GE Real Estate Opens Local Loan Office

Williams most recently served as a director at Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP, which is an intermediary between lenders and borrowers. At HFF, he was responsible for arranging debt, mezzanine, and equity capital for properties through life companies, pension funds and Wall Street. Prior to that, he worked for direct lenders Archon Financial/Goldman Sachs and Co., and Chase Bank.

In addition to assuming volume responsibility in Portland for GE, Williams is charged with originating, analyzing, and negotiating structured finance and CMBS loans. Williams also will be responsible for market analysis, identifying risk issues, and leading customer relations. He will report to regional director Brent Wessel.

GE Real Estate's western region managing director Jack Inglis says Williams was hired because the firm needed someone with a track record of leading the analysis and origination of a broad variety of deals in order to have the best opportunity to meet its growth objectives for the region.

Williams tells GlobeSt.com that it will be a "huge plus" for GE Real Estate to have a local presence. "For CMBS and larger structured deals, most of the lenders are not local," Williams says. "It's a huge plus to have presence there in the back yard."

GE Real Estate has been active in the Pacific Northwest for more than 20 years. Recent deals include providing $70 million for the Commons at Federal Way retail center in Federal Way, WA, $11.5 million for Alderwood Heights Apartments in Lynwood, WA; and $8.5 million for the Greenbrier at Tanasbourne apartments in Beaverton, OR. Williams tells GlobeSt.com the group will expand their regional presence by also investing in office, industrial, self-storage properties.