Mike Cleaver, Emerald Creek Capital

Name: Mike Cleaver

Title: Managing Director

Company Name: Emerald Creek Capital

What aspects of working from home did you enjoy most?
I really enjoyed figuring it out and developing a new routine. This year we’ve met with clients, attended conferences, gone to happy hours, caught up with old friends and made new ones–all on zoom. Everything is weird, but has become the new normal. I think once life actually gets back to normal companies are going to run more efficiently and people will have a better work/life balance than in the past.

What are your predictions for commercial real estate in 2021?
It seems that even after a vaccine is approved it will take time before any meaningful distribution will happen so initially 2021 will likely be more of the same. It will also take time for distressed CRE to work it’s way through a backlogged system. For us it means continuing to make loans to borrowers that have time sensitive needs and cannot wait to transact.

What was your greatest professional accomplishment in 2020?

We work with the best team in commercial real estate. It takes a village to close a loan in a week and I’m really proud of the fact that despite the pandemic and everyone working remotely we were able to mobilize, execute, and close more than 30 loans in 2020.