CREFCO

What CREFCO does

CREFCO (legally CRE Finance Company LLC) is a private commercial real estate finance company founded in June 2015 by Tim Stevens and headquartered in North Augusta, South Carolina, with a secondary presence in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The firm operates as a commercial mortgage brokerage and advisory practice, sourcing and structuring debt financing across seven commercial real estate asset classes: multifamily, hospitality, office, industrial, self-storage, NNN/retail, and SBA/USDA. Loan sizes range from $1MM to $50MM with structures spanning permanent financing (non-recourse, up to 35-year amortization, 45-60 day closings) and bridge/construction financing (LIBOR plus spread, 24-36 month interest-only, 2% in/1% out exit fees waived on CREFCO refinances), with leverage up to 85% CLTV using mezzanine second-position capital.

CREFCO monetizes primarily through transaction-based origination and structuring fees on loans it places with a broad network of capital sources, supplemented by à la carte advisory services including due diligence, underwriting and sizing analysis, property site visits, capital allocation strategy, pro-forma cash flow projections, and acquisition/disposition advisory. The company has closed in excess of $1 billion in loan transactions since 2015 (with one source citing $900MM+ since inception) and reports $26MM closed YTD 2026. There is no proprietary technology platform disclosed; the offering is relationship-driven and dependent on the principal's 20+ years of institutional experience and a curated network of 10 strategic referral partners including CBRE, Colliers International, Kirkland Multi-Family Group, and Ridgewood Capital Partners.

The company serves SMB and mid-market commercial real estate investors, developers, and small business owners across the Southeast and Midwest United States (with nationwide reach claimed), with a primary focus on multifamily and hospitality financing. Distribution is field-based enterprise sales supported by repeat-client referrals and partner-driven deal flow; the team is small (3 named staff members including principal Tim Stevens and associates Eric Alton and Diedre Parker) and the business is entirely founder-owned with no institutional investment or external funding rounds disclosed.

Name

CREFCO

Legal name

CRE Finance Company LLC

Website

https://crefcompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CREFCO is a private commercial mortgage brokerage arranging $1MM-$50MM debt financing across multifamily, hospitality, office, industrial, self-storage, NNN/retail, and SBA/USDA asset classes for SMB and mid-market CRE investors across the Southeast and Midwest US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Real Estate Financing

NAICS

Real Estate Credit (522292), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSALADAA

Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Mortgage Origination

Financial & Insurance/Mortgage & Housing Finance/Commercial & Multifamily Mortgage Lending

SECONDARYFSALADAC

CRE Bridge & Transitional Lending

Financial & Insurance/Mortgage & Housing Finance/Commercial & Multifamily Mortgage Lending

SECONDARYBPAJAMAB

Commercial Real Estate Asset Management

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Real Estate Asset & Portfolio Management

Keywords

• Commercial real estate financing
• CRE loan origination
• Bridge construction loans
• Permanent debt placement
• Investment advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

North Augusta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Loan Origination Fees: CREFCO earns fees for arranging and structuring commercial real estate financing for clients. The company works with multiple funding sources to find optimal financing products for each transaction. Fees are likely earned as origination fees, exit fees, or spreads on the loans they arrange.
2. Advisory Services: A la carte advisory services including due diligence, underwriting and sizing analysis, and property site visits available at reasonable expense. These supplementary services support the core lending business.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CREFCO is a commercial real estate mortgage brokerage and advisory firm that arranges debt financing for CRE investors and developers across asset classes including multi-family, hospitality, office, industrial, self-storage, NNN/retail, and SBA/USDA, with loan sizes from $1MM to $50MM. It structures permanent, bridge, and construction loans from a broad network of capital providers, supplemented by investment advisory services covering due diligence, underwriting, capital allocation, and acquisition/disposition strategy.

