Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp
For the period ended Mar 31, 2026. Filed May 7, 2026.
View on SEC.govAbout this filing
A company's report for each of its first three quarters. The financial statements are not audited. It shows how the business has moved since the last annual report, and what management says changed.
Mar 31, 2026 · Filed May 7, 2026
Extracted filing text, with the paragraph anchors used by the comparison.
See the whole filing, with its images and exhibitsContents
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
As of March 31, 2026
(in thousands, except share and per share data, percentages and as otherwise indicated)
- ORGANIZATION
Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, the “Company” or “ACRE”) is a specialty finance company primarily engaged in directly originating and investing in commercial real estate loans and related investments. Through Ares Commercial Real Estate Management LLC (“ACREM” or the Company’s “Manager”), a Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) registered investment adviser and a subsidiary of Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) (“Ares Management” or “Ares”), a publicly traded, leading global alternative investment manager, it has investment professionals strategically located across the United States and Europe who directly source new loan opportunities for the Company with owners, operators and sponsors of commercial real estate (“CRE”) properties. The Company was formed and commenced operations in late 2011. The Company is a Maryland corporation and completed its initial public offering in May 2012. The Company is externally managed by its Manager, pursuant to the terms of a management agreement (the “Management Agreement”).
The Company operates asone operating segment and is primarily focused on directly originating and managing a diversified portfolio of CRE debt-related investments for the Company’s own account. The Company’s target investments include whole and co-invested senior mortgage loans, subordinated debt, preferred equity and mezzanine loans, as well as other CRE investments, including commercial mortgage-backed securities. These investments are generally held for investment and are secured, directly or indirectly, by office, multifamily, retail, industrial, lodging, self storage, student housing, residential and other commercial real estate properties, or by ownership interests therein.
The Company has elected and qualified to be taxed as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for United States federal income tax purposes under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2012. The Company generally will not be subject to United States federal income taxes on its REIT taxable income as long as it annually distributes all of its REIT taxable income prior to the deduction for dividends paid to stockholders and complies with various other requirements as a REIT.
- SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the related management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 filed with the SEC.
Refer to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 for a description of the Company’s recurring accounting policies. The Company has included disclosure below regarding basis of presentation and other accounting policies that (i) are required to be disclosed quarterly or (ii) the Company views as critical as of the date of this report.
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in conformity with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and include the accounts of the Company, the consolidated variable interest entities (“VIEs”) that the Company controls and of which the Company is the primary beneficiary, and the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries. The unaudited consolidated interim financial statements reflect all adjustments and reclassifications that, in the opinion of management, are necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s results of operations and financial condition as of and for the periods presented. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.
The unaudited consolidated interim financial statements are prepared in accordance with GAAP and pursuant to the requirements for reporting on Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. The current period’s results of operations will not necessarily be indicative of results for any other interim period or that ultimately may be achieved for the year ending December 31, 2026.
Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect certain reported amounts and disclosures. Global macroeconomic conditions, including higher tariffs, high inflation, changes to fiscal, monetary and trade policy, high interest rates, potential market-wide liquidity problems, currency fluctuations, labor shortages and challenges in the supply chain, have the potential to negatively impact the Company and its borrowers. These current macroeconomic conditions may continue or aggravate and could cause the United States economy or other global economies to experience an economic slowdown or recession. We anticipate our business and operations could be materially adversely affected by a prolonged recession in the United States or other major global economy.
The Company believes the estimates and assumptions underlying its consolidated financial statements are reasonable and supportable based on the information available as of March 31, 2026, however, uncertainty over the global economy and the Company’s business, makes any estimates and assumptions as of March 31, 2026 inherently less certain than they would be absent the current and potential impacts of current macroeconomic conditions. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Variable Interest Entities
The Company evaluates all of its interests in VIEs for consolidation. When the Company’s interests are determined to be variable interests, the Company assesses whether it is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the VIE. The primary beneficiary of a VIE is required to consolidate the VIE. Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 810, Consolidation, defines the primary beneficiary as the party that has both (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact its economic performance, and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses and the right to receive benefits from the VIE which could be potentially significant. The Company considers its variable interests, as well as any variable interests of its related parties in making this determination. Where both of these factors are present, the Company is deemed to be the primary beneficiary and it consolidates the VIE. Where either one of these factors is not present, the Company is not the primary beneficiary and it does not consolidate the VIE.
To assess whether the Company has the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance, the Company considers all facts and circumstances, including its role in establishing the VIE and its ongoing rights and responsibilities. This assessment includes first, identifying the activities that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance; and second, identifying which party, if any, has power over those activities. In general, the parties that make the most significant decisions affecting the VIE or have the right to unilaterally remove those decision makers are deemed to have the power to direct the activities of a VIE.
To assess whether the Company has the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE, the Company considers all of its economic interests, including debt and equity investments, servicing fees, and other arrangements deemed to be variable interests in the VIE. This assessment requires that the Company apply judgment in determining whether these interests, in the aggregate, are considered potentially significant to the VIE. Factors considered in assessing significance include: the design of the VIE, including its capitalization structure; subordination of interests; payment priority; relative share of interests held across various classes within the VIE’s capital structure; and the reasons why the interests are held by the Company.
For VIEs of which the Company is determined to be the primary beneficiary, all of the underlying assets, liabilities, equity, revenue and expenses of the structures are consolidated into the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
The Company performs an ongoing reassessment of: (1) whether any entities previously evaluated under the majority voting interest framework have become VIEs, based on certain events, and therefore are subject to the VIE consolidation framework, and (2) whether changes in the facts and circumstances regarding its involvement with a VIE cause the Company’s consolidation conclusion regarding the VIE to change. See Note 14 included in these consolidated financial statements for further discussion of the Company’s VIEs.
Restricted Cash
Restricted cash includes: (1) funds on deposit with financial institutions related to real estate owned properties that are held in the Company’s consolidated VIEs and (2) escrow deposits or reserves for taxes, insurance, leasing outlays, capital expenditures, tenant security deposits and payments required under certain loan agreements. These escrow deposits or reserves are held on behalf of the respective borrowers related to the Company’s loans held for investment and are offset by escrow liabilities included in other liabilities in the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
Loans Held for Investment
The Company originates CRE debt and related instruments generally to be held for investment. Loans that are held for investment are carried at cost, net of unamortized purchase discounts, deferred loan fees and origination costs and cost-recovery proceeds. The resulting amount, which excludes the CECL Reserve (as defined below), is referred to as the “Carrying Value.” Loans are generally collateralized by real estate. The extent of any credit deterioration associated with the performance and/or value of the underlying collateral property and the financial and operating capability of the borrower could impact the expected amounts received. The Company monitors performance of its loans held for investment portfolio under the following methodology: (1) borrower review, which analyzes the borrower’s ability to execute on its original business plan, reviews its financial condition, assesses pending litigation and considers its general level of responsiveness and cooperation; (2) economic review, which considers underlying collateral (i.e. leasing performance, unit sales and cash flow of the collateral and its ability to cover debt service, as well as the residual loan balance at maturity); (3) property review, which considers current environmental risks, changes in insurance costs or coverage, current site visibility, capital expenditures and market perception; and (4) market review, which analyzes the collateral from a supply and demand perspective of similar property types, as well as from a capital markets perspective. Such analyses are completed and reviewed by asset management and finance personnel who utilize various data sources, including periodic financial data such as property occupancy, tenant profile, rental rates, operating expenses, and the borrower’s exit plan, among other factors.
Loans are generally placed on non-accrual status when principal or interest payments are past due 30 days or more or when there is reasonable doubt that principal or interest will be collected in full. Accrued and unpaid interest is generally reversed against interest income in the period the loan is placed on non-accrual status. Interest payments received on non-accrual loans may be recognized as income or applied to reduce loan Carrying Value depending upon management’s judgment regarding the borrower’s ability to make pending principal and interest payments. Non-accrual loans are restored to accrual status when past due principal and interest are paid and, in management’s judgment, are likely to remain current. The Company may make exceptions to placing a loan on non-accrual status if the loan has sufficient collateral value and is in the process of collection.
Loan balances that are deemed to be uncollectible are written-off as a realized loss and are deducted from the CECL Reserve (as defined below). The write-offs are recorded in the period in which the loan balance is deemed uncollectible based on management’s judgment.
Current Expected Credit Losses
FASB ASC Topic 326, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (“ASC 326”), requires the Company to reflect current expected credit losses (“CECL”) on both the outstanding balances and unfunded commitments on loans held for investment and requires consideration of a broad range of historical experience adjusted for current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecast information to inform credit loss estimates (the “CECL Reserve”). Increases and decreases to expected credit losses impact earnings and are recorded within (provision for) reversal of current expected credit losses, net in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. The CECL Reserve related to outstanding balances on loans held for investment required under ASC 326 is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of the Company’s loans held for investment in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The CECL Reserve related to unfunded commitments on loans held for investment is recorded within other liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. See Note 4 included in these consolidated financial statements for CECL related disclosures.
Loans Held for Sale
Although the Company generally holds its target investments as long-term investments, the Company occasionally classifies some of its investments as held for sale if there is an intent to sell the investment prior to maturity or payoff. Investments held for sale are carried at the lower of carrying amount or fair value within loans held for sale in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, with changes in fair value recorded through earnings. If a loan is determined to be held for sale at the time of origination, upfront fees and origination costs are deferred and any portion retained is recognized into interest income at the time of sale.
During the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company originated a senior mortgage loan as part of a co-investment collateralized by a retail property located in California. At the time of origination, the Company classified a portion of the loan as held for sale as the Company intends to sell such portion. As of March 31, 2026, such portion of the loan remains classified as held for sale with a carrying amount of $60.5 million, an outstanding principal balance of $61.2 million, a per annum interest rate of SOFR plus 2.75% and a maturity date of March 5, 2029. The Company hadno loans held for sale as of December 31, 2025.
Real Estate Owned Held for Investment
Real estate assets held for investment are carried at their estimated fair value at acquisition and are presented net of accumulated depreciation or amortization and impairment charges. The Company allocates the purchase price of acquired real estate assets held for investment based on the fair value of the acquired land, buildings and improvements, furniture, fixtures and equipment, intangible assets and intangible liabilities, as applicable.
