Under Bert's direction, the new financing group is providing senior loans in the $1-million to $15-million range for value-added commercial and residential real estate opportunities that do not meet the requirements of conventional bank lending. The financing is available for a range of real estate product (including office, industrial, multifamily, retail, hotels, land and special use) located throughout the US, as well as a variety of borrowing needs. Types of transactions eligible for financing from the Capstone Direct Lending Group include land acquisition and development deals; unique property types, renovations and repositioning; land use conversion; borrower credit issues; partner buyouts; and non-cash flow real estate.

Expanding into direct lending is a "natural step" for Capstone Advisors, according to Bert, who says the firm's entrepreneurial approach and availability of institutional capital give clients the ability to make fast decisions and close quickly, thus allowing them to secure opportunities with ease.

With more than 10 years of industry experience under his belt, Bert has held a number of positions in the commercial real estate field. His past stints include working as a real estate consultant at Pricewaterhouse and Institutional Property Consultants; managing a loan banking team that originated more than $2.5-billion in real estate financings at Normura Securities International; and opening and managing an underwriting center at Precept Corp. His most recent job prior to joining Capstone Advisors was serving as a principal at Artesian Capital Partners, where he acquired and renovated Southland multifamily properties.