Product overview

CREFCO is a commercial real estate financing company offering a unified suite of debt and advisory products. The core offerings include asset-class-specific financing products (Multi-Family, Hospitality, Office, Industrial, Self-Storage, NNN/Retail, and SBA/USDA) with loan amounts ranging from $1MM to $50MM, supplemented by permanent and bridge/construction loan structures. These are complemented by investment advisory services covering capital allocation, pro-forma projections, organizational structuring, and acquisition/disposition advisory. The company operates as a single platform serving clients across the Southeast and Midwestern U.S.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-Family Financing Commercial real estate financing for multi-family and apartment properties with loan amounts from $1MM to $50MM, up to 80% LTV (75% for student housing), offering 5-15 year fixed terms or hybrid ARM products with non-recourse options and interest-only periods up to 10 years in top markets. Targets apartment investors and developers.
• Hospitality Financing Financing for hospitality properties including hotels and flagged properties, with $5MM-$50MM loan amounts for primary markets and $1MM-$20MM for secondary and destination markets, up to 70% LTV for purchases or rate/term refinances. Targets hotel and resort owners.
• Office Financing Office property financing with $5MM-$50MM loan amounts, up to 75% LTV (70% for small markets under 20,000 MSA population), featuring yield maintenance prepayment options and up to 5 years interest-only in top markets. Targets commercial office property investors.
• Industrial Financing Industrial property financing with up to 75% Loan to Value maximum, 70% for small markets under 20,000 MSA population. Targets industrial and warehouse property investors.
• Self-Storage Financing Commercial real estate financing for self-storage facilities with terms and conditions tailored to property specifics. Targets self-storage property investors and developers.
• NNN/Retail Financing Triple Net (NNN) and retail property financing with $3MM-$50MM loan amounts, up to 75% LTV (85% with mezzanine second). Targets single-tenant NNN retail and shopping center investors.
• SBA/USDA Financing Small Business Administration and USDA loans ranging from $1MM to $10MM with up to 85% LTV, featuring 3-25 year fixed terms and new construction options up to $7MM in select markets. Targets small business owners seeking SBA 504, SBA 7(a), or USDA-backed CRE financing.
• Permanent Financing Long-term permanent CRE loans with non-recourse options, fixed and ARM terms, up to 35-year amortization, $1MM-$50MM amounts, 45-60 day closings, and up to 85% CLTV with mezzanine second position. Targets CRE investors seeking long-duration take-out debt.
• Bridge/Construction Financing Short-term bridge and construction financing with non-recourse and recourse options, LIBOR plus spread rates, 24-36 month interest-only initial terms, 2% in/1% exit fees (waived for CREFCO refinances), up to 85% CLTV with mezzanine financing, and maximum 80% LTC in top markets and 75% LTC in other markets. Targets CRE investors and developers executing transitional or construction assets.
• Investment Advisory Services Advisory services covering capital allocation across portfolios, pro-forma cash flow projections, organizational structuring, capital return structures, and acquisition and disposition advisory. Includes a la carte due diligence, underwriting and sizing analysis, and property site visits available at reasonable expense. Targets CRE investors and operators seeking advisory support across the financing lifecycle.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1Billion+ closed since 2015
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CBREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCBRE is listed as a strategic partner in Jacksonville, FL. CBRE is one of the world's largest commercial real estate services firms, providing CREFCO with deal referrals and co-brokering opportunities.
• Colliers InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColliers International is listed as a strategic partner in Tampa, FL. As a leading global real estate services firm, Colliers refers clients needing financing solutions to CREFCO.
• Kirkland Multi-Family GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKirkland Multi-Family Group is listed as a strategic partner in Nashville, TN. This regional multifamily investment firm likely refers financing opportunities to CREFCO.
• Ridgewood Capital PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRidgewood Capital Partners is listed as a strategic partner in Charlotte, NC. As a commercial real estate investment firm, they likely refer financing opportunities to CREFCO.
• University Holdings GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity Holdings Group in Athens, GA is listed as a strategic partner, likely focused on student housing financing opportunities.
• InterMark ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterMark Management in Columbia, SC is listed as a strategic partner for potential financing referrals.
• Sperry Van NessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSperry Van Ness in Evans, GA is listed as a strategic partner, providing additional deal flow in the Georgia market.
• Woodruff Property ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWoodruff Property Management in Columbus, GA is listed as a strategic partner for potential financing referrals.
• Apartment COREminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApartment CORE in Raleigh, NC is listed as a strategic partner, likely referring multifamily financing opportunities.
• EastGate Multi-FamilyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEastGate Multi-Family in Charleston, SC is listed as a strategic partner for potential multifamily financing referrals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Greystone: Greystone is a national CRE finance and advisory firm where CREFCO's founder previously worked. It provides multi-family, healthcare, and commercial debt origination across a broad capital source network, competing for many of the same borrower mandates.
• Walker & Dunlop: Walker & Dunlop (which acquired Johnson Capital, where CREFCO's founder previously worked) is a major CRE finance platform offering origination, servicing, and capital markets. While larger and more diversified, it competes directly for the same CRE debt origination mandates CREFCO pursues.
• Newmark: Newmark Group's capital markets business arranges CRE debt and equity financing across multiple property types. As a diversified CRE services incumbent, it competes with CREFCO on multi-family, office, and hospitality financing mandates, especially at the larger end of the size spectrum.
• JLL Capital Markets: JLL's Capital Markets group is a global CRE debt and equity advisory practice. As a broader incumbent with institutional reach, it competes for larger CRE financing mandates that overlap with CREFCO's target market on permanent and bridge loans.
• CBRE Capital Markets / Debt & Structured Finance: CBRE's Debt & Structured Finance team arranges CRE debt through the world's largest CRE services platform. While also a referral partner to CREFCO, CBRE's capital markets group competes for the same CRE financing mandates at institutional scale.

Emerging players

• Red Oak Capital: Red Oak Capital is a smaller CRE debt placement and advisory firm with multi-family and hospitality focus. As an emerging player with comparable asset class coverage and a similar brokerage-style origination approach, it is a relevant peer at the smaller end of CREFCO's market.

Direct peers

• Bellwether Enterprise (BWE): BWE is a mid-size commercial real estate mortgage banking firm providing debt origination, structured finance, and loan servicing. Its relationship-driven brokerage model across multiple CRE asset classes mirrors CREFCO's go-to-market approach.
• Northmarq: Northmarq is a mid-size commercial real estate mortgage banking firm that arranges debt and equity capital for CRE clients, matching borrowers with institutional capital sources. Its product breadth, multi-family focus, and Southeast/Midwest footprint directly overlap CREFCO's model.
• Lument: Lument (formerly Hunt Real Estate Capital and Lancaster Pollard) is a CRE capital markets firm specializing in multi-family, affordable housing, and healthcare debt origination. Its mid-size broker-style model with institutional capital sources is directly comparable to CREFCO.
• Berkadia: Berkadia is a leading commercial real estate capital markets intermediary with deep multi-family and hotel finance origination. Its brokerage-style origination model, capital source network, and product menu closely mirror CREFCO's offerings across multiple asset classes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/crefco2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 CREFCO