gpmt-20201231

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K


☒			ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020


☐			TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission file number 001-38124

GRANITE POINT MORTGAGE TRUST INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)


Maryland						61-1843143
State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization						(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)


3 Bryant Park, Suite 2400A
New York,	New York	10036
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

(212) 364-5500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

GPMT

New York Stock Exchange

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer

☐

Accelerated filer

☒

Non-accelerated filer

☐

Smaller reporting company

☐

Emerging growth company

☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

As of June 30, 2020, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $390.1 million based on the closing sale price as reported on the NYSE on that date.

As of March 1, 2021, there were 55,107,657 shares of common stock, par value $.01 per share, issued and outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Regulation 14A within 120 days after the end of registrant’s fiscal year covered by this Annual Report, are incorporated by reference into Part III.

GRANITE POINT MORTGAGE TRUST INC.

2020 ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

TABLE OF CONTENTS


		Page
PART I
Item 1.	Business	1
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	7
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	35
Item 2.	Properties	35
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	35
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	35
PART II
Item 5.	Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	36
Item 6.	[Removed and Reserved]	38
Item 7.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	38
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk	64
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	68
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	105
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	105
Item 9B.	Other Information	108
PART III
Item 10.	Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance	109
Item 11.	Executive Compensation	109
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	109
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence	109
Item 14.	Principal Accounting Fees and Services	109
PART IV
Item 15.	Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules	110
Item 16.	Form 10-K Summary	115
Signatures		116

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains, or incorporates by reference, not only historical information, but also forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and that are subject to the safe harbors created by such sections. Forward-looking statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ from our beliefs, expectations, estimates and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Forward-looking statements are not historical in nature and can be identified by words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “target,” “believe,” “outlook,” “potential,” “continue,” “intend,” “seek,” “plan,” “goals,” “future,” “likely,” “may” and similar expressions or their negative forms, or by references to strategy, plans or intentions. By their nature, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, are not statements of historical facts or guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions or changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict or quantify, in particular those relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the ultimate impact of COVID-19 on our business, financial performance and operating results. Our expectations, beliefs and estimates are expressed in good faith and we believe there is a reasonable basis for them. However, there can be no assurance that management's expectations, beliefs and estimates will prove to be correct or be achieved, and actual results may vary materially from what is expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, those described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K under the caption “Risk Factors.” These risks may also be further heightened by the continued and evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other risks, uncertainties and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected are described below and may be described, from time to time, in reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Important factors that may affect our actual results include, among others:

•the severity and duration of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic;

•potential risks and uncertainties relating to the ultimate geographic spread of COVID-19;

•actions taken by governmental authorities and businesses to contain the COVID-19 outbreak or to mitigate its impact;

•the negative impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy, including the sudden severe rise in unemployment, and the impacts of COVID-19 on our financial condition, business operations and value of our assets, as well as the financial condition and operations of our borrowers;

•the general political, economic and competitive conditions in the markets in which we invest;

•defaults by borrowers in paying debt service on outstanding indebtedness and borrowers' abilities to manage and stabilize properties;

•our ability to obtain or maintain financing arrangements on terms favorable to us or at all;

•the level and volatility of prevailing interest rates and credit spreads;

•reductions in the yield on our investments and increases in the cost of our financing;

•general volatility of the securities markets in which we participate and the potential need to post additional collateral on our financing arrangements;

•the return or impact of current or future investments;

•changes in our business, investment strategies or target investments;

•increased competition from entities investing in our target investments;

•effects of hedging instruments on our target investments;

•changes in governmental regulations, tax law and rates and similar matters;

•our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes and our exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act;

•availability of desirable investment opportunities;

•availability of qualified personnel;

•estimates relating to our ability to make distributions to our stockholders in the future;

•acts of God, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters, acts of war and/or terrorism, pandemics, such as COVID-19, and other events that may cause unanticipated and uninsured performance declines and/or losses to us or the owners and operators of the real estate securing our investments;

•deterioration in the performance of the properties securing our investments that may cause deterioration in the performance of our investments and, potentially, principal losses to us, including the risk of credit loss charges and any impact on our ability to satisfy the covenants and conditions in our debt agreements; and

•difficulty or delays in redeploying the proceeds from repayments of our existing investments.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K may contain statistics and other data that, in some cases, have been obtained or compiled from information made available by loan servicers and other third-party service providers.

iii

PART I

Item 1. Business

Our Company

Granite Point Mortgage Trust Inc. is an internally-managed real estate finance company that focuses primarily on directly originating, investing in and managing senior floating-rate commercial mortgage loans and other debt and debt-like commercial real estate investments. Our investment objective is to preserve our stockholders’ capital while generating attractive risk-adjusted returns over the long term, primarily through dividends derived from current income produced by our investment portfolio. We operate as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, as defined under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. We were incorporated in Maryland on April 7, 2017 and commenced operations as a publicly traded company on June 28, 2017.

Through December 31, 2020, we were externally managed by Pine River Capital Management L.P., or the Former Manager. On October 10, 2020, we entered into a definitive agreement with the Former Manager pursuant to which we internalized our management on December 31, 2020, or the Internalization.

The terms “Granite Point,” “we,” “our,” “us” and the “company” refer to Granite Point Mortgage Trust Inc. and its subsidiaries as a consolidated entity.

We have elected to be treated as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. To qualify as a REIT, we are required to meet certain investment and operating tests and annual distribution requirements. We generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxes on our taxable income to the extent that we annually distribute all of our net taxable income to stockholders, do not participate in prohibited transactions and maintain our intended qualification as a REIT. However, certain activities that we may perform may cause us to earn income which will not be qualifying income for REIT purposes. We have designated one of our subsidiaries as a taxable REIT subsidiary, or TRS, as defined in the Code, to engage in such activities, and we may form additional TRSs in the future. We also operate our business in a manner that will permit us to maintain our exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act.

We are organized as a holding company and operate our business primarily through various subsidiaries in a single reporting segment that originates, acquires and finances our target investments.

Our Investment Strategy

Our investment strategy is to directly originate, invest in and manage a portfolio of primarily senior floating-rate commercial real estate loans and other debt and debt-like instruments secured by various types of institutional quality commercial properties located in attractive markets across the United States and managed by experienced owners. These loans may vary in term and may bear interest at a fixed or floating rate, although our primary focus is on floating-rate loans. We typically provide intermediate-term bridge or transitional financing for a variety of purposes, including acquisitions, recapitalizations, refinancings and a range of business plans, including lease-up, renovation, repositioning and repurposing of the commercial property.

From time to time, we may also invest in mezzanine loans, subordinated mortgage interests (sometimes referred to as a B-note) and other real estate securities such as commercial mortgage-backed securities, or CMBS, and collateralized loan obligations, or CLOs, and may also invest in preferred equity investments and other investments that are subordinated or otherwise junior in an issuer’s capital structure and that involve privately negotiated structures.

Our investment objective is to generate attractive, risk-adjusted returns for our stockholders over the long-term, primarily through dividends, and to preserve our stockholders’ capital through business cycles. We believe that stability of our capital base is of paramount importance to our ability to invest in assets that generate attractive returns on an ongoing basis. We intend to achieve these objectives by further growing our already well-diversified investment portfolio and actively managing various risks associated with our business strategy.

As a long-term, fundamental value-oriented investor, we may adjust our investment strategy as we react to evolving market dynamics. We believe there are enduring opportunities within our target investments that present attractive, risk-adjusted returns. However, as economic and business cycles develop, we may expand and/or adjust our investment strategy and target investments to capitalize on various investment opportunities. We believe that our well-diversified portfolio and flexible investment strategy will allow us to actively adapt to changing market conditions and generate attractive, long-term returns for our stockholders in a variety of environments.

Our Portfolio

As of December 31, 2020, our investment portfolio consisted of 103 commercial real estate loan investments with an aggregate principal balance of $3.9 billion and an additional $503.7 million of future funding obligations. The following charts and table illustrate the diversity of our portfolio by region and property type.


