Greystone announced that Gregory Forester has joined as a Managing Director. In this role, Mr. Forester will spearhead a newly formed hospitality-focused lending and investing practice. Initially, he will focus on CMBS fixed and floating rate financing and Greystone’s EB-5 practice which provides capital for new developments. Mr. Forester will also serve client equity and capital structuring needs, within the Greystone Bassuk Group.
Based in Greystone’s DC area office in Rockville, MD, Mr. Forester will report to Mark R. Jarrell, executive vice president of Greystone’s non-Agency lending activities including its CMBS business and its bridge and mezzanine lending efforts.
Mr. Forester brings to Greystone more than 28 years of experience in debt transactions originated for balance sheet, CMBS and loan syndication executions. Prior to joining Greystone, Mr. Forester spent almost 18 years at GE Capital Real Estate and was most recently the Commercial Leader and Managing Director for the GE Capital Real Estate Hotel Lending Group, where he led the national hotel lending program. During his tenure at GE Capital Real Estate, Mr. Forester was directly involved in the origination, transaction leadership and/or underwriting of more than $7.4 billion of funded investments for the company.
Prior to GE Capital Real Estate, Mr. Forester spent five years as a senior underwriter for CW Capital, three years at Berkshire Mortgage Corporation underwriting participating mortgage investments and two years as a project development professional at FD Rich Company of Boston. Mr. Forester received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, with a concentration in Real Estate, from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
“Our clients have expressed a need for hospitality-focused financing solutions, and because our goal is to be as full-service as possible, we sought out the right talent to build this team," said Jarrell. "Greg’s specialized expertise and industry knowledge will serve as a valuable addition to our existing non-Agency lending activities. We see a tremendous amount of opportunity in the hotel sector in providing smart, solution-based capital.”
Greystone provides mortgage finance solutions across multiple platforms, including FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, USDA, CMBS, bridge, mezzanine and other proprietary loan programs.
"For years, Greystone has been an undisputed leader in providing financing solutions, including creativedebt and equity financing, to commercial real estate clients across the United States,” said Forester. “I look forward to continuing this trend by offering these same creative financing solutions to the hospitality sector and leading this new practice.”