A&E Hires Daniel Allen to Lead AEREF Lending Platform
Joseph Fingerman, AEREF’s previous president, remains at the firm.
By Cathy Cunningham February 4, 2025 1:18 pm
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A&E Real Estate Finance (AEREF) has a new captain, Commercial Observer has learned.
AEREF has hired industry veteran Daniel Allen to lead its financing arm as its president and chief investment officer, replacing Joseph Fingerman in the lead role, sources familiar with the move said.
Fingerman, the former head of commercial real estate lending at Signature Bank, was hired as president when AEREF launched last year, as first reported by The Real Deal.
Fingerman built out a 20-person team to lead underwriting, origination and servicing efforts at AEREF. Now that Allen is president, Fingerman remains at the firm and is involved in “all aspects of the business,” working closely with Allen and A&E president Douglas Eisenberg, Fingerman confirmed Tuesday.
Further details on Fingerman’s new title and role couldn’t immediately be gleaned.
AEREF was formed in April 2024, with a focus on multifamily lending. Oaktree Capital Management and Generali Real Estate are also part of the venture, although their involvement hasn’t been previously announced, sources said.
Prior to joining AEREF, Allen was head of commercial real estate originations for Valley National Bank, where he oversaw the bank’s originations and portfolio management teams.
Allen was also previously head of CRE lending for Bank Leumi, which was acquired by Valley National Bank in 2016. In his 30-year career, Allen has also held positions at Community Bank, OneWest Bank and iStar Financial, according to his LinkedIn profile. He earned his economics degree at Cornell University.
As AEREF’s new president, Allen will now oversee all aspects of the platform across its New York City and Southern California markets.
Today, the AEREF platform targets the financing of and preferred equity investments in multifamily properties, primarily, in urban markets. Since its launch, AEREF has lent more than $250 million, with roughly $750 million currently in its pipeline, sources said.
AEREF declined to comment. Allen couldn’t immediately be reached.
Cathy Cunningham can be reached at ccunningham@commercialobserver.com.
