Job Description

Commercial Real Estate Loan Originator – Construction, Bridge, Mezz, Pref
Location: NYC or Miami (with national travel) | Type: Full-Time

About Hickory CRE Lending

Hickory CRE Lending is a fast-growing commercial real estate lender specializing in construction, repositioning, bridge financing, and land development deals across the United States. Since our founding in 2018, we've originated deals involving ~$1 billion in stabilized property value and built a robust pipeline of 120-140 qualified leads monthly.

Our Focus:

Loan Products: Multifamily & condo construction, land/pre-development, bridge financing
Deal Size: Senior loans $40-200MM | Mezzanine/preferred equity $10-60MM
Geography: National coverage across all U.S. markets
Funding: Institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals through our commingled fund

Our Team: 12 professionals based primarily in NYC and Miami, with a lean, high-performing culture and institutional support systems (Salesforce CRM, offshore deal intake, in-house underwriting, asset management, and marketing).

The Opportunity

We're looking to add 1-2 Loan Originators to our growing team to capitalize on increasing deal flow and investor demand. This is a high-impact, entrepreneurial role where you'll have direct access to leadership, upside in deals you source, and the ability to shape our growth.

What You'll Do:

Source & Close Deals: Identify, evaluate, structure, and negotiate lending opportunities that fit our investment criteria, from initial contact through signed term sheets
Build Relationships: Conduct targeted outreach to debt brokers, sponsors, and developers through calls, emails, and in-person meetings to generate high-quality deal flow
Leverage Existing Networks: Tap into our relationships with every major debt broker in the U.S. and expand your own network
Collaborate & Learn: Work closely with our originations team to share best practices and collectively drive success
Stay Connected: Travel 1-2x monthly for property tours, borrower meetings, investor connections, conferences, and team events
Manage Your Pipeline: Track all activities, deals, and relationships in Salesforce with precision

What We're Looking For

Required:

3 - 10+ years in a sales, originations, or KPI performance-based role within commercial real estate lending
CRE Debt Expertise: Strong understanding of structuring, underwriting, and negotiating commercial real estate debt
Communication Skills: Exceptional ability to build rapport, present ideas, and negotiate
Proven Track Record: Demonstrated success in relationship-driven sales or business development

You'll Thrive Here If You:

Are outgoing and relationship-focused — you enjoy connecting with people and have a track record of building relationships
Have attention to detail — you take pride in accuracy and producing polished, professional work
Are entrepreneurial and proactive — you see opportunities, take initiative, and drive results
Are tech-savvy — comfortable with CRM systems and curious about leveraging AI tools
Value collaboration — you believe the best work happens in a culture of trust, accountability, and mutual support

Why Join Hickory

💰 Compensation & Upside

Performance-based commission structure
Participation in the success of deals you originate
Performance-based bonuses tied to team and company growth

📈 Career Growth

Early stage opportunity with a rapidly scaling and experienced platform
Direct exposure to company leadership and strategic decision-making
Path to leadership as we expand nationally
Ownership mentality encouraged — shape our processes, culture, and approach

🤝 Culture & Environment

Lean, high-performing team of 12 (no bureaucracy, fast decisions)
Institutional infrastructure (robust tech stack, offshore support, in-house capabilities)
Results-focused, not face-time — flexibility and autonomy for proven performers
National deal exposure — work on transactions across all major U.S. markets
Deep industry relationships — immediate access to top-tier brokers and sponsors

🌴 Lifestyle Benefits

Flexible work environment (NYC or Miami hubs)
Regular travel to exciting markets and industry events
Team retreats and relationship-building activities
Work with sophisticated institutional and family office investors

Our Ideal Candidate

You're the right fit if you're a pro-active and productive originator who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. You don't need hand-holding — you see a path from lead to closed deal and you execute. You've already proven you can build relationships, structure transactions, and close business in the CRE world, and now you're ready to take the next step with a platform that gives you the resources, relationships, and runway to significantly grow your career and compensation.

This role is for experienced commercial real estate originators only. We’re seeking candidates who have personally sourced and closed debt or structured finance transactions and understand construction, bridge, or mezzanine/preferred equity lending. If you haven’t originated CRE loans before, this role won’t be the right fit.

How to Apply

Ready to make an impact? Send your resume and a brief note about your CRE lending experience and why Hickory is the right next step for you.

Hickory CRE Lending is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Business Development

Capital Markets

Construction

Due Diligence

Finance

Financial Analysis

Full Time

Research/Market Analysis

Risk Management

Transaction

Underwriting

Hickory CRE Lending

• 1-100 employees

Hickory is a commercial real estate lender enhancing institutional precision and capital with entrepreneurial style personal relationships. We extend stretch loans ($40MM-$200MM range) and mezzanine loans and debt-like preferred equity ($10MM-$60MM range), for construction, repositioning, bridge and land. In a small way, we hope to ameliorate the housing shortage in America – helping to create apartments, condos and other living places. In-house loan servicing and direct engagement through the life of the transaction generate repeat relationships with borrowers and brokers. Our direct to decision-maker process enables flexibility on leverage, economics, structure, non-CRE collateral and other terms.

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