Medalist Capital

What Medalist Capital does

Medalist Capital, Inc. is a privately held commercial real estate financial services firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, founded in 2004 by Donaldson G. Williams, Robert Wilson III, and D. Scott Kenney. The firm operates four integrated service lines: Mortgage Banking (arranging permanent non-recourse CRE financing through a network of 228+ lenders with exclusive correspondent relationships with 27 life insurance companies), Equity Placement and Structured Finance (mezzanine debt, preferred equity, LP/GP equity, joint ventures), Investment Sales and Advisory (launched in 2022), and Mortgage Servicing (administering a portfolio in excess of $4 billion across loans from approximately 27 lending sources out of the Raleigh office).

The firm earns revenue through two primary mechanics: origination and servicing fees on CRE financing transactions, and ongoing loan servicing fees on its managed portfolio. It serves commercial real estate property owners, developers, and institutional and individual investors across asset classes including multifamily, office, retail, industrial, hotels, self-storage, medical office, marinas, and manufactured housing. Named customer evidence includes high-profile deals such as a $100 million debt placement for Highwoods Properties' Pinnacle at Symphony Place in Nashville.

Operationally, Medalist runs a relationship-led, sales-driven model with five offices across the Southeast (Charlotte, Raleigh, Charleston, Atlanta, Nashville) and 34 employees as of 2024. It is a member of REFA (Real Estate Finance Associates), an eight-firm alliance founded in 1979 that allows independent mortgage bankers to share intelligence and compete with national CRE finance platforms. The firm has cumulatively closed more than 2,000 loans totaling over $20 billion in volume for 300+ clients across 39 states, with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, or institutional ownership.

Name

Medalist Capital

Legal name

Medalist Capital, Inc.

Website

https://medalistcapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Medalist Capital is a privately held commercial real estate financial services firm founded in 2004 and headquartered in Charlotte, NC, offering mortgage banking, equity placement, investment sales advisory, and loan servicing through five Southeast offices and a network of 228+ lenders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Financial Services

NAICS

Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Real Estate Capital Markets Advisory (Debt/Equity Placement, Refinancing) (BPAJANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Capital Markets Advisory (Equity Placement, JV & Recapitalization) (BPAJABAL), Capital Raising Advisory (Equity & Equity-Linked) (FSAEAGAC)

Keywords

• Commercial mortgage banking
• Real estate financing
• Equity placement
• Investment sales advisory
• Loan servicing

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Banking Services: Medalist Capital arranges permanent non-recourse financing for commercial real estate properties through their network of lenders, earning origination fees from the financing arrangements. They are an exclusive correspondent for 27 different life insurance companies.
2. Loan Servicing: The company services loans for approximately 27 lending sources, administering mortgage payments and loan management services from their Raleigh office. Currently services loans for approximately 27 lending sources with a servicing portfolio in excess of $4 billion.
3. Equity Placement & Structured Finance: Advising on equity investments and structured finance solutions including mezzanine debt and preferred equity placements throughout the capital stack. They identify and negotiate with suitable equity investors for acquisitions, developments, or recapitalizations.
4. Investment Sales and Advisory: Working with institutional and individual investors on strategic acquisitions and dispositions of commercial real estate investments, earning fees from advisory and transaction services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Medalist Capital arranges permanent non-recourse commercial real estate financing through a network of more than 228 lenders, including exclusive correspondent relationships with 27 life insurance companies. The firm also advises on equity placement and structured finance (mezzanine debt, preferred equity) across the capital stack, facilitates investment sales and advisory for acquisitions and dispositions, and services a loan portfolio in excess of $4 billion from its Raleigh office.

