NEW YORK CITY—Newmark Knight Frank has lured two experienced senior housing debt and structured finance originators from Berkadia, a Berkshire Hathaway and Jefferies Financial Group company. The brokerage is the largest non-bank, commercial mortgage servicer in the country. Heidi Brunet and Lisa Lautner are joining NKF as executive managing directors, both coming from Berkadia's office in Southport, North Carolina.

Together totaling experience of nearly 40 years, the two have originated over $8 billion in combined seniors housing-related financings in the last seven years on behalf of some of the nation's largest and most active industry sponsors. In 2018, their combined businesses grew to become the #1 Fannie Mae and #3 Freddie Mac senior housing volume lender nationwide.

Brunet and Lautner have provided debt services in the areas of independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD and balance sheet lending. They will work with the recently hired healthcare and seniors housing investment sales and debt team, vice chairmen Ryan Maconachy and Chad Lavender, senior managing director Dave Fasano, and managing directors Ross Sanders and Sarah Anderson.

“NKF is committed to leading the market in seniors housing and we are thrilled to have key industry veterans Heidi and Lisa join us. With their deep industry knowledge, partnership with the healthcare investment sales team and access to our expansive platform, we are confident we will achieve unparalleled success in this arena,” notes NKF's vice chairman, head of multifamily debt & structured finance, Mike May.

He points out that this sector has experienced an average annual investment sales volume of over $17 billion over the past five years. “The demographics fueling healthcare investment and the significant push from institutional capital to focus on specialty property types and alternative assets reaffirms why we are so committed to the healthcare and seniors housing space as a long-term growth sector for the firm,” says May.

NKF also highlights Brunet and Lautner's loyal client base and successful track record in senior housing financings. The duo departs Berkadia where they were consistently recognized as top producers and leaders in the company. In 2017, Brunet was ranked in the “Top 30 Rainmakers in Commercial Real Estate” for loan production by Real Estate Forum magazine. Brunet and Lautner have handled numerous noteworthy transactions, including some of the largest and more unique healthcare and seniors housing sales nationwide.

Instant Insights /

Industry Veterans from Berkadia Join NKF, Bolstering Healthcare Group

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