Charlie Mentzer and Brad Waite

This Greystone team is led by senior managing directors Charlie Mentzer and Brad Waite, a duo with a longstanding history of success. They have not only worked in real estate for more than 20 years, but also became friends while in high school and were college roommates at the University of Georgia.  

Mentzer and Waite believe they offer a combination of underwriting and production expertise that is unique to the market and that clients find appealing. They work closely with clients on different deals and markets including student housing, private label, bridge, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA. Since 2020, the team has completed 151 deals totaling $2.7 billion. In 2023, the team’s deals totaled $520 million before leaving Capital One.  

Today, they leverage their 20+ years of experience to work across both the lending platform of Greystone and Cushman & Wakefield’s advisory services to originate financing for multifamily properties nationwide. Although longstanding partnership and delivering tangible results may be in this high-performing duo’s DNA, they can’t do it alone. Today, they are a five-person show: senior director Derek Dupree and production associate Justin Hess handle operations in the back office while director Elliott Mulkin, the newest addition, is doing client relationship and origination work. 

These are some of the reasons we selected Charlie Mentzer and Brad Waite for inclusion in the 2024 Connect CRE Top Mortgage Brokers and Lenders Awards. These awards recognize industry professionals who have demonstrated the highest standards in commercial real estate finance.