RBS Greenwich Capital’s Real Estate Finance Group is one of the industry’s leading providers of capital to the commercial real estate industry. As a principal lender, a conduit/CMBS lender and a bank lender, the Group originated more than $7 billion in fixed- and floating-rate loans, mezzanine financing and preferred equity in 2007. Larry Gray, editor of The Institutional Real Estate Letter, spoke with Mark Finerman, managing director, head of Real Estate Finance Group at RBS Greenwich Capital, about current conditions in the real estate capital markets.

[Editor’s note: Shortly after this interview, Mr. Finerman announced his resignation from RBS, which was a direct result of the dramatic slowdown in the commercial mortgage business.]

How did the subprime mess affect your shop’s loan origination and securitization activity in the second half of 2007?

The subprime mess spread to all structured products by eroding invest