Garett B. Stoffels Joins BGC Partners' / Newmark Grubb Knight Frank's Growing Real Estate Platform

NEW YORK, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BGC Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:BGCP) ("BGC Partners" or "BGC"), a leading global brokerage company servicing the wholesale financial and property markets, today announced the appointment of Garett B. Stoffels as Senior Managing Director and Head of Equity Capital Markets for BGC Real Estate Capital Markets.  Mr. Stoffels joins BGC/Newmark Grubb Knight Frank's capital markets platform with more than 18 years of real estate equity capital markets and advisory expertise, totaling more than 90 transactions aggregating in excess of $125 billion. Based in New York, Mr. Stoffels will report to Michael Lehrman, Global Head of Real Estate at BGC. 

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"Having worked with Garett for many years, I've long admired his extensive relationships, deep knowledge base and distinguished career in real estate investment banking and capital markets which make him a tremendous asset and natural addition to the BGC Real Estate Capital Markets team," said Michael Lehrman, Global Head of Real Estate at BGC.  He continued: "His superior execution capabilities coupled with his far-reaching and invaluable relationships with investors globally, including public and private pensions, insurance companies, endowments, foundations, family offices, high-net-worth investors, sovereign wealth funds, private equity firms and hedge funds, represent enormous opportunity for our clients and for the growth of our real estate platform." 

Mr. Lehrman continued: "We remain committed to creating a game changing platform within the real estate industry. Garett's appointment marks the continued expansion of our real estate equity and debt capital markets capabilities and offers a natural complement to the leasing, management, investment sales and other services already offered by Newmark Grubb Knight Frank."

"I am delighted to join Michael and BGC/Newmark Grubb Knight Frank and capitalize on the tremendous opportunity to become a touchstone for the real estate brokerage industry as we seek to transform the way real estate owners and investors have traditionally accessed the real estate equity and debt capital markets," said Mr. Stoffels.  He continued: "By utilizing our global investor relationships, our significant real estate structuring expertise, and our leading-edge technology platform, we can offer our real estate brokerage clients up-to-the minute capital markets data and unique product offerings to assist them with their real estate capital needs."

Mr. Stoffels has extensive experience in securing equity for acquisitions, restructurings, recapitalizations, development projects and joint ventures nationwide.  Prior to joining BGC, Mr. Stoffels served as Global Head of Cantor Fitzgerald's Private Capital group where he was responsible for overseeing global real estate fundraisings, including alternative investment funds and direct private placements.  Previously, Mr. Stoffels was a Managing Director and Co-Head of Direct Private Placements for the real estate group at Atlantic-Pacific Capital.  Formerly, Mr. Stoffels was a Managing Director in the Real Estate and Lodging Investment Banking group of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.

Mr. Stoffels received an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, where he was a Fuqua Scholar, and a BA with Highest Honors in Business Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  Mr. Stoffels is a licensed CPA. 

About BGC Partners
BGC Partners, Inc., a leading global brokerage company primarily servicing the wholesale financial and property markets, has over 7,000 employees in New York, London and dozens of cities around the world, and conducts over $200 trillion in financial transactions for customers annually. BGC offers customers over 220 products, including commercial real estate, fixed income securities, interest rate swaps, foreign exchange, equities, equity derivatives, credit derivatives, commodities, futures, and structured products.

BGC's technology helps customers determine the value of a transaction and execute transactions at the best possible price. BGC's customers include many of the world's largest banks, hedge funds, governments and investment firms. Trades are executed through BGC's brokers, or through its hybrid and fully electronic brokerage services.

BGC, named after fixed income trading innovator B. Gerald Cantor, also offers financial technology solutions, market data, and analytics through its eSpeed, BGC Trader, and BGC Market Data brands, and provides clearing, processing, and other support services. For more information, please visit www.bgcpartners.com.

About Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
A part of BGC Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:BGCP), Newmark Grubb Knight Frank is one of the largest commercial real estate service firms in the U.S. It brings together the strategic consultative approach to creating value for clients and leading position in the New York market that are hallmarks of Newmark Knight Frank; the complementary strengths of Grubb & Ellis in leasing and management, investment sales, valuation and capital markets services; and BGC's financial strength, proprietary technology, expertise in global capital markets and deep relationships with many of the world's leading financial institutions.

Newmark Grubb Knight Frank and its London-based partner Knight Frank together operate from more than 300 offices in established and emerging property markets on five continents. This major force in real estate is meeting the local and global needs of tenants, owners, investors and developers worldwide.

SOURCE BGC Partners, Inc.