(dollars in thousands)
Type	Maximum Loan Commitment		Principal Balance		Carrying Value		Cash Coupon (2)	Yield (3)	Original Term (Years)	Initial LTV (4)		Stabilized LTV (5)
Senior loans (1)	$	4,419,558	$	3,915,833	$	3,837,738	L+3.52%	L+4.19%	3.1	65.8	%	63.4	%
Subordinated loans	16,601		16,601		10,065		8.71%	8.74%	10.0	45.2	%	39.3	%

Total/Wtd. Avg.	$	4,436,159	$	3,932,434	$	3,847,803	L+3.52%	L+4.19%	3.1	65.7	%	63.3	%

____________________

(1)“Senior” means a loan primarily secured by a first priority lien on commercial real property and related personal property and also includes, when applicable, any companion subordinate loans.

(2)Cash coupon does not include origination or exit fees. Weighted average cash coupon excludes fixed rate loans.

(3)Yield includes net origination fees and exit fees, but does not include future fundings, and is expressed as a monthly equivalent. Weighted average yield excludes fixed rate loans.

(4)Initial loan-to-value ratio, or initial LTV, is calculated as the initial loan amount (plus any financing that is pari passu with or senior to such loan) divided by the as is appraised value (as determined in conformance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, or USPAP) as of the date the loan was originated set forth in the original appraisal.

(5)Stabilized loan-to-value ratio, or stabilized LTV, is calculated as the fully funded loan amount (plus any financing that is pari passu with or senior to such loan), including all contractually provided for future fundings, divided by the as stabilized value (as determined in conformance with USPAP) set forth in the original appraisal. As stabilized value may be based on certain assumptions, such as future construction completion, projected re-tenanting, payment of tenant improvement or leasing commissions allowances or free or abated rent periods, or increased tenant occupancies.

Our Financing Strategy and Leverage

We currently finance our business through public and private offerings of our equity and debt securities, asset-backed financings (including repurchase, asset-specific financing and other credit facilities), and our outstanding CLOs. In addition to our current mix of funding sources, we may use other forms of financing, including additional securitizations and public and private, secured and unsecured, debt issuances by us or our subsidiaries.

As of December 31, 2020, we had repurchase facilities and asset-specific financings in place to finance loans held for investment with Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A., JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and Citibank, N.A., for an aggregate maximum facility amount of $2.4 billion, or $2.5 billion inclusive of our option to upsize the Wells Fargo Bank, National Association repurchase facility.

In addition, as of December 31, 2020, we had senior secured term loan facilities in place with certain investment vehicles managed by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC with a maximum borrowing capacity of $0.3 billion, inclusive of our option to upsize the facilities.

We also finance pools of commercial real estate loans through CLOs which are consolidated on our financial statements. As of December 31, 2020, the outstanding amount due on securitized debt obligations was $0.9 billion.

We are not required to maintain any particular debt-to-equity leverage ratio; however, the actual leverage we employ for particular investments will depend upon our assessment of the credit, liquidity, price volatility and other risks of those investments and the financing counterparties, and availability of particular types of financing at the time, as well as the financial covenants under our repurchase agreements and term loan facilities. Our decision to use leverage to finance our assets is at the discretion of our management team and is not subject to the approval of our stockholders. We currently expect that our leverage will not exceed, on a debt to equity basis, a ratio of 3.5-to-1. We endeavor to match the terms and indices of our assets and liabilities, including in certain instances through a potential use of certain derivatives. We also seek to minimize the risks associated with recourse borrowing.

Subject to maintaining our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes and our exemption from the Investment Company Act, we may, from time to time, engage in a variety of hedging transactions that seek to mitigate the effects of fluctuations in interest rates or currencies and their effects on our cash flows. These hedging transactions could take a variety of forms, including interest rate swaps or cap agreements, options, futures contracts, forward rate agreements or similar financial instruments. We expect these instruments would allow us to reduce, but not eliminate, the risk that we have to refinance our liabilities before the maturities of our investments and to reduce the impact of changing interest rates on our earnings. To date, we have not engaged in any hedging transactions.

Investment Guidelines

Our board of directors has approved the following investment guidelines:

•no investment shall be made that would cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT under the Code;

•no investment shall be made that would cause us to be regulated or required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act;

•we will primarily invest in our target investments, consisting of senior commercial mortgage loans, mezzanine loans, preferred equity, subordinated mortgage interests, real estate securities and other debt and debt-like commercial real estate investments;

•not more than 25% of our equity capital will be invested in any individual asset without the prior approval of a majority of our board of directors;

•any investment in excess of $300 million in an individual asset requires the prior approval of a majority of our board of directors; and

•until appropriate investments in our target investments are identified, we may invest our available cash in interest-bearing, short-term investments, including money market accounts or funds, and corporate bonds, subject to the requirements for our qualification as a REIT under the Code.

These investment guidelines may be changed from time-to-time by our board of directors without our stockholders’ consent, but we expect to disclose any material changes to our investment guidelines in the periodic quarterly and annual reports that we file with the SEC. We are not subject to any limits or proportions under our investment guidelines with respect to the mix of target investments that we originate or acquire other than as necessary to maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes and our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act.

Competition

We are engaged in a competitive business. Our net income depends, in part, on our ability to originate or acquire investments at favorable credit spreads over our borrowing costs. In our lending and investment activities, we compete for opportunities with a variety of institutional lenders and investors, including other REITs, specialty finance companies, public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance and insurance companies and other financial institutions. Several other companies that have raised significant amounts of capital may have investment objectives and strategies that overlap with ours, which may create additional competition for lending and investment opportunities.

Some of our competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that may not be available to us. Many of our competitors are not subject to the operating constraints associated with REIT rule compliance or maintenance of an exclusion from regulation under the Investment Company Act. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments than we do, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of loans and investments, offer more attractive pricing or other terms and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, competition for originations of and investments in our target investments may lead to decreasing yields, which may further limit our ability to generate desired returns.

We believe our industry experience and relationships provide us with a competitive advantage and helps us assess risks and determine appropriate risk and return parameters for our target investments. Additionally, we believe that our experience enables us to compete more effectively and generate attractive investment opportunities for our portfolio. However, we may not be able to achieve our business goals or expectations due to the competitive risks that we face.

For additional information concerning these competitive risks, see “Risk Factors - Risks Related to our Lending and Investment Activities - We operate in a competitive market for investment opportunities and competition may limit our ability to originate or acquire desirable investments in our target investments and could also affect the pricing of these securities” included in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Human Capital Resources

Prior to the Internalization, we did not have any employees. Our executive officers and other individuals who provide services to us were employees of an affiliate of the Former Manager. In connection with the Internalization, we hired 31 employees previously employed by the Former Manager, including our executive officers.

As an internally managed company, we strive to attract and retain the most talented employees in the industry by offering competitive compensation and benefits, along with a positive work environment and culture. We use a combination of fixed and variable pay, including base salary, bonus, merit increases and equity-based compensation that is competitive and consistent with employee positions. Our benefits are designed to be competitive in the marketplace while providing comprehensive coverage that supports the physical, financial, and emotional well-being of our employees.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and related government measures, we have implemented changes that we believe are in the best interest of our personnel as well as the communities in which we operate. For example, our personnel have worked remotely when possible during the pandemic and we have implemented additional safety measures for personnel working on-site.

Government Regulation

We are required to maintain qualifications, approvals and licenses in a number of states in order to conduct our lending activities and own certain of our target investments. Licensing requirements vary considerably by state and may impose various different obligations on our business, including: restrictions on loan origination activity; limits on finance charges, including type, amount and manner of charging fees; disclosure requirements; surety bond and minimum specified net worth requirements; periodic reporting requirements; notice requirements for changes in principal officers, directors or principal owners; and record keeping requirements. Additionally, our licensed entities are required, from time to time, to submit to routine examinations by state regulatory agencies to ensure our compliance with applicable requirements. We are also required to comply with certain provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act that are applicable to commercial loans. We intend to conduct our business so that neither we nor any of our subsidiaries are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

We currently believe that compliance with existing statutes and regulations has not had a material adverse effect on our business. In recent years, legislators in the United States have said that greater regulation of financial services firms is needed, particularly in areas such as risk management, leverage and disclosure. While we expect that additional new regulations in these areas will be adopted and existing ones may change in the future, it is not possible at this time to forecast the exact nature of any future legislation, regulations, judicial decisions, orders or interpretations, nor their impact upon our future business, financial condition or results of operations or prospects.

