Sunrise Realty Trust Inc

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our financial statements and the accompanying notes and other information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (the “Quarterly Report”) and our Information Statement. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” in this Form 10-Q and “Risk Factors” in our Information Statement.

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Overview

SUNS is a Maryland corporation that was formed on August 28, 2023, that intends to elect to be treated as a real estate investment trust for U.S. federal income tax purposes and that made its first investment in January 2024. We are led by a veteran team of commercial real estate investment professionals and our external manager, Sunrise Manager LLC. We conduct our business through our parent company, Sunrise Realty Trust, Inc., and several subsidiaries. We consolidate all of our subsidiaries under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). We are an institutional lender that provides debt capital solutions to CRE markets in the Southern United States. SUNS’ focus is on originating CRE debt investments and providing capital to high-quality borrowers and sponsors with transitional business plans collateralized by CRE assets with opportunities for near-term value creation, as well as recapitalization opportunities. SUNS intends to create a diversified investment portfolio, targeting investments in senior mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, B-notes, CMBS and debt-like preferred equity securities across CRE asset classes. We intend for SUNS’ investment mix to include high quality residential, including multi-family, condominiums and single-family residential communities, retail, office, hospitality, industrial, mixed-use and specialty-use real estate.

Our investment focus includes originating or acquiring loans backed by single assets or portfolios of assets that typically have (i) an investment hold size of approximately $15-100 million, secured by CRE assets, including transitional or construction projects, across diverse property types, (ii) a duration of approximately 2-5 years, (iii) interest rates that are determined periodically on the basis of a floating base lending rate (e.g., SOFR) plus a credit spread, (iv) a loan-to-value (“LTV”) ratio of no greater than approximately 75% on an individual investment basis and (v) no more than approximately 75% LTV across the portfolio, in each case, at the time of origination or acquisition, and are led by experienced borrowers and well-capitalized sponsors with high quality business plans. Our loans typically feature origination fees and/or exit fees. We target a portfolio net internal rate of return (“IRR”) in the low-teens, which we aim to be in the mid-teens after including total interest and other revenue from the portfolio, including loans funded from drawing on our leverage, net of our interest expense from our portfolio lenders. We are also targeting a near- to mid-term target capitalization of one-third equity, one-third secured debt availability and one-third unsecured debt. We do not expect to be fully drawn on our anticipated secured debt availability and, as a result, we are targeting an expected leverage ratio of 1.5:1 debt-to-equity.

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (“JOBS Act”), and we are eligible to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, Section 107 of the JOBS Act provides that an “emerging growth company” can take advantage of the extended transition period provided in Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act for complying with new or revised accounting standards. In other words, an “emerging growth company” can delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have elected to take advantage of the extended transition period. As a result, we will not be subject to the same implementation timing for new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, which may make comparison of our financials to those of other public companies more difficult.

We could remain an “emerging growth company” for up to five years from our initial public offering, or until the earliest of (i) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues exceed $1.235 billion, (ii) the date that we become a “large accelerated filer” as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which would occur if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700.0 million as of the last business day of our most recently completed second fiscal quarter, or (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the preceding three-year period.

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On February 22, 2024, AFC announced a plan to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies— one focused on providing institutional loans to state law compliant cannabis operators in the United States, the other an institutional commercial real estate lender focused on the Southern United States. On July 9, 2024, AFC completed the separation of its CRE portfolio through the spin-off of SUNS. The Spin-Off was effected by the transfer of AFC’s CRE portfolio from AFC to SUNS and the distribution of all of the outstanding shares of SUNS Common Stock to all of AFC’s shareholders of record as of the close of business on July 8, 2024. AFC’s shareholders of record as of the Record Date received one share of our Common Stock for every three shares of AFC common stock held as of the Record Date. AFC retained no ownership interest in us following the Spin-Off. Prior to the Spin-Off, AFC contributed approximately $114.8 million to us in connection with the Spin-Off, comprised of our loan portfolio and cash.

In connection with the Spin-Off, we entered into several agreements with AFC that govern the relationship between us and AFC following the Spin-Off, including the Separation and Distribution Agreement and the Tax Matters Agreement. These agreements provide for the allocation between AFC and SUNS of the assets, liabilities and obligations (including, among others, investments, property and tax-related assets and liabilities) of AFC and its subsidiaries attributable to periods prior to, at and after the Spin-Off. Moreover, concurrent with the completion of the Spin-Off on July 9, 2024, our management agreement with SUNS Manager became effective. SUNS Manager also entered into (i) an Administrative Services Agreement (the “Administrative Services Agreement”) with TCG Services LLC, an affiliate of the Manager and Leonard Tannenbaum, the Company’s Executive Chairman, and Robyn Tannenbaum, the Company’s President, and (ii) a Services Agreement (the “Services Agreement”) with SRT Group LLC, an affiliate of SUNS Manager, Mr. Tannenbaum, Mrs. Tannenbaum, Mr. Sedrish and Mr. Hetzel.

