B2R Finance Appoints Chief Operating Officer

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- B2R Finance, the leading provider of residential buy-to-rent mortgages for property investors, has named commercial real estate finance veteran Katharine Briggs its new chief operating officer.

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A dynamic leader with 20 years of experience in all aspects of commercial and multifamily lending, Briggs most recently served as managing director for BlackRock Solutions, overseeing the global investment management company's Charlotte office and its Commercial Real Estate Advisory Group. During her tenure there, she managed GSE multifamily loan underwriting and securitization, commercial mortgage-backed securities analysis, and large-scale valuation and risk assessment advisory projects for both domestic and international institutions.

Briggs has also held leadership positions at Summit Properties Inc. (now Camden Property Trust), a $2 billion publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) where she was vice president of finance. Previously, she was an originator and underwriter at First Union Securities (now Wells Fargo) on CMBS, bridge, mezzanine and equity commercial real estate investments.

"First and foremost, our focus is on our customers: small- and medium-sized investors in single-family rental housing," said B2R Finance President John Beacham. "Katharine's extensive experience in loan operations will help us quickly scale to meet the growing demand for our products and move us toward our long-term goal to create an efficient and dependable financing vehicle for a new set of investors."  

Briggs joined the firm on Aug. 11 with an eye toward helping B2R become a national leader in efficient financing options for the residential rental property investor.

"B2R is creating a new field of investing – filling an unmet demand and providing a valuable service to a growing field of investors," said Briggs. "This is a rare opportunity to work on an entrepreneurial endeavor and have the support of Blackstone, one of the world's leading investment and advisory firms."

Former COO Jeff Tennyson will serve as an advisor to B2R through December 2014.

"B2R has an excellent team and a solid business model and has been successfully executing on its objectives," said Tennyson. "I wish the best for my B2R colleagues and will be watching their progress."

About B2R Finance:

B2R Finance, America's Buy to Rent Lender, is the leading provider of residential buy-to-rent mortgages for property investors, with offices in New York, Charlotte and Dallas. A subsidiary of Blackstone, the company offers effective and innovative lending solutions dedicated to residential rental property investors. B2R operates in partnership with the nation's leading commercial and residential real estate experts to ensure that its loan products and customer service are in the forefront of the growing residential rental investment market. B2R can assist any size investor with a variety of lending products to enhance customer investment. Further information is available at www.b2rfinance.com or on Twitter @B2RFinance.

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SOURCE B2R Finance