Jesse Kopecky, 30

During his time at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, Jesse Kopecky would meet a few times per week with a local real estate developer. The mentorship stirred in Kopecky his first desires to work in high-level commercial real estate, and taught him that the debt side of the business drives almost all transactions. 

At Greystone, Kopecky works with one of the nation’s top multifamily debt providers and a specialist in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Federal HUD housing loan originations. Over the last six years, Kopecky has settled into the advisory side of the business, where he handles structured finance, ground-up development, and third-party operator (TPO) bridge loans. 

Basically, this young Swiss Army knife works directly with clients to solve their capital needs. 

“The pillars of Greystone resonated with me, and the culture is really strong,” he said. “I’ve met really amazing people across the whole business, and it has felt like a great place to learn and expand my career.”

The standout deals that Kopecky has helped lead include the massive $564 million refinancing for Douglaston Development and Ares Capital of 3Eleven, a 60-story, 938-unit high-rise in Hudson Yards — a deal that doubles as the single largest financing Greystone’s ever done. There’s also a $287 million debt and equity placement he helped arrange for Douglaston at 1057 Atlantic Avenue, a deal that will help build a 456-unit affordable housing property in Brooklyn. 

As an increasing number of developers turn to private credit for their capital solutions, Kopecky is happy to be at a firm that can answer the call. 

“There needs to be an openness to the evolution of the business and where capital flows are coming from,” he said. “I’m surrounded by extremely smart and successful advisers, and it makes my job a whole lot easier when you have a support system that’s as experienced as it gets.”