Starwood Mortgage Capital

What Starwood Mortgage Capital does

Starwood Mortgage Capital is a private commercial real estate lender founded in 1991 by Larry Brown, operating as the CMBS conduit origination subsidiary of Starwood Property Trust, Inc. (NYSE: STWD), which is itself an affiliate of Starwood Capital Group, a global private investment firm with approximately $115 billion in assets under management. The firm originates first lien, fixed-rate commercial mortgage loans typically ranging from $5 million to $100 million, secured by retail shopping centers, office buildings, multifamily apartment complexes, hotels, self-storage, mixed-use, and industrial properties throughout North America. Loans are structured with 5, 7, or 10-year terms, up to 30-year amortization, maximum 75% LTV and 80% LTC, and non-recourse provisions with carve-outs, and are subsequently pooled and securitized for the CMBS market.

The company operates a direct origination model with four regional offices across the United States (Miami Beach headquarters, Charlotte, New York, and El Segundo) and a national team of senior originators sourcing transactions through both broker relationships and direct borrower outreach. Its revenue model is anchored in interest income on the originated loan portfolio combined with transaction-based fees tied to CMBS securitization. Starwood Mortgage Capital is tightly integrated within the broader Starwood real estate finance platform, sharing leadership and infrastructure with Starwood Property Trust and LNR Property LLC, the largest commercial mortgage special servicer in the United States, creating a vertically aligned origination, securitization, and servicing ecosystem. Headcount is reported in the 11-50 range, reflecting a lean origination and capital markets team that leverages the parent company's balance sheet, capital markets access, and servicing capabilities rather than operating as a standalone balance-sheet lender.

Name

Starwood Mortgage Capital

Legal name

Starwood Mortgage LLC

Website

https://starwoodmortgagecapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Starwood Mortgage Capital is a private CMBS conduit lender and subsidiary of Starwood Property Trust (NYSE: STWD), originating $5 million to $100 million fixed-rate first lien loans on commercial real estate across North America for subsequent securitization.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Mortgage Lending

NAICS

Real Estate Credit (522292)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Asset-Backed Securities (6189)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Credit — Real Estate Debt (Bridge, Mezz, CMBS-like) (FSAHAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mortgage Loan Sales & Aggregation (Correspondent/Conduit Aggregators) (FSALAFAD)

Keywords

• Commercial mortgage lending
• CMBS conduit loans
• Commercial real estate finance
• First lien mortgage origination
• Loan securitization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Florida

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Interest Income from Loan Origination: Starwood Mortgage Capital originates commercial real estate loans secured by retail shopping centers, office buildings, multifamily apartment complexes, hotels, self storage, mixed-use and industrial properties. The company earns interest income on its loan portfolio and generates additional revenue through securitization of loans for the CMBS market.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Starwood Mortgage Capital is a commercial real estate lender that originates first lien mortgage loans—typically $5 million to $100 million—on retail, office, multifamily, hospitality, self-storage, mixed-use, and industrial properties across North America. Loans are offered under 5, 7, or 10-year fixed-rate terms with up to 30-year amortization, up to 75% LTV / 80% LTC, non-recourse structure with carve-outs, and are subsequently securitized through the CMBS market. The firm operates through regional origination teams in Miami Beach, Charlotte, New York, and El Segundo, supported by its affiliation with Starwood Property Trust and Starwood Capital Group.

Product overview

Starwood Mortgage Capital operates as a single-product commercial real estate mortgage lender offering First Lien Mortgage Loans. The firm specializes in flexible loan structures within a sophisticated lending platform, originating competitively-priced loans typically ranging from $5 Million to $100 Million for secured commercial real estate properties across North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• First Lien Mortgage Loans First lien mortgage loans secured by commercial real estate properties including retail, office, industrial, multifamily, manufactured housing, self-storage, and hotel properties throughout North America. Loan sizes typically range from $5 million to $100 million, with 5, 7, or 10-year fixed-rate terms, up to 30-year amortization, maximum 75% LTV and 80% LTC, non-recourse structure with carve-out provisions, and no prepayment prior to month 36 or two years after securitization. Designed for commercial property owners, developers, and CMBS conduit borrowers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-60 days closing timeline from application to funding

Named customers7 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

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ladder Capital: Ladder Capital is a publicly traded commercial real estate lender offering first mortgage loans, mezzanine debt, and equity investments. Former SMC executives (Craig Picket, Mike Stone) joined SMC from Ladder, indicating direct product overlap and competitive positioning in mid-market CRE lending.
• Walker & Dunlop: Walker & Dunlop is a major commercial real estate finance company with a large origination footprint and institutional sponsorship relationships. It competes directly with SMC in mid-market CRE lending, with several SMC executives having held prior roles at Walker & Dunlop.
• Cantor Commercial Real Estate (CCRE): CCRE is a major CMBS conduit lender and was a direct competitor to SMC. Multiple SMC senior originators (Steve Bartlett, Joe Duarte) previously held leadership roles at CCRE, underscoring direct product, customer, and execution overlap in CMBS conduit lending.
• LNR Partners: LNR Partners is the largest commercial mortgage special servicer in the US and is itself a subsidiary of Starwood Property Trust. Through shared leadership (Adam Behlman), LNR and SMC are deeply integrated, providing SMC with a structural servicing advantage few competitors can match.

Broad incumbents

• Wells Fargo Multifamily Capital: Wells Fargo is a top-tier CMBS issuer and GSE multifamily lender. Multiple SMC executives (Steve DeRose, Lance Johnson, Jaime Leonti, Jim Freel) held prior roles at Wells Fargo and its predecessors, indicating direct competition in CMBS conduit and balance-sheet lending.
• Arbor Realty Trust: Arbor Realty Trust is a publicly traded specialty finance company focused on multifamily commercial real estate lending, with a diversified product suite including agency, CMBS, and bridge loans. It competes with SMC in the multifamily and broader CRE lending space.
• Deutsche Bank Mortgage Capital: Deutsche Bank Mortgage Capital is a major CMBS originator and one of SMC's most significant talent feeders. Founder Larry Brown co-founded and led Deutsche Bank Mortgage Capital, and multiple SMC executives (Larry Brown, Jeremy Beard, Jaime Leonti, Craig Picket) previously held leadership roles there.
• KKR Real Estate Finance Trust: KREF is a publicly traded mortgage REIT focused on originating and acquiring senior secured CRE loans, supported by KKR's capital markets platform. It competes with SMC in first lien CRE lending with broad property-type exposure.
• JPMorgan Mortgage Capital: JPMorgan Mortgage Capital is a major CMBS conduit lender and balance-sheet CRE lender. Multiple SMC team members (Yorke Pharr, Gerry Santos) previously held roles at JPMorgan Mortgage Capital, indicating direct competition in CMBS execution.

Emerging players

• TPG RE Finance Trust: TRTX is a publicly traded mortgage REIT sponsored by TPG that originates and manages a portfolio of senior secured CMBS-eligible CRE loans. It competes with SMC in the mid-market CRE lending space with similar property-type diversification.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/starwood-mortgage-capital-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Starwood Mortgage Capital