Real estate assets held for investment are depreciated or amortized using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives of up to 40 years for buildings and improvements, up to 15 years for furniture, fixtures and equipment and over the lease terms for intangible assets and liabilities. Renovations and/or replacements that improve or extend the life of the real estate asset are capitalized and depreciated over their estimated useful lives. The cost of ordinary repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Other than amortization related to intangible assets and liabilities for above-market or below-market leases, depreciation or amortization expense related to real estate assets held for investment is included within expenses from real estate owned in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Amortization for above-market or below-market leases is recognized as an adjustment to rental revenue and is included within revenue from real estate owned in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Real estate assets held for investment are evaluated for indicators of impairment on a quarterly basis. Factors that the Company may consider in its impairment analysis include, among others: (1) significant underperformance relative to historical or anticipated operating results; (2) significant negative industry or economic trends; (3) costs necessary to extend the life or improve the real estate asset; (4) significant increase in competition; and (5) ability to hold and dispose of the real estate asset in the ordinary course of business. A real estate asset is considered impaired when the sum of estimated future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the real estate asset over the estimated remaining holding period is less than the carrying amount of such real estate asset. Cash flows include operating cash flows and anticipated capital proceeds generated by the real estate asset. An impairment charge is recorded equal to the excess of the carrying amount of the real estate asset over the fair value. When determining the fair value of a real estate asset, the Company makes certain assumptions including, but not limited to, consideration of projected operating cash flows, comparable selling prices and projected cash flows from the eventual disposition of the real estate asset based upon the Company’s estimate of a capitalization rate and discount rate.
Real Estate Owned Held for Sale
The Company reviews its real estate assets, from time to time, in order to determine whether to sell such assets. Real estate assets are classified as held for sale when, in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant and Equipment, the Company commits to a plan to sell the asset, when the asset is being actively marketed for sale at a reasonable price and the sale of the asset is probable and the transfer of the asset is expected to qualify for recognition as a completed sale within one year. Real estate assets that are held for sale are carried at the lower of the asset’s carrying amount or its fair value less costs to sell.
Debt Issuance Costs
Debt issuance costs under the Company’s indebtedness are capitalized and amortized over the term of the respective debt instrument. Unamortized debt issuance costs are expensed when the associated debt is repaid prior to maturity. Debt issuance costs related to debt securitizations are capitalized and amortized over the term of the underlying loans using the effective interest method. When an underlying loan is prepaid in a debt securitization and the outstanding principal balance of the securitization debt is reduced, the related unamortized debt issuance costs are charged to expense based on a pro‑rata share of the debt issuance costs being allocated to the specific loans that were prepaid. Amortization of debt issuance costs is included within interest expense, except as noted below, in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations while the unamortized balance on the (i) Secured Funding Agreements (each individually defined in Note 6 included in these consolidated financial statements) is included within other assets and (ii) the Secured Term Loan (defined in Note 6 included in these consolidated financial statements) and debt securitizations are each included as a reduction to the carrying amount of the liability, in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
Revenue Recognition
Interest incomeis accrued based on the outstanding principal amount and the contractual terms of each loan or debt security. For loans held for investment, the origination fees, contractual exit fees and direct origination costs are also recognized in interest income over the initial loan term as a yield adjustment using the effective interest method. For loans held for sale, upfront fees and origination costs are deferred and any portion retained is recognized into interest income at the time of sale. For available-for-sale debt securities, premiums or discounts are amortized or accreted into interest income as a yield adjustment using the effective interest method.
Revenue from real estate owned represents revenue associated with the operations of a multi-building office property acquired in September 2024 and a mixed-use property acquired in September 2023.
Revenue from the operation of the office and mixed-use properties consists primarily of rental revenue from operating leases. For each operating lease with scheduled rent increases over the term of the lease, the Company recognizes rental revenue on a straight-line basis over the lease term when collectability of the lease payment is probable. Variable lease payments are recognized as rental revenue in the period when the changes in facts and circumstances on which the variable lease payments are based occur. Certain of the Company’s office and mixed-use property leases also contain provisions for tenants to reimburse the Company for property operating expenses. Such reimbursements are included in rental revenue on a gross basis. Rental revenue also includes amortization of intangible assets and liabilities related to above- and below-market leases.
Net Interest Margin and Interest Expense
Net interest margin in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations serves to measure the performance of the Company’s loans and debt securities as compared to its use of debt leverage. The Company includes interest income from its loans and debt securities and interest expense related to its Secured Funding Agreements, securitization debt and the Secured Term Loan (each individually defined in Note 6 included in these consolidated financial statements) in net interest margin. For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, interest expense is comprised of the following ($ in thousands):
| For the Three Months Ended March 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | |
| Secured funding agreements | $15,615 | $10,215 |
| Securitization debt | 349 | 6,217 |
| Secured term loan | 1,397 | 1,757 |
| Interest expense | $17,361 | $18,189 |
Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Comprehensive income (loss) consists of net income (loss) and OCI that are excluded from net income (loss).
- LOANS HELD FOR INVESTMENT
As of March 31, 2026, the Company’s portfolio included 35 loans held for investment, excluding 197 loans that were repaid, sold, converted to real estate owned or written-off since inception. The aggregate originated commitment under these loans at closing was approximately $1.9 billion and outstanding principal was $1.7 billion as of March 31, 2026. During the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company funded $201.7 million of outstanding principal and received repayments of $94.3 million of outstanding principal. As of March 31, 2026,88.5% of the Company’s loans have Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) floors, with a weighted average floor of 1.64%, calculated based on loans with SOFR floors. References to SOFR or “S” are to 30-day SOFR (unless otherwise specifically stated).
The Company’s investments in loans held for investment are accounted for at amortized cost. The following tables summarize the Company’s loans held for investment as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 ($ in thousands):
| Carrying Value (1) · Outstanding Principal (1) · Weighted Average Unleveraged Effective Yield · Weighted Average Remaining Life (Years) (4) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior mortgage loans | $1,610,092 | $1,690,176 | 5.8% | (2) | 7.3% | (3) | 1.4 |
| Subordinated debt and preferred equity investments | 19,274 | 21,102 | 2.7% | (2) | 6.6% | (3) | 1.1 |
| Total loans held for investment portfolio | $1,629,366 | $1,711,278 | 5.8% | (2) | 7.3% | (3) | 1.4 |
| Carrying Value (1) · Outstanding Principal (1) · Weighted Average Unleveraged Effective Yield · Weighted Average Remaining Life (Years) (4) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior mortgage loans | $1,509,670 | $1,580,074 | 5.7% | (2) | 7.4% | (3) | 1.3 |
| Subordinated debt and preferred equity investments | 19,136 | 20,985 | 2.7% | (2) | 6.7% | (3) | 1.3 |
| Total loans held for investment portfolio | $1,528,806 | $1,601,059 | 5.7% | (2) | 7.4% | (3) | 1.3 |
(1)The difference between the Carrying Value and the Outstanding Principal amount of the loans held for investment consists of unamortized purchase discounts, deferred loan fees and origination costs and cost-recovery proceeds.
(2)Unleveraged Effective Yield is the compounded effective rate of return that would be earned over the life of the investment based on the contractual interest rate (adjusted for any deferred loan fees, costs, premiums or discounts) and assumes no dispositions, early prepayments or defaults. The total Weighted Average Unleveraged Effective Yield is calculated based on the average of Unleveraged Effective Yield of all loans held by the Company as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 as weighted by the total outstanding principal balance of each loan.
(3)Unleveraged Effective Yield is the compounded effective rate of return that would be earned over the life of the investment based on the contractual interest rate (adjusted for any deferred loan fees, costs, premiums or discounts) and assumes no dispositions, early prepayments or defaults. The total Weighted Average Unleveraged Effective Yield is calculated based on the average of Unleveraged Effective Yield of all interest accruing loans held by the Company as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 as weighted by the total outstanding principal balance of each interest accruing loan (excludes loans on non-accrual status as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025).
(4)Remaining Life is based on contractual maturity date and does not include contractual extension options not yet exercised.
A more detailed listing of the Company’s loans held for investment portfolio based on information available as of March 31, 2026 is as follows ($ in millions):
| Loan Type · Location · Outstanding Principal (1) · Carrying Value (1) · Interest Rate · Unleveraged Effective Yield (2) · Maturity Date (3) · Payment Terms (4) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior Mortgage Loans: | ||||||||||
| Residential/Condo | NY | $179.8 | $136.5 | S+8.95% | —% | (5) | Dec 2026 | I/O | ||
| Office | IL | 167.6 | 138.0 | (6) | —% | (6) | Apr 2026 | (6) | I/O | |
| Multifamily | NY | 132.2 | 131.9 | S+3.90% | 8.6% | Jun 2026 | I/O | |||
| Industrial | GA | 96.8 | 96.0 | S+2.25% | 6.3% | Oct 2028 | I/O | |||
| Multifamily | NY | 78.9 | 77.9 | S+2.45% | 6.6% | Mar 2029 | I/O | |||
| Office | NC | 72.7 | 72.7 | S+3.65% | 7.3% | Aug 2028 | I/O | |||
| Self Storage | Diversified | 70.5 | 69.9 | S+2.50% | 6.5% | Dec 2028 | I/O | |||
| Multifamily | TX | 67.9 | 67.6 | S+2.95% | 7.2% | Dec 2026 | (7) | P/I | (8) | |
| Retail | CA | 67.0 | 66.3 | S+2.75% | 6.8% | Mar 2029 | I/O | |||
| Office | NY | 65.0 | 65.0 | S+2.65% | 6.3% | Jul 2028 | I/O | |||
| Office | AZ | 65.0 | 65.0 | S+2.00% | 5.7% | Oct 2027 | (9) | I/O | ||
| Multifamily | OH | 57.3 | 57.2 | S+3.05% | 7.1% | Oct 2026 | I/O | |||
| Hotel | NY | 55.7 | 55.5 | S+4.40% | 8.3% | Mar 2027 | (10) | I/O | ||
| Office | IL | 54.0 | 53.9 | S+4.25% | 8.0% | Jan 2027 | P/I | (8) | ||
| Industrial | CA | 52.6 | 52.2 | S+3.00% | 7.0% | Nov 2028 | I/O | |||
| Multifamily | NC | 50.0 | 49.6 | S+2.40% | 6.6% | Oct 2027 | I/O | |||
| Multifamily | MA | 48.9 | 48.6 | S+3.10% | 7.3% | Oct 2027 | I/O | |||
| Hotel | SC | 48.3 | 47.8 | S+3.50% | 7.6% | Nov 2028 | I/O | |||
| Industrial | MA | 45.6 | 45.5 | S+2.90% | 6.7% | Jun 2028 | I/O | |||
| Mixed-Use | NY | 37.8 | 37.3 | S+3.25% | 7.6% | Jan 2028 | I/O | |||
| Industrial | NJ | 27.8 | 27.8 | S+8.85% | 12.5% | Nov 2024 | (11) | I/O | ||
| Hotel | Diversified | 23.9 | 23.7 | S+3.75% | 7.8% | Nov 2028 | I/O | |||
| Hotel | FL | 18.7 | 18.5 | S+3.35% | 7.5% | Dec 2028 | I/O | |||
| Multifamily | TX | 18.2 | 18.2 | S+2.60% | 6.6% | May 2026 | (12) | I/O | ||
| Office | Diversified | 13.8 | 13.7 | S+3.75% | 10.3% | Jul 2026 | P/I | (8) | ||
| Self Storage | FL | 12.1 | 12.1 | S+3.25% | 7.1% | Dec 2027 | I/O | |||
| Self Storage | IN | 11.4 | 11.4 | S+3.60% | 7.4% | Jun 2026 | I/O | |||
| Self Storage | AZ | 10.7 | 10.6 | S+3.25% | 7.2% | Feb 2028 | I/O | |||
| Self Storage | FL | 9.5 | 9.4 | S+3.75% | 7.6% | Jun 2028 | I/O | |||
| Self Storage | PA | 8.8 | 8.7 | S+3.50% | 7.5% | May 2028 | I/O | |||
| Self Storage | MA | 7.7 | 7.7 | S+3.00% | 6.9% | Nov 2026 | I/O | |||
| Industrial | CA | 7.0 | 7.0 | S+3.85% | 7.5% | Jan 2027 | (13) | I/O | ||
| Self Storage | FL | 7.0 | 6.9 | S+3.50% | 7.5% | Apr 2028 | I/O | |||
| Subordinated Debt and Preferred Equity Investments: | ||||||||||
| Industrial | CA | 12.6 | 10.9 | S+3.85% | —% | (13) | Jan 2027 | I/O | ||
| Office | AZ | 8.5 | 8.4 | (9) | 6.6% | Oct 2027 | (9) | I/O | ||
| Total/Weighted Average | $1,711.3 | $1,629.4 | 5.8% | |||||||
(1)The difference between the Carrying Value and the Outstanding Principal amount of the loans held for investment consists of unamortized purchase discounts, deferred loan fees and origination costs and cost-recovery proceeds. For the loans held for investment that represent co-investments with other investment vehicles managed by Ares Management (see Note 12 included in these consolidated financial statements for additional information on co-investments), only the portion of Carrying Value and Outstanding Principal held by the Company is reflected.
