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2021 Top Mortgage Brokers and Lenders
Phoenix & Southwest
Clay Akiwenzie
$910.55 million
Whether it was a $60 million life insurance loan or a $3 million small balance loan, Akiwenzie and his team applied the same rigor and attention to service that has allowed him to differentiate himself in this increasingly commoditized space.
Akiwenzie’s team tightened turn times from 54 days from application to close in 2019 to 49 calendar days from application to close in 2020.
In 2020, Clay Akiwenzie closed 38 transactions in 11 states with 24 distinct sponsors across a spectrum of business plans and lenders. Akiwenzie’s 16-year career and 250-plus closed transaction history has allowed him to pivot seamlessly from tax abatements to regulatory agreements to NNN lease and title review.
When the market pivoted from acquisition to refinance during the pandemic, and deal timelines elongated as lenders struggled to keep pace with record volumes, Akiwenzie’s team tightened turn times from 54 days from application to close in 2019 to 49 calendar days from application to close in 2020. When lenders and borrowers alike were struggling to digest how eviction related delinquencies would impact debt sizing, Akiwenzie developed a quantitative and qualitative approach that gave the lender a tool to make an informed lending decision, incorporating this short-term risk factor into their sizing metrics, while speaking clearly to the market so that participants could transact with confidence.
These are some of the reasons we selected Akiwenzie for inclusion in our first-ever Top Mortgage Brokers and Lenders Awards. These awards recognize industry professionals who have demonstrated the highest standards in commercial real estate finance.