We adopted the 2024 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2024 Plan”). A summary of the 2024 Plan can be found in the Information Statement in the section entitled “Management—2024 Stock Incentive Plan.” Such description is incorporated herein by reference. The description of the foregoing 2024 Plan is intended to provide a general description only, is subject to the detailed terms and conditions of, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of, the 2024 Plan, which is attached hereto as Exhibit 10.4, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Effective July 1, 2024, Jodi Hanson Bond and James Fagan resigned from AFC’s Board of Directors and joined our Board of Directors. Additionally, Alexander Frank was appointed as a director of SUNS and remained a director of AFC. In addition, effective July 1, 2024, Leonard Tannenbaum was appointed Executive Chairman of SUNS (and remained Executive Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of AFC) and Brian Sedrish was appointed Chief Executive Officer and director of SUNS. Brandon Hetzel continues in his role as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of SUNS (and remains the Chief Financial Officer of AFC) and Robyn Tannenbaum continues in her role as President of SUNS (and remains the President of AFC).

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, we incurred approximately $0.0 million and $0.6 million, respectively, related to Spin-Off costs, which are recorded within professional fees in the unaudited interim statements of operations.

Developments During the Third Quarter ended September 30, 2024:

Effective July 9, 2024, AFC completed the separation of its CRE portfolio through the spin-off of SUNS and we became an independent, publicly traded company, trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “SUNS”. See “—Spin-Off” above.

Updates to Our Loan Portfolio During the Third Quarter ended September 30, 2024

In August 2024, the Company and an affiliate of SUNS entered into amendments to the existing secured mezzanine and senior loan credit agreements for the mixed-use property in Houston, Texas. The amendments, among other things, (i) extended the maturity date on both loans from November 2024 to February 2026, (ii) modified the senior loan interest rate from floating (3.48% plus SOFR, SOFR floor of 4.0%) to fixed 12.5% and (iii) included a $12.0 million upsize to the senior loan, of which we have commitments for $6.0 million and the affiliate co-investor has commitments for the rest.

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In July 2024, SUNS and an affiliate of SUNS entered into a senior secured credit facility for a total aggregate commitment amount of approximately $35.2 million for the refinance of an active adult multi-family residential rental development in southwest Austin, Texas. We committed a total of approximately $14.1 million and the affiliate committed the remaining approximately $21.1 million. The senior loan was issued at a discount of 1.0% and matures in three years. At closing, we funded approximately $11.4 million and the affiliate funded approximately $17.0 million. The loan bears interest at a rate of SOFR plus 4.25%, with a rate index floor of 4.75%. The credit facility is secured by a deed of trust on the property and any deposit and reserve accounts established by the terms of the credit facility. The proceeds of the loan will be used to, among other things, fund the completion of construction and other reserves and refinance existing debt.

In July 2024, SUNS and an affiliate of SUNS entered into a senior secured credit facility for a total aggregate commitment amount of$42.0 million for the refinance of a luxury hotel component of a 20-story mixed-use project in San Antonio, Texas. We committed a total of approximately$27.3 million, and the affiliate committed the remaining$14.7 million. The senior loan was issued at a discount of 1.0% and matures in three years. At closing, we funded approximately$25.0 million and the affiliate funded approximately$13.5 million. The loan bears interest at a rate of SOFR plus 6.35%, with a rate index floor of 4.50%. The loan is secured by a first-priority mortgage on the property and a security interest in all of the equity interests held by the borrower. The proceeds of the credit facility will be used to, among other things, fund the completion of reserves and refinance existing debt.

In August 2024, SUNS and affiliates entered into a$75.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility and a$85.0 million senior secured term credit facility for a total aggregate commitment amount of$160.0 million for the construction of a master-planned single-family residential home community and property development in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. We committed a total of approximately$18.8 million and$21.3 million to the revolving loan and term loan, respectively, and funded$8.8 million and$18.8 million towards each respective loan at close. Affiliates committed the remaining$56.3 million and$63.8 million towards the revolving loan and term loan, funding$26.3 million and$56.3 million, respectively, at close. The term loan and secured revolver were each issued at a discount of 1.25%. The revolving loan bears interest at a rate of SOFR plus 6.25%, with a rate index floor of 4.0%, and unused fee of 2.0%. The proceeds of the revolving loan will be used to, among other things, fund the completion of reserves, fund home construction costs and refinance existing debt. The term loan bears an interest rate of SOFR plus 8.25%, with a rate index floor of 4.0%. The proceeds of the senior loan will be used to, among other things, fund the completion of construction and other reserves and refinance existing debt. The term loan and the secured revolver each mature in three years. The loans are each secured by senior first mortgage lien on the property and a security interest in all of the equity interests held by the borrower.

