REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT,MORTGAGE AND LENDING
Hallmark Home Mortgage | November 07, 2022
Hallmark Home Mortgage, a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based independent residential mortgage lender, has completed the acquisition of a well-established team of mortgage bankers. The move will expand its residential lending services to include Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina and Texas; representing a strategic milestone for the organization.
"I am pleased to welcome this talented team of more than 60 mortgage professionals, Hallmark is now positioned to become one of the nation's top 100 residential mortgage lenders. This increased productivity will create new employment opportunities at the corporate headquarters in Fort Wayne."
-Deborah Sturges Chief Executive Officer and Founder at Hallmark Home Mortgage
This is a tremendous opportunity, The team brings a strong lending and scalable presence in their current markets and shares the same passion as Hallmark for delivering a superior customer experience,noted Hallmark Home Mortgage Executive Vice President/Division Manager Mark Etchison.
Marc Wadman will continue to direct the newly acquired team as Senior Vice President/Regional Manager. Hallmark is known for its continued strong leadership and team support within the mortgage industry, It became evident after discussions with the Hallmark executive leadership team that this was the ideal fit for our associates and clients,Wadman added.
With rising inflation and mortgage rates climbing, workforce capacity has had to be adjusted for many mortgage lenders. Hallmark, however, continues to successfully execute against its strategic growth plan by focusing on its Realtors®, referral partners and past clients.
About Hallmark Home Mortgage
Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Hallmark Home Mortgage was founded in 2007 by Deborah Sturges. Driven by her strong passion for providing home finance solutions backed by a tradition of service, the company continues to impact the communities and the employees it serves. Whether a first-time home buyer or experienced homeowner, Hallmark offers the perfect combination of digital technology and human touch to ensure that every customer experience is tailored to fit their individual needs.
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REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT
Conning and PEARLMARK | November 11, 2022
Conning, a leading global investment management firm, and Pearlmark Real Estate, L.L.C. (“Pearlmark”), a specialist investment manager of commercial real estate debt and equity strategies, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement for Conning & Company to acquire a majority stake in Pearlmark. Pearlmark will continue to operate autonomously with its investment team led by Stephen Quazzo and Doug Lyons.
“Partnering with Pearlmark is the latest example of our strategy to add best-in-class capabilities to meet the evolving needs of our clients, Pearlmark has extensive real estate knowledge and significant experience successfully working with insurance companies and other institutional clients to help them achieve their real estate investment objectives.”
-Woody Bradford, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Conning
We are excited to collaborate with Conning while continuing to work with our industry partners and clients in providing real estate capital solutions, Conning’s investment and client-oriented culture is a perfect fit for our business, and they are the ideal strategic partner to help us strengthen and grow our platform,said Stephen Quazzo, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Pearlmark.
Founded in 1996, Pearlmark is focused on U.S. mid-cap real estate investments in both equity and debt. This holistic perspective enhances Pearlmark’s approach to sourcing, underwriting, and managing its investments, which drives value for investors. Pearlmark is headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in Denver, Nashville, and New York City.
The transaction is expected to close by early 2023, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP served as a legal advisor to Conning. CenterCap Group, LLC served as financial advisor and Drane & Freyer Limited served as legal advisor to Pearlmark.
ABOUT CONNING
Conning is a leading investment management firm with more than $180 billion in global assets under management as of September 30, 2022. With a long history of serving the insurance industry, Conning supports institutional investors, including insurers and pension plans, with investment solutions, risk modeling software, and industry research. Founded in 1912, Conning has investment centers in Asia, Europe and North America. As of September 30, 2022, represents the combined global assets under management for the affiliated firms under Conning Holdings Limited (CHL) and Cathay Securities Investment Trust Co., Ltd. (SITE). SITE is a separate entity under Cathay Financial Holdings Co., Ltd which is the ultimate controlling parent of all Conning entities. The CHL CEO sits on the Board of SITE and helps oversee the business.
ABOUT PEARLMARK
Pearlmark is a Chicago-based investment firm that targets domestic core, value-add, and opportunistic real estate opportunities via commingled funds, separate accounts, and joint venture structures. Since 1996, Pearlmark has sponsored more than a dozen real estate equity and debt investment programs and completed 565 real estate equity and debt transactions on behalf of investors, representing $5.3 billion in equity capital commitments and over $13.8 billion in gross investment value. Pearlmark is dedicated to creating value for its investors and offers a range of investment opportunities nationwide across various property types (office, industrial, multifamily).
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REAL ESTATE TECHNOLOGY,INVESTMENTS
MRI Software | December 29, 2022
Marlette Holdings, Inc., one of the leading financial technology companies that operate the Best Egg platform, recently announced a partnership with MRI Software, a global leader in real estate solutions.
The Best Egg Flexible Rent platform allows tenants to customize their monthly rental payments by dividing the total amount into several smaller, more manageable installments that can be paid at any time during the month.
Due to the integration of this technology within MRI's RentPayment service, residents can now choose Flexible Rent as a payment option without leaving the MRI portal. In addition, millions of renters are managed nationwide by the open and linked software created by MRI, which is used by thousands of multifamily property managers.
Best Egg is committed to giving its clients the resources they need to manage their daily finances while fostering financial confidence. Therefore, the company is happy to collaborate with MRI to give payment flexibility to the renters who use its software. The company's new Flexible Rent platform is a natural extension of that aim. Flexible Rent gives tenants more control over how and when they pay bills and guarantees timely and full rent payments to property managers.
As part of the Partner Connect program, MRI Software is pleased to welcome the Best Egg Flexible Rent platform since it believes the combined technology will provide tenants greater freedom to manage their rent responsibilities while lessening the administrative burden on property managers. Flexible Rent will be offered to multifamily property managers and tenants via MRI RentPayment beginning in the first quarter of 2023 and will be rolled out to additional properties over time.
About MRI Software
MRI Software transforms how communities live, work, and play. Its flexible, open, and connected platform empowers commercial and residential property owners, operators, and occupiers to innovate in changing markets. MRI has been a PropTech pioneer for over 50 years, serving over 2 million consumers. MRI's leading technologies and partner ecosystem help real estate companies grow and compete.
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