Meridian Capital Group and Barings Launch NewPoint Real Estate Capital to Pioneer Fresh Approach to Multifamily Finance

NEW YORK, June 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Meridian Capital Group, the nation's leading commercial mortgage brokerage, and Barings, one of the world's leading investment managers, are pleased to announce the launch of NewPoint Real Estate Capital ("NewPoint").  NewPoint, which has completed the previously announced acquisition of Barings Multifamily Capital, will build upon Meridian's extensive relationships and the breadth of Barings' lending and asset management capabilities to pioneer a fresh approach to multifamily financing.

The Concept

The concept behind NewPoint is embodied in the lending platform's name:  It reflects a new point of view – one that encourages a shift from traditional practices in multifamily financing to far more innovative and efficient models.  By introducing new methods for originating and executing multifamily loans, NewPoint is poised to provide the best possible experience for borrowers, as well as the company's originators, underwriters and servicing teams.  But, this is not a typical start-up venture:  The entities behind NewPoint have a long track record of success in the real estate and mortgage markets.  Their perspectives are oriented toward the future, but they are influenced by decades (and, in the case of Barings, centuries) of experience.

Who's Who

David Brickman, CEO of NewPoint.  As previously announced, Brickman joined Meridian as executive chairman in January.  He came to Meridian from Freddie Mac, where, as CEO, he led the $2+ trillion mortgage company through much of the COVID crisis.  He was also the long-time head of Freddie Mac's Multifamily business, where he transformed the business, raising annual production from $16 billion in 2010 to nearly $80 billion in 2018 and establishing the agency's K-Deal securitization program.  The team of Brickman and Meridian's Ralph Herzka and Yoni Goodman were ranked #21 on the Commercial Observer's 2021 Power Finance list.  In addition to his roles at NewPoint and Meridian, Brickman serves as a senior advisor to Stone Point Capital LLC, a private equity firm with extensive experience in the real estate finance and services sector.

Jeff Lee, President of NewPoint.  Lee has also enjoyed an illustrious career in real estate finance.  He co-founded Beech Street Capital in 2009.  Following Capital One's acquisition of Beech Street in 2013, Lee served as the business' executive vice president and oversaw multifamily lending.  In 2020, he and a colleague were ranked #43 on the Commercial Observer's Power Finance list.

Ralph Herzka, Chairman and CEO of Meridian, and Yoni Goodman, President of Meridian.  Herzka and Goodman forged the joint venture as a means of building upon Meridian's 30-year history as a leading multifamily financing advisor, as well as past successes in the agency lending space.  Under their leadership, Meridian has held the position of the #1 multifamily intermediary in the U.S. for nearly a decade.  In 2020, the firm closed approximately $40 billion of financing including $28 billion in multifamily financing.  Herzka and Goodman will work closely with Brickman and Lee to chart the strategic growth of NewPoint. 

Comments

David Brickman: "Through NewPoint, we intend to drive much-needed innovation in the multifamily sector by using technology to facilitate agency loans and reinvent multifamily securitization.  We'll accomplish this by combining the extensive resources and sector-specific expertise of Meridian with Barings' lending and asset management capabilities."

Ralph Herzka: "We are thrilled to be embarking on this new chapter. Our partnership with Barings will enable us to join forces with one of the world's leading asset managers and reintroduce Meridian to the direct agency lending arena.  With David Brickman's leadership, vision and creativity, our goal is for NewPoint to quickly become a go-to platform for multifamily financing nationwide."

Yoni Goodman: "The closing of this transaction represents the next step in our roadmap for the growth and evolution of Meridian.  As NewPoint is now launched, we will turn our attention to increasing its originations and product offerings, and to growing Meridian's mortgage brokerage and investment sales divisions further on a national scale." 

Ben Silver, Co-Head of U.S. Real Estate, Barings: "Barings is delighted to have an ongoing role with NewPoint and its impressive team led by David and Jeff.  The combination of Meridian's world-class origination capabilities and Barings' extensive institutional strengths uniquely positions NewPoint to make a meaningful impact on all facets of multifamily finance."

Details

For more information on NewPoint, please visit www.newpoint.com.   

About Meridian Capital Group
Founded in 1991, Meridian Capital Group is America's most active dealmaker and one of the nation's leading commercial real estate finance, investment sales and retail leasing advisors.  In 2020, Meridian closed approximately $40 billion in financing across more than 250 unique lenders. Meridian represents many of the world's leading real estate investors and developers, and the company's expansive platform has specialized practices for a broad array of property types including office, retail, multifamily, hotel, mixed-use, industrial, and healthcare and senior housing properties.  Meridian is headquartered in New York City with offices in New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, Ohio, Florida, and California.  Learn more at www.meridiancapital.com.

About Barings
Barings is a $326+ billion* global investment manager sourcing differentiated opportunities and building long-term portfolios across public and private fixed income, real estate, and specialist equity markets.  With investment professionals based in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific, the firm, a subsidiary of MassMutual, aims to serve its clients, communities and employees, and is committed to sustainable practices and responsible investment.  Learn more at www.barings.com.

*Assets under management as of March 31, 2021

SOURCE Meridian Capital Group