Ryan Berkshire

With a title like Director of Asset Management and Surveillance, one would think Ryan Berkshire would be involved with covert operations and undercover dealings. Ironically, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, Ryan’s primary responsibilities as Director of Surveillance are all about shedding the light on how to preemptively best keep our clients out of the shadows of full recourse and the other troublesome issues they can face. Ryan is well-versed in the usual (and not-so-usual) pitfalls and triggers many CMBS borrowers encounter throughout the life of their loan. He knows what to look for and, most importantly, what to do before a potential problem becomes an all-out back-breaking issue.

“I monitor our clients’ loan portfolios with a special emphasis on key triggers,” Ryan explains. “Things like their cash management, past or possible upcoming defaults, recourse, DSCR testing, financial reporting, and leases. All of these have the potential to put a severe strain on a borrower and all can be addressed and be corrected or modified if we identify them early enough. Our goal is to head off any possible bump in the road long before our clients ever reach it and to help them see their loans through to a successful completion.”

With nearly 15 years’ experience working on the other side of the CMBS equation, Ryan had primarily been involved in B-piece re-underwriting, assumption underwriting, and CRE CLO due diligence before coming to 1st Service Solutions. Because of this, he has a deep appreciation for CMBS loan servicers. “Because I worked on the other side of CMBS loans for so long, I get the full picture. But working this side of the loans and helping our clients do everything possible to honor the terms of their loans is very fulfilling,” he says. “After all, they entered into these agreements intending to see them through and to meet their obligations. It’s our job to help them keep that commitment.”

Ryan enjoys playing golf but in recent years his analytical tendencies have led him to become more interested in golf equipment and researching industry trends and innovations. “I like to play, but only if I have time after I’ve done my research,” he says. He also works at staying current on cryptocurrency in order to maintain his status as the ‘cool uncle’ to his nephew who is intrigued by it.