Walker & Dunlop Expands With Purchase of NYC Firm

Walker & Dunlop Inc. continues to expand its presence in the capital markets space with the recent acquisition of Beler Advisory Group. The commercial real estate finance company purchased New York-based Beler, a boutique real estate advisory agency, under undisclosed terms.

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The acquisition of Beler Advisory dovetails with Walker & Dunlop’s Vision 2020 initiative, the Bethesda, Md.-based company’s plan to evolve into the premier commercial real estate finance company in the U.S. “Similar to our first five-year growth plan that was launched in 2007 with no idea that we were headed into the Great Financial Crisis, we didn’t build Vision 2020 thinking our growth and investment would be impacted by a global pandemic. But just as we did in 2008, we will remain focused on the long-term growth of Walker & Dunlop and continue to invest and build,” Willy Walker, chairman & CEO of Walker & Dunlop Inc., said during the company’s first quarter 2020 earnings conference call on May 6.

New York City. Image via Pixabay.com

Walker & Dunlop brings Beler Advisory into the fold less than one year after industry heavy hitter Mo Beler, whose career has involved investing and advisory activity valued in excess of $6 billion, established the firm on the heels of serving as vice chairman on JLL’s Capital Markets team. Since opening its doors in the fall of 2019, Beler Advisory has established itself as a service provider of national scope, offering clients expertise in an array of debt solutions ranging from joint venture equity placement to structured finance.

As senior managing director of Walker & Dunlop’s New York City Capital Markets Debt and Equity Team, Beler will be tasked with sourcing and structuring equity capital transactions and debt financing for various asset classes across the country. A 15-year industry veteran, Beler also comes to the table with the requisite skills and experience for growing Walker & Dunlop’s client base and capital markets services, as well as a long history of partnering with the very team with whom he’ll now work side-by-side.

Growth momentum

In the midst of the unprecedented global health crisis and resulting economic downturn, Walker & Dunlop has remained highly active in the pursuit of its expansion goals. As Walker noted during the earnings call, the company hired a top multifamily financing team away from one of its largest competitors, Berkadia, in April. Additionally, Walker & Dunlop also recently closed a $2.4 billion Fannie Mae Credit Facility for a client’s refinancing of a Washington, D.C.-area multifamily portfolio, marking the company’s largest transaction ever. “W&D has a long history of zigging when others zag, and over the coming months and years, we will look for opportunities to invest in, and grow our business to generate differentiated long-term, shareholder returns,” Walker added during the call.