Taxation

REIT Qualification

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2017. Our qualification as a REIT depends upon our ability to meet, on a continuing basis, through actual investment and operating results, various complex requirements under the Code, relating to, among other things, the sources of our gross income, the composition and values of our assets, our distribution levels and the diversity of ownership of our shares. We believe that we have been organized in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the

Code, and that our intended manner of operation will enable us to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT.

So long as we qualify as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income that we currently distribute to our stockholders. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year and do not qualify for certain statutory relief provisions, we will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at regular corporate rates and may be precluded from qualifying as a REIT for the subsequent four taxable years following the year during which we lost our REIT qualification. Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we may be subject to certain U.S. federal, state and local taxes on our income or property. See “Risk Factors - Risks Related to our REIT Status and Certain Other Tax Items” included in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Investment Company Act Exemption

We conduct our operations so that neither we nor any of our subsidiaries are an “investment company” as defined in Section 3(a)(1)(A) or Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act. We believe we are not an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act because we do not engage primarily, or hold ourselves out as being engaged primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Rather, through our wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries, we are primarily engaged in non-investment company business related to real estate. In addition, we conduct our operations so that we do not come within the definition of an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act because less than 40% of our total assets on an unconsolidated basis will consist of “investment securities,” or 40% test. Excluded from the term “investment securities” (as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act) are securities issued by majority-owned subsidiaries that are themselves not investment companies and are not relying on the exclusion from the definition of investment company set forth in Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act. The Investment Company Act defines a majority-owned subsidiary of a person as a company where 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of which are owned by such person, or by another company which is a majority-owned subsidiary of such person. The Investment Company Act defines voting securities as any security presently entitling the owner, or holder thereof, to vote for the election of directors of a company. We treat entities in which we own at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities as majority-owned subsidiaries for purposes of the 40% test. We monitor our holdings to ensure ongoing compliance with this test.

We hold our assets primarily through direct or indirect wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries, certain of which are excluded from the definition of investment company pursuant to Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act. We classify our assets for purposes of certain of our subsidiaries’ Section 3(c)(5)(C) exclusion from the Investment Company Act based upon no-action positions taken by the SEC staff and interpretive guidance provided by the SEC and its staff. Based on such guidance, to qualify for the exclusion pursuant to Section 3(c)(5)(C), each such subsidiary generally is required to hold at least (i) 55% of its assets in “qualifying” real estate assets and (ii) 80% of its assets in “qualifying” real estate assets and real estate-related assets. “Qualifying” real estate assets for this purpose include mortgage loans, certain B-Notes and certain mezzanine loans that satisfy various conditions as set forth in SEC staff no-action letters and other guidance, and other assets that the SEC staff in various no-action letters and other guidance has determined are the functional equivalent of senior mortgage loans for the purposes of the Investment Company Act. We treat CMBS, B-Notes and mezzanine loans that do not satisfy the conditions set forth in the relevant SEC staff no-action letters and other guidance, and debt and equity securities of companies primarily engaged in real estate businesses as real estate-related assets. To the extent that the SEC staff publishes new or different guidance with respect to these matters, we may be required to re-classify our assets for purposes of the Investment Company Act, including for purposes of our subsidiaries’ compliance with the exclusion provided in Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act.

If we were required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act, we would become subject to substantial regulation with respect to our capital structure (including our ability to use borrowings), management, operations, transactions with affiliated persons (as defined in the Investment Company Act) and portfolio composition, including disclosure requirements and restrictions with respect to diversification and industry concentration and other matters. Compliance with the Investment Company Act would, accordingly, limit our ability to make certain investments and require us to significantly restructure our business plan, which could materially adversely affect our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders. See “Risk Factors - Risks Related to our Company and Structure - Maintaining our exclusions from registration as an investment company under the Investment Company Act imposes limits on our operations” included in Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Additional Information

Our website can be found at www.gpmtreit.com. We make available, free of charge on our website (on the Investor Relations page under “SEC Filings”), our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports, as are filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as well as our proxy statement with respect to our annual meeting of stockholders, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Our Exchange Act reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC are also available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The content of any website referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K unless expressly noted.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

SUMMARY OF RISK FACTORS

•Our lending and investment activities subject us to the general political, economic, capital markets, competitive and other conditions in the United States, including with respect to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and other events that markedly impact United States financial markets.

•Fluctuations in interest rates and credit spreads could reduce our ability to generate income on our loans and other investments, which could lead to a significant decrease in our results of operations, our cash flows and the market value of our investments, and ultimately limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.

•Adverse changes in the real estate and real estate capital markets could negatively impact our performance by making it more difficult for our borrowers to satisfy their debt payment obligations, which could result in losses on our loan investments and/or make it more difficult for us to generate consistent or attractive risk-adjusted returns.

•Our results of operations, financial condition and business could be materially adversely affected if we experience difficulty accessing financing or raising capital (including due to a significant dislocation in or shut-down of the capital markets), a reduction in the yield on our investments, an increase in the cost of our financing or borrower defaults.

•Events giving rise to increases in our current expected credit loss reserve, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, have had an adverse effect on our business and results of operations and could in the future have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

•Adverse legislative or regulatory developments, including with respect to tax laws, securities laws and the laws governing financial and lending institutions could increase our cost of doing business and/or reduce our operating flexibility and the price of our common stock.

•Acts of God, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters, pandemics or outbreaks of infectious disease, like COVID-19, acts of war and/or terrorism and other events that can markedly impact financial markets may cause unanticipated and uninsured performance declines and/or losses to us or the owners and operators of the real estate securing our investments.

•Deterioration in the performance of properties securing our investments may cause deterioration in the performance of our investments, instances of default or foreclosure on such properties and, potentially, principal losses to us.

•Adverse developments in the availability of desirable investment opportunities whether they are due to competition, regulation or otherwise, could adversely affect our results of operations.

•Difficulty or delays in redeploying the proceeds from repayments of our existing loans and investments may cause our financial performance and returns to stockholders to suffer.

•Increased competition from entities engaged in mortgage lending and/or investing in our target assets may limit our ability to originate or acquire desirable loans and investments, and could also affect the yields on these assets and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

•If we do not maintain our qualification as a REIT, we will be subject to tax as a regular corporation and could face a substantial tax liability.

RISK FACTORS

Risks Related to the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions in the United States and global economy and to our business, and may continue to have an adverse impact on our performance and results of operations.

Since the first quarter of 2020, the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been rapidly evolving, and many countries have reacted by instituting quarantines and restrictions on travel, closing financial markets and/or restricting trading and limiting operations of non-essential businesses. Such measures are disrupting global supply chains, significantly increasing rates of unemployment and adversely impacting many industries, including the commercial finance and real estate markets in which we compete. The outbreak could have a continued adverse impact on economic and market conditions and trigger a period of global economic slowdown.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had, and may continue to have, an adverse impact on our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations and the market price of our common stock, among other things. We expect that these impacts are likely to continue, to some extent, as the outbreak persists and potentially even after the outbreak subsides. In particular, our ability to operate successfully could be adversely impacted due to the following:

•A significant long-term impact on the broader economy, and the commercial real estate market generally, could negatively impact the value of the assets collateralizing our loans. Our portfolio includes loans collateralized by hotel, retail and other asset classes which have been significantly negatively impacted by the pandemic, particularly due to government-mandated closures and travel restrictions. While we currently believe the principal amount of our loans

are generally adequately protected by the value of the underlying collateral, there can be no assurance that we will realize the entire principal value of certain investments.