In September 2024, we entered into the SRT Revolving Credit Facility. The SRT Revolving Credit Facility provides for a $50.0 million commitment, which may be borrowed, repaid and redrawn, subject to a draw fee and the other conditions provided in the Credit Agreement. Interest is payable on the SRT Revolving Credit Facility at 1-month SOFR (subject to a 3.0% floor) plus a margin of 2.75% (7.60% at September 30, 2024), with a maturity date of December 31, 2025. The SRT Revolving Credit Facility was terminated on November 6, 2024.

Dividends Declared Per Share

For the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we declared the following cash dividends:

Recent Developments

In November 2024, SUNS and affiliated co-investors entered into a whole loan (the “Whole Loan”) consisting of an aggregate of $96.0 million in loan commitments. The property securing the loan is a development site and related condominium project located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The proceeds are expected to be used to commence and facilitate construction.

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We committed a total of $30.0 million and affiliated co-investors committed $60.0 million, with the remaining $6.0 committed by an unaffiliated investor (the “Originating Lender”). At closing, we funded approximately $3.6 million and the affiliated co-investors funded approximately $7.2 million and the Originating Lender funded approximately $0.7 million. The Whole Loan is split into a Senior Loan and Mezzanine Loan, each with two A-Notes ($62.4 million of the total commitment amount) and two B-Notes ($33.6 million of the total commitment amount, of which $6.0 million was committed by the Originating Lender). The A-Notes bear interest at a rate of SOFR plus 4.75%, with a rate index floor of 4.75%. The B-Notes bear interest at a rate of SOFR plus 11.00%, with a rate index floor of 4.75%. The A-Notes and B-Notes were issued at a discount of 1.0% and mature in 26 months, subject to two, six-month extension options.

On November 6, 2024, we entered into the Loan and Security Agreement (the “Revolving Credit Agreement”) by and among us, the lenders party thereto (the “Lenders”), and East West Bank, as Agent, Joint Lead Arranger, Joint Book Runner, Co-Syndication Agent and Co-Documentation Agent.

The Revolving Credit Agreement provides for a senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Revolving Credit Facility”) with $50.0 million in initial aggregate commitments, which may be borrowed, repaid and redrawn, subject to a borrowing base based on eligible loan obligations held by the Company and subject to the satisfaction of other conditions provided in the Revolving Credit Agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the Revolving Credit Agreement, the amount of total commitments may be increased to up to $200.0 million in aggregate, subject to available borrowing base and lenders’ willingness to provide additional commitments. The Revolving Credit Facility has a maturity date of November 8, 2027.

Interest is payable on the Revolving Credit Facility in cash in arrears at the rate per annum of SOFR plus 2.75%, with a SOFR floor of 2.63%; provided, however, that the interest rate will increase by an additional 0.25% during any Increase Rate Month (as defined in the Revolving Credit Agreement).

We are required to pay certain fees to the agent and the lenders under the Revolving Credit Agreement, including a $75,000 agent fee payable to the agent and an 0.25% per annum loan fee payable ratably to the lenders, in each case, payable on the closing date and on the annual anniversary thereafter. Commencing on the six-month anniversary of the closing date, the Revolving Credit Facility has an unused line fee of 0.25% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears. Based on the terms of the Revolving Credit Agreement, the unused line fee is waived if our average cash balance exceeds the minimum balance required per the Revolving Credit Agreement.

The Revolving Credit Facility contains customary covenants, including covenants that limit or restrict the Company’s and its subsidiaries’ ability to incur liens, incur indebtedness, make certain restricted payments, merger or consolidate or make dispositions of assets. In addition, the Company and its subsidiaries are subject to certain financial covenants, including a liquidity and debt service coverage ratio covenant.

The Revolving Credit Facility is guaranteed by certain material subsidiaries of the Company and is secured by substantially all assets of the Company and certain of its material subsidiaries; provided that upon the meeting of certain conditions, the facility will be secured only by certain assets of the Company comprising of or relating to loan obligations designed for inclusion in the borrowing base.

