C&W, Greystone Add Craig Branton-Led EDSF Team in Denver
Cushman & Wakefield and Greystone have added Craig Branton and a veteran equity, debt and structured financing (EDSF) team in Denver, Commercial Observer can first report.
Led by Branton, the three-member team also includes Chris Bourgeois as director and Brett Brown as the financial analyst. All are joining from CBRE.
“Cushman & Wakefield (CWK) offers a preeminent full-service platform, and being part of this beneficial joint venture with Greystone will provide our clients with direct access to Greystone’s agency lending products and will also allow for equity and debt originations through life insurance companies, debt funds, regional and national banks and credit unions, and CMBS lenders,” Branton said in prepared remarks.
Branton most recently served as executive vice president at CBRE (CBRE), executing $1 billion in debt originations during his career thus far. Branton has also brokered industrial, retail, self-storage, office and parking deals along with his experience trading multifamily properties.
“We’re excited to welcome this high-performing team led by Craig, whose extensive financing experience and exceptional track record in the industry will enhance our robust EDSF and multifamily line of services,” John O’Neill, president of U.S. multifamily capital markets at Cushman & Wakefield, said in prepared remarks. “The strategic joint venture has created a best-in-class advisory services and capital solutions platform to fully support our client’s investment strategies,”
His team will focus on multifamily loan originations for both Greystone Service Company and Cushman & Wakefield at the same time in a bid to grow the joint venture’s business. In December 2021, Cushman & Wakefield finalized a $500 million investment that gave it 40 percent control of Greystone’s agency, FHA and servicing lines.
“This new team in Denver represents a key milestone in the growth of our joint effort with Cushman & Wakefield to provide a range of capital markets solutions to property investors, particularly in a core market where we can add value in the multifamily sector,” Chip Hudson, executive vice president and head of Greystone’s Agency lending platform, added.
Branton earned his bachelor’s degree in real estate from Arizona State University and got a master’s in real estate and construction management from the University of Denver’s business college.
Update: This story originally misattributed source material. This has been corrected. We apologize for the error.
Emily Fu can be reached at efu@commercialobserver.com.
