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Get to know Women's Network members: Martha Agarwal, Tracy Chou, and Kate Foreman.

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CRE Finance Council Women's Network Member Spotlight

Featuring

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Martha Agarwal, Director, Debt Strategies Asset Management, Bridge Investment Group

CREFC Women’s Network Member

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I am a Director at Bridge Investment Group in New York City and work in Debt Asset Management with a great team of people I’ve known for over 15 years. The Bridge Debt Strategies vertical originates first mortgage loans on transitional properties in markets across the United States and is the largest acquirer of Freddie Mac K-Series B-pieces. In my current role I primarily manage the construction draw and loan advance process for both balance sheet and CLO loans which has been quite busy. Despite the effects of COVID, we have seen a significant amount of new lending and our loans have been actively executing on their business plans.

 

Although I have been in the industry for nearly 25 years, I only recently joined the CREFC Women’s Network. I have always been surrounded by other female professionals and mentors, but after taking a step back from my career for a few years with little kids, I feel it’s important to connect with other women in the industry. I look forward to taking advantage of all that CREFC Women’s Network has to offer.

3 Fun Facts About Martha

Fun fact about me that surprises people: I lived in Texas for 22 years and didn’t like Tex-Mex until I moved to NYC and couldn’t get the real thing!

Favorite quarantine recipe I've cooked: During my quarantine time, I learned how to make sourdough starter. My family looks forward to fresh sourdough bread and homemade sourdough pizza every Friday night.

Biggest vices that are getting me by: My biggest vices during quarantine have been bingewatching shows on Netflix and Disney+ and doing Zumba in my garage with my YouTube playlist.

Tracy Chou, CFA, Vice President, Bank of America Securities

CREFC Women’s Network Member

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I joined PriceServe in Bank of America Securities pricing CMBS/commercial mortgages three years ago. I priced more than 10,000 bonds every day. The market was extremely volatile in March 2020. I was so busy adjusting the prices every day. After that, the spread has been tightening all the way in. I can’t believe I’m seeing single digit basis point on some products now! Prior to PriceServe, I worked on distressed European commercial mortgages on all kinds of property types such as nursing home and multifamily. It was interesting to see how deals progressed in a different continent.

 

I started my career in PwC's Commercial Real Estate group conducting due diligence and working on cash flow models. I’ve worked on more than 20 deals, $5bn up volume. Then, the 2008 financial crisis hit and I moved to UBS, one of the largest owners of structured products (including CMBS) at the time, to price their $4bn portfolio. I saw prices moving down like roller coasters during the crisis. Can you believe AAA was once sold at 85h?

 

I’m a member of CREFC Women’s Network and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. I’m glad to meet many successful women in the commercial real estate industry. CREFC has done a great job connecting members. I believe cultivating good relationships lead to a successful career.

3 Fun Facts About Tracy

Where I’m from: I was born in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, and came to New York for my graduate study in New York University.

What I wanted to be growing up: I dreamed of being an architect when I was in high school because of my love of design and engineering. Unfortunately, my dream college did not have an architecture program so I studied computer and economics instead. It’s exciting to find some other architecture fans in the CREFC network! We all love buildings!

My favorite city: Of course it’s New York! I love the landmark buildings and their stories!

Kate Foreman, Associate, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

CREFC Women’s Network Member

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I’m a senior associate in Cadwalader’s Capital Markets Group, where I’ve spent nearly a decade representing issuers, underwriters and loan sellers of CMBS.

 

At Cadwalader, I’ve been fortunate to have worked on a number of first-in-the-industry transactions. In addition to CMBS issuance work, over the years I have had the opportunity to develop a specialty, working with the majority of issuers in the industry in their preparation of annual reports on Form 10-K for their public securitizations - more than 300 filings last year, and still growing! - which has developed into a year-round partnership with the servicers and certificate administrators who contribute pieces of those annual reports.

 

Working in this field during a period that has been characterized by frequent regulatory changes and economic shifts, my membership in CREFC has always been an invaluable resource for seeing how the industry is responding to the latest news. Attending my first Miami conference in 2019 and getting to see and catch up with people I mostly knew only as voices on the phone was one of the highlights of my career. And, of course, the CREFC Women’s Network has been vital: learning from the women who built the commercial real estate securitization industry from the ground up has given me invaluable perspective.

3 Fun Facts About Kate

Where I'm from: I grew up in suburban Florida, and I didn’t see snow for the first time until my freshman year of college. I’ve been a winter person ever since.

Favorite new pandemic hobby: I started a hydroponics garden. The snapdragons have taken over the kitchen counter, and I do not have an exit plan.

What I miss the most: Weekends of shopping and museums. Being able to go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art again has been the highlight of my post-vaccination spring.

Upcoming Women's Network Events:

The CREFC Women's Network's Mission is to:

  • Enhance the visibility, profile and advancement opportunities of women in the commercial real estate finance industry.
  • Provide a structured platform with CREFC dedicated to women's initiatives.
  • Provide opportunities for networking, mentoring and development of professional women.

We welcome and encourage industry participants to and be a part of this network.

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CRE Finance Council

About CRE Finance Council

 

The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) is the trade association for lenders, investors and servicers engaged in the $4.8 trillion commercial real estate finance industry. More than 300 companies and over 15,000 individuals are members of CREFC. Member firms include life company and bank balance-sheet lenders, securitized lenders, alternative, high-yield lenders, loan and bond investors, private equity firms, servicers and rating agencies, among others. CREFC promotes capital formation, encouraging commercial real estate finance market efficiency, transparency and liquidity. CREFC also acts as a legislative and regulatory advocate for the industry, plays a vital role in setting market standards and provides education for market participants in this key sector of the global economy. CREFC affiliates operate in Canada, Europe and Japan. For more information, please .

 

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