The description above is only a summary of the material provisions of the Revolving Credit Agreement and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Revolving Credit Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.7 to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and incorporated by reference herein.

On November 6, 2024, in conjunction with the entry by the Company into the Revolving Credit Facility, we terminated the unsecured revolving credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) dated September 26, 2024, by and between us, as borrower, and SRT Finance LLC, as agent and lender. Upon execution of the Revolving Credit Facility, the lenders’ commitments under the Credit Agreement were terminated and the liability of the Company and its subsidiaries with respect to their obligations under the Credit Agreement was discharged.

Key Financial Measures and Indicators

As a commercial real estate finance company, we believe the key financial measures and indicators for our business are Distributable Earnings (as defined below), book value per share and dividends declared per share.

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Non-GAAP Metrics

Distributable Earnings

In addition to using certain financial metrics prepared in accordance with GAAP to evaluate our performance, we also use Distributable Earnings to evaluate our performance, excluding the effects of certain transactions and GAAP adjustments we believe are not necessarily indicative of our current loan activity and operations. Distributable Earnings is a measure that is not prepared in accordance with GAAP. We use these non-GAAP financial measures both to explain our results to shareholders and the investment community and in the internal evaluation and management of our businesses. Our management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures and the information they provide are useful to investors since these measures permit investors and shareholders to assess the overall performance of our business using the same tools that our management uses to evaluate our past performance and prospects for future performance. The determination of Distributable Earnings is substantially similar to the determination of Core Earnings under our Management Agreement, provided that Core Earnings is a component of the calculation of any Incentive Compensation earned under the Management Agreement for the applicable time period. Thus, Core Earnings is calculated without giving effect to Incentive Compensation expense, while the calculation of Distributable Earnings accounts for any Incentive Compensation earned for such time period.

We define Distributable Earnings as, for a specified period, the net income (loss) computed in accordance with GAAP, excluding (i) stock-based compensation expense, (ii) depreciation and amortization, (iii) 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 or loss, or in net income (loss); provided that Distributable Earnings does not exclude, in the case of investments with a deferred interest feature (such as OID, debt instruments with PIK interest and zero coupon securities), accrued income that we have not yet received in cash, (iv) increase (decrease) in provision for current expected credit losses, (v) TRS (income) loss, net of any dividends received from TRS and (vi) one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain non-cash charges, in each case after discussions between our Manager and our independent directors and after approval by a majority of such independent directors.

We believe providing Distributable Earnings on a supplemental basis to our net income as determined in accordance with GAAP is helpful to shareholders in assessing the overall performance of our business. As a REIT, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income, subject to certain adjustments, and to pay tax at regular corporate rates to the extent that we annually distribute less than 100% of such taxable income. Given these requirements and our belief that dividends are generally one of the principal reasons that shareholders invest in our Common Stock, we generally intend to attempt to pay dividends to our shareholders in an amount at least equal to such REIT taxable income, if and to the extent authorized by our Board of Directors. Distributable Earnings is one of many factors considered by our Board of Directors in authorizing dividends and, while not a direct measure of net taxable income, over time, the measure can be considered a useful indicator of our dividends.

Distributable Earnings is a non-GAAP financial measure and should not be considered as a substitute for GAAP net income. We caution readers that our methodology for calculating Distributable Earnings may differ from the methodologies employed by other REITs to calculate the same or similar supplemental performance measures, and as a result, our reported Distributable Earnings may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other REITs.

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The following table provides a reconciliation of GAAP net income to Distributable Earnings:

Book Value Per Share

We believe that book value per share is helpful to shareholders in evaluating our growth as we scale our equity capital base and continue to invest in our target investments. The book value per share of our Common Stock as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 was approximately $16.19 and $4.53, respectively, on a post-split share basis. The September 30, 2024 book value per share of our Common Stock includes a reduction in book value due to the declaration of the fourth quarter dividend, declared on August 14, 2024. The book value per share of our Common Stock as of September 30, 2024 would have been $16.61, absent the declaration of the fourth quarter dividend.

Factors Impacting our Operating Results

The results of our operations are affected by a number of factors and primarily depend on, among other things, the level of our net interest margin, the market value of our assets and the supply of, and demand for, commercial real estate debt and other financial assets in the marketplace. Our net interest margin, which includes the accretion and amortization of OID, is recognized based on the contractual rate and the outstanding principal balance of the loans we originate. Interest rates will vary according to the type of loan, conditions in the financial markets, creditworthiness of our borrowers, competition and other factors, some of which cannot be predicted with any certainty. Our operating results may also be impacted by credit losses in excess of initial anticipations or unanticipated credit events experienced by our borrowers.