Financial architect Fefferman makes impossible possible.

With over 30 years of experience in the financing industry, Arthur Fefferman, president of AFC Realty Capital, has developed a strong reputation as a leader and innovator in the New York City marketplace.

From modest beginnings on Wall Street to the formation of his own investment firm, Fefferman continues to draw from his well-rounded skills and knowledge in order to handle some of the nation's highest profile transactions.

In the 1970's, Fefferman got his initial taste of the finance industry with the first generation of REITs. Eventually, he would move to publicly-traded REITs sponsored by Donald, Lanfkin & Gernard. In 1977, he branched out on his own, playing a dominant role in the foundation of the Sybedron Corporation, a pioneering real estate investment firm that graduated a number of today's major investment leaders.

Fefferman once again followed his innovative spirit in 1988, venturing on his own to form AFC Realty Capital, a Manhattan-based real estate investment firm specializing in debt and equity financing, investment, development and consulting services.

"I founded AFC to produce imaginative transactions involving debt, equity and venture capital," said Fefferman. "The firm originally started with three highly-skilled real estate professionals, each with a well-rounded knowledge of the marketplace and dedicated to do whatever necessary to complete a deal and deliver capital to our customers.

"It has been this ability to structure unique and innovative deals, along with the commitment of our staff, which has allowed us to experience incredible growth over the past twelve years. Today, we are active throughout the country and have been instrumental, both as a principal and advisor, in financing, investment and development transactions aggregating in excess of $10 billion."

While much of AFC Realty Capital's original success is attributed to its ability to provide a wide range of financing options to tailor to the unique requirements of real estate owners and developers, the firm has actively become more involved with development projects in recent years. "We are financial architects, making the impossible possible by designing the most cost-effect and advantageous capitals structures for today's property landscape," Fefferman said.

"However, often times, we go even further than that. In addition to brokerage, we play a major role as principal in many of the deals we are involved with. It is our belief that, if you're committed to a deal, you must be prepared to provide your own resources to make it happen."

AFC Realty Capital's recent involvement in several development and rehabilitation projects vividly displays the company's willingness to accept the role of principal in order to provide customers the resources to fulfill their financing desires.

These include the conversion of a former church at 2056 Fifth Avenue in Harlem to luxury condominiums being developed under the direction of AFC's Development Group. The firm has also established a Hotel Finance Group--which completed over 80 hotel transactions in 2006 representing over $750 million in financing volume--and a Self Storage Finance Group.

Thanks to its diverse, large roster of capital sources and a network of relationships that extends throughout the national real estate community, AFC Realty Capital is poised to continue its success into the future, even as it enters unchartered waters.

"In the world of real estate investment and development, the more it changes, the more it stays the same," asserted Fefferman. "Real estate finance is a business of relationships, and while the tools may become more sophisticated, the personal aspect of this industry will remain intact."

In fact, despite current economic hardships, Fefferman sees many opportunities for growth and prosperity for the real estate industry in upcoming years. "Real estate continues to be the investment bedrock it has been historically, especially during these uncertain economic times.

"With the uncertainty of the stock market, real estate has once again emerged as a primary investment. More and more people are returning to the real estate industry for the simple fact that it outperforms the market."