•We have been actively engaged in discussions with our borrowers, some of whom have indicated that, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been unable to timely execute their business plans, have had to temporarily close their businesses or have experienced other negative business consequences. As a result, some borrowers have requested, and in certain instances we have agreed to, near-term loan modifications, including repurposing of funds in certain reserve accounts, temporary deferrals of interest or performance tests and certain covenant waivers on loans collateralized by properties impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we closed 46 loan modifications, representing an aggregate principal balance of $1.8 billion as of December 31, 2020. Due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, we anticipate additional loan modification requests from our borrowers and potentially instances of default or foreclosure on assets underlying our loans, which would adversely affect the credit profile of our assets and our results of operations and financial condition.

•We have repurchase agreements with numerous lenders and are actively engaged in discussions with them, particularly with respect to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, around the value of pledged assets as defined in such agreements, our ability to deleverage or finance our future loan funding commitments, the application of certain provisions of such agreements to these circumstances and other structural elements under the agreements. If we do not have sufficient liquidity to make required payments on a timely basis, we would likely experience defaults and potential loss of assets to the lenders unless we are able to raise the funds from alternative sources, including by selling or financing assets or raising capital, or liquidity sources, each of which we may be required to do under adverse market conditions or at an inopportune time or on unfavorable terms, or may be unable to do at all. A default under one agreement may trigger cross-defaults under other agreements. Continued market volatility may further limit our ability to access liquidity sources under favorable terms, or at all. Pledging additional collateral or otherwise paying down facilities to satisfy our lenders and avoid potential margin calls and loan defaults would reduce our cash available to meet subsequent margin calls and/or future funding requests, as well as to make other higher yielding investments, thereby decreasing our liquidity, return on equity, available cash, net income and ability to implement our investment strategy. We also have covenants in some of our debt agreements that require us to maintain a minimum amount of cash, which could impact our ability to satisfy margin calls. If we cannot meet lender requirements related to margin calls or other terms of our credit agreements, the lender or counterparty could accelerate our indebtedness, increase the interest rate on advanced funds or limit our ability to borrow additional funds, which would materially and adversely affect our financial condition and ability to implement our investment strategy.

•Because of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economies and U.S. commercial real estate, we likely will experience reduced availability of liquidity sources, but our requirements for liquidity, including future loan funding obligations and potential margin calls, likely will not be commensurately reduced. If we do not have funds available to meet our obligations, we would have to raise funds from alternative sources, which may be at unfavorable terms or may not be available to us. We expect that the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely adversely affect our liquidity position and could limit our ability to grow our business and successfully execute our business strategy. In order to preserve and build our liquidity to weather near-term market uncertainty, satisfy our loan future funding and financing obligations and potentially make opportunistic new investments, we intend to take, and in some instances have taken, some or all of the following actions: raise capital from offerings of securities, borrow additional capital, sell assets and/or change our dividend practice. One or more of these conditions could increase our secured debt or be dilutive to our existing stockholders.

•COVID-19 has caused us to materially increase our current expected credit loss, or CECL, reserve. Our initial CECL reserve of $18.5 million recorded on January 1, 2020 was reflected as a direct charge to retained earnings on our consolidated statements of changes in equity; however, subsequent changes to the CECL reserve were recognized through net income on our consolidated statements of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded a $53.7 million net increase in the CECL reserve, bringing our total CECL reserve to $72.2 million as of December 31, 2020. This CECL reserve reflects, among other things, the macroeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on commercial real estate markets generally, as well as certain loans with unique risk characteristics assessed individually for credit loss in our portfolio. Further, this reserve is not reflective of what we expect our CECL reserve would be absent the current and potential future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. If the adverse macroeconomic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic persist or worsen, we may further materially increase our CECL reserve, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to make distributions.

•Interest rates and credit spreads have been significantly impacted since the outbreak of COVID-19. This can increase the volatility of the fair value of our floating-rate loans and also the interest obligations on our floating-rate debt and fair value of our fixed-rate liabilities, which could increase our interest expense.

•An extended period of remote working by our personnel could strain our technology resources and introduce operational risks, including heightened cybersecurity risk. Remote working environments may be less secure and more susceptible to hacking attacks, including phishing and social engineering attempts that seek to exploit the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to the foregoing, we have experienced, and may continue to experience, other negative impacts to our business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic that could further heighten the impact of other risks described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The evolving nature of this situation precludes any prediction as to the ultimate adverse impact of COVID-19 on economic and market conditions. As a result, the pandemic continues to present material uncertainty and risk with respect to us and the performance of our investments. The full extent of the impact of COVID-19 will depend on many factors, including, among other factors, the availability and efficacy of vaccines, the duration, severity and spread of various strains, along with related travel advisories, quarantines and restrictions, the recovery time of the disrupted supply chains and industries, the impact of labor market interruptions, the impact of government interventions and uncertainty with respect to the duration of the global economic slowdown, including resulting impact on the value of our assets. The foregoing also present uncertainty and risk with respect to our performance, results of operations and ability to pay distributions.

Risks Related to Our Lending and Investment Activities

Difficult conditions in the commercial mortgage and real estate market, the financial markets and the economy generally may adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our operating results are materially affected by conditions in the commercial mortgage and real estate markets, the financial markets and the economy generally. Any deterioration in real estate fundamentals generally (in the United States particularly), and changes in general economic conditions could negatively impact our performance or the value of the underlying real estate collateralizing our investments, increase the default risk applicable to borrowers and make it relatively more difficult for us to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns.

We cannot predict the degree to which economic conditions generally, and the conditions for real estate debt investing in particular, will improve or decline. Any stagnation in or deterioration of the commercial mortgage or real estate markets may limit our ability to acquire our target investments on attractive terms or cause us to experience losses related to our assets. Declines in the market values of our investments may adversely affect our results of operations and credit availability and cost, which may reduce earnings and, in turn, cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

We operate in a competitive market for investment opportunities and competition may limit our ability to originate or acquire our target investments and could also affect the pricing of these investments.

A number of entities compete with us to make the types of loans and investments we seek to originate or acquire. Our profitability depends, in large part, on our ability to originate or acquire target investments on attractive terms. We compete with a variety of institutional lenders and investors, including other REITs, specialty finance companies, public and private funds, commercial and investment banks, commercial finance and insurance companies and other financial institutions. Some of our competitors have raised, and may in the future raise, significant amounts of capital and may have investment objectives that overlap with ours, which may create additional competition for lending and investment opportunities. Some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. Many of our competitors are not subject to the operating constraints associated with REIT rule compliance or maintenance of an exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of loans and investments, offer more attractive pricing or other terms and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, competition for originations of and investments in our target investments may lead to the yields of such assets decreasing, which may further limit our ability to generate satisfactory returns.

As a result of this competition, desirable loans and investments in our target investments may be limited in the future and we may not be able to take advantage of attractive lending and investment opportunities from time to time. We can provide no assurance that we will be able to identify and originate loans or make investments that are consistent with our investment objectives. We cannot assure you that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. There can be no assurance that any current relationships with such parties will continue (whether on currently applicable terms or otherwise) or that we will be able to establish relationships with other such persons in the future if desired and on terms favorable to us.

Fluctuations in interest rates and credit spreads could reduce our ability to generate income on our loans and other investments, which could lead to a significant decrease in our results of operations, cash flows and the market value of our investments and may limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders.

Our primary interest rate exposures relate to the yield on our loans and other investments and the financing cost of our debt. Changes in interest rates and credit spreads may affect our net income from loans and other investments, which is the difference between the interest and related income we earn on our interest-earning investments and the interest and related expense we incur in financing these investments. Interest rate and credit spread fluctuations resulting in our interest and related expense

exceeding interest and related income would result in operating losses for us. Changes in the level of interest rates and credit spreads also may affect our ability to make loans or investments, the value of our loans and investments and our ability to realize gains from the disposition of assets. Increases in interest rates and credit spreads may also negatively affect demand for loans and could result in higher borrower default rates.

