Ep. 12 - Beyond the Numbers, What Lenders Really Look For with Shaya Sonnenschein
Download MP3In this episode of the CRE Connection Podcast, Samy sits down with Shaya Sonnenschein, President at AANDAR Capital Advisory, for a deep conversation on commercial real estate finance, capital advisory, relationships, technology, and the future of the industry.
Shaya shares his unexpected path into real estate, starting from a creative background in design, marketing, and publishing before being pulled into the world of underwriting and capital markets. He explains why great capital advisory is not just about finding a lender, but about understanding the full story behind every sponsor, property, and investment strategy.
The conversation covers what separates sophisticated borrowers from average ones, why lenders care about consistency and details, how AI and automation are changing commercial real estate, and why relationships and transparency remain the foundation of long-term success.
Shaya also shares his involvement in the Refinance Summit and ReDeal event, his perspective on failure, and the career advice he would give to anyone entering commercial real estate finance today.
Key Topics Covered
- Shaya’s background in marketing, design, and publishing
- How he transitioned into commercial real estate finance
- Why capital advisory requires creativity, not just math
- The difference between true advisory and basic debt brokerage
- What sophisticated borrowers do differently
- Why lenders care about details, consistency, and presentation
- The role of AI, automation, and custom workflows in CRE
- Why real estate has been slow to adopt technology
- How relationships influence financing outcomes
- Why transparency builds long-term trust
- The importance of asking questions without ego
- The Refinance Summit and ReDeal event
- Why fear of failure separates long-term players from short-term operators
▶️ If you're interested in learning more about Jason, check out the following links:
▶ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssonnenschein/
▶ Website: https://www.aandar.com/about
▶ ReDeal Summit: https://redealsummit.com/
If you like the video, please SUBSCRIBE and don't forget to press the bell 🔔, 👍like, comment and share.
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▶️ Check out my Website: https://creconnection.transistor.fm/
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▶️ For business inquiries: creconnectionpod@gmail.com
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▶️ Follow me on:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samy_souss/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samy-soussan/
▶ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssonnenschein/
▶ Website: https://www.aandar.com/about
▶ ReDeal Summit: https://redealsummit.com/
If you like the video, please SUBSCRIBE and don't forget to press the bell 🔔, 👍like, comment and share.
-----------------------------------
▶️ Check out my Website: https://creconnection.transistor.fm/
----------------------------------
▶️ For business inquiries: creconnectionpod@gmail.com
----------------------------------
▶️ Follow me on:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samy_souss/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samy-soussan/
Creators and Guests
Host
Samy Soussan
Connector in Chief and Founder of The CRE Connection Podcast | Madison Title, Business Development
Guest
Shaya Sonnenschein
Shaya Sonnenschein is a Partner at AANDAR Capital Advisory, a commercial real estate capital advisory firm helping owners, developers, and investors structure thoughtful financing solutions across debt funds, life companies, CMBS, and other lending sources. With a background in marketing, design, underwriting, and capital markets, Shaya brings a unique blend of creativity, analytics, and relationship-driven advisory to every transaction. His approach focuses on understanding the story behind each deal, building transparency between borrowers and lenders, and helping clients execute financing strategies that align with their long-term goals.