Product overview

Medalist Capital is a commercial real estate financial services company offering a unified suite of four interconnected services. The core offerings are Mortgage Banking (arranging permanent financing through a network of 27 correspondent life insurance companies and other lenders), Equity Placement & Structured Finance (placing mezzanine debt, preferred equity, and GP/LP equity throughout the capital stack), Investment Sales and Advisory (facilitating acquisitions and dispositions for institutional and individual investors), and Mortgage Servicing (administering the loan portfolio post-closing). These divisions operate collaboratively—Mortgage Banking and Investment Sales generate deal flow while Equity Placement provides structured capital solutions and Mortgage Servicing maintains ongoing client relationships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mortgage Banking Arranges permanent non-recourse financing for commercial real estate properties through a network of 228+ lenders, including life insurance companies, securitized lenders, agencies (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA), credit unions, banks, and mortgage REITs. For commercial property owners and developers.
• Equity Placement & Structured Finance Advises on the full spectrum of equity investments from core and core-plus to value-add and opportunistic, including mezzanine debt, preferred equity, and joint venture equity placements throughout the entire capital stack. For commercial property owners, developers, and institutional investors.
• Investment Sales and Advisory Works with institutional and individual investors on strategic acquisitions and dispositions of commercial real estate investments, providing buy-side advisory, sell-side investment sales, capital sourcing, consulting, portfolio analysis, and 1031 exchange expertise. Focus on Southeastern markets including North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
• Mortgage Servicing Administers loans for approximately 27 lending sources, handling loan payments, escrow management, UCC filings, insurance renewals, and central payment collection services from the Raleigh office. Currently manages a servicing portfolio in excess of $4 billion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $20 billion in loan volume since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• REFA (Real Estate Finance Associates)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1979REFA is a national organization of eight independently owned mortgage banking firms that share information daily, allowing members to effectively compete with larger national firms. Member firms include Columbia National Real Estate Advisors, District Capital, Goedecke & Co., Keystone Mortgage Corporation, Largo Real Estate Advisors, Medalist Capital, Melvin Mark Inc., and Trinity Real Estate Finance.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Walker & Dunlop: Walker & Dunlop is one of the largest U.S. CRE lenders and servicers with a national multifamily and capital markets franchise; it competes with Medalist on permanent debt placement and loan servicing, though at much greater scale.
• JLL Capital Markets: JLL's Capital Markets group is a global CRE investment sales and debt placement platform; it overlaps directly with Medalist's investment sales advisory and equity placement divisions, particularly via its Nashville and Southeast offices.
• Newmark Group: Newmark's Capital Markets business arranges debt, equity, and investment sales across CRE asset types, directly competing with Medalist's full-stack capital markets offering on mid-market and institutional deals.
• Cushman & Wakefield: Cushman & Wakefield provides CRE investment sales, debt placement, and equity advisory services globally; recent Medalist producer hires from C&W's Nashville office highlight the talent and mandate overlap.
• CBRE Capital Markets: CBRE is the largest global CRE services firm with a full-service debt and equity placement, investment sales, and loan servicing platform that competes with Medalist on institutional and mid-market mandates alike.
• Eastdil Secured: Eastdil Secured is a premier CRE investment banking firm focused on large institutional capital markets transactions; it competes with Medalist for high-end debt placement and equity advisory mandates.

Direct peers

• Northmarq: Northmarq is a large privately held commercial real estate capital markets firm arranging debt and equity across the U.S. with a similar correspondent lender model, making it a direct mid-market competitor to Medalist.
• Columbia National Real Estate Advisors: Columbia National is a fellow REFA member firm and independent CRE mortgage banking company arranging permanent debt for institutional clients, making it a directly comparable peer in scale, model, and geographic footprint.
• Berkadia Commercial Mortgage: Berkadia is a major CRE mortgage banking and servicing platform with life insurance company relationships, offering directly comparable permanent loan placement, equity, and investment sales services to Medalist's clients.
• Lument (formerly Hunt Real Estate Capital): Lument is a national CRE capital markets firm arranging debt and equity for multifamily, seniors housing, and commercial properties, competing head-to-head with Medalist in the life insurance and agency lending channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medalist-capital

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Medalist Capital