Walker & Dunlop, a commercial real estate finance company, has 29 offices in the U.S. The company has opened a Houston office.
Walker & Dunlop, a commercial real estate finance company based in Bethesda, Md., has opened a Houston office staffed with a team of debt and equity finance professionals formerly with JLL.
Mike Melody, Tom Melody, Tom Fish, and Paul House, all managing directors, and Jonathan Paine, senior vice president, will be responsible for securing financing for owners and developers of all types of commercial real estate assets in the southwestern United States.
“Each member of the team has deep relationships with commercial real estate lenders and owners across the country, and we are thrilled that they will bring such an impressive track record to Walker & Dunlop,” Cliff Carnes, chief production officer for Walker & Dunlop, said in an announcement. “Their long history of raising debt and equity capital for multifamily, office, industrial, retail and hospitality properties across the country will add to the depth and strength of the overall platform.”
The announcement comes about one month after JLL gained a number of capital markets professionals in Houston and elsewhere through the acquisition of Dallas-based HFF.
Melody, Melody, and Fish headed JLL’s national Capital Markets-Finance platform, while House oversaw the Houston Capital Markets platform. The 10-person Walker & Dunlop Houston office will include five staff members to support the group’s efforts and continued expansion.
“We have a 30-year history with the leadership team at Walker & Dunlop and are very honored to be continuing that relationship as part of the W&D family,” Fish said. “The small, ‘family business’ mentality that the company embodies, paired with its big company capabilities is truly unmatched. Our collective experience as a team is a point of pride for us and we are excited to become key components of the growth and success of this company.”
Walker & Dunlop’s debt brokerage team closed nearly 600 transactions in 2018, working with capital providers such as banks, life insurance companies and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) conduits. The company has 29 offices with more than 700 professionals across the U.S.