(2)Unleveraged Effective Yield is the compounded effective rate of return that would be earned over the life of the investment based on the contractual interest rate (adjusted for any deferred loan fees, costs, premiums or discounts) and assumes no dispositions, early prepayments or defaults. Unleveraged Effective Yield for each loan is calculated based on SOFR as of March 31, 2026 or the SOFR floor, as applicable. The total Weighted Average Unleveraged Effective Yield is calculated based on the average of Unleveraged Effective Yield of all loans held by the Company as of March 31, 2026 as weighted by the outstanding principal balance of each loan.
(3)Reflects the initial loan maturity date excluding any contractual extension options. Certain loans are subject to contractual extension options that generally vary betweenone andtwo 12-month extensions and may be subject to performance based or other conditions as stipulated in the loan agreement. Actual maturities may differ from contractual maturities stated herein as certain borrowers may have the right to prepay with or without paying a prepayment penalty. The Company may also extend contractual maturities and amend other terms of the loans in connection with loan modifications.
(4)I/O = interest only, P/I = principal and interest.
(5)The New York loan is structured as both a senior and mezzanine loan with the Company holding contiguous positions. The senior and mezzanine positions each have a per annum interest rate of S +8.95%. The senior and mezzanine loans were both on non-accrual status as of March 31, 2026 and the Unleveraged Effective Yield is not applicable.
(6)The Illinois loan is structured as both a senior and mezzanine loan with the Company holding contiguous positions. The senior position has a per annum interest rate of S +2.25% and the mezzanine position has a fixed per annum interest rate of 10.00%. The senior and mezzanine loans were both on non-accrual status as of March 31, 2026 and the Unleveraged Effective Yield is not applicable. In January 2026, the Company and the borrower entered into a modification and extension agreement to, among other things, extend the maturity date on the Illinois loan from January 2026 to April 2026. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company received $1.7 million of interest payments in cash on the senior loan that was recognized as a reduction to the Carrying Value of the loan and the borrower is current on all contractual interest payments.
(7)In January 2026, the Company and the borrower entered into a modification and extension agreement to, among other things, extend the maturity date on the senior Texas loan from January 2026 to December 2026.
(8)In February 2023, amortization began on the senior diversified loan, which had an outstanding principal balance of $13.8 million as of March 31, 2026. In January 2026, amortization began on both the senior Texas loan and the senior Illinois loan, which had outstanding principal balances of $67.9 million and $54.0 million, respectively, as of March 31, 2026. The remainder of the loans in the Company’s portfolio are non-amortizing through their primary terms.
(9)The Arizona loan is structured as a senior A-Note with an outstanding principal balance of $65.0 million, a subordinated B-Note withno initial outstanding principal balance and an unfunded commitment of $12.0 million for certain lender approved leasing costs and a subordinated C-Note with an outstanding principal balance of $8.5 million. The subordinated B-Note is pari-passu with new borrower contributions for the loan principal paydown and other additional capital contributions. The subordinated C-Note is subordinate to the A-Note, B-Note and the new borrower contributions. The senior A-Note has a per annum interest rate of S +2.00%, the subordinated B-Note has a fixed per annum interest rate of 12.00% and the subordinated C-Note has a fixed per annum interest rate of 5.50%. As of March 31, 2026, the borrower is current on all contractual interest payments for the senior A-Note and the subordinated C-Note.
(10)In March 2026, the borrower exercised a 12-month extension option in accordance with the loan agreement, which extended the maturity date on the senior New York loan to March 2027.
(11)As of March 31, 2026, the senior New Jersey loan, which is collateralized by an industrial property, is in maturity default due to the failure of the borrower to repay the outstanding principal balance of the loan by the November 2024 maturity date and the borrower is current on all contractual interest payments.
(12)In January 2026, the Company and the borrower entered into a modification and extension agreement to, among other things, extend the maturity date on the senior Texas loan from January 2026 to May 2026.
(13)The California loan is structured as a senior A-Note, with an outstanding principal balance of $7.0 million as of March 31, 2026, a subordinated B-Note withno outstanding principal balance and an unfunded commitment of $500 thousand for certain lender approved leasing costs and a subordinated C-Note with an outstanding principal balance of $12.6 million as of March 31, 2026. The subordinated B-Note and C-Note are subordinate to new borrower equity related to additional capital contributions. As of March 31, 2026, the subordinated C-Note was on non-accrual status and therefore, the Unleveraged Effective Yield is not applicable. As of March 31, 2026, the borrower is current on all contractual interest payments for the senior A-Note and the subordinated C-Note.
The Company has made, and may continue to make, modifications to loans, including loans that are in default. Loan terms that may be modified include interest rates, required prepayments, asset release prices, maturity dates, covenants, principal amounts and other loan terms. The terms and conditions of each modification vary based on individual circumstances and are determined on a case-by-case basis. The Company’s Manager monitors and evaluates each of the Company’s loans held for investment and maintains regular communications with borrowers and sponsors regarding the potential impacts of current macroeconomic conditions on the Company’s loans.
For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the activity in the Company’s loan portfolio was as follows ($ in thousands):
| Balance at December 31, 2025 | $1,528,806 |
|---|---|
| Initial funding | 187,343 |
| Origination and other loan fees and discounts, net of costs | (2,759) |
| Additional funding | 14,329 |
| Amortizing payments | (2,837) |
| Loan payoffs (1) | (96,719) |
| Origination and other loan fees and discount accretion | 1,203 |
| Balance at March 31, 2026 | $1,629,366 |
(1)In March 2026, the Company received a discounted payoff on a senior mortgage loan with outstanding principal of $28.2 million, which was collateralized by a multifamily property located in Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the sale of the multifamily property by the borrower. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company recognized a realized loss of $3.3 million in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations as the Carrying Value of the senior mortgage loan exceeded the net proceeds from the payoff of the loan.
Except as described in the table above listing the Company’s loans held for investment portfolio, as of March 31, 2026, all loans heldfor investment were paying in accordance with their contractual terms. As of March 31, 2026, the Company hadthree loans held for investment on non-accrual status with a Carrying Value of $285.4 million. As of December 31, 2025, the Company hadfour loans held for investment on non-accrual status with a Carrying Value of $308.1 million.
- CURRENT EXPECTED CREDIT LOSSES
The Company estimates its CECL Reserve primarily using a probability-weighted model that considers the likelihood of default and expected loss given default for each individual loan. Calculation of the CECL Reserve requires loan-specific data, which includes capital senior to the Company when the Company is the subordinate lender, changes in net operating income, debt service coverage ratio, loan-to-value, occupancy, property type and geographic location. Estimating the CECL Reserve also requires significant judgment with respect to various factors, including (i) the appropriate historical loan loss reference data, (ii) the expected timing of loan repayments, (iii) calibration of the likelihood of default to reflect the risk characteristics of the Company’s loan portfolio, (iv) the underlying collateral performance and its estimated current and stabilized market values, including projected cash flows and (v) the Company’s current and future view of the macroeconomic environment. The Company may consider loan-specific qualitative factors on certain loans to estimate its CECL Reserve. In order to estimate the future expected loan losses relevant to the Company’s portfolio, the Company utilizes historical market loan loss data licensed from a third party data service. The third party’s loan database includes historical loss data for commercial mortgage-backed securities, or CMBS, issued dating back to 1998, which the Company believes is a reasonably comparable and available data set to its type of loans. The Company utilized macroeconomic forecasts and inputs that reflected a blend of a stable and a weaker economic outlook in the near term; however, the actual financial impact on the Company of the current environment is highly uncertain. For periods beyond the reasonable and supportable forecast period, the Company reverts back to historical loss data. Management’s current estimate of expected credit losses as of March 31, 2026 increased compared to the estimate of expected credit losses as of December 31, 2025 primarily due to changes in loan and collateral specific attributes and new loan closings during the three months ended March 31, 2026. These factors were partially offset by a realized loss on a multifamily loan, resulting in a reversal of the associated CECL Reserve, shorter average remaining loan term, loan repayments, a relative improvement in the near-term macroeconomic forecasts and changes in loan and collateral specific attributes during the three months ended March 31, 2026. The CECL Reserve also takes into consideration the assumed impact of macroeconomic conditions on CRE properties and is not specific to any loan losses or impairments on the Company’s loans held for investment, unless the Company determines that a specifically identifiable reserve is warranted for a select asset.
