Let us agree that in nature a flower is a thing of beauty. But like most objects found in nature, a flower requires near perfect conditions to grow. Conditions like the right soil, sunlight, water, and weather conditions are all essential for a flower to take life.
The Lotus - rare to nature - disposes of that notion. Determined in nature, it takes root and emerges through muddy waters in spite of adverse conditions. Its versatile nature enables it to grow in packs or rise alone. Its very existence is a testament to the triumph of resilience over adversity. And it manages to embody these qualities while sacrificing little of its beauty. We believe a lotus is a marvel of nature. Our firm joins many great traditions, corporate and spiritual, in drawing its inspiration from the qualities of a Lotus.
Private Equity Funds
Family Offices
Developers
Sovereign Wealth Funds
Institutional Investors & Sponsors
At Lotus, we further our client’s objectives by leveraging our strengths to deliver exceptional results. Taken together these strengths differentiate the Lotus brand and serve to underscore our value proposition.
A rigorous analytical process and a deep respect for the numbers that, combined together, are used as a baseline to drive unparalleled advice
We provide an entrepreneurial approach to solutions that relies on innovating and customized thinking
We are able to leverage the strength of our personal relationships with decision makers at key and niche market players to help our clients succeed in their business
We teach our team to adopt a principals mindset that safeguards our client’s interests at all times.
We take great pride in pro-activity. We are able to mitigate capital issues which our clients face, rather than simply resolving them after they materialize
Our leadership is comprised of industry veterans who leverage the application of "real deal" experience adopted from successfully closing over $40 billion in deals
Lotus is built on the foundation of our four core principles.
Lotus team members embody and apply these principles while serving our clients.
Team members build and foster a culture of best practices that clients can trust.
Lotus expects all personnel to demonstrate a commitment to excellent work at every
level of the organization and in all aspects of client interaction.
When serving clients with complex financial and transactional needs, Lotus team members
take extreme care in understanding and properly conveying the fundamental implications
of different financing and investment strategies. Crucially, at Lotus, the client is the
most important part of the team. Satisfying our client’s needs based on these foundational
principles is Lotus’ primary goal.
Managing Partner || Lotus Capital Partners
Mr. Ashraf founded Lotus in 2016, and has led it into becoming one of the fastest growing real estate capital advisory firms in the United States. In its two areas of focus, Capital Placement and Restructuring Advisory, Lotus has established itself as the preeminent name in the real estate capital markets especially for complex transactions. Mr. Ashraf and the firm have been widely recognized for their work having won numerous awards and recognition from the market including Commercial Observer’s 50 Most Important Figures in Real Estate Finance, Deal of the Year by Globe Street, and European Deal of the Year Award by PEI.
Prior to forming Lotus, from 2013 to 2016, Mr. Ashraf served as Managing Director and the Head of Capital Markets & Large Loan Lending at CCRE, at the time the largest non-bank CMBS lender in the United States. During his tenure at CCRE, he successfully originated & distributed over $4 billion in mortgage and mezzanine capital. Prior to joining CCRE, Mr. Ashraf served as a Deputy Head of Real Estate for Credit Suisse in Europe and a senior member of its US real estate finance team where he structured and closed over $35 billion in debt and equity related products.
Mr. Ashraf holds a Bachelor’s in Economics from Hofstra University and lives in Tribeca, New York with his wife and two daughters.