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NEW YORK CITY-Since being brought on board last year, Stephen J. Pearlman, senior vice president, has led the effort to expand Trammell Crow Co.'s newly formed Debt Capital Markets Group, which is based here. In the past six or seven months the group has arranged debt placement of approximately $300 million, with a year-end target of $500 million.

"We were trying to build a good business approach for us," Pearlman tells GlobeSt.com. In the group's largest deal to date, the firm secured $135 million of non-recourse financing for the 732-room Westin Kierland Resort and Spa located just off Scottsdale Road in Phoenix. And in its most recent deal, the group arranged almost $80 million in financing on behalf of Berkeley Investments as part of its $100-million acquisition of 1700 Pacific, a 1.3-million sf building in Dallas.

Pearlman sees the group being a billion-dollar operation in time and is leading the expansion effort in regional markets such as Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles and San Francisco in the next 12 to 24 months. "We can work with potential buyers to help push prices and give assurity of closing." He adds that Trammell Crow's ability to handle all aspects of the deal, including leasing, management, sales and financing, makes the sales process more efficient.