Our operating results depend, in part, on differences between the income earned on our investments, net of credit losses, and our financing costs. The yields we earn on our floating-rate assets and our borrowing costs tend to move in the same direction in response to changes in interest rates. However, one can rise or fall faster than the other, causing our net interest margin to expand or contract. In addition, we could experience reductions in the yield on our investments and an increase in the cost of our financing. Although we seek to match the terms of our liabilities to the expected lives of loans that we acquire or originate, circumstances may arise in which our liabilities are shorter in duration than our assets, resulting in their adjusting faster in response to changes in interest rates. For any period during which our investments are not match-funded, the income earned on such investments may respond more slowly to interest rate fluctuations than the cost of our borrowings. Consequently, changes in interest rates, particularly short-term interest rates, may immediately and significantly decrease our results of operations and cash flows and the market value of our investments, and any such change may limit our ability to pay distributions to our stockholders. In addition, unless we enter into hedging or similar transactions with respect to the portion of our assets that we fund using our balance sheet, returns we achieve on such assets will generally increase as interest rates for those assets rise and decrease as interest rates for those assets decline.

We may not have control over certain of our loans and investments.

Our ability to manage our portfolio of loans and investments may be limited by the form in which they are made. In certain situations, we may:

•acquire investments subject to rights of senior classes, special servicers or collateral managers under intercreditor, servicing agreements or securitization documents;

•pledge our investments as collateral for financing arrangements;

•acquire only a minority and/or a non-controlling participation in an underlying investment; or

•rely on independent third-party management or servicing with respect to the management of an asset.

Therefore, we may not be able to exercise control over all aspects of our loans or investments. Such financial assets may involve risks not present in investments where senior creditors, junior creditors or servicers are not involved. Our rights to control the process following a borrower default may be subject to the rights of senior or junior creditors or servicers whose interests may not be aligned with ours.

Most commercial real estate loans are nonrecourse loans and the assets securing these loans may not be sufficient to protect us from a partial or complete loss if a borrower defaults on a loan, which could materially and adversely affect us.

Except for customary nonrecourse carve-outs for certain “bad acts” and environmental liability, most commercial real estate loans are nonrecourse obligations of the borrower, meaning that there is no recourse against the assets of the borrower other than the underlying collateral. In the event of any default under a commercial real estate loan, we bear the risk of loss to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the collateral and the principal of and accrued interest on the loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. Even if a commercial real estate loan is recourse to the borrower (or if a nonrecourse carve-out to the borrower applies), in many cases, the borrower’s assets are limited primarily to its interest in the related mortgaged property. Further, although a commercial real estate loan may provide for limited recourse to a principal or affiliate of a borrower, there is no assurance that any recovery from such principal or affiliate will be made or that such principal’s or affiliate’s assets would be sufficient to pay any otherwise recoverable claim. In the event of the bankruptcy of a borrower, the loan to such borrower will be deemed to be secured only to the extent of the value of the underlying collateral at the time of bankruptcy (as determined by the bankruptcy court) and the lien securing the loan will be subject to the avoidance powers of the bankruptcy trustee or debtor-in-possession to the extent the lien is unenforceable under state law.

We may be subject to risks associated with commercial real estate loan participations.

Some of our commercial real estate loans may be held in the form of participation interests or co-lender arrangements in which we share the loan rights, obligations and benefits with other lenders. With respect to such participation interests, we may require the consent of these parties to exercise our rights under such loans, including rights with respect to amendment of loan documentation, enforcement proceedings upon a default and the institution of, and control over, foreclosure proceedings. In circumstances where we hold a minority interest, we may become bound to actions of the majority to which we otherwise would object. We may be adversely affected by this lack of control with respect to these interests.

Our portfolio of investments may be concentrated by geography, property type or sponsor, which could subject us to increased risk of loss.

Our investment guidelines do not require us to observe specific diversification criteria, except as may be set forth in the investment guidelines adopted by our board of directors. Therefore, our investments may at times be concentrated in certain property types or geographies that may be subject to higher risk of default or foreclosure, or secured by properties concentrated in a limited number of geographic locations.

Asset concentration may cause even modest changes in the value of the underlying real estate assets to significantly impact the value of our investments. As a result of any high levels of concentration, any adverse economic, political or other conditions that disproportionately affects those geographic areas or asset classes could have a magnified adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition, and the value of our stockholders’ investments could vary more widely than if we invested in a more diverse portfolio of loans.

Real estate valuation is inherently subjective and uncertain.

The valuation of real estate, and therefore the valuation of any collateral underlying our loans, is inherently subjective due to, among other factors, the individual nature of each property, its location, the expected future rental revenues from that particular property and the valuation methodology adopted. In addition, where we invest in loans that involve renovations, restorations or construction, initial valuations will assume completion of the project. As a result, the valuations of the real estate assets against which we will make or acquire loans are subject to a large degree of uncertainty and are made on the basis of assumptions and methodologies that may not prove to be accurate, particularly in periods of volatility, low transaction flow or restricted debt availability.

The lack of liquidity of our investments may adversely affect our business, including our ability to value, finance and sell our investments.

The illiquidity of some or all of our investments, and investments we intend to make, may make it difficult for us to sell such investment if the need or desire arises. Investments such as senior commercial mortgages, B-notes, mezzanine and other loans (including participations) and preferred equity, in particular, are relatively illiquid due to their short life, limited potential for financing and greater difficulty of recovery in the event of a borrower’s default. In addition, certain of our investments may become less liquid after investment as a result of periods of delinquencies, defaults or turbulent market conditions, which may make it more difficult for us to dispose of such assets at advantageous times or in a timely manner. Moreover, many of these investments are not registered under the relevant securities laws, resulting in prohibitions against their transfer, sale, pledge or their disposition, except in transactions that are exempt from registration requirements or are otherwise in accordance with such laws.

Consequently, even if we identify a buyer for certain of our senior commercial real estate loans, or other debt and debt-like investments, there is no assurance that we would be able to sell such investments in a timely manner if the need or desire arises. In addition, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may be forced to sell our investments at a price that is significantly less than the value at which we previously attributed to such investments.

Further, we may face other restrictions on our ability to liquidate an investment to the extent that we have or could be attributed as having material, non-public information regarding such business entity. As a result, our ability to vary our portfolio in response to changes in economic or other conditions may be relatively limited, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The due diligence process that we undertake in regard to investment opportunities may not reveal all facts that may be relevant in connection with an investment and if we incorrectly evaluate the risks of our investments, we may experience losses.

Before making investments, we conduct due diligence that we deem reasonable and appropriate based on the facts and circumstances relevant to each potential investment. When conducting due diligence, we may be required to evaluate important and complex business, financial, tax, accounting, environmental and legal issues. Outside consultants, legal advisors, accountants and investment banks may be involved in the due diligence process in varying degrees depending on the type of potential investment. Relying on the resources available to us, we evaluate our potential investments based on criteria we deem appropriate for the relevant investment. Our loss estimates may not prove accurate, as actual results may vary from estimates. If we underestimate the asset-level losses, we may experience losses with respect to such investment.

Moreover, our investment analyses and decisions may frequently be required to be undertaken on an expedited basis to take advantage of investment opportunities. In such cases, the information available to us at the time of making an investment decision may be limited, and we may not have access to detailed information regarding such investment. Therefore, we cannot assure you that we will have knowledge of all circumstances that may adversely affect such investment.

Investments that are subordinated or otherwise junior in an issuer’s capital structure and that involve privately negotiated structures expose us to greater risk of loss.

