Surmount – a New York-based commercial real estate platform – is coming to Los Angeles with plans to open a local office. The firm hired its first L.A. team member, Kyle Gulock, to be managing director of investments.
Born out of the consolidation of NNN Pro, STNL Advisors and United Global Development Co. in April, Surmount specializes in net-lease services and solutions for investors, private equity sponsors, family offices, tenants, developers and lenders.
Kyle Gulock
Gulock, who most recently was managing partner of Century Partners which he co-founded, has worked in Los Angeles real estate for nearly 20 years. In that time, he has closed more than $1 billion in net-lease transactions.
His hire serves “as an immediate precursor to the company’s strategic West Coast expansion,” according to a release. The firm is now looking for an office space in L.A. to set up operations.
Surmount’s model of being a “one-stop shop for the net-lease sector” attracted Gulock, who said most firms focus on one component of a transaction.
“We’ve built an integrated platform that combines advisory, sale-leaseback, lease structuring, capital markets, development and principal investment capabilities under one roof,” he said, also pointing to the firm’s unwavering focus on net-lease as an advantage rather than having a generalist approach.
Key to Surmount’s L.A. strategy is connecting with the city’s large pool institutional investors and real estate firms looking for long term-deals, as well as growth opportunities, Gulock said.
“While we’re expanding our physical presence in Los Angeles, our focus isn’t limited to local properties,” he said. “It’s on partnering with L.A.-based owners, operators and developers who are active across the country (and) helping these clients unlock or redeploy capital through sale-leaseback strategies, structured net-lease transactions and capital markets solutions tied to their broader national portfolios.”