More than ever, strong partnerships are essential to the success of new construction and development projects. As fluctuating pricing and other uncertainties around materials and labour continue to affect the industry, you need to be confident that your financing partner has the knowledge, experience, and commitment to support you from start to finish.
As part of our new Meet the Team series, MCAP is introducing key members of our Development Finance Group to new, existing, and prospective clients, so you can understand how the team works and learn more about who has your back as you do business.
Blake Lowden is a team member in our Calgary office, and we had the opportunity to ask Blake a few questions about his background, his team, and the strength of the MCAP Development Finance Group.
Introducing Blake Lowden: Senior Director, Loan Origination, Structuring and Underwriting
Blake, tell us about your experience in the industry.
It’s been a lot of fun! I have been in the industry for 18 years, starting as a junior credit analyst and progressing to my current role. Over those 18 years, the level of sophistication and deal complexity has increased dramatically, as have the deal sizes. Also, lending through major global events such as the 2008 credit crisis and the recent pandemic have taught me to be aware – but not afraid – of the unexpected.
Why should a client choose MCAP for their construction financing needs?
There are many reasons to choose us, but I’ll focus on what I feel are the top three. For one, we are solely focused on construction and development financing. We are experts in the market, having provided over $15B of funded construction loans over the past 10 years. Second, with 90% of our senior team members having been with MCAP for over 10 years, our clients can expect consistency when they do business with us, no matter which office across Canada they work with.
Finally, we utilize our various capital pools to develop custom solutions for our clients – as a result, 90% of our borrowers are repeat clients.
What makes MCAP’s Development Finance Group unique?
We are unique because we are purely dedicated to construction lending. We have the expert knowledge and the drive to consistently generate creative financing solutions, which is evidenced by annually generating over $2B of construction financing solutions for our clients. We strive to create a compelling offer for every request!
How do you tackle difficult or complicated deals?
Team collaboration is the key to managing complicated deals. Within the group, the majority of our staff have well over 10 years of experience – therefore talking through the deal components and options helps create a road map for the transaction.
How do you and your team stay motivated throughout a deal?
Borrowers have timelines that need to be met in order for their projects to succeed. Their success is our success. We need little extra motivation to meet their expectations; it’s part of our culture and we breathe it every day. We are relationship focused, so meeting expectations is critical to maintaining and growing our client relationships. Then, we celebrate the team’s collective efforts after a deal closes.
What are some of the secrets to your success?
MCAP’s Development Finance Group is empowered for success through strong support from senior executives who provide the funding tools needed to create unique loan structures. We then provide borrowers with ongoing and responsive service – we are always there to assist through the constant changes and amendments, available for our clients from start to repayment.
We also invest in our employees, so they have the expertise needed to generate a valuable offering to the market.
What is the best way for new clients to contact you?
I can be reached by phone (403) 470 -7272 or by email at blake.lowden@mcap.com.
