Geoffrey Curme, CRE
Partner
Geoffrey Curme has been active in the real estate lending, equity placement, development, and asset management business since 1974. He started his career with The Bank of New York, servicing Manhattan-based Fortune 1,000 companies and nonprofits.
Geoffrey moved to Charlotte in 1979 and worked for commercial real estate firms including Lat Purser and Synco. Between 1984 and 1989, he was managing partner on several acquisitions and redevelopments financed with institutional debt and equity.
In 1989, Geoffrey returned to banking, where he worked for the next 16 years at First Union/Wachovia in commercial real estate lending, loan servicing, asset recovery, and asset management.
He began investing in distressed debt for profit in 2005 with capital provided by institutional investors.
Geoffrey serves on the board of Community Link and is an active member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.
Representative Experience
Acquired, repositioned, and sold the distressed EpiCentre mixed-use development in uptown Charlotte
Recovered a $200 million commercial real estate loan portfolio in the aftermath of the Savings & Loan crisis of the 1990s, which included locating a loan guarantor and an unbudgeted $200,000 cash withdrawal
Established the asset recovery team for real estate capital markets (RECM) business unit at First Union/Wachovia. The establishment of this business unit also enabled the bank to sponsor commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) large loan securitizations which, in turn, broadened the bank’s income-generating capabilities
Managed the asset recovery of three CMBS loan portfolios secured by failing retail stores Heilig-Meyers, Service Merchandise, and Kmart. The Kmart recovery led to the formation of Mount Vernon Asset Management, which (with capital provided by institutional equity) acquired distressed commercial real estate assets from 2007 to 2013
Professional Affiliations
Counselors of Real Estate, 2006-present; Carolinas Chapter Board of Directors, 2010-present, Chair, 2018-2019
Urban Land Institute, associate member, 2014-present
First Union Alumni
Community Affiliations
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 1980-present
Community Link Board of Directors, 2016-present
Childress Klein School of Real Estate Advisory Board (Belk College of Business at UNC-Charlotte), 2014-present
Honors and Awards
Counselors of Real Estate Creative Thinkers Award for EpiCenter, 2015
Counselors of Real Estate, National Chair’s Award, 2012
Top Gun for asset recovery work (Northeast Portfolio), 1993
Education
University of Virginia, BA, 1973