Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate finance company, announced that Alex Chang has joined the firm as a Senior Managing Director. In his new role, Mr. Chang will focus on a number of initiatives, including the firm’s bridge lending capabilities through Greystone Monticello as well as expanding the firm’s bank and alternative capital relationships. Primarily based in New York, Mr. Chang reports to Debby Jenkins, co-President of Greystone’s lending business platforms.

Bringing over 20 years of commercial real estate experience spanning Agency, CMBS, mezzanine, bridge, and loan securitization executions, Mr. Chang was most recently focused on bridge-to-Agency opportunities at PGIM Real Estate. Prior to that role, he spent over 13 years at Freddie Mac Multifamily, where he oversaw the credit quality of more than $500 billion in securitizations, structured and approved complex transactions, and was responsible for the credit policies governing all multifamily products. Earlier in his career, Mr. Chang also spent time at Mezz Cap and Bear Stearns. Mr. Chang earned a Bachelor’s degree from University of Virginia and a Master’s degree in finance from American University.

“Alex’s deep expertise across CRE debt, securitization, and capital markets areas is incredibly valuable, and I am thrilled to have his level of proficiency here at Greystone as we continue to refine and build out our bridge and alternative capital platforms,” said Ms. Jenkins.

“Greystone’s business lending platforms, collectively, are something quite unique, and I know with the great people at Greystone and Debby’s leadership that the growing structured capital solutions team will be a driving force for liquidity, efficiency, and customer experience across all segments of the CRE lending market,” added Mr. Chang.

Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate finance company, announced it has been recognized by Commercia Property Executive with a Bronze award for the Most Effective DEI Program in the 2023 CPE Influence Awards.

Greystone was selected as a winner in this category for its efforts in furthering the company’s “Building Belonging” initiative, which employs both internal and external programs to help employees connect, communicate, and better understand how a diverse, inclusive workforce benefits both the company and individual employees.

Greystone’s tagline is ‘where people matter,’ and its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives start and end with people in mind. The company’s focus on DEI centers on a strategically focused internal DEI committee and a dedicated DEI/Development-focused department that helps the organization learn, grow, and reflect.

Greystone’s DEI program is supported by a range of activities, including companywide celebrations and recognitions of cultural heritage months and observances, a DEI book club, external speakers, and employee resources such as a DEI dictionary and calendar. The program is also supported by three subcommittees who focus efforts on Community, Culture, and Careers & People. Greystone launched a formal mentoring program in 2023, partnered with Project Destined on career development for underserved communities and students, and launched a podcast, GLOW CRE, to help foster the growth of women working in commercial real estate. Greystone also supports three Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), Greystone Women’s Network, Greystone Asian Pacific Islanders, and Pride + Allies, to provide more opportunities for connection and collaboration among employees.

“Our vision – and the purpose driving all our efforts - is to build belonging and help people grow at Greystone. It’s more than just our tagline – we are committed to making Greystone a place where people truly know and feel they matter. DEI is at the heart of our culture of caring, integrity, and excellence and the driving force behind our entrepreneurial spirit and creativity,” said Pranika Uppal Sinha, Managing Director of DEI and Organization Development at Greystone. “We are honored to have been recognized by Commercial Property Executive with this award.”

Industry Veteran to Launch Platform for Institutional Investors to Support Affordable Housing Construction Nationwide

Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate finance company, announced that Greg Voyentzie has joined the firm as head of a new Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) syndication platform that will support the development and construction of new affordable housing across the nation. The platform will further expand relationships with institutional investors to deploy capital for new affordable housing communities, create jobs, generate tax revenue to municipalities, and positively enhance the lives of seniors, minorities, veterans, and those with disabilities.

Prior to joining Greystone, Mr. Voyentzie led the tax credit platform at Boston Financial as Chief Executive Officer, where he also served as a member of the Management Committee for ORIX Corporation USA, Boston Financial’s parent company. He served over 24 years at the company and during his time there was responsible for managing, underwriting, structuring, and originating tax credit equity funds totaling more than $16 billion. Before joining Boston Financial, Mr. Voyentzie was a manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and a senior associate within Ernst & Young LLP’s National Tax Practice. He holds both an MBA and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Connecticut.

“After a gratifying tenure at Boston Financial, I was drawn to the opportunity to complement Greystone’s unique combination of affordable housing debt, equity, and development expertise with a tax credit syndication platform to help fund the creation of new housing,” said Mr. Voyentzie. “Institutional investors recognize that a company’s values are reflected in its work, and Greystone’s commitment to affordable housing, as well as its caring culture and philanthropic mission, are truly undeniable. I am thrilled to join the firm and make an impact for affordable developers nationwide.”

