MEET OUR LEADERSHIP
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David Rosenberg, Managing Partner
As a 30-year veteran of the real estate market, David Rosenberg has had a successful career in all areas of real estate.
In 2009, David and Abe Katz founded Deerwood Real Estate Capital. Over the course of eight years, they grew Deerwood to 25+ people and $2.5 billion of deals closed per year. Managing all aspects of the business, from production to operations, David and Abe created a successful, national mortgage brokerage firm.
In 2017, they sold Deerwood to Walker & Dunlop and stayed on to run the Walker & Dunlop NJ office. David served as Senior Managing Director at Walker & Dunlop until mid-2023 and was consistently among the top Capital Markets producers in the company. Over the course of his career, David has been involved in closing over $55 billion in mortgage and equity deals.
Prior to founding Deerwood, David joined the New York office of Meridian Capital Group as Managing Director, in 2001, for the purpose of forming and developing the company’s Capital Markets group. During his tenure, he successfully led the Capital Markets team for over eight years and closed more than $14 billion in transactions.
Early in his career, David served as an accountant and real estate consultant at Deloitte & Touche, where he was part of the group that helped Bear Stearns start their securitized lending program. In 1997, he was recruited to join Bear Stearns’ CMBS group and did so as a lender, where he was responsible for originating, underwriting, and securitizing commercial mortgages.
David is a certified public accountant and earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Yeshiva University.
CONTACT DAVID:
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Abe Katz, Managing Partner
Abe Katz has 30 years of commercial real estate experience.
Most recently, Abe served as Senior Managing Director at Walker & Dunlop, where he managed the NJ office along with David Rosenberg and was responsible for loan origination of multifamily and commercial properties nationwide. Throughout his career, Abe has placed more than $30 billion in commercial real estate loans.
Prior to Walker & Dunlop, Abe co-founded Deerwood Real Estate Capital with David Rosenberg, and they built it into a 25+ person company, closing more than $10 billion in deal volume. In 2017, they sold the firm to Walker & Dunlop.
Before Deerwood, Abe spent 15 years with Meridian Capital Group. Seven years into his tenure, he was tapped to head the company’s NJ office, which he led through early 2009. Under his auspices, Abe was instrumental in increasing the group’s production from $160 million per year to more than $2 billion annually, expanding the office to more than 30 people. He also oversaw the company’s PA and Chicago markets.
Abe is a member of NMHC as well as ICSC.
CONTACT ABE:
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Mark Silbersher, Managing Partner
Mark Silbersher has over 20 years of commercial real estate investment, advisory and brokerage experience throughout all parts of the capital structure including senior fixed and floating rate loans, subordinate loans, preferred equity, and equity.
Prior to Lion Creek, Mark was a Managing Director at Walker and Dunlop where he was most recently co-head of the NJ office and responsible for loan origination on all commercial property types throughout the US. Before joining Walker & Dunlop, Mark was a Managing Director at Deerwood Real Estate Capital where he specialized in sourcing debt and equity for clients including individual property owners, middle market and institutional operators, developers, and private equity funds. Deerwood was acquired by Walker & Dunlop in 2017. Throughout his time at Walker & Dunlop and Deerwood, Mark was directly responsible for closing in excess of 300 transactions, representing over $8 billion in transaction volume.
Before joining Deerwood in 2009, Mark was a Vice President in the CMBS Group at Merrill Lynch where he ran an origination team that was ultimately involved in closing and securitizing over 100 transactions representing over $1 billion in transaction volume. Prior to the CMBS Group, Mark was an Associate in the Global Principal Investments Group at Merrill Lynch, where he participated in over 40 real estate debt and equity transactions representing investment of over $1.5 billion.
Mark graduated from Cornell University with a BS in Applied Economics and Business Management.
CONTACT MARK:
MEET OUR TEAM
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Elliot Treitel, Managing Director
Elliot Treitel has had a flourishing 30+ year career in real estate. After graduating Yeshiva University in 1993 with a BS in accounting, he was an accountant at Deloitte & Touche, primarily working with real estate-related clients. In 1996, Elliot moved to ING Barings, where he was tasked with handling their Lending Book, as well as interacting with offices in Amsterdam and London, ensuring efficient communication and reporting.
In 1998, he joined Meridian Capital Group as a junior mortgage broker in their NJ office. Elliot made an immediate impact with his straightforward style and brought new lenders and ideas to the real estate community. He was quickly promoted to Senior Vice President and, over the past 25 years, Elliot has closed in excess of $13 billion in transactions nationwide.
