Jay Ockman Joins Avatar as a Director Out of Houston

Avatar Financial Group recently added Jay Ockman to the company’s expanding team. He will serve as a director and will work from a base in Houston. Ockman’s responsibilities will primarily be focused on loan originations.

“We continue to expand our team and national footprint in response to market demand from sponsors seeking capital to execute strategic plans for their commercial real estate investments,” says Jerry Zevenbergen, Avatar Financial Group CEO and co-founder. “The lack of credit availability for real estate investors and small business owners in the current market has created an opportunity for Avatar Financial Group to meet borrower capital requirements that traditional lenders are not satisfying.”

Ockman brings more than 35 years of experience with advising commercial investors, developing and implementing capital deployment strategies, and facilitating debt and equity investments. Ockman most recently served at Florida- and Texas-based Vesta Equity LLC as a director of the company, where he led the team of investment analysts, directed all of the company’s real estate holdings, and grew its small-balance debt and equity investments.

“Jay brings years of experience leading teams, building comprehensive, national networks of best-in-class commercial mortgage and capital market brokers, developing innovative business strategies, and has been successful in a wide range of real estate and financial services,” says T.R. Hazelrigg IV, president and co-founder of Avatar. “The Avatar team is confident that he will be a vital asset to our company’s continued growth.”