In certain instances, the Company may identify specific loans to be collateral dependent. The Company considers loans to be collateral dependent if both of the following criteria are met: (i) the loan is expected to be substantially repaid through the operation or sale of the underlying collateral, and (ii) the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty. The determination of whether these criteria are met for an individual loan requires the use of significant judgment and can be based on several factors subject to uncertainty.
For such loans that the Company determines that foreclosure of the collateral is probable, the Company estimates the CECL Reserve based on the difference between the fair value of the collateral (less costs to sell the asset if repayment is expected through the sale of the collateral) and the amortized cost basis of the loan as of the measurement date. For collateral dependent loans that the Company determines foreclosure is not probable, the Company may apply a practical expedient to estimate the CECL Reserve using the difference between the collateral’s fair value (less costs to sell the asset if repayment is expected through the sale of the collateral) and the amortized cost basis of the loan. To determine the fair value of the collateral, the Company may employ different approaches depending on the type of collateral, including methods such as the income approach, the market approach or the direct capitalization approach. These methods require the use of key unobservable inputs, which are inherently uncertain and subjective. Determining the appropriate valuation method and selecting the appropriate key unobservable inputs and assumptions requires significant judgment and consideration of factors specific to the underlying collateral being assessed. Additionally, the key unobservable inputs and assumptions that may be used could vary depending on the information available and market conditions as of the valuation date. As such, the fair value that may be used in calculating the CECL Reserve is subject to uncertainty and any actual losses, if incurred, could differ materially from the CECL Reserve.
As of March 31, 2026, the Company’s CECL Reserve for its loans held for investment portfolio is $138.3 million or 768 basis points of the Company’s total loans held for investment commitment balance of $1.8 billion and is bifurcated between the CECL Reserve (contra-asset) related to outstanding balances on loans held for investment of $136.8 million and a liability for unfunded commitments of $1.4 million. The liability was based on the unfunded portion of the loan commitment over the full contractual period over which the Company is exposed to credit risk through a current obligation to extend credit. Management considered the likelihood that funding will occur, and if funded, the expected credit loss on the funded portion.
As of March 31, 2026, the senior mortgage loan on an office property located in Illinois with a principal balance of $167.6 million had a risk rating of “5.” As of March 31, 2026, this loan was assessed individually and the Company elected to assign a CECL Reserve of $70.3 million on the Illinois office loan. The CECL Reserve for this loan was based on the Company’s estimate of net proceeds available from the potential sale of the collateral property and this CECL Reserve is included in the Company’s total CECL Reserve.
Current Expected Credit Loss Reserve for Funded Loan Commitments
Activity related to the CECL Reserve for outstanding balances on the Company’s loans held for investment as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was as follows ($ in thousands):
| Balance at December 31, 2025 (1) | $125,756 |
|---|---|
| Provision for (reversal of) current expected credit losses, net | 11,074 |
| Balance at March 31, 2026 (1) | $136,830 |
(1)The CECL Reserve related to outstanding balances on loans held for investment is recorded within current expected credit loss reserve in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
Current Expected Credit Loss Reserve for Unfunded Loan Commitments
Activity related to the CECL Reserve for unfunded commitments on the Company’s loans held for investment as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was as follows ($ in thousands):
| Balance at December 31, 2025 (1) | $1,380 |
|---|---|
| Provision for (reversal of) current expected credit losses, net | 64 |
| Balance at March 31, 2026 (1) | $1,444 |
(1)The CECL Reserve related to unfunded commitments on loans held for investment is recorded within other liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
The Company continuously evaluates the credit quality of each loan by assessing the risk factors of each loan and assigning a risk rating based on a variety of factors. Risk factors include property type, geographic and local market dynamics, physical condition, leasing and tenant profile, projected cash flow, loan structure and exit plan, loan-to-value ratio, debt service coverage ratio, project sponsorship, and other factors deemed necessary. Based on a 5-point scale, the Company’s loans are rated “1” through “5,” from less risk to greater risk, which ratings are defined as follows:
| Ratings | Definition |
| 1 | Very Low Risk |
| 2 | Low Risk |
| 3 | Medium Risk |
| 4 | High Risk/Potential for Loss: Asset performance is trailing underwritten expectations. Loan at risk of impairment without material improvement to performance |
| 5 | Impaired/Loss Likely: A loan that has a significantly increased probability of default and principal loss |
The risk ratings are primarily based on historical data as well as taking into account future economic conditions.
As of March 31, 2026, the Carrying Value of the Company’s loans held for investment within each risk rating by year of origination is as follows ($ in thousands):
| 2026 · 2025 · 2024 · 2023 · 2022 · Prior · Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risk rating: | |||||||
| 1 | $— | $— | $— | $— | $— | $13,741 | $13,741 |
| 2 | — | — | — | 102,674 | 195,144 | 92,805 | 390,623 |
| 3 | 181,535 | 453,897 | — | 11,438 | 53,933 | 230,517 | 931,320 |
| 4 | — | — | — | — | 136,459 | 19,274 | 155,733 |
| 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 137,949 | 137,949 |
| Total | $181,535 | $453,897 | $— | $114,112 | $385,536 | $494,286 | $1,629,366 |
Accrued Interest Receivable
The Company elected not to measure a CECL Reserve on accrued interest receivable due to the Company’s policy of writing-off uncollectible accrued interest receivable balances in a timely manner. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, interest receivable of $6.9 million and $6.4 million, respectively, is included within other assets in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and is excluded from loans held for investment. If the Company were to have uncollectible accrued interest receivable, it generally would reverse accrued and unpaid interest against interest income and no longer accrue for these amounts.
- REAL ESTATE OWNED
On September 19, 2024, the Company acquired legal title to a multi-building office property located in North Carolina through a deed in lieu of foreclosure. Prior to September 19, 2024, the office property collateralized a $68.6 million senior mortgage loan held by the Company that was in maturity default due to the failure of the borrower to repay the outstanding principal balance of the loan by the May 2024 maturity date. In conjunction with the deed in lieu of foreclosure, the Company derecognized the $68.6 million senior mortgage loan and recognized the office property as real estate owned. As the Company did not expect to complete a sale of the office property within the next twelve months, the office property was considered held for investment, and was carried at its estimated fair value at acquisition and was presented net of accumulated depreciation or amortization and impairment charges. At acquisition, the Company recognized a realized loss of $5.8 million on the derecognition of the senior mortgage loan as the fair value of the office property at acquisition of $60.2 million and the net operating assets and liabilities held at the office property of $(201) thousand at acquisition was less than the $65.8 million Carrying Value of the senior mortgage loan. Certain operating assets and liabilities of the office property are included within other assets and other liabilities, respectively, in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and include items such as prepaid expenses, rent receivables, straight-line rent receivables and payables and trade payables. On December 30, 2025, the Company sold a building at the multi-building office property to a third party for $5.3 million.
During the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company committed to a plan to sell the multi-building office property and the asset is being actively marketed for sale with such sale expected to qualify for recognition as a completed sale within one year. As such, as of March 31, 2026, the multi-building office property is classified as real estate owned held for sale in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and the Company has ceased depreciating and amortizing the multi-building office property. Upon reclassification, the multi-building office property had a carrying amount of $53.1 million, which was lower than the estimated fair value less costs to sell. As such, the Company has continued to recognize the multi-building office property at its carrying amount in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and no impairment loss related to the planned sale of the multi-building office property has been recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2026.
On September 8, 2023, the Company acquired legal title to a mixed-use property located in Florida through a consensual foreclosure. Prior to September 8, 2023, the mixed-use property collateralized an $82.9 million senior mortgage loan held by the Company that was in maturity default due to the failure of the borrower to repay the outstanding principal balance of the loan by the February 2023 maturity date. In conjunction with the consensual foreclosure, the Company derecognized the $82.9 million senior mortgage loan and recognized the mixed-use property as real estate owned. As the Company does not expect to complete a sale of the mixed-use property within the next twelve months, the mixed-use property is considered held for investment, and is carried at its estimated fair value at acquisition and is presented net of accumulated depreciation or amortization and impairment charges. The Company did not recognize any gain or loss on the derecognition of the senior mortgage loan as the fair value of the mixed-use property of $84.3 million and the net operating assets and liabilities held at the mixed-use property of $(1.4) million at acquisition approximated the $82.9 million Carrying Value of the senior mortgage loan. Certain operating assets and liabilities of the mixed-use property are included within other assets and other liabilities, respectively, in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and include items such as prepaid expenses, rent receivables, straight-line rent receivables and payables and trade payables.
The following table summarizes the Company’s real estate owned held for investment as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 ($ in thousands):
| As of | ||
|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | |
| Land | $21,337 | $34,245 |
| Buildings and improvements | 52,649 | 81,691 |
| Lease intangibles | 21,276 | 34,735 |
| Above-market lease intangibles | 547 | 4,490 |
| Below-market lease intangibles | (11,084) | (11,105) |
| Total real estate owned held for investment | 84,725 | 144,056 |
| Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization | (7,877) | (13,891) |
| Real estate owned held for investment, net | $76,848 | $130,165 |
As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, no impairment charges have been recognized for real estate owned held for investment.
For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company incurred net depreciation and amortization expense of $741 thousand and $2.2 million, respectively. With the exception of amortization related to intangible assets and liabilities for above-market or below-market leases, depreciation and amortization expense is included within expenses from real estate owned in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Amortization related to intangible assets and liabilities for above-market or below-market leases is recognized as an adjustment to rental revenue and is included within revenue from real estate owned in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Intangible Lease Assets and Liabilities
For the three months ended March 31, 2026, there were no property acquisitions.
