Following a milestone year highlighted by record loan production, private commercial real estate lender Trez Forman Capital has opened a regional office in Atlanta to serve as a springboard for continued growth in the Southeast U.S. region.

Trez Forman is a joint venture between Palm Beach, Florida-based Forman Capital and Vancouver-based Trez Capital Group - one of Canada’s largest private commercial mortgage lenders with approximately $3 billion of discretionary capital under management. In 2018, Trez Forman funded more than $500 million in commercial real estate loans, mostly in Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas, while Trez Capital funded approximately $2 billion in total.

“Atlanta is a critical piece of our long-term business plan,” said Brett Forman, president and CEO of Trez Forman. “Establishing a physical presence in the city allows us to accommodate the intense demand from our borrowers who are aggressively looking to invest and develop there.”

The new 2,000-square-foot office located at 3414 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 270 in the Buckhead district is being managed by veteran banker and real estate lender Russ Holland, who spent much of his career in Atlanta prior to joining Trez Forman as Managing Director.

Holland said the company is actively recruiting veteran lenders for the new office and expects to have a team of about 10 originators and staff members in place over the next few years. He thinks the company can produce more than $500 million annually in new business from the Atlanta office over that same time period.

“I am excited to lead the company’s efforts in this region of the country,” said Holland. ” Based on all of the new real estate activity taking place, I see significant opportunity to expand the platform. We are looking for strong talent in the market to help us accomplish that.”

Holland has held senior level executive positions at numerous banks in the Southeast U.S. and New York over the past three decades, leading the origination of more than $6 billion in commercial loan transactions.

His previous ties to Atlanta include serving as Chief Credit Officer of SouthCrest Bank between 2013 and 2017. He also spent time in the market during the 1990s working as a commercial lender for Bank of America.

Immediately prior to joining Trez Forman, Holland served as Chief Credit Officer at Fieldpoint Private in New York.

Trez Forman provides commercial bridge loans for development and construction and senior stretch financing, starting at about $5 million. It also offers private and institutional investors equity investment opportunities in a variety of funds and assets.