GlobeSt. 2026 Rainmakers in CRE Debt, Equity, & Finance

With more than 30 years in commercial real estate finance, Kunle Shoyombo has helped shape multiple lending platforms and capital markets businesses while executing more than $35 billion in real estate transactions. As Chief Investment Officer of Basis Investment Group, he oversees investment sourcing, production, analysis, asset management, and capital markets activities, guiding strategies that have driven nearly $9 billion in transactions across asset classes since he joined the firm 16 years ago.

Shoyombo’s expertise has been central to Basis’s growth, including the successful raises of BIG Real Estate Fund I at $410 million and Fund II at $831 million—surpassing its target and hard cap—and ongoing efforts for BIG Real Estate Fund III. His disciplined underwriting and credit judgment have produced investments with strong returns and downside protection, exemplified by his role in Basis’s participation in BRP Cos.' Ruby Square development in Jamaica, Queens, a 614-unit mixed-income project with 185 affordable units that marries financial performance with significant community benefit.

Before joining Basis, Shoyombo held senior roles at GMAC Commercial Mortgage, Nomura Asset Capital, and CW Capital, where he originated, structured, securitized, or closed more than $13 billion in loans and investments across fixed and floating-rate products. He is equally known for his mentorship and team-building, often serving as a player-coach focused on developing talent and fostering internal advancement, as well as for his long-standing community involvement as a treasurer and trustee of a Jersey City nonprofit and for leadership in youth camps, ESG initiatives, and youth sports coaching.