The following table summarizes the Company’s intangible lease assets and liabilities that are included within real estate owned held for investment as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 ($ in thousands):
| As of March 31, 2026 | As of December 31, 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross | Accumulated Amortization | Net | Gross | Accumulated Amortization | Net | |
| Assets: | ||||||
| Lease intangibles | $21,276 | $(5,798) | $15,478 | $34,735 | $(9,772) | $24,963 |
| Above-market lease intangibles | 547 | (256) | 291 | 4,490 | (1,468) | 3,022 |
| Liabilities: | ||||||
| Below-market lease intangibles | (11,084) | 2,567 | (8,517) | (11,105) | 2,398 | (8,707) |
The following table summarizes the amortization of intangible lease assets and liabilities related to real estate owned held for investment for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 ($ in thousands):
| Consolidated Statementof Operations Location · For the Three Months Ended March 31, | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 · 2025 | |||
| Assets: | |||
| Lease intangibles | Expenses from real estate owned | $482 | $1,527 |
| Above-market lease intangibles | Revenue from real estate owned | (19) | (271) |
| Liabilities: | |||
| Below-market lease intangibles | Revenue from real estate owned | 190 | 262 |
The following table summarizes the estimated net amortization schedule for the Company’s intangible lease assets and liabilities that are included within real estate owned held for investment as of March 31, 2026 ($ in thousands):
| Above-Market · Below-Market | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lease Intangibles · Lease Intangibles · Lease Intangibles | |||||
| Remainder of 2026 | $1,325 | $57 | $(428) | ||
| 2027 | 1,701 | 51 | (571) | ||
| 2028 | 1,603 | 41 | (542) | ||
| 2029 | 1,596 | 41 | (539) | ||
| 2030 | 1,592 | 41 | (539) | ||
| Thereafter | 7,661 | 60 | (5,898) | ||
| Total | $15,478 | $291 | $(8,517) | ||
Future Minimum Lease Payments
The following table summarizes the future minimum contractual lease payments to be collected by the Company under non-cancelable operating leases related to real estate owned held for investment, excluding tenant reimbursements of expenses and variable lease payments, as of March 31, 2026 ($ in thousands):
| Remainder of 2026 | $7,815 |
| 2027 | 10,170 |
| 2028 | 10,156 |
| 2029 | 10,344 |
| 2030 | 10,237 |
| Thereafter | 14,007 |
| Total | $62,729 |
- DEBT
Financing Agreements
The Company borrows funds, as applicable in a given period, under the Wells Fargo Facility, the Citibank Facility, the CNB Facility and the Morgan Stanley Facility (individually defined below and collectively, the “Secured Funding Agreements”) and the Secured Term Loan (as defined below). The Company refers to the Secured Funding Agreements and the Secured Term Loan as the “Financing Agreements.”
Some of the Company’s Financing Agreements are collateralized by (i) assignments of specific loans, preferred equity or a pool of loans held for investment, loans held for sale or real estate owned by the Company, (ii) interests in the subordinated portion of the Company’s securitization debt or (iii) interests in wholly-owned subsidiaries that hold the Company’s loans held for investment or loans held for sale.
The outstanding balances of the Financing Agreements in the table below are presented gross of debt issuance costs. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the outstanding balances and total commitments under the Financing Agreements consisted of the following ($ in thousands):
| As of March 31, 2026 · As of December 31, 2025 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Balance · Total Commitment · Outstanding Balance · Total Commitment | ||||||
| Secured Funding Agreements: | ||||||
| Wells Fargo Facility | $567,904 | $600,000 | (1) | $438,911 | $600,000 | (1) |
| Citibank Facility | 389,562 | 425,000 | (2) | 269,265 | 325,000 | (2) |
| CNB Facility | — | 75,000 | (3) | — | 75,000 | (3) |
| Morgan Stanley Facility | 224,630 | 350,000 | (4) | 150,000 | 150,000 | (4) |
| Subtotal | $1,182,096 | $1,450,000 | $858,176 | $1,150,000 | ||
| Secured Term Loan | $90,000 | $90,000 | (5) | $90,000 | $90,000 | (5) |
| Total | $1,272,096 | $1,540,000 | $948,176 | $1,240,000 | ||
(1)The Carrying Value of collateral pledged to the Wells Fargo Facility (as defined below) was $848.6 million and $657.1 million as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.
(2)In March 2026, the Company exercised each of its two $50.0 million accordion options on the Citibank Facility (as defined below) to increase the maximum commitment from $325.0 million to $425.0 million with payment of an upsize fee. The Carrying Value of collateral pledged to the Citibank Facility was $547.9 million and $420.5 million as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.
(3)Amount immediately available under the CNB Facility (as defined below) at any given time can fluctuate based on the fair value of the collateral in the borrowing base that secures the CNB Facility. As of March 31, 2026, there was $51.1 million of immediate availability under the CNB Facility based on the fair value of the collateral in the borrowing base at such time. The amount immediately available under the CNB Facility may be increased to up to $75.0 million by the pledge of additional collateral into the borrowing base in accordance with the CNB Facility agreement.
(4)In January 2026, the Company exercised its $100.0 million accordion option on the Morgan Stanley Facility (as defined below) to increase the maximum commitment from $150.0 million to $250.0 million with payment of an upsize fee. Subsequently, in March 2026, the Company amended the Morgan Stanley Facility to, among other things, increase the maximum commitment from $250.0 million to $350.0 million and include an accordion provision such that the maximum commitment may be increased to up to $400.0 million at the Company’s option, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including payment of an upsize fee. The Carrying Value of collateral pledged to the Morgan Stanley Facility was $286.4 million and $308.5 million as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.
(5)Equity interests pledged to the Secured Term Loan (as defined below) were $446.8 million and $478.3 million as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.
The Company is the borrower or guarantor under each of the Financing Agreements. Generally, the Company partially offsets interest rate risk by matching the interest index of loans held for investment with the Secured Funding Agreements used to fund them. The Company’s Financing Agreements contain various affirmative and negative covenants, including negative pledges, and provisions regarding events of default that are normal and customary for similar financing arrangements.
Wells Fargo Facility
The Company is party to a master repurchase funding facility with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Wells Fargo”) (the “Wells Fargo Facility”), which allows the Company to borrow up to $600.0 million. Under the Wells Fargo Facility, the Company is permitted to sell, and later repurchase, certain qualifying senior commercial mortgage loans, A-Notes, pari-passu participations in commercial mortgage loans and mezzanine loans under certain circumstances, subject to available collateral approved by Wells Fargo in its sole discretion. The initial maturity date of the Wells Fargo Facility is February 10, 2028, subject totwo 12-month extensions, each of which may be exercised at the Company’s option assuming no existing defaults under the Wells Fargo Facility and applicable extension fees being paid, which, if both were exercised, would extend the maturity date of the Wells Fargo Facility to February 10, 2030. Advances under the Wells Fargo Facility accrue interest at a per annum rate equal to the sum of one-month SOFR plus a pricing margin range of 1.50% to 3.75%, subject to certain exceptions.
Citibank Facility
The Company is party to a master repurchase facility with Citibank, N.A. (“Citibank”) (the “Citibank Facility”), which allows the Company to borrow up to $425.0 million. Under the Citibank Facility, the Company is permitted to sell and later repurchase certain qualifying senior commercial mortgage loans and A-Notes approved by Citibank in its sole discretion. The initial maturity date of the Citibank Facility is January 13, 2027, subject totwo 12-month extensions, each of which may be exercised at the Company’s option assuming no existing defaults under the Citibank Facility and applicable extension fees being paid, which, if both were exercised, would extend the maturity date of the Citibank Facility to January 13, 2029. Advances under the Citibank Facility accrue interest at a per annum rate equal to the sum of one-month SOFR plus an indicative pricing margin range of 1.50% to 2.10%, subject to certain exceptions. The Company incurs a non-utilization fee of 25 basis points per annum on the average daily positive difference between the maximum advances approved by Citibank and the actual advances outstanding on the Citibank Facility. For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company did not incur a non-utilization fee. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, the Company incurred a non-utilization fee of $1 thousand. The non-utilization fee is included within interest expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
CNB Facility
The Company is party to a $75.0 million secured revolving funding facility with City National Bank (the “CNB Facility”). The Company is permitted to borrow funds under the CNB Facility to finance investments and for other working capital and general corporate needs. The amount immediately available under the CNB Facility at any given time can fluctuate based on the fair value of the collateral in the borrowing base that secures the CNB Facility. As of March 31, 2026, there was $51.1 million of immediate availability under the CNB Facility based on the fair value of the collateral in the borrowing base at such time. Availability may be increased to up to $75.0 million by the pledge of additional collateral into the borrowing base in accordance with the CNB Facility agreement. In March 2026, the Company amended the CNB Facility to, among other things, extend the maturity date to December 31, 2026. The interest rate on advances under the CNB Facility is a per annum rate equal to the sum of, at the Company’s option, either (a) a SOFR-based rate plus 3.25% or (b) a base rate plus 2.25%, in each case, subject to an interest rate floor. Unless at least 75% of the CNB Facility is used on average, unused commitments under the CNB Facility accrue non-utilization fees at the rate of 0.375% per annum. For both the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company incurred a non-utilization fee of $70 thousand. The non-utilization fee is included within interest expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Morgan Stanley Facility
The Company is party to a $350.0 million master repurchase and securities contract with Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. (“Morgan Stanley”) (the “Morgan Stanley Facility”). Under the Morgan Stanley Facility, the Company is permitted to sell, and later repurchase, certain qualifying commercial mortgage loans collateralized by retail, office, mixed-use, multifamily, industrial, hospitality, student housing or self storage properties. Morgan Stanley may approve the mortgage loans that are subject to the Morgan Stanley Facility in its sole discretion. In January 2026, the Company exercised its $100.0 million accordion option on the Morgan Stanley Facility to increase the maximum commitment from $150.0 million to $250.0 million with payment of an upsize fee. Subsequently, in March 2026, the Company amended the Morgan Stanley Facility to, among other things, (1) increase the maximum commitment from $250.0 million to $350.0 million and include an accordion provision such that the maximum commitment may be increased to up to $400.0 million at the Company’s option, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including payment of an upsize fee and (2) extend the initial maturity date to July 16, 2029, subject toone 12-month extension, which may be exercised at the Company’s option assuming no existing defaults under the Morgan Stanley Facility and the applicable extension fee being paid, which, if exercised, would extend the maturity date to July 16, 2030. Advances under the Morgan Stanley Facility generally accrue interest at a per annum rate equal to the sum of one-month SOFR plus a spread ranging from 1.75% to 2.25%, determined by Morgan Stanley, depending upon the mortgage loan sold to Morgan Stanley in the applicable transaction.
Secured Term Loan
The Company and certain of its subsidiaries are party to a $90.0 million Credit and Guaranty Agreement with the lenders referred to therein and Cortland Capital Market Services LLC, as administrative agent and collateral agent for the lenders (the “Secured Term Loan”). The maturity date of the Secured Term Loan is November 12, 2026. The interest rate on advances under the Secured Term Loan are set to the following fixed rates: (i)4.50% per annum until May 1, 2025 and (ii) after May 1, 2025 through November 12, 2026, the interest rate increases 0.25% every three months.
The total original issue discount and the modification fee on the Secured Term Loan represents a discount to the debt cost to be amortized into interest expense using the effective interest method over the term of the Secured Term Loan. For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the per annum effective interest rate of the Secured Term Loan, which is equal to the fixed interest rate plus the accretion of the original issue discount and associated costs, was 6.2% and 5.7%, respectively.
- COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
As further discussed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements, the impact of the current macroeconomic conditions on the Company’s business is uncertain. As of March 31, 2026, there were no contingencies recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as a result of such conditions; however, if global market conditions worsen, it could adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Company had the following commitments to fund various whole and co-invested senior mortgage loans, subordinated debt investments, as well as preferred equity investments accounted for as loans held for investment ($ in thousands):
| As of | ||
|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | |
| Total commitments | $1,800,973 | $1,660,935 |
| Less: funded commitments | (1,711,278) | (1,601,059) |
| Total unfunded commitments | $89,695 | $59,876 |
As of March 31, 2026, the Company had unfunded commitments of $7.3 million related to its one loan held for sale. In the event a loan held for sale is sold, the obligation to fund any remaining unfunded commitments would be transferred to the purchaser and the Company would no longer be contractually obligated for any future funding related to the sold loan. As of December 31, 2025, the Company did not have any unfunded commitments related to loans held for sale.
The timing and amount of future fundings are uncertain as loan funding commitments relate to, among others, construction costs, capital expenditures, leasing costs and interest and carry costs. As such, the timing and amount of fundings depend mainly on the progress and performance of the underlying collateral assets for the Company’s loans and funding requests from borrowers are subject to the Company’s review and approval in accordance with the contractual loan agreements. Certain of the Company’s lenders under its Secured Funding Agreements may be contractually obligated to fund their ratable portion of these loan commitments over time, while others may have some degree of discretion over future loan funding obligations.
The Company from time to time may be a party to litigation relating to claims arising in the normal course of business. As of March 31, 2026, the Company is not aware of any legal claims that could materially impact its business, financial condition or results of operations.
- STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Stock Repurchase Program
On July 30, 2025, the Company’s board of directors extended its stock repurchase program of up to $50.0 million (the “Repurchase Program”), which is expected to be in effect until July 31, 2026, or until the approved dollar amount has been used to repurchase shares. Pursuant to the Repurchase Program, the Company may repurchase shares of its common stock in amounts, at prices and at such times as it deems appropriate, subject to market conditions and other considerations, including all applicable legal requirements. Repurchases may include purchases on the open market or privately negotiated transactions, under Rule 10b5-1 trading plans, under accelerated share repurchase programs, in tender offers and otherwise. The Repurchase Program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of shares of its common stock and may be modified or suspended at any time at its discretion. During the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company didnot repurchase any shares through the Repurchase Program.
Common Stock
There were no shares of the Company’s common stock issued in public or private offerings for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025. See “Equity Incentive Plan” below for shares issued under the Equity Incentive Plan described below.
Equity Incentive Plan
On April 23, 2012, the Company adopted an equity incentive plan, which was amended and restated in June 2018 and further amended in May 2022 (as further amended, the “Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan”). In April 2024, the Company’s board of directors approved, and in May 2024, the Company’s stockholders approved, the second amendment to the Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, which increased the total number of shares of common stock the Company may grant thereunder to 5,015,000 shares. Pursuant to the Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended by the second amendment, the Company may grant awards consisting of restricted shares of the Company’s common stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and/or other equity-based awards to the Company’s outside directors, employees of the Manager, officers, ACREM and other eligible awardees under the plan. Any restricted shares of the Company’s common stock and RSUs are accounted for under FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation, resulting in stock-based compensation expense equal to the grant date fair value of the underlying restricted shares of common stock or RSUs.
Restricted stock and RSU grants generally vest ratably over aone tothree-year period from the vesting start date. The grantee receives additional compensation for each outstanding restricted stock or RSU grant, classified as dividends paid, equal to the per-share dividends received by the Company’s common stockholders.
The following tables summarize the (i) non-vested shares of restricted stock and RSUs and (ii) vesting schedule of shares of restricted stock and RSUs for the Company’s directors and officers and employees of the Manager as of March 31, 2026:
Schedule of Non-Vested Share and Share Equivalents
| Restricted Stock Grants—Directors | RSUs—Officers and Employees of the Manager | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balance at December 31, 2025 | 74,088 | 1,256,271 | 1,330,359 |
| Granted | — | — | — |
| Vested | (37,044) | (341,219) | (378,263) |
| Forfeited | — | — | — |
| Balance at March 31, 2026 | 37,044 | 915,052 | 952,096 |
Future Anticipated Vesting Schedule
| Restricted Stock Grants—Directors · RSUs—Officers and Employees of the Manager · Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Remainder of 2026 | 37,044 | 4,167 | 41,211 |
| 2027 | — | 424,344 | 424,344 |
| 2028 | — | 307,046 | 307,046 |
| 2029 | — | 179,495 | 179,495 |
| 2030 | — | — | — |
| Total | 37,044 | 915,052 | 952,096 |
- EARNINGS PER SHARE
The following information sets forth the computations of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 ($ in thousands, except share and per share data):
| For the Three Months Ended March 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | |
| Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders | $(9,605) | $9,345 |
| Divided by: | ||
| Basic weighted average shares of common stock outstanding: | 55,322,222 | 54,828,751 |
| Weighted average non-vested restricted stock and RSUs (1) | — | 866,188 |
| Diluted weighted average shares of common stock outstanding: | 55,322,222 | 55,694,939 |
| Basic earnings (loss) per common share | $(0.17) | $0.17 |
| Diluted earnings (loss) per common share | $(0.17) | $0.17 |
(1)For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the weighted average non-vested restricted stock and RSUs of 960,502 were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings (loss) per common share as the impact of including those shares would be anti-dilutive.
- INCOME TAX
The Company wholly owns ACRC 2017-FL3 TRS LLC, which is a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) formed to hold a portion of CLO securitizations, including a portion that generated excess inclusion income. The Company also wholly owns ACRC Lender TRS LLC, which is a TRS formed to issue and hold certain loans intended for sale. Additionally, the Company wholly owns ACRC WM Tenant LLC, a TRS initially formed to lease from an affiliate a hotel property classified as real estate owned acquired on March 8, 2019, which was sold on March 1, 2022.
The income tax provision for the Company and the TRSs consisted of the following for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 ($ in thousands):
| For the Three Months Ended March 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | |
| Current | $27 | $282 |
| Deferred | 3 | (1) |
| Excise tax | — | — |
| Total income tax expense (benefit), including excise tax | $30 | $281 |
For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company didnot incur any expense for U.S. federal excise tax. Excise tax represents a 4% tax on the sum of a portion of the Company’s ordinary income and net capital gains not distributed during the calendar year (including any distribution declared in the fourth quarter and paid the following January) plus any prior year shortfall. If it is determined that an excise tax liability exists for the current tax year, the Company will accrue excise tax on estimated excess taxable income as such taxable income is earned. The quarterly expense is calculated in accordance with applicable tax regulations.
The TRSs recognize interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within income tax expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Accrued interest and penalties, if any, are included within other liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
As of March 31, 2026, tax years 2022 through 2026 remain subject to examination by taxing authorities. The Company does not have any unrecognized tax benefits and the Company does not expect that to change in the next 12 months.
- FAIR VALUE
The Company follows FASB ASC Topic 820-10, Fair Value Measurement (“ASC 820-10”), which expands the application of fair value accounting. ASC 820-10 defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with GAAP and expands disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. ASC 820-10 determines fair value to be the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. ASC 820-10 specifies a hierarchy of valuation techniques based on the inputs used in measuring fair value.
In accordance with ASC 820-10, the inputs used to measure fair value are summarized in the three broad levels listed below:
Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2—Prices are determined using other significant observable inputs. Observable inputs are inputs that other market participants would use in pricing a security. These may include quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment rates, credit risk and others.
Level 3—Prices are determined using significant unobservable inputs. In situations where quoted prices or observable inputs are unavailable (for example, when there is little or no market activity for an investment at the end of the period), unobservable inputs may be used.
GAAP requires disclosure of fair value information about financial and nonfinancial assets and liabilities, whether or not recognized in the financial statements, for which it is practical to estimate the value. In cases where quoted market prices are not available, fair values are based upon the application of discount rates to estimated future cash flows using market yields, or other valuation methodologies. Any changes to the valuation methodology will be reviewed by the Company’s management to ensure the changes are appropriate. The methods used may produce a fair value calculation that is not indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while the Company anticipates that the valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies, or assumptions, to determine the fair value of certain financial and nonfinancial assets and liabilities could result in a different estimate of fair value at the reporting date. The Company uses inputs that are current as of the measurement date, which may fall within periods of market dislocation, during which price transparency may be reduced.
Recurring Fair Value Measurements
As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the Company did not have any financial or nonfinancial assets or liabilities required to be recorded at fair value on a recurring basis.
Nonrecurring Fair Value Measurements
Real Estate Owned
The Company is required to record real estate owned, a nonfinancial asset, at fair value on a nonrecurring basis in accordance with GAAP. Real estate owned consists of a multi-building office property and a mixed-use property that were acquired by the Company on September 19, 2024 and September 8, 2023 through a deed in lieu of foreclosure and a consensual foreclosure, respectively. See Note 5 included in these consolidated financial statements for more information on real estate owned. Real estate owned is recorded at fair value at acquisition using Level 3 inputs and is evaluated for indicators of impairment on a quarterly basis. Real estate owned is considered impaired when the sum of estimated future undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the real estate owned over the estimated remaining holding period is less than the carrying amount of such real estate owned. Cash flows include operating cash flows and anticipated capital proceeds generated by the real estate owned. An impairment charge is recorded equal to the excess of the carrying amount of the real estate owned over the fair value.
The multi-building office property acquired on September 19, 2024 was classified as real estate owned held for investment in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of the acquisition date and was carried at its estimated fair value at acquisition and was presented net of accumulated depreciation or amortization and impairment charges. The fair value of the office property at acquisition was estimated using a third-party appraisal, which utilized standard industry valuation techniques such as the income and market approach. When determining the fair value of the office property, certain assumptions are made including, but not limited to: (1) projected operating cash flows, including factors such as property operating expenses and re-leasing assumptions that take into account the number of months to re-lease, market rental revenue and required tenant improvements; and (2) projected cash flows from the eventual disposition of the office property based upon the Company’s estimation of a capitalization rate, discount rates and comparable selling prices in the market. The fair value of the office property was estimated using significant unobservable inputs, which considered various comparable properties that were valued using capitalization rates ranging from 6.4% to 11.0% and discount rates ranging from 14.0% to 16.0%.