In addition to our senior floating-rate commercial mortgage loans, our portfolio contains mezzanine loans, CLOs and a B-note, and in the future, we may invest in CMBS, preferred equity investments and other investments that are subordinated or otherwise junior in an issuer’s capital structure and that involve privately negotiated structures. Any investments in subordinated debt and mezzanine tranches of a borrower’s capital structure and our remedies with respect thereto, including the ability to foreclose on any collateral securing such investments, are subject to the rights of any senior creditors and, to the extent applicable, contractual intercreditor and/or participation agreement provisions. Significant losses related to such loans or investments could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Investments in subordinated debt involve greater credit risk of default than the senior classes of the issue or series. As a result, with respect to any investments in CMBS, CLOs, B-notes, mezzanine loans and other subordinated debt, we would potentially receive payments or interest distributions after, and must bear the effects of losses or defaults on the senior debt (including underlying senior mortgage loans, class A-Notes, senior mezzanine loans, preferred equity or senior CMBS or CLO bonds, as applicable) before the holders of other more senior tranches of debt instruments with respect to such issuer. As the terms of such loans and investments are subject to contractual relationships among lenders, co-lending agents and others, they can vary significantly in their structural characteristics and other risks.

Mezzanine loans are, by their nature, structurally subordinated to more senior property-level financings. If a borrower defaults on a mezzanine loan or on debt senior to that loan, or if the borrower is in bankruptcy, the mezzanine loan will be satisfied only after the property-level debt and other senior debt is paid in full. In addition, mezzanine loans may have higher loan-to-loan value ratios than conventional mortgage loans, resulting in less equity in the property and increasing the risk of loss of principal. As a result, a partial loss in the value of the underlying collateral can result in a total loss of the value of the mezzanine loan. In addition, even if we are able to foreclose on the underlying collateral following a default on a mezzanine loan, we would be substituted for the defaulting borrower and, to the extent income generated on the underlying property is insufficient to meet outstanding debt obligations on the property, we may need to commit substantial additional capital and/or deliver a replacement guarantee by a creditworthy entity, which could include us, to stabilize the property and prevent additional defaults to lenders with existing liens on the property.

B-notes are mortgage loans that are typically secured by a first mortgage on a single commercial property or group of related properties, but subordinated to an A-note secured by the same first mortgage on the same collateral. As a result, if a borrower defaults, there may not be sufficient funds remaining for B-note holders after payment to the A-note holders. Because each transaction is privately negotiated, B-notes can vary in their structural characteristics and risks. For example, the rights of holders of B-notes to control the process following a borrower default may vary from transaction to transaction. Further, B-notes typically are secured by a single property and accordingly reflect the risks associated with significant concentration. Losses related to our B-notes could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Investments in preferred equity involve a greater risk of loss than conventional debt financing due to a variety of factors, including their non-collateralized nature and subordinated ranking to other loans and liabilities of the entity in which such preferred equity is held. Accordingly, if the issuer defaults on our preferred equity investment, we would only be able to proceed against such entity in accordance with the terms of the preferred equity, and not against any property owned by such entity. Furthermore, in the event of bankruptcy or foreclosure, we would only be able to recoup our investment after all lenders to, and other creditors of, such entity are paid in full. As a result, we may lose all or a significant part of any such investment, which could result in significant losses and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

In addition, our investments in senior mortgage loans may be effectively subordinated to the extent we borrow under a financing facility loan (which can be in the form of a repurchase agreement) or similar facility and pledge the senior mortgage loan as collateral. Under these arrangements, the lender has a right to repayment of the borrowed amount before we can collect on the value of the senior mortgage loan, and therefore, if the value of the pledged senior mortgage loan decreases below the amount we have borrowed, we would experience a loss.

Prepayment rates may adversely affect our financial performance and the value of certain of our assets.

Our business is currently focused on originating floating-rate mortgage loans secured by commercial real estate assets. Generally, our mortgage loan borrowers may repay their loans prior to their stated maturities. In periods of declining interest rates and/or credit spreads, or as the business plans for the underlying collateralizing properties reach completion, prepayment rates on loans generally increase. If general interest rates or credit spreads decline at the same time, the proceeds of such prepayments received during such periods may not be reinvested for some period of time or may be reinvested by us in assets yielding less than the yields on the assets that were prepaid.

Because our commercial mortgage loans are generally not originated or acquired at a premium to par value, prepayment rates do not materially affect the value of such assets. However, the value of certain other assets may be affected by prepayment rates. For example, if we originate or acquire mortgage-related securities or a pool of mortgage securities in the future, we would anticipate that the underlying mortgages would prepay at a projected rate generating an expected yield. If we were to purchase such assets at a premium to par value, if borrowers prepay their loans faster than expected, the corresponding

prepayments on any such mortgage-related securities would likely reduce the expected yield. Conversely, if we were to purchase such assets at a discount to par value, when borrowers prepay their loans slower than expected, the decrease in corresponding prepayments on the mortgage-related securities would likely reduce the expected yield.

Prepayment rates on loans may be affected by a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the then-current level of interest rates and credit spreads, the availability of mortgage credit and investment capital, the status of the business plan for the underlying collateralizing property, the relative economic vitality of the area in which the related properties are located, the servicing of the loans, possible changes in tax laws, other opportunities for investment and other economic, social, geographic, demographic and legal factors beyond our control. Consequently, such prepayment rates cannot be predicted with certainty and no strategy can completely insulate us from prepayment or other such risks.

Difficulty or delays in redeploying the proceeds from repayments of our existing loans and investments may cause our financial performance and returns to stockholders to suffer.

As our loans and investments are repaid, we will have to redeploy the proceeds we receive into new loans and investments, repay borrowings under our credit facilities, pay dividends to our stockholders or repurchase outstanding shares of our common stock. It is possible that we will fail to identify reinvestment options that would provide returns or a risk profile that is comparable to the asset that was repaid. If we fail to redeploy, or experience any delays in redeploying, the proceeds we receive from repayment of a loan in equivalent or better alternatives, our financial performance and returns to stockholders could suffer.

We may be subject to lender liability claims, and if we are held liable under such claims, we could be subject to losses.

In recent years, a number of judicial decisions have upheld the right of borrowers to sue lending institutions on the basis of various evolving legal theories, collectively termed “lender liability.” Generally, lender liability is founded on the premise that a lender has either violated a duty, whether implied or contractual, of good faith and fair dealing owed to the borrower or has assumed a degree of control over the borrower resulting in the creation of a fiduciary duty owed to the borrower or its other creditors or stockholders. We cannot assure you that such claims will not arise or that we will not be subject to significant liability if a claim of this type did arise.

Liability relating to environmental matters may impact the value of properties that we may acquire upon foreclosure of the properties underlying our investments.

To the extent we take title to any of the properties underlying our investments, we may be subject to environmental liabilities arising from such properties. Under various U.S. federal, state and local laws, an owner or operator of real property may become liable for the costs of removal of certain hazardous substances released on its property. These laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the release of such hazardous substances.

The presence of hazardous substances may adversely affect an owner’s ability to sell real estate or borrow using real estate as collateral. To the extent an owner of a property underlying one of our debt investments becomes liable for removal costs, the ability of the owner to make payments to us may be reduced, which, in turn, may adversely affect the value of the relevant asset held by us and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

To the extent we acquire any property underlying our investments, the presence of hazardous substances on such property may adversely affect our ability to sell the property and we may incur substantial remediation costs, thus harming our financial condition. The discovery of material environmental liabilities attached to such properties could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

The properties underlying our investments may be subject to other unknown liabilities that could adversely affect the value of these properties, and, as a result, our investments.

Properties underlying our investments may be subject to other unknown or unquantifiable liabilities that may adversely affect the value of our investments. Such defects or deficiencies may include title defects, title disputes, liens or other encumbrances on the mortgaged properties. The discovery of such unknown defects, deficiencies and liabilities could affect the ability of our borrowers to make payments to us or could affect our ability to take title to and sell the underlying properties, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The commercial real estate debt investments in which we invest are subject to the property manager’s ability to generate net income from the property, and if net income from the property is insufficient to satisfy debt service, then these investments may be subject to delinquency, foreclosure and loss, which may adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Investments in the commercial real estate debt market are subject to risks of borrower delinquency, foreclosure and loss. The ability of a borrower to repay a loan secured by an income-producing property typically is dependent primarily upon the successful operation of the property, as opposed to the borrower’s independent income or assets. If the net operating income of the property is reduced, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. The net operating income of an income-producing property can be affected by numerous factors, including, but not limited to:

•tenant mix;

•success of tenant businesses and tenant bankruptcies;

•property management decisions, including decisions on capital improvements;

•property location and condition;

•competition from similar properties;

•changes in national, regional or local economic conditions, real estate values or rental or occupancy rates;

•changes in interest rates and in the state of the debt and equity capital markets, including the availability of debt financing for commercial real estate;

•changes in governmental rules, regulations and fiscal policies, including income tax regulation, real estate taxes, environmental legislation and zoning laws;

•environmental contamination;

•fraudulent acts or theft on the part of the property owner, sponsor and/or property manager; and

•natural disasters, terrorism, social unrest, civil disturbances and other events which may result in property damage, decrease the availability of or increase the cost of insurance or otherwise result in uninsured losses.

