Commercial Real Estate Relationship Manager

Regular Full-Time

Commercial

Baltimore, Ellicott City, MD, US

Purpose: The Commercial Real Estate Relationship Manager serves as a trusted financial partner to commercial real estate investors, developers, sponsors, property owners, and key Centers of Influence within the Mid-Atlantic market. This role is responsible for originating, structuring, and managing financing relationships involving non-owner-occupied investment real estate across property types, including multifamily, retail, office, industrial, hospitality, self-storage, mixed-use, and other income-producing properties. The CRE Relationship Manager evaluates sustainable property cash flow, collateral value, market conditions, transaction structure, and sponsor and guarantor financial capacity to deliver appropriate lending, deposit, treasury management, and other financial solutions. The role is expected to generate profitable portfolio growth, fee income, and deposits while maintaining sound credit quality and operating in alignment with the Bank's strategic objectives, credit standards, and risk appetite.

Essential Functions:

• Develops and maintains relationships with commercial real estate investors, developers, sponsors, property owners, asset managers, and designated advisors to understand investment strategies, property performance, financing objectives, and immediate and long-term capital needs.

• Originates and structures financing for the acquisition, refinancing, construction, renovation, repositioning, and stabilization of non-owner-occupied commercial investment real estate across multiple property types.

• Evaluates historical and projected property performance using operating statements, rent rolls, leases, borrower and guarantor financial statements, tax returns, liquidity schedules, construction budgets, and other relevant financial and due diligence information.

• Analyzes key commercial real estate underwriting metrics, including debt service coverage ratio (DSCR), loan-to-value ratio (LTV), loan-to-cost ratio (LTC), debt yield, capitalization rate, breakeven occupancy, occupancy trends, lease rollover, tenant concentration, and property cash-flow stability.

• Assesses sponsor and guarantor strength, including net worth, liquidity, contingent liabilities, global cash flow, real estate experience, management capability, and capacity to support the property during periods of stress.

• Evaluates property-specific and market risks, including supply and demand, vacancy, rental rates, tenant quality, lease expirations, rollover exposure, deferred maintenance, capital expenditure requirements, environmental conditions, insurance coverage, property management, and exit or refinance risk.

• Structures appropriate loan terms, including pricing, amortization, maturity, guarantees, covenants, reserves, escrows, cash-management requirements, recourse provisions, reporting requirements, and other risk mitigants consistent with Bank policy and the transaction's risk profile.

• Reviews application materials and financial data as the first line of quality control before submission to underwriting. Prepares clear and concise opportunity and transaction memoranda that summarize transaction structure, property economics, repayment sources, collateral support, sponsor strength, key risks, and mitigating factors.

• Coordinates with underwriting, appraisal, environmental, legal, loan administration, construction monitoring, treasury management, and portfolio management partners throughout the credit approval, closing, and ongoing servicing processes.

• Manages and services a large commercial real estate loan portfolio that meets established lending requirements and achieves appropriate risk-adjusted profitability. Maintains ongoing communication with clients and obtains current property, borrower, and guarantor financial information as required.

• Monitors covenant compliance, risk ratings, maturities, property performance, occupancy, cash flow, leasing activity, collateral condition, and other indicators of existing or emerging credit risk. Identifies adverse trends promptly and works with internal partners and clients to develop appropriate action plans.

• Proactively works to generate additional non-interest income through opening new deposit accounts, cash management products, merchant card services, wealth management, benefit programs and other financial services from prospects and existing customers. Networks within the community with Centers of Influence and provides guidance to teammates on individual strategies and tactics to enhance the Bank’s business development efforts.

• Maintains current knowledge of local and regional commercial real estate markets, including rental rates, vacancy, absorption, capitalization rates, sales activity, construction pipelines, property values, and financing conditions by property type.

• Participates and supports appropriate community and civic events to promote goodwill and obtain new business.

• Demonstrates the standards and principles of the Five Star Bank experience in every interaction with internal and external customers, associates, and stakeholders. Incorporates the high-performance behaviors of teamwork, leading by example, and service in every facet of work.

Job Related Qualifications – Education and Prior Experience:

Required:

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree

• Prior Experience: 10+ years of commercial real estate lending, relationship management, underwriting, portfolio management, or related commercial real estate finance experience, with demonstrated experience financing non-owner-occupied income-producing properties across multiple property types.

Competencies:

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage clients, prospects, business partners, and internal credit stakeholders.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications with the ability to learn new and existing bank software.

• Results-driven and highly motivated sales professional with a proven ability to identify opportunities, deepen client relationships, and deliver tailored banking and non-bank financial solutions.

• Strong analytical ability to evaluate property-level cash flow, collateral value, market conditions, transaction structure, and sponsor and guarantor financial strength, including the calculation and interpretation of DSCR, LTV, LTC, debt yield, capitalization rates, breakeven occupancy, and global cash flow.

• Thorough knowledge of commercial real estate credit, underwriting, loan structuring, documentation, portfolio management, appraisal requirements, environmental due diligence, construction lending, and applicable credit policies and regulatory guidance.

• Ability to analyze complex ownership structures, borrowing entities, guarantees, contingent liabilities, and global real estate portfolios.

• Working knowledge of commercial real estate appraisals, environmental reports, property condition assessments, leases, purchase agreements, construction budgets, and other transaction due diligence.

• Demonstrated ability to balance business development objectives with sound credit judgment, policy compliance, portfolio quality, and risk-adjusted return requirements.

• Local market knowledge and the ability to develop, retain, and expand relationships with Centers of Influence.

Physical Requirements:

• Extensive travel within footprint.

• Extensive computer usage is required.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• Health Savings Account

• Flexible Spending Account(s)

• Company Paid Life Insurance, Long Term Disability, and Short Term Disability

• Voluntary Offerings: Life, Critical Illness/Specified Disease, Accident, Hospital Indemnity & Personal Accident

• Tuition Reimbursement

• Employee Referral Program

• Wellness Reimbursement Program

• Star Volunteer Program

• Employee Banking and Financial Perks

• Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Company Paid Holidays

This job description is not exhaustive. The CRE Relationship Manager may be required to perform other duties as assigned.