Ralph Cram
Institutional Services Group - Managing Director, @properties Commercial
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone (312) 506-0200
Property Types
Land
Markets
Chicago, Denver
Bio
Mr. Cram, a former @properties client, has joined the company to help start @properties new division, Institutional Services Group (ISG). In a previous position, Mr. Cram oversaw the sales and marketing of a struggling Chicago condominium project when he hired @properties as its third marketing team. During @properties first month on the assignment, the three year old project had over 121 showings; more showings than the previous five months combined. Within six months, 90% of the remaining units were under contract and the construction loan was paid off. @properties came in and told us what we needed to do to sell the units and the agents persevered through to the end. It left a lasting impression on me said Mr. Cram.
After completing the project, Mr. Cram approached Thad Wong, @properties co-founder, regarding an opportunity to provide real estate services to institutional lenders and investors. The credit crunch is causing lenders and passive investors to end up owning partially completed condominium projects. @properties is one of few companies in Chicago with the expertise to help institutions sell the units to either individual homeowners or in bulk to large investors. Mr. Cram said. Cram continues, Lenders and Investors now have access to the same sales and marketing expertise that sold over 4,500 new condos in Chicago ($2.05 billion) for developers since 2000.
Along with John Staib, Mr. Cram leads @properties initiative to offer a wide range of real estate services to lenders and large investors that few residential or commercial brokers can match in Chicago. ISG offers sales, marketing, receivership, asset preservation, property management, consulting, development and investment-advisory services relating to the disposition or acquisition of mortgage notes, residential and commercial properties.
In addition to his expertise in condos and retail properties, Mr. Cram is a published expert on real estate operating businesses such as movie theatres, hotels, and parking facilities. Mr. Cram conceived and co-founded an institutionally-owned real estate operating company, Theatreplex Entertainment Properties, Inc., a real estate operating company that specialized in acquiring state-of-the-art movie theatres. The Company raised start-up capital and completed an equity private placement with Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and ORIX Real Estate Equities.
Mr. Cram also brings significant real estate finance, development and acquisition experience to ISG. This experience includes working as Vice President of Finance for the Bond Companies, a mixed use retail developer, Vice President of Acquisitions for Brauvin Real Estate Funds, a net lease syndicator and recently as President for his own real estate advisory firm, Cram Financial.
Education and certifications include a Chartered Financial Analyst designation (CFA); a M.S. degree in Real Estate Appraisal and Investment Analysis from the Wisconsin School of Business Madison and a B.A. degree in Economics from Kalamazoo College.
In April 2009, Mr. Cram was awarded the CRE (Counselor of Real Estate) Designation by The Counselors of Real Estate, an international group of high profile real estate practitioners who provide expert advisory services to clients on complex real property and land-related matters. CREs are recognized in the marketplace as having consistently demonstrated the highest levels of knowledge, experience, integrity, and judgment.
Mr. Cram resides in Northbrook, IL with his wife and two children.