CONTACT ELLIOT:
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Steven Ribiat, Managing Director
Steven Ribiat has 18 years of experience in real estate. Before joining Lion, he worked at Meridian Capital Group in NYC, from 2009, focusing on the origination side of commercial real estate finance. During his time there, he successfully closed transactions nationwide exceeding $1.5 billion through various sources – conventional lenders, agency, CMBS, life companies, and bridge lenders.
His approach to business is built on core principles of honesty and integrity, leading to a diverse client base and repeat business. In addition to loan origination, Steven has been involved in business development and strategy, opening new markets and nurturing both new and existing business relationships. Prior to Meridian Capital Group, he managed around 1,000 garden-style apartments in North Jersey for a local family real estate office. This hands-on experience provided a valuable owner’s perspective on the day-to-day operations of properties.
Steven’s educational background includes being a Rabbinical Student before entering the workforce. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Talmudic Law from RJJ Rabbinical College in Edison, NJ.
CONTACT STEVEN:
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Akiva Drew, Vice President
Akiva Drew joined Lion Creek Real Estate Capital as Vice President, bringing with him years of valuable experience as a commercial mortgage broker at Meridian Capital Group. His expertise in acquisition, ground-up construction, bridge, and permanent debt financing positions him as a valuable resource for his clients. His relentless advocacy on behalf of his clients ensures they achieve the best deals and smooth closings. Committed to client satisfaction, Akiva’s deep understanding of, and almost single-minded immersion into, the commercial mortgage industry are key assets in navigating its complexities effectively.
CONTACT AKIVA:
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Scott Rosenstock, Vice President
Scott Rosenstock joins Lion Creek as Vice President, bringing extensive expertise in origination and placement across multifamily, retail, industrial, office, MHP, and self-storage deals. With a proven track record in the industry, Scott has successfully facilitated financing across diverse sectors, tailoring solutions to each client's unique needs.
Formerly of Meridian Capital, Scott possesses a deep understanding of the commercial mortgage landscape, adeptly navigating various financing options. Leveraging relationships with banks, agency lenders, CMBS, debt funds, HUD, and hard money lenders, Scott excels in securing creative financing solutions, regardless of complexity or scale.
At Lion Creek, Scott delivers exceptional service, ensuring clients receive optimal terms and a streamlined process from origination to closing. Whether assisting seasoned investors or guiding first-time commercial property buyers, Scott provides personalized guidance and strategic insights to help clients achieve investment objectives with confidence.
CONTACT SCOTT:
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Kyle Raffo, Vice President
Kyle Raffo has over 18 years of commercial real estate finance experience.
Prior to joining Lion Creek, Kyle was a Vice President at Meridian Capital Group where he originated, marketed, underwrote, and closed debt transactions across mixed-use, multifamily, and retail asset classes. He has successfully closed hundreds of transactions, totaling billions of dollars, while also nurturing relationships with clients and lenders to understand their capital requirements and assist them in achieving their financial goals.
Prior to his role at Meridian Capital Group, Kyle held key positions at Hudson’s Bay Company, Park Bridge Financial, and The Garibaldi Group, where he honed his expertise in real estate finance, asset management, and relationship building. Kyle holds a Master of Science in Real Estate from New York University's Schack Institute of Real Estate and a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Political Science from Villanova University. He is also a licensed real estate professional in New York.Kraffo@lioncreekcap.com
CONTACT KYLE:
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Michael Simonovits, COO
Michael Simonovits is an accomplished operations veteran, having run the day-to-day operations of multiple companies over the previous two decades, primarily in commercial real estate mortgages and in healthcare.
Prior to Lion Creek, Michael was a Senior Director at Walker & Dunlop, which had acquired Deerwood Real Estate Capital in 2017. At Deerwood, as Managing Director, Michael was responsible for the daily operations, including building a team of successful brokers, deal managers, analysts, a research group, and other support staff. Together with Abe Katz, David Rosenberg and Mark Silbersher, the same dynamic management group of Lion Creek, Michael helped build Deerwood into an extremely reputable and successful commercial real estate mortgage brokerage firm.
Before joining Deerwood in 2011, Michael served as CEO/COO of a staffing, payroll and benefits firm that serviced the skilled nursing industry.
Michael graduated from Touro College with a BS in Accounting and is a CPA.
CONTACT MICHAEL:
