# Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp is an Asset Manager based in Los Angeles, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** Los Angeles, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 245 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10167, United States
- **Founded:** 2011
- **Assets under management:** More than $2B in total assets (per the firm's official communications, 2023)
- **Website:** arescre.com

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 159050
- **SEC file number:** 801-72879
- **Registration status:** Registered
- **Reports private funds:** Yes
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/159050

## About

Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp is an SEC-registered investment adviser in LOS ANGELES, CA, registered since 2011. The firm manages $32.5 billion in assets, $29.6 billion on a discretionary basis. It has 412 employees and 245 investment advisers.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Private Credit

## People

- Bryan Donohoe — Chief Executive Officer
- Tae-Sik Yoon — Chief Financial Officer

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp?

Bryan Donohoe serves as Chief Executive Officer and leads investment decisions as part of the externally managed structure supported by Ares Management. The firm originates loans through Ares Real Estate's centralized sourcing platform, with underwriting and credit approval handled by dedicated teams within the manager. Ultimate investment authority resides with the REIT's board and its external manager, not a solo allocator.

### How does Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp source its loan opportunities?

Deal flow originates primarily through the Ares Real Estate group's direct origination network, which includes relationships with regional and national sponsors, brokers, and real estate operating companies. Parent Ares Management's market presence generates inbound refinancing and acquisition-financing requests that the REIT can act on with single-lender execution. The platform does not rely on auction-process competitiveness alone; many transactions are bilateral or lightly marketed.

### Does the firm securitize its loans, or hold them on balance sheet?

The core strategy is balance-sheet portfolio lending. Ares Commercial Real Estate holds most originated loans for investment rather than relying on regular securitization or broad syndication as a primary disposition method. Secured warehouse lines and term debt fund the portfolio, but loan-level risk retention is structural, not transactional.

### Which property types and geographies does the firm target?

The REIT focuses on middle-market commercial real estate across office, multifamily, industrial, retail, and hotel asset classes, with a bias toward transitional properties undergoing renovation, lease-up, or recapitalization. Geographic exposure concentrates on major gateway cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, alongside select Sun Belt markets where population and job growth support property-level cash flows.

### How is Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp related to Ares Management?

The REIT is externally managed by an indirect subsidiary of Ares Management Corporation, meaning Ares provides the executive team, investment sourcing, underwriting, and asset-management services under a contractual agreement. Ares Management shareholders benefit from fee income, but the REIT is a separate publicly traded entity with its own board of directors, audit committee, and NYSE listing obligations.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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