New York-based Cantor Fitzgerald, a global financial services firm, recently announced the launch of a new whole loans real estate division and the hiring of two securities and mortgage industry veterans as whole loan specialists within its Debt Capital Markets group.
Jason Kopcak and Lee Hetfield, who were added as managing directors/co-heads of whole loan sales and trading have longstanding experience in both distressed securities and residential and commercial whole loan origination and investing.
Shawn Matthews, CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., commented, “Jason and Lee had a vision to create a more efficient market for banks looking to clean up their balance sheets, as well as banks looking to take advantage of the attractive prevailing yields in the whole loan markets. This was a great fit with our existing sales force, which talks to a client base of [hedge] funds increasingly interested in [whole] loans.”

Matthews continued, “Jason’s strong understanding of the collateral and unique capital market relationships and Lee’s experience in real estate and distressed investing seemed a great combination, especially in light of concentration on all manner of mortgage backed securities. We see a great opportunity to better service our clients with a broader array of residential and commercial real estate products.”
Cantor Fitzgerald’s Debt Capital Markets business offers services in repo and securities lending, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, corporate bonds, interest rate products, agencies, SBA securities, and structured products. The company’s Debt Capital Markets group currently serves over 4,000 fixed income customers worldwide.
Kopcak was formerly head of whole loan trading for a principal investing fund involved in resolution of both residential and commercial whole loans. Prior to that, he developed coverage of the bank market for residential and commercial distressed debt opportunities for a real estate investment banking firm based in New York. Earlier in his career, Kopcak acquired and grew a national mortgage lender from 12 to over 140 employees, achieving over $1 billion in origination volume in its peak year.
Previously, Hetfield was a portfolio manager for an investment fund involved in resolution of both residential and commercial whole loans. He also formerly sat on the investment committee of an alternative investment firm based in New York with $900 million in assets under management and served as the portfolio manager of a global property fund. Early on in his career, Lee was a high yield bond sales-trader who for nine years sold leveraged finance transactions. More recently, he spent several years covering hedge accounts, specializing in distressed investing.