Grace Soueidan

Chief Lending Officer, Temple View Capital

Why did you enter the world of Private Lending?

A private lender can fund many different varieties of loans and it is different than traditional bank underwriting and gives borrowers access to capital faster. The flexibility of private loans allows us to work with people who may not be qualified for a traditional bank loan which is an attractive characteristic in the private lending world. Being able to help fund borrowers’ real estate investing needs and finding the best loan product for them to achieve their project goals is one of the main reasons I entered the world of private lending.

What is your current role and what do you do day to day?

In my current role as the Chief Lending Officer with Temple View Capital, I look to expand our platform in both production and talent. I am always looking for human capital to add to the organization and marketing to current and prospective clients. I consistently develop new marketing campaigns and measure their performance to ensure Temple View remains the flagship of private lending.

What excites you about your role today?

The people, whether they are external or internal to the organization, make my job worthwhile. I enjoy watching us grow stronger as a platform every day throughout all aspects of the company including production, operations, and capital markets while delivering the ultimate customer experience that is worthy of each of our clients. This is my “why”.

Can you explain a time where you faced adversity or had struggles early on in your career? Where did it all begin? How did these experiences mold and shape you into the leader you are today?

In the early 90’s, the financial industry was primarily dominated with the opposite gender. I learned that it did not matter. The work, product, performance, and execution are what shapes an individual.

Is there anything that you wish you could go back and tell yourself at the beginning of your career?

Of course, no one can look back and not say I would have done things a bit differently. The principles stay the same, but there is probably a more finished or eloquent delivery that occurs as we mature in our careers.

Who is someone that has had a significant effect on your career and why?

I owe who and what I am in my career today to a great mentor, Kathy Rezzo. She broke the glass ceiling in corporate America, treated each employee with the outmost respect, is a pillar and a silent contributor to multiple charities.

What has been your favorite aspect of being an in private lending over the years?

The ability to execute without the red tape, and bureaucracy.

What would you consider to be the highlight of your career thus far?

The people that I have met and worked with over the years.

What do you enjoy most about your job? Least?

What I enjoy the most about what I do is the creativity and ability to think outside the box; every day is different. What challenges me sometimes is a shortcoming that I recognize and  try to work on every day of my life, “patience”.

Is time or money more valuable?

TIME. You can never get time back.

How do you make sure your company stays ahead in this industry?

Read, read and more reading! Know your customers and investors needs and always staying in touch with all our clients internal, as well as external

What tools do you use to aid you in your role as CLO to be most efficient, organized, and focused?

You know I laughed few years back when my son, I think he was 13 then, said, “My mother is a genius. She went through schooling without Google.” In today’s high-tech environment from marketing to sales to operations to back-office execution, there are so many systems and programs that keeps us well informed with dashboards to Artificial intelligence that help us perform at a higher level. The trick is to keep, analyze, and understand all the information and data and to be able to dismantle the information without overwhelming the recipient

Has your role changed significantly to address the current environment?

Yes, as the world we know has changed so does people and the role they play.

What advice would you give to someone who has just started out in private lending, specifically women entering the industry now?

It is an exciting time for us! Today’s real estate market is unprecedented which makes lending in it very opportunistic and a great time for entry. Newcomers will learn a lot as deal flow is higher than usual which exposes an individual to more experiences!