expanding relationships with clients, real estate professionals, sponsors, intermediaries, and key market participants. This role drives portfolio growth through disciplined origination, thoughtful transaction screening, and collaborative execution with Credit, Underwriting, and Closing teams. The Sr. Originator brings strong market expertise, contributes to strategic pipeline development, and plays a key role in negotiating new proposals and term sheets and guiding transactions from opportunity through closing and into early lifecycle monitoring.

• Origination & Business Development:
  Develops and manages a robust CRE origination pipeline through direct sourcing, targeted outreach, and relationship development. Actively markets lending products through networking, conferences, and CRE industry events to build brand awareness and expand market presence, deepening existing relationships to grow repeat business and expand penetration in priority markets and asset classes.
• Transaction Screening, Structuring & Negotiation:
  Performs preliminary credit assessment and deal screening to evaluate sponsor strength, property fundamentals, business plan viability, and alignment with investment parameters and credit appetite. Prepares and presents proposals and pricing, negotiates final terms directly with company officials based on credit and real estate factors, ensuring transactions meet CREF investment parameters, and leads or directly participates in drafting, negotiating, and executing term sheets/LOIs.
• Execution Ownership & Cross‑Functional Coordination:
  Assembles and submits complete, high‑quality underwriting packages and due diligence materials required for loan evaluation, approval, and processing. Coordinates across Credit, Underwriting, Legal, Closing, and Portfolio/Asset Management to ensure efficient execution from screening through closing, maintaining ongoing involvement through transition into the portfolio and early lifecycle monitoring.
• Risk Management & Credit Discipline:
  Uses market and property insights to assess transaction risk and recommend risk mitigation through structure, covenants, and credit enhancement strategies consistent with policy and risk tolerance, ensuring adherence to internal credit policies, regulatory expectations, and portfolio concentration guidelines.
• Market Expertise & Strategic Contribution:
  Maintains expertise across CRE asset classes and develops strong knowledge of U.S. property markets, including key drivers and sub‑market trends. Shares insights to inform pipeline focus, pricing, and origination strategy, and contributes ideas to product evolution by providing competitive observations and recommending adjustments aligned with market opportunities and risk appetite.
• Leadership & Mentorship:
  Serves as a senior resource to junior originators and internal partners by sharing best practices in sourcing, structuring, and execution, mentoring informally, and helping elevate team performance.

• 10+ years of experience in commercial real estate (CRE) finance, lending, or originations with a proven track record of business development and deal execution.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 40% of the time.

• 5+ Years Required; 7+ Years Preferred.

• University (Degree) Preferred.

• Physical Requirements:
  
  Sedentary Work.

• Medical, dental, vision & HSA/FSA.
• 401(k) savings.
• Paid holidays & generous PTO.
• Additional wellness & voluntary benefits.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Commuter benefits.
• Life and disability insurance.