What are the responsibilities and job description for the Commercial Real Estate Loan Originator – Construction, Bridge, Mezz, Pref position at Hickory CRE Lending?
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.