CR Financial Solutions hires and promotes for real estate

The firm is seeking to expand its commercial real estate lending by focusing on difficult assets in secondary locations.

European specialist advisory firm CR Financial Solutions has hired Tim Jones to help it expand into commercial real estate lending, according to an announcement made by the firm last Friday (7 November).

The advisory firm, which specialises in real estate, shipping and infrastructure, has also promoted Andreas Costa to the role of director.

Jones will be based in London and has been tasked with broadening the scope of CR’s commercial real-estate lending business by sourcing loans of up to £30 million (€38.2 million; $47.7 million). CR Financial distributes the debt it originates using a variety of solutions including commercial mortgage-backed securities, the announcement continued.

Jones’ career has spanned Omega Group, The Clydesdale Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland.

Costa was recently appointed to expand the firm's debt and equity origination business. His promotion to director means he will lead the CRFS UK commercial real-estate lending operations by looking at smaller balance lending on more difficult assets in secondary locations.

The firm’s overall activities include financial reporting and corporate management, debt and equity warehousing solutions, debt advisory, restructuring and enforcement as well as debt and equity origination, including underwriting and distribution.

CR has participated in the underwriting and pricing of more than €12 billion of loans in the last year alone, the announcement said.