Rhonda DeMore Nelson

Vice President

Prudential Real Estate Investors

Claim to Fame: Development and finance of commercial projects

Rhonda DeMore Nelson has racked up $500 million in deals in the past three years including development of a $150 million, 51-story high-rise in the heart of San Francisco that will include apartments and condominiums.

“This isn’t your standard kind of deal,” said Nelson, a vice president with Prudential Real Estate Investors. “I’ve been working on this since the fall.”

PREI is unusual among real estate companies in that it provides contractual guarantees that allow developers to secure construction loans in advance of a project. In addition, PREI agrees to form a venture that purchases the property and pays off the debt once construction is completed.

The “take-out equity commitment” that Nelson worked out in the San Francisco project provided a bridge loan to the developer to close on the land and finance excavation in anticipation of construction. Once the building is substantially finished, PREI will put together a venture that will guarantee loans for the building get repaid.

Nelson, who joined PREI in 1986, draws praise for her ability to put together deals that take longer than the typical development.

“The deals she has worked on take a long time and she has shown she can stay focused on the same project for extremely long periods of time,” said Steve Silk, a broker at Cushman & Wakefield. “And she has shown that it is easy to be a nice person and a good businesswoman.”

Nelson has recently been tapped to head up sales in the Western U.S. for PREI after several years of being in charge of West Coast acquisitions.

She says her job provides her with an opportunity to put together deals that are “ever more complex” while working with smart, motivated people.

“Real estate is built on relationships,” she said. “People do business with who they are comfortable with.”

John Brinsley