Fixing What's Broken in CRE Capital Formation
CREpublic exists because placement fees corrupt everything. When platforms charge 3-8% to connect investors with sponsors, their incentives shift from quality to volume. The best deals go elsewhere. Everyone else gets what's left.
The Placement Fee Problem
Traditional platforms charge sponsors 3-8% placement fees. On a $10M raise, that's $300K-$800K that should strengthen the deal, improve investor returns, and provide sponsor cushion.
Instead, it goes to the platform. To survive, platforms need transaction volume--not investment success. This misalignment creates a race to the bottom:
- •Quality sponsors avoid platforms that dilute their economics
- •Platforms push deals to hit revenue targets, not because they're good
- •Investors get marketed to aggressively on mediocre opportunities
- •The whole ecosystem optimizes for fees, not outcomes
We're fixing this by eliminating placement fees entirely.
Built by Someone Who's Lived It
Founder photo
(To be added from Sanity)
"I've spent 25 years watching good deals get worse because of fee structures that benefit platforms over investors."
-- Matt Bertram
Matt Bertram has closed over $10 billion in commercial real estate transactions--both as an entrepreneur and with institutional giants like PGIM. He's seen the industry from every angle.
CREpublic is his answer: a network built on transparency, where sophisticated investors and quality sponsors connect without the middleman tax.
How We Work
Alignment Over Fees
We succeed when our members succeed--not when we maximize transaction volume.
Transparency Always
We'll always tell you how we make money. No hidden fees. No surprises.
Quality Over Quantity
We'd rather have fewer excellent deals than volume-driven mediocrity.
Community Intelligence
Every member benefits from the insights of the entire network.