During the three months ended March 31, 2026, the multi-building office property was reclassified to real estate owned held for sale in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and is carried at the lower of its carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell. Upon reclassification, the carrying amount of the multi-building office property was lower than the estimated fair value less costs to sell. As such, the Company has continued to recognize the multi-building office property at its carrying amount in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and no impairment loss related to the planned sale of the multi-building office property has been recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2026. The fair value of the multi-building office property upon reclassification to held for sale was determined using the estimated net proceeds available from a potential sale of the property.
The mixed-use property acquired on September 8, 2023 is classified as real estate owned held for investment in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of the acquisition date and is carried at its estimated fair value at acquisition and is presented net of accumulated depreciation or amortization and impairment charges. The fair value of the mixed-use property at acquisition was estimated using a third-party appraisal, which utilized standard industry valuation techniques such as the income and market approach. When determining the fair value of the mixed-use property, certain assumptions are made including, but not limited to: (1) projected operating cash flows, including factors such as property operating expenses and re-leasing assumptions that take into account the number of months to re-lease, market rental revenue and required tenant improvements; and (2) projected cash flows from the eventual disposition of the mixed-use property based upon the Company’s estimation of a capitalization rate, discount rates and comparable selling prices in the market. The fair value of the mixed-use property was estimated using significant unobservable inputs, which considered various comparable properties that were valued using capitalization rates ranging from 6.4% to 8.3% and discount rates ranging from 8.0% to 9.5%. No impairment charges have been recognized for the mixed-use property as of March 31, 2026.
Financial Assets and Liabilities Not Measured at Fair Value
As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the carrying amounts and fair values of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities recorded at cost are as follows ($ in thousands):
| As of | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 31, 2026 · December 31, 2025 | |||||
| Level in Fair Value Hierarchy | Carrying Amount (1) | FairValue | Carrying Amount (1) | FairValue | |
| Financial assets: | |||||
| Loans held for investment | 3 | $1,629,366 | $1,498,953 | $1,528,806 | $1,409,982 |
| Loans held for sale | 3 | 60,544 | 60,715 | — | — |
| Financial liabilities: | |||||
| Secured funding agreements | 2 | $1,182,096 | $1,182,096 | $858,176 | $858,176 |
| Secured term loan | 3 | 89,538 | 89,203 | 89,360 | 88,686 |
| Collateralized loan obligation securitization debt (consolidated VIEs) | 2 | — | — | 99,921 | 95,766 |
(1)Loans held for investment are presented at Carrying Value, which excludes the CECL Reserve.
The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, interest receivable, due to affiliate liability and accrued expenses, which are all categorized as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, approximate their fair values due to their short-term nature.
Loans held for investment are recorded at cost, net of unamortized purchase discounts, deferred loan fees and origination costs and cost-recovery proceeds. To determine the fair value of the collateral, the Company may employ different approaches depending on the type of collateral. The Company determined the fair value of loans held for investment based on a discounted cash flow methodology (1) for risk rated “1”, “2”, or “3” loans, on a portfolio basis and (b) for risk rated “4” or “5” loans, on an asset-by-asset basis, in each case taking into consideration various factors including capitalization rates, discount rates, leasing, occupancy rates, availability and cost of financing, exit plan, sponsorship, actions of other lenders, and comparable selling prices in the market. The Company determined the fair value of the loan held for sale based on the anticipated transaction price to be received from the sale of the loan. The Secured Funding Agreements are recorded at outstanding principal, which is the Company’s best estimate of the fair value. The Company determined the fair value of the Secured Term Loan and collateralized loan obligation (“CLO”) securitization debt based on a discounted cash flow methodology, taking into consideration various factors including discount rates, actions of other lenders and comparable market quotes and recent trades for similar products.
- RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Management Agreement
The Company is party to an Amended and Restated Management Agreement under which ACREM, subject to the supervision and oversight of the Company’s board of directors, is responsible for, among other duties, (a) performing all of the Company’s day-to-day functions, (b) determining the Company’s investment strategy and guidelines in conjunction with the Company’s board of directors, (c) sourcing, analyzing and executing investments, asset sales and financing, and (d) performing portfolio management duties. In addition, ACREM has an Investment Committee that oversees compliance with the Company’s investment strategy and guidelines, loans held for investment portfolio holdings and financing strategy.
In exchange for its services, ACREM is entitled to receive a base management fee, an incentive fee and expense reimbursements. In addition, ACREM and its personnel may receive grants of equity-based awards pursuant to the Company’s Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan and a termination fee, if applicable.
The base management fee is equal to 1.5% of the Company’s stockholders’ equity per annum, which is calculated and payable quarterly in arrears in cash. For purposes of calculating the base management fee, stockholders’ equity means: (a) the sum of (i) the net proceeds from all issuances of the Company’s equity securities since inception (allocated on a pro-rata daily basis for such issuances during the fiscal quarter of any such issuance), plus (ii) the Company’s retained earnings at the end of the most recently completed fiscal quarter determined in accordance with GAAP (without taking into account any non-cash equity compensation expense incurred in current or prior periods); less (b) (x) any amount that the Company has paid to repurchase the Company’s common stock since inception, (y) any unrealized gains and losses and other non-cash items that have impacted stockholders’ equity as reported in the Company’s consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP, and (z) one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP, and certain non-cash items not otherwise described above, in each case after discussions between ACREM and the Company’s independent directors and approval by a majority of the Company’s independent directors. As a result, the Company’s stockholders’ equity, for purposes of calculating the management fee, could be greater or less than the amount of stockholders’ equity shown in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
The incentive fee is an amount, not less than zero, equal to the difference between: (a) the product of (i)20% and (ii) the difference between (A) the Company’s Core Earnings (as defined below) for the previous 12-month period, and (B) the product of (1) the weighted average of the issue price per share of the Company’s common stock of all of the Company’s public offerings of common stock multiplied by the weighted average number of all shares of common stock outstanding including any restricted shares of the Company’s common stock, RSUs, or any shares of the Company’s common stock not yet issued, but underlying other awards granted under the Company’s Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Incentive Plan (see Note 8 included in these consolidated financial statements) in the previous 12-month period, and (2)8%; and (b) the sum of any incentive fees earned by ACREM with respect to the first three fiscal quarters of such previous 12-month period; provided, however, thatno incentive fee is payable with respect to any fiscal quarter unless cumulative Core Earnings for the 12 most recently completed fiscal quarters is greater than zero. “Core Earnings” is defined in the Management Agreement as net income (loss) computed in accordance with GAAP, excluding non-cash equity compensation expense, the incentive fee, depreciation and amortization (to the extent that any of the Company’s target investments are structured as debt and the Company forecloses on any properties underlying such debt), any unrealized gains, losses or other non-cash items recorded in net income (loss) for the period, regardless of whether such items are included in other comprehensive income (loss), or in net income (loss), and one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain non-cash charges after discussions between ACREM and the Company’s independent directors and after approval by a majority of the Company’s independent directors. Core Earnings is defined in the Management Agreement and is used to calculate the incentive fees the Company pays to ACREM. For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company didnot incur any incentive fees.
The Company reimburses ACREM at cost for operating expenses that ACREM incurs on the Company’s behalf, including expenses relating to legal, financial, accounting, servicing, due diligence and other services, expenses in connection with the origination and financing of the Company’s investments, communications with the Company’s stockholders, information technology systems, software and data services used for the Company, travel, complying with legal and regulatory requirements, taxes, insurance maintained for the benefit of the Company as well as all other expenses actually incurred by ACREM that are reasonably necessary for the performance by ACREM of its duties and functions under the Management Agreement. Ares Management, from time to time, incurs fees, costs and expenses on behalf of more than one investment vehicle. To the extent such fees, costs and expenses are incurred for the account or benefit of more than one fund, each such investment vehicle, including the Company, will typically bear an allocable portion of any such fees, costs and expenses in proportion to the size of its investment in the activity or entity to which such expense relates (subject to the terms of each fund’s governing documents) or in such other manner as Ares Management considers fair and equitable under the circumstances, such as the relative fund size or capital available to be invested by such investment vehicles. Where an investment vehicle’s governing documents do not permit the payment of a particular expense, Ares Management will generally pay such investment vehicle’s allocable portion of such expense. In addition, the Company is responsible for its proportionate share of certain fees and expenses, including due diligence costs, as determined by ACREM and Ares Management, including legal, accounting and financial advisor fees and related costs, incurred in connection with evaluating and consummating investment opportunities, regardless of whether such transactions are ultimately consummated by the parties thereto.
The Company will not reimburse ACREM for the salaries and other compensation of its personnel, except for the allocable share of the salaries and other compensation of the Company’s (a) Chief Financial Officer, based on the percentage of his time spent on the Company’s affairs and (b) other corporate finance, tax, accounting, internal audit, legal, risk management, operations, compliance and other non-investment professional personnel of ACREM or its affiliates who spend all or a portion of their time managing the Company’s affairs based on the percentage of their time spent on the Company’s affairs. The Company is also required to pay its pro-rata portion of rent, telephone, utilities, office furniture, equipment, machinery and other office, internal and overhead expenses of ACREM and its affiliates that are required for the Company’s operations.
Certain of the Company’s subsidiaries, along with the Company’s lenders under certain of the Company’s Secured Funding Agreements, have entered into various servicing agreements with ACREM’s subsidiary servicer, Ares Commercial Real Estate Servicer LLC (“ACRES”). The Company’s Manager will specially service, as needed, certain of the Company’s investments. ACRES has agreed that no servicing fees pursuant to these servicing agreements would be charged to the Company or its subsidiaries by ACRES or the Manager for so long as the Management Agreement remains in effect, but that ACRES will continue to receive reimbursement for overhead related to servicing and operational activities pursuant to the terms of the Management Agreement.
The term of the Management Agreement ends on April 25, 2027, with automaticone-year renewal terms. Except under limited circumstances, upon a termination of the Management Agreement, the Company will pay ACREM a termination fee equal tothree times the average annual base management fee and incentive fee received by ACREM during the 24-month period immediately preceding the most recently completed fiscal quarter prior to the date of termination, each as described above.