In the event any of the properties or entities underlying or collateralizing our commercial real estate loans or investments are adversely impacted by any of the foregoing events or occurrences, the value of, and return on, such investments could be reduced, which, in turn, would adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Loans on properties in transition involve a greater risk of loss than conventional mortgage loans.

We have originated or acquired, and may continue to originate or acquire, transitional loans to borrowers who are seeking relatively short-term capital to be used in an acquisition or rehabilitation of a property. The typical borrower under a transitional loan has usually identified an asset it believes is an undervalued asset that has been under-managed and/or is located in a recovering market. If the market in which the asset is located fails to improve according to the borrower’s projections, or if the borrower fails to improve the quality of the asset’s management and/or the value of the asset or stabilize the property, the borrower may not be able to satisfy the transitional loan through a sale of the property or conventional financing, and we bear the risk of loss of principal and non-payment of interest and fees.

Borrowers often use the proceeds of a conventional mortgage loan to repay a transitional loan. Transitional loans, therefore, are subject to risks of a borrower’s inability to obtain permanent financing to repay the transitional loan. In the event of any default under transitional loans that may be held by us, we bear the risk of loss of principal and non-payment of interest and fees to the extent of any deficiency between the value of the mortgage collateral and the principal amount and unpaid interest of the transitional loan. To the extent we suffer such losses with respect to these transitional loans, it could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Risks of cost overruns and noncompletion of renovations of properties in transition may result in significant losses.

The renovation, refurbishment or expansion of a property by a borrower involves risks of cost overruns and noncompletion. Estimates of the costs of improvements to bring an acquired property up to standards established for the market position intended for that property may prove inaccurate. Other risks may include rehabilitation costs exceeding original estimates, possibly making a project uneconomical, environmental risks, delays in legal and other approvals and rehabilitation and subsequent leasing of the property not being completed on schedule. If such renovation is not completed in a timely manner, or if it costs more than expected, the borrower may experience a prolonged reduction of net operating income and may not be able to make payments on our investment on a timely basis or at all, which could result in significant losses.

Our potential investments in CMBS, CLOs and other similarly structured finance investments, as well as those we structure, sponsor or arrange, may pose additional risks, including the risks arising from the securitization process and the risk that the special servicer may take actions that could adversely affect our interests.

We may invest in CMBS, CLOs and other similar securities in the future, which may be subordinated classes of securities in a structure of securities secured by a pool of loans. Accordingly, such securities may be the first, or among the first, to bear the loss upon a restructuring or liquidation of the underlying collateral and the last to receive payment of interest and principal, with only a nominal amount of equity or other debt securities junior to such positions. The estimated fair values of such subordinated interests tend to be much more sensitive to adverse economic downturns and underlying borrower developments than more senior securities. A projection of an economic downturn, for example, could cause a decline in the price of lower credit quality CMBS, CLOs or collateralized debt obligations, or CDOs, because the ability of borrowers to make principal and interest payments on the loans underlying such securities may be impaired.

Subordinate interests such as CMBS, CLOs, CDOs and similarly structured finance investments generally are not actively traded or are subject to transfer restrictions and are relatively illiquid investments. Volatility in CMBS, CLO and CDO trading markets may cause the value of these investments to decline. In addition, if the underlying mortgage portfolio has been overvalued by the originator, or if the values subsequently decline and, as a result, less collateral value is available to satisfy interest and principal payments and any other fees in connection with the trust or other conduit arrangement for such securities, we may incur significant losses.

With respect to the CMBS, CLOs and other similar securities, overall control over the special servicing of the related underlying loans are held by a “directing certificate holder” or a “controlling class representative,” which is appointed by the holders of the most subordinated class of securities in such series. To the extent we acquire classes of existing series of such securities, we will not have the right to appoint the directing certificate holder. In connection with the servicing of the specially serviced loans, the related special servicer may, at the direction of the directing certificate holder, take actions with respect to the specially serviced mortgage loans that could adversely affect our interests. See “Risk Factors-Risks Related to Our Financing and Hedging-Use of nonrecourse securitizations to finance our loans and investments may expose us to risks that could result in losses” for a discussion of additional risks related to our securitization transactions.

Declines in the market values of any available-for-sale investments may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Most of our investments are valued at cost, however, we value available-for-sale investments quarterly at fair value, as determined in accordance with ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, or ASC 820, which may include unobservable inputs. Because such valuations are subjective, the fair value of certain of our investments may fluctuate over short periods of time and our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would have been used if a ready market for these investments existed. The value of our common stock could be adversely affected if our determinations regarding the fair value of these investments are materially higher than the values that we ultimately realize upon their disposal.

Changes in the market values of available-for-sale investments are directly charged or credited to stockholders’ equity. As a result, a decline in values of available-for-sale investments may result in connection with factors that are out of our control and adversely affect our book value. Moreover, if the decline in value of an available-for-sale investment is other than temporary, such decline will reduce our earnings.

Any warehouse finance facilities that we may obtain in the future may limit our ability to originate or acquire assets, and we may incur losses if the collateral is liquidated.

We may utilize, if available, warehouse finance facilities pursuant to which we would accumulate loans in anticipation of a securitization or other financing, which assets would be pledged as collateral for such facilities until the securitization or other transaction is consummated. In order to borrow funds to originate or acquire assets under any future financing facilities, we expect that our lenders thereunder would have the right to review the potential assets for which we are seeking financing. We may be unable to obtain the consent of a lender to originate or acquire assets that we believe would be beneficial to us and we may be unable to obtain alternate financing for such assets.

In addition, no assurance can be given that a securitization or other financing would be consummated with respect to the assets being warehoused. If the securitization or other financing is not consummated, the lender could demand repayment of the facility, and, in the event that we were unable to timely repay, could liquidate the financed collateral and we would then have to pay any amount by which the original purchase price of the collateral assets exceeds its sale price, subject to negotiated caps, if any, on our exposure. In addition, regardless of whether the securitization or other financing is consummated, if any of the warehoused collateral is sold before the completion, we would have to bear any resulting loss on the sale.

The foreclosure process with respect to any loan may be difficult, lengthy and costly and the liquidation proceeds we receive upon sale of the underlying real estate may not be sufficient to cover our cost basis in the loan.

We may find it necessary or desirable to foreclose on certain of the loans we originate or acquire, and the foreclosure process may be lengthy and expensive. Whether or not we have participated in the negotiation of the terms of any such loans, we cannot assure you as to the adequacy of the protection of the terms of the applicable loan, including the validity or enforceability of the loan and the maintenance of the anticipated priority and perfection of the applicable security interests. Furthermore, claims may be asserted by lenders or borrowers that might interfere with enforcement of our rights. Borrowers may resist foreclosure actions by asserting numerous claims, counterclaims and defenses against us, including, without limitation, lender liability claims and defenses, even when the assertions may have no basis in fact, in an effort to prolong the foreclosure action and seek to force the lender into a modification of the loan or a favorable buy-out of the borrower’s position in the loan. In some states, foreclosure actions can take several years or more to litigate. At any time prior to or during the foreclosure proceedings, the borrower may file for bankruptcy, which would have the effect of staying the foreclosure actions and further delaying the foreclosure process and potentially results in a reduction or discharge of a borrower’s debt. Foreclosure may create a negative public perception of the related property, resulting in a diminution of its value.

