What are Real Estate Debt Funds?

A real estate debt fund is a fund backed by private equity, lending short-term capital to potential real estate investors or providing refinancing to existing property investors. Payments are distributed to those who invest in real estate debt funds. These distributions are made up of the interest received for their loaned capital, which are secured against real estate assets.

Real estate debt funds typically have a specific investment strategy. Some may focus on loans for properties within a particular sector as part of their investment strategy. For example, a real estate debt fund may only provide loans for residential or multifamily real estate, while another may specialise in financing commercial or office developments.

Real estate debt funds came about following the 2008 financial crisis, during which traditional lenders were struggling with liquidity, while commercial real estate assets dropped. As a result, regulations were put in place, forcing lenders to add more stringent rules for borrowers. However, real estate debt funds grew to serve this need, providing capital to individuals and entities who were ineligible for conventional loans.

Real estate debt funds can be a promising investment option for investors because of the stability of their returns, certainty in the capital stack, diversification and a lower correlation to other asset classes.

Real estate debt funds provide investors with relatively stable, predictable, high-yield returns, on a regular basis. These distributions usually exceed 8% annually on average and can be an attractive investment even for returns on the lower end of the spectrum.

Real estate debt funds are forms of senior debt, giving them priority over other types of financing and loans when returns are distributed, based on the capital stack. This makes it a useful investment vehicle for diversification. Another source of diversification also comes from the allocation of capital across a wide range of loans, increasing the stability and predictability of loans, and avoiding the risk exposure of single loans.

By nature of debt funds being classified as senior debt, real estate debt funds also have a low correlation to other asset classes such as equities, reducing the potential risk of poor returns throughout their portfolio.

How do real estate debt funds make money?

Real estate debt funds make money mainly from the interest received from loan repayments. The interest rates for real estate debt funds typically start at around 9%, but may vary depending on the market conditions. The loans provided may also vary, from $5 million to $150 million and above. Loans obtained from real estate debt funds also tend to have shorter repayment terms, from about one to three years. The loan-to-cost ratio or loan-to-value ratio differs based on the location of the asset and the property type, but typically does not exceed 80%.

In the event that the borrower defaults on the loan and is unable to make the necessary payments, the debt fund receives collateral in the form of the real estate asset funded by the loan. This tends to be more beneficial to the debt fund since they have control over the property and can make the necessary improvements or developments to maximise the value of the property within a reasonable time frame.

Alternatively, the real estate debt fund may look to renegotiate the terms of the loan with the borrower or sell off the loan to another party, after evaluating the property’s value and loan conditions. As the aim of the real estate debt fund is to maximise its returns by maximising the value of the loan, the lender may adopt different actions, depending on costs and value of the secured property, as well as the market for bankruptcies and foreclosures, at the time of sale.

Some real estate debt funds may also charge the borrower fees for the provision of certain services, including due diligence, modifications, extensions, servicing or exit fees.

Profile of borrowers who turn to debt funds for capital

Some borrowers turn to debt funds to finance their properties as they may not have the right credit or financial history to qualify for a traditional mortgage or property loan. Real estate debt funds, on the other hand, have much less stringent requirements for borrowers and are willing to work with them to finance their real estate assets. The most frequent borrowers in real estate debt funds include construction loans, property redevelopment loans or bridge loans.

How are bridge loans related to real estate debt investing?

Bridge loans are short-term loans designed to provide immediate financing for a company while it secures permanent financing. These bridge loans enable the company to meet its existing debt and financial obligations by giving it a source of immediate cash flow.

A bridge loan typically lasts one year and has interest rates significantly above the market rates of traditional lenders. Bridge loans are also backed by collateral, making them secured and lowers the risk for the lenders in case of a default.

For example, a company may take out a bridge loan if it is in the process of purchasing a new property, but does not yet have access to the funds from selling its previous property. A bridge loan allows the company to purchase the new property and repay the loan when it has liquid cash to cover it.

Investors can invest in bridge loans through a real estate debt fund. Bridge loans in real estate debt funds are granted for the financing of real estate developments, projects or investments. Real estate debt funds providing bridge loans are made up of funds from multiple investors, allowing each investor to contribute any amount he prefers, which may be equivalent to the amount of risk he is willing to undertake for that investment.

Difference between debt funds and equity funds

Real estate debt funds consist of equity-backed private capital providing collateral-backed loans for real estate investments to qualified borrowers. Most of these debt funds are structured to support particular investment strategies or goals.

Most real estate debt funds have shorter loan terms and shorter investment periods than private equity funds. In addition, capital from debt funds may be reinvested during the investment period rather than distributed to investors. Additional fees for loans from debt funds range from 1% to 2.5% depending on the condition of the real estate assets and whether the loan is secured.

When investing in real estate debt funds, investors’ main goal is to reduce risk and maximise their chance of receiving fees and returns. However, when investing in equity funds, investors seek out alternative ways to make up for the potential risks of borrowers making losses and not being able to repay the capital.

The main difference between real estate debt funds and equity funds lies in whether the loan is secured by assets. With the former, the loan is backed by collateral in the form of hard assets while the latter may only be a business plan.

About RealVantage

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The team at RealVantage are highly qualified professionals who brings about a multi-disciplinary vision and approach in their respective fields towards business development, management, and client satisfaction. The team is led by distinguished Board of Advisors and advisory committee who provide cross-functional and multi-disciplinary expertise to the RealVantage team ranging from real estate, corporate finance, technology, venture capital, and startups growth. The team's philosophy, core values, and technological edge help clients build a diversified and high-performing real estate investment portfolio.

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Disclaimer: The information and/or documents contained in this article does not constitute financial advice and is meant for educational purposes. Please consult your financial advisor, accountant, and/or attorney before proceeding with any financial/real estate investments.