The following table summarizes the related party costs incurred by the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, and amounts payable to the Company’s Manager as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025 ($ in thousands):
| Incurred · Payable | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| For the Three Months Ended March 31, · As of | ||||
| 2026 | 2025 | March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | |
| Affiliate Payments | ||||
| Management fees | $2,400 | $2,567 | $2,400 | $2,420 |
| Incentive fees | — | — | — | — |
| General and administrative expenses | 787 | 1,003 | 1,651 | 1,641 |
| Direct costs (1) | 48 | 28 | 34 | — |
| Total | $3,235 | $3,598 | $4,085 | $4,061 |
(1)For the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, direct costs incurred are included within general and administrative expenses in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
Investments in Loans
From time to time, the Company co-invests with other investment vehicles managed by Ares Management or its affiliates and their portfolio companies, including by means of splitting investments, participating in investments or other means of syndication of investments. For such co-investments, the Company may act as the administrative agent for the holders of such investments provided that the Company maintains a majority of the aggregate investment. No fees will be received by the Company for performing services as administrative agent with respect to co-investments. The Company is responsible for its pro-rata share of costs and expenses for such co-investments, including due diligence costs for transactions which fail to close. The Company’s investment in such co-investments is made on a pari-passu basis with the other Ares managed investment vehicles and the Company is not obligated to provide, nor has it provided, any financial support to the other Ares managed investment vehicles. As such, the Company’s risk is limited to the carrying amount of its investment and the Company recognizes only the carrying amount of its investment in its consolidated balance sheets. Such investments may raise potential conflicts of interest between the Company and such other Ares managed investment vehicles due to differing investment goals and liquidity needs, and such other Ares managed investment vehicles may take actions that are adverse to the Company's interests, including, but not limited to, during a work-out, restructuring or insolvency proceeding or similar matter occurring with respect to such investment. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, the total outstanding principal balance for co-investments held by the Company was $722.9 million and $524.8 million, respectively.
Loan Acquisitions from or Dispositions to Affiliates
The Company orone or more affiliates of the Company’s Manager may originate commercial real estate loans, which may be made available for purchase by other investment vehicles, including the Company and/or other Ares Management managed investment vehicles, as applicable. From time to time, the Company may purchase or sell such commercial real estate loans from or to affiliates of the Company’s Manager. Although the Company’s Manager will approve the purchase and sale of such loans only on terms, including the consideration to be paid, that are determined by the Company’s Manager in good faith to be appropriate for the Company and provided that the Company has sufficient liquidity, the interests of the Company’s Manager could be in conflict with those of the Company. The Company is not obligated to purchase any loans originated by affiliates of the Company’s Manager or sell any loans originated by the Company to affiliates of the Manager. In addition, from time to time, the Company may purchase or sell loans, including participations in loans, from or to other Ares Management managed investment vehicles. Loans purchased or sold by the Company from or to affiliates of the Company’s Manager or other Ares Management managed investment vehicles are purchased or sold at fair value as determined by an independent third-party valuation expert and are subject to approval by a majority of the Company’s independent directors. No loans were purchased or sold by the Company from or to affiliates of the Company’s Manager or other Ares Management managed investment vehicles for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025.
- DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
The following table summarizes the Company’s dividends declared during the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 ($ in thousands, except per share data):
| Date Declared · Record Date · Payment Date · Per Share Amount · Total Amount | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 10, 2026 | March 31, 2026 | April 15, 2026 | $0.15 | $8,442 | |
| Total cash dividends declared for the three months ended March 31, 2026 | $0.15 | $8,442 | |||
| February 12, 2025 | March 31, 2025 | April 15, 2025 | $0.15 | $8,354 | |
| Total cash dividends declared for the three months ended March 31, 2025 | $0.15 | $8,354 | |||
- VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES
Consolidated VIEs
As discussed in Note 2, the Company evaluates all of its investments and other interests in entities for consolidation, including its former investment in the FL4 CLO Securitization (as defined below), which was considered to be a variable interest in a VIE.
FL4 CLO Securitization
On January 28, 2021, ACRE Commercial Mortgage 2021-FL4 Ltd. (the “FL4 Issuer”) and ACRE Commercial Mortgage 2021-FL4 LLC (the “FL4 Co-Issuer”), both wholly-owned indirect subsidiaries of the Company, entered into an Indenture (the “FL4 Indenture”) with ACRC Lender LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company (the “Seller”), as advancing agent, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as note administrator, and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee, which governed the issuance of approximately $603.0 million principal balance secured floating rate notes (the “FL4 Notes”) and $64.3 million of preferred equity in the FL4 Issuer (the “FL4 CLO Securitization”). For U.S. federal income tax purposes, the FL4 Issuer and FL4 Co-Issuer are disregarded entities.
The sale of assets to the FL4 Issuer was governed by a Mortgage Asset Purchase Agreement between the Seller and the FL4 Issuer, and acknowledged by the Company solely for purposes of confirming its status as a REIT, in which the Seller made certain customary representations, warranties and covenants.
In connection with the FL4 CLO Securitization, the FL4 Issuer and FL4 Co-Issuer offered and issued the following classes of FL4 Notes to third party investors: Class A, Class A-S, Class B, Class C, Class D and Class E Notes (collectively, the “FL4 Offered Notes”). A wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company retained approximately $62.5 million of the FL4 Notes and all of the $64.3 million of preferred equity in the FL4 Issuer, which totaled $126.8 million. The Company, as the holder of the subordinated FL4 Notes and all of the preferred equity in the FL4 Issuer, had the obligation to absorb losses of the FL4 CLO Securitization, since the Company had a first loss position in the capital structure of the FL4 CLO Securitization. On January 20, 2026, the Company exercised its redemption option under the FL4 CLO Securitization, and in connection therewith, exchanged its remaining FL4 Notes and preferred equity in the FL4 Issuer for the remaining mortgage loans and real estate owned held by the FL4 Issuer. As of December 31, 2025, the FL4 Notes were collateralized by interests in a pool offour mortgage assets having a total principal balance of $138.9 million that were closed by a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and $52.6 million of real estate owned related to an office property, which had collateralized a previous mortgage asset, and was acquired in September 2024 through a deed in lieu of foreclosure. During the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, the Company paid down $99.9 million and $135 thousand of the FL4 Offered Notes, respectively. As of March 31, 2026, all of the FL4 Notes of the FL4 Issuer held by third parties had been repaid in full at par.
As the directing holder of the FL4 CLO Securitization, the Company had the ability to direct activities that could significantly impact the FL4 CLO Securitization’s economic performance. ACRES was designated as special servicer of the FL4 CLO Securitization and had the power to direct activities during the loan workout process on defaulted and delinquent loans, which is the activity that most significantly impacted the FL4 CLO Securitization’s economic performance. ACRES did not waive the special servicing fee, and the Company paid its overhead costs. If an unrelated third party had the right to unilaterally remove the special servicer, then the Company would not have had the power to direct the activities that most significantly impacted the FL4 CLO Securitization’s economic performance. In addition, there were no substantive kick-out rights of any unrelated third party to remove the special servicer without cause. The Company’s subsidiaries, as directing holders, had the ability to remove the special servicer without cause. Based on these factors, the Company was determined to be the primary beneficiary of the FL4 CLO Securitization; thus, the FL4 CLO Securitization was consolidated into the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 810 and was structured as a pass through entity that received principal and interest on the underlying collateral and distributed those payments to the note holders, as applicable. The assets and other instruments held by the FL4 CLO Securitization were restricted and could only be used to fulfill the obligations of the FL4 CLO Securitization. Additionally, the obligations of the FL4 CLO Securitization did not have any recourse to the general credit of any other consolidated entities, nor to the Company as the primary beneficiary.
The inclusion of the assets and liabilities of the FL4 CLO Securitization of which the Company was deemed the primary beneficiary had no economic effect on the Company. The Company’s exposure to the obligations of the FL4 CLO Securitization were generally limited to its investment in the entity. The Company was not obligated to provide, nor did it provide, any financial support for the consolidated structure. As such, the risk associated with the Company’s involvement in the FL4 CLO Securitization was limited to the carrying amount of its investment.
Non-consolidated VIEs
The Company evaluated its senior mortgage loan investment that is collateralized by a residential condominium property located in New York, and it was determined to be an interest in a VIE. However, the Company was not deemed to be the primary beneficiary. The Company’s exposure to the obligations of the VIE is generally limited to its investment and the Company is not obligated to provide, nor has it provided, any financial support to the VIE. As such, the risk associated with the Company’s involvement in the VIE is limited to the carrying amount of its investment. As of March 31, 2026, the Company’s maximum risk of loss was $136.5 million, which represents the Carrying Value of the its investment in the VIE.
- SEGMENT INFORMATION
As described in Note 1 included in these consolidated financial statements, the Company operates as a single reportable segment, which derives its revenues by directly originating and managing a diversified portfolio of CRE debt-related investments. The Company manages its business activities on a consolidated basis and the accounting policies of the segment are the same as those described in Note 2 included in these consolidated financial statements. The Company’s Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) is the chief executive officer.
The CODM assesses performance for the segment and decides how to allocate resources based on net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders. The measure of segment assets is reported in the consolidated balance sheets as total assets.
The following table summarizes the information about segment net income (loss) and significant segment expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 ($ in thousands):
| For the Three Months Ended March 31, | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | |
| Net interest margin | $7,545 | $9,291 |
| Revenue from real estate owned | 5,915 | 5,657 |
| Total revenue | 13,460 | 14,948 |
| Expenses from real estate owned | (3,134) | (4,495) |
| (Provision for) reversal of current expected credit losses, net | (11,138) | 5,340 |
| Realized losses on loans | (3,340) | — |
| Other segment items (1) | (5,453) | (6,448) |
| Segment net income (loss) | (9,605) | 9,345 |
| Adjustments and reconciling items | — | — |
| Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders | $(9,605) | $9,345 |
(1)Other segment items included in Segment net income (loss) include, as applicable, management and incentive fees to affiliate, professional fees, general and administrative expenses, general and administrative expenses reimbursed to affiliate and income tax expense (benefit), including excise tax.
- SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company’s management has evaluated subsequent events through the date of issuance of the consolidated financial statements included herein. There have been no subsequent events that occurred during such period that would require disclosure in this quarterly report on Form 10-Q or would be required to be recognized in the consolidated financial statements as of and for the three months ended March 31, 2026, except as disclosed below.
On April 14, 2026, the Company closed a $25.0 million senior mortgage loan as part of a co-investment on a multifamily property located in Tennessee. At closing, the outstanding principal balance was $22.2 million. The loan has a per annum interest rate of SOFR plus 2.55%.
On April 16, 2026, the Company closed a $69.7 million senior mortgage loan as part of a co-investment on a portfolio of self storage properties located in various states. At closing, the outstanding principal balance was $64.7 million. The loan has a per annum interest rate of SOFR plus 2.70%.
The Company’s board of directors declared a regular cash dividend of $0.15 per common share for the second quarter of 2026. The second quarter 2026 dividend will be payable on July 15, 2026 to common stockholders of record as of June 30, 2026.
The text of this filing, as the company filed it with the SEC, without its images or exhibits. This is not investment advice.