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ATLANTA (Sept. 30, 2024) – Peachtree Group (“Peachtree”) is pleased to announce that Brent LeBlanc is now leading the firm's business development efforts across its investment platforms. In his new role as executive vice president, business development, Brent will support Peachtree's efforts to grow and expand its vertically integrated investment platforms. His responsibilities will include focusing on cross-marketing strategies, fostering business development and collaborating closely with the investment teams to drive innovation and capture new opportunities.
With roughly 30 years of hospitality real estate experience, LeBlanc has successfully launched hotel brands and completed complex real estate transactions with the largest hotel operators and developers in the U.S.
"This year, Peachtree surpassed $10 billion in transaction investment value, and we see a tremendous opportunity to grow our business further but realize we need to prioritize our business development efforts to enhance our competitive edge in the market,” said Greg Friedman, Peachtree's managing principal and CEO. “Brent is a long-serving trusted leader and the right person to guide Peachtree's business development forward effectively.”
LeBlanc joined Peachtree in 2012 to lead an aggressive growth strategy to expand Peachtree’s footprint into the western U.S. and strengthen relationships with premium-branded hotels such as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt andIHG. During that time, LeBlanc participated in more than $4.0 billion in real estate transactions across the enterprise.
"The core of our business development efforts is a strong commitment to innovation and strategic partnerships,” said LeBlanc. “We are dedicated to identifying and capitalizing on new opportunities to ensure the firm's growth and long-term success. By continuously adapting to market trends and fostering a culture of collaboration, we are well-positioned to drive our business forward and achieve outstanding results."
LeBlanc most recently served as executive vice president, capital markets, building and expanding the leadership team for Peachtree's broker-dealer affiliate, Peachtree PC Investors ("PPCI"). He has been instrumental in scaling up PPCI’s capital markets, investor relations and sales efforts and strengthening its financial and compliance operations. Most notably, he brought in Brian Cho as PPCI's president last year, who will continue to oversee all areas of equity capital markets.
"By prioritizing business development, we are positioning ourselves to capitalize on emerging opportunities and navigate the evolving financial landscape," Greg Friedman said.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is a vertically integrated investment management firm specializing in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in dislocated markets, anchored by commercial real estate. Today, the company manages billions in capital across acquisitions, development and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow its investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.
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Peachtree Group originated a $59.0MM recapitalization of the 343-room dual-branded AC Hotel and Element San Antonio Riverwalk. The floating-rate note carries a 36-month term with two, 12-month extensions. The sponsors, Winston Hospitality and Concord Hospitality Enterprises, purchased former office towers—Riverview Towers—in December 2019 and spent two and a half years undergoing a multi-phase, adaptive reuse renovation to transform them into dual-branded hotels, which opened in 2022.
Located adjacent to San Antonio's famed Riverwalk, the #1 attraction in Texas, the hotels benefit from the city's strong tourism market, drawing over 39 million visitors annually, and its status as the third-fastest-growing city in the U.S., with a 3.8% population increase from 2020 to 2022. They remain the newest hotels in their competitive set.
The AC Hotel and Element are the first new Marriott-branded hotels in the Riverwalk Historic District since 2011, standing out in a downtown market where extended-stay offerings are predominantly Hilton-branded. As premium Marriott properties, they benefit from access to the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, the world's largest travel loyalty program, boasting over 200 million members and growing.
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Commercial Observer: Peachtree Closes $35M C-PACE Construction Loan on South Florida Apartments
This article is republished with permission from Commercial Observer

Commercial Observer (February 4, 2025) - Starlife Group has secured $35 million of construction financing to build a multifamily development in Hollywood, Fla.,Commercial Observer can first report.
Peachtree Group originated the fixed-rate Commercial Property Assessment Clean Energy (C-PACE) loan on the developer’s planned 200-unit 21 Hollywood project.
SF Capital Group’s Matt Shane arranged the transaction, which will be used to support the 13-story project’s energy efficiency, envelope enhancements and hurricane resiliency measures.
Jared Schlosser, Peachtree Group’s senior vice president, said the long-term structure of the deal was an ideal approach for the project amid a high interest rate climate, with Peachtree covering 40 percent of the cost and Starlife Group contributing 60 percent equity. The 30-year loan is non recourse outside of a completion guarantee, according to Schlosser.
“We handled theconstruction draws just like you would on a senior construction loan and wewere even able to fund a little bit of capital at close for the project to getstarted, so it ends up being a pretty accretive alternative compared to justtaking a low-leverage bank loan,” Schlosser told CO.
“It acts like an insurance product where it’s a construction-to-perm deal, but it doesn’t have the traditional rights and remedies and recourse that may come along with traditional long-term financing,” Schlosser added. “Here it’s just a straight annual payment, which is easier to navigate for the borrower.”
Located at 2100 N.Federal Highway, the 21 Hollywood project broke ground late last year and is slated for completion in February 2027. Community amenities will include an infinity pool, a fitness center, outdoor kitchens, co working space and a dog park. The property will also feature 9,997 square feet of ground-floor retail.
Fort Lauderdale-based Starlife purchased the 1.48-acre site across from South Broward High School for $6.5 million in 2023, according to the South Florida Business Journal. The development was designed by Kobi Karp Architecture.
“Conventional construction loans are hard to find these days,” Shane said. “There was significant equity brought into the project, so it made the deal easy to do with PACE.”
Officials at Starlife Group did not immediately return a request for comment.
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Peachtree Group Names Michael Brunner as Executive Vice President, Credit Investments
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ATLANTA (Feb. 12, 2025) – Peachtree Group (“Peachtree”), a diversified commercial real estate investment platform, announced the appointment of Michael Brunner as executive vice president, credit investments. With an extensive background in securitized products, asset finance and commercial real estate, Brunner will be critical in elevating Peachtree’s credit platform and driving its strategic growth initiatives.
Brunner has more than 25 years of experience at top-tier financial institutions, including ATLAS SP Partners, where he was instrumental in the warehouse finance and securitized products business. He also held leadership roles at Credit Suisse, where he contributed to the Securitized Products Asset Finance division, focusing on commercial real estate finance and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS). Earlier in his career, he spent 18 years in real estate capital markets at J.P. Morgan, where he managed a loan securitization team, led a loan underwriting team and worked with bond investment clients on new issue offerings.
“Michael’s leadership in securitized finance and commercial real estate finance makes himan invaluable addition to our team,” said Michael Harper, president, hotel lending at Peachtree. “His deep institutional relationships and ability to streamline deal execution will strengthen our credit platform, broaden our market reach and enhance our portfolio. With Michael on board, we are well-positioned to optimize our credit strategies, unlock new capital sources and drive superior risk-adjusted returns for our stakeholders.”
Brunner holds an MBA from theUniversity of Florida and a Bachelor of Science in construction science from Texas A&M University.
“I am thrilled to join Peachtree Group at such an exciting time for its credit platform,” Brunner said. “Peachtree’s ability to pivot across the capital stack, combined with its track record in private credit, positions it as a commercial real estate market leader. I look forward to contributing to its continued success and growth.”
“Peachtree’s credit platform has consistently delivered strong results, supported by a team of seasoned professionals dedicated to originating, underwriting and managing private credit investments. With Michael’s leadership, the credit platform is poised for further growth, reinforcing its position as an industry leader,” Harper added.
About Peachtree Group
Peachtree Group is a vertically integrated investment management firm specializing in identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in dislocated markets, anchored by commercial real estate. Today, the company manages billions in capital across acquisitions, development and lending, augmented by services designed to protect, support and grow its investments. For more information, visit www.peachtreegroup.com.