Women in CRE: Laura Rapaport
She founded North Bridge to change the built environment through C-PACE financing.
Laura Rapaport said she “fell in love with real estate because of the ability to change the built environment.” As founder & CEO of New York-based C-PACE lender North Bridge, she has been helping owners finance sustainable improvements at their properties since 2021.
“Having been able to work in several areas including leasing, acquisitions, development, finance and capital raising, my goal now is to help by using my knowledge for good, making a better and more sustainable built environment,” Rapaport noted.
North Bridge works nationally as a C-PACE lender and servicer offering borrowers low-cost, long-term, fixed-rate funding for sustainability or efficiency projects. The firm funds institutional-level projects of $10 million or more.
North Bridge C-PACE deals include a $50 million refinancing of a 331-key Berkeley, Calif., hotel late last year—one of the largest hotel C-PACE transactions in 2023. It also partnered with the developer of The Battery in Philadelphia, a mixed-use conversion at a former PECO plant, to structure a $26.6 million C-PACE loan used to pay down existing loans, unlocking liquidity to finish the project.
Rapaport had always wanted to be a doctor. But a summer internship at Helmsley Spear, where she began leasing properties, changed the trajectory of her life and her career path.
Her first position was with Lehman Brothers in its global real estate group in London. She was also a director at Tishman Speyer before joining L&L Holding Co. where she was a key member of the leadership team for almost a decade. While at L&L, she served as development manager of 425 Park Ave., the first full-block office development on Manhattan’s Park Avenue in nearly 50 years. She also raised $500 million of co-investment capital.
Right place, right time
Rapaport attributes success to a blend of serendipity and timing.
“I have had the privilege of working with people who believed in me and gave me opportunity. I also have been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time,” she said. “These are men and women who paved the way forward for me, invested their time and faith in me, presenting me with invaluable opportunities. The belief and support of these mentors and colleagues have been pivotal in my journey.”
Rapaport advises other women to prioritize making connections in order to move forward in their careers. “The power of a strong network has been instrumental in my journey to where I am today,” she shares. “Equally important is paying it forward.”
Commercial real estate can become more inclusive, Rapaport said, by intentionally seeking out and including voices from various backgrounds and experiences, something North Bridge actively does.
“By enhancing opportunities for all, we ensure that the built environment and the CRE industry reflects and benefits the diverse communities it serves. It’s simply good business.”
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