"I like doing something that I can do better than anybody else." - Derrick Barker, on investing into real estate.
Takeaways
- Nectar provides liquidity solutions for owners of commercial real estate.
- The multifamily market is expected to remain strong due to housing shortages.
- Execution in real estate is often more important than market conditions.
- Derrick emphasizes the importance of understanding the market you invest in.
- He recommends investing in high-quality assets in growing markets.
Derrick Barker is the co-founder and CEO of Nectar, a fintech company focused on innovative financing solutions for Commercial and multi family real estate investors. His journey in real estate began during his time at Harvard, where he started acquiring properties from his dorm room. Following graduation, Derrick joined Goldman Sachs as a bond trader but continued to expand his real estate portfolio, primarily focused on affordable housing in Atlanta, his hometown.
After three years at Goldman and building a portfolio of 500 units, Derrick returned to Atlanta to focus full-time on real estate, eventually growing his assets to over 4,700 units, valued at $500 million. His work included revitalizing distressed neighborhoods by renovating affordable housing complexes, creating thousands of units and enhancing community stability.
In 2021, Derrick co-founded Nectar with his wife, Brittany Mosely, also a real estate investor, to help other developers who own stabilized properties to access liquidity in the form of flexible capital without having to completely refinance their senior debt. Through small balance mezzanine debt and preferred equity solutions, Nectar supports multifamily projects across the U.S., enabling developers to expand quickly while delivering stable, risk-adjusted returns for investors.