“It has been a long-time goal to add tax credit syndication to Greystone’s broad financing and investment platform, and Greg is the perfect fit to lead this new initiative,” said Mr. Steve Rosenberg, founder and CEO of Greystone and to whom Mr. Voyentzie reports. “With his nearly 30 years of experience building out opportunities for both investors and developers in the affordable housing market, he will be an asset to the firm in achieving its affordable housing goals while building new relationships with investors and developers.”

Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate finance company, has provided a $18,296,000 Fannie Mae Delegated Underwriting & Servicing (DUS®) loan to refinance a 154-unit multifamily property in Brooklyn, New York. The financing was originated by Anthony Cristi, Managing Director at Greystone.

Located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, 400 Herkimer Street is situated on 18 acres of land and is contained in one six-story residential building. Built in 1965, the property boasts units ranging from studios, to one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. The fixed-rate Fannie Mae financing includes a 10-year term and 30-year amortization.

“With today’s market volatility, it’s critical to lock in an interest rate when they dip,” said Mr. Cristi. “It’s my mission to help my clients achieve their property portfolio goals, and Greystone has the tools at hand to help me do so.”

“Anthony and his team are uniquely knowledgeable about the Brooklyn multifamily market and Agency lending, which ensures that we are given the best options for the market at any given time,” said Amarbin Ahmed, principal of the borrower. “We are thrilled with the outcome, enabling us to extract capital and complete obtaining ownership interest in this core property of our portfolio.”

NEW YORK, NY (May 15, 2023) – Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate finance company, has provided a $34,028,000 Fannie Mae Delegated Underwriting & Servicing (DUS®) loan for a 268-unit multifamily property in Pensacola, Florida. The financing was originated by Carter King, Managing Director at Greystone, on behalf of Hallmark DE Nottingham, LLC, a repeat client of the firm.

Constructed in 2002, The Lakes at Nottingham in Escambia County is a garden-style apartment community consisting of 17 buildings and featuring one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The $34,028,000 non-recourse, fixed-rate financing carries a five-year term and 30-year amortization, with two years of interest-only payments. In addition to refinancing the balance of an existing Fannie Mae loan, which had been provided by Greystone, loan proceeds enable the borrower to monetize a portion of their equity.

“We are deeply appreciative when clients turn to Greystone for multiple projects in their portfolios,” said Mr. King. “We’re here to partner with our clients and leverage our extensive multifamily lending platform so they can achieve their desired outcome for every property.”

“When it comes to multifamily, Greystone is an easy choice – our team’s expertise results in a smooth and seamless transaction every time,” said Mr. Martin H. Petersen, principal of the borrower. “We consider Greystone to be a trusted partner because their ability to navigate the complex world of multifamily finance consistently produces an outstanding outcome for our portfolio.”

NEW YORK, NY (May 11, 2023) – Greystone affiliate, Greystone Housing Impact Investors (“GHI”), the general partner of the general partner of Greystone Housing Impact Investors LP (NYSE: GHI) (the “Partnership”), announced that Jason R. Kaye has joined as a Managing Director. Based in Ft. Lauderdale and reporting to Kenneth C. Rogozinski, CEO of the Partnership, Mr. Kaye will focus on originating and structuring tax-exempt loan and bond financing transactions, including construction financing, for affordable multifamily and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties. 

Prior to joining GHI, Mr. Kaye was a Senior Vice President at Regions Bank where he handled debt and tax credit equity, transaction structuring and loan executions for local and national affordable housing developers. He has also served as a Senior Vice President at Bank of America in Community Development Banking, originating and structuring affordable housing debt and equity. Mr. Kaye also previously worked at Citigroup Global Markets. He began his career with the New York City Economic Development Corporation.

Mr. Kaye earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Binghamton University, a Master’s of Regional Planning from Cornell University, and a Master’s Degree in Real Estate Finance from New York University. He currently holds Series 52, Series 7, and Series 63 licenses.

“Jason’s experience across a range of multifamily debt and equity platforms, as well as his deep banking knowledge on private placements, syndications, and tax credit equity, will be an asset to GHI and its clients,” said Mr. Rogozinski. “We are thrilled for the potential to grow our impact across new affordable housing markets with his expertise and relationships, and warmly welcome Jason to the team.”