Even if we are successful in foreclosing on a loan, the liquidation proceeds upon sale of the underlying real estate may not be sufficient to recover our cost basis in the loan, resulting in a loss. Furthermore, any costs or delays involved in the foreclosure of the loan, or a liquidation of the underlying property, will further reduce the net proceeds and, thus, increase any such loss to us.

Any credit ratings assigned to our investments will be subject to ongoing evaluations and revisions and we cannot assure you that those ratings will not be downgraded.

Some of our investments, including the notes issued in our securitization transactions for which we are required to retain a portion of the credit risk, may be rated by rating agencies. Any credit ratings on our investments are subject to ongoing evaluation by credit rating agencies, and we cannot assure you that any such ratings will not be changed or withdrawn by a rating agency in the future if, in its judgment, circumstances warrant. If rating agencies assign a lower-than-expected rating or reduce or withdraw, or indicate that they may reduce or withdraw, their ratings of our investments in the future, the value of our investments could significantly decline, which would adversely affect the value of our investment portfolio and could result in losses upon disposition or the failure of borrowers to satisfy their debt service obligations to us.

Investments in nonconforming and non-investment grade rated commercial real estate loans or securities involve increased risk of loss.

Certain commercial real estate debt investments may not conform to conventional loan standards applied by traditional lenders and either will not be rated or will be rated as non-investment grade by the rating agencies. The non-investment grade ratings for these assets typically result from the overall leverage of the loans, the lack of a strong operating history for the properties underlying the loans, the borrowers’ credit history, the underlying properties’ cash flow or other factors. As a result, these investments should be expected to have a higher risk of default and loss than investment grade rated assets. Losses related to our non-investment grade loans or securities would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Insurance on commercial real estate loans may not cover all losses.

Our commercial real estate loans may be subject to certain types of losses, generally of a catastrophic nature, such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, terrorism or acts of war, which may be uninsurable or not economically insurable. Inflation, changes in building codes and ordinances, environmental considerations and other factors also might result in insurance proceeds insufficient to repair or replace a property if it is damaged or destroyed. Under these circumstances, the insurance proceeds received with respect to a property relating to one of our investments might not be adequate to restore our economic position with respect to our investment. Any uninsured loss could result in the corresponding nonperformance of, or loss on, our investment related to such property.

We depend on third-party service providers, including loan servicers, for a variety of services related to our business. We are, therefore, subject to the risks associated with third-party service providers.

We depend on a variety of services provided by third-party service providers related to our investments in commercial real estate debt investments, as well as for general operating purposes. For example, we rely on the servicers who service the commercial real estate loans that we invest in and commercial real estate loans underlying CMBS, CLOs and other commercial real estate debt investments to, among other things, collect principal and interest payments on such commercial real estate loans and perform certain asset management services in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Loan servicers and other service providers, such as trustees, appraisers and other due diligence vendors and document custodians, may fail to perform or otherwise not perform in a manner that promotes our interests. This may include systems failures, security breaches and errors that could significantly disrupt our business, including resulting in nonperformance of, or loss of, investments or defaults under our financing facilities.

The expected discontinuance of the London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, and transition to alternative reference rates may adversely impact our borrowings and assets.

In July 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, or the FCA, which regulates the LIBOR administrator, ICE Benchmark Administration Limited, or the IBA, announced that it would cease to compel banks to participate in setting LIBOR as a benchmark by the end of 2021. Such announcement indicates that market participants cannot rely on LIBOR being published after 2021. In November 2017, the FCA announced that its Working Group on Sterling Risk-Free Rates would work to implement a broad-based transition to the Sterling Overnight Index Average, or SONIA, across sterling bond, loan and derivative markets, so that SONIA would become established as the primary sterling interest rate benchmark by the end of 2021. On December 4, 2020, the IBA published a consultation on its intention to cease the publication of LIBOR. For the most commonly used tenors (overnight and one, three, six and 12 months) of U.S. dollar LIBOR, the IBA is proposing to cease publication immediately after June 30, 2023, anticipating continued rate submissions from panel banks for these tenors of U.S. dollar LIBOR. The IBA's consultation also proposes to cease publication of all other U.S. dollar LIBOR tenors, and of all non-U.S. dollar LIBOR rates, after December 31, 2021. The FCA and U.S. bank regulators have welcomed the IBA's proposal to continue publishing certain tenors for U.S. dollar LIBOR through June 30, 2023 because it would allow many legacy U.S. dollar LIBOR contracts that lack effective fallback provisions and are difficult to amend to mature before such LIBOR rates experience disruptions. U.S. bank regulators are, however, encouraging banks to cease entering into new financial contracts that

use LIBOR as a reference rate as soon as practicable and in any event by December 31, 2021. Given consumer protection, litigation and reputation risks, U.S. bank regulators believe entering into new financial contracts that use LIBOR as a reference rate after December 31, 2021 would create safety and soundness risks. In addition, they expect new financial contracts to either utilize a reference rate other than LIBOR or have robust fallback language that includes a clearly defined alternative reference rate after LIBOR’s discontinuation. Although the foregoing may provide some sense of timing, there is no assurance that LIBOR of any particular tenor will continue to be published or be representative of the underlying market until any particular date, and it appears highly likely that LIBOR will be discontinued or modified after December 31, 2021 or June 30, 2023, depending on the tenor.

The Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a group of private-market participants convened by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and the New York Federal Reserve, has recommended the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or SOFR, as a more robust reference rate alternative to U.S. dollar LIBOR. The use of SOFR as a substitute for U.S. dollar LIBOR is voluntary and may not be suitable for all market participants. SOFR is calculated based on overnight transactions under repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities. SOFR is observed and backward looking, which stands in contrast with LIBOR under the current methodology, which is an estimated forward-looking rate and relies, to some degree, on the expert judgment of submitting panel members. Given that SOFR is a secured rate backed by government securities, it will be a rate that does not take into account bank credit risk (as is the case with LIBOR). SOFR is therefore likely to be lower than U.S. Dollar LIBOR and is less likely to correlate with the funding costs of financial institutions. To approximate economic equivalence to LIBOR, SOFR can be compounded over a relevant term and a spread adjustment may be added. Market practices related to SOFR calculation conventions continue to develop and may vary, and inconsistent calculation conventions may develop among financial products.

Many of our secured debt arrangements, as well as certain of our floating rate loan assets, are linked to U.S. Dollar LIBOR. We expect that a significant portion of these financing arrangements and loan assets will not have matured, been prepaid or otherwise terminated prior to the time at which the IBA ceases to publish LIBOR. It is not possible to predict all consequences of the IBA's proposals to cease publishing LIBOR, any related regulatory actions and the expected discontinuance of the use of LIBOR as a reference rate for financial contracts. Some of our debt and loan assets may not include robust fallback language that would facilitate replacing LIBOR with a clearly defined alternative reference rate after LIBOR’s discontinuation, and we may need to amend these before the IBA ceases to publish LIBOR. If such debt or loan assets mature after LIBOR ceases to be published, our counterparties may disagree with us about how to calculate or replace LIBOR. Even when robust fallback language is included, there can be no assurance that the replacement rate plus any spread adjustment will be economically equivalent to LIBOR, which could result in a lower interest rate being paid to us on such assets. Modifications to any debt, loan assets, interest rate hedging transactions or other contracts to replace LIBOR with an alternative reference rate could result in adverse tax consequences. In addition, any resulting differences in interest rate standards among our assets and our financing arrangements may result in interest rate mismatches between our assets and the borrowings used to fund such assets. See “Risk Factors-Risks Related to Our Financing and Hedging-Our use of financing may create a mismatch with the duration and interest rate of investments that we are financing.” Furthermore, the transition away from LIBOR may adversely impact our ability to manage and hedge exposures to fluctuations in interest rates using derivative instruments There is no guarantee that a transition from LIBOR to alternative reference rates will not result in financial market disruptions, significant increases in benchmark rates or borrowing costs to borrowers, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and the market price of our common stock.

While we expect LIBOR to be available in substantially its current form until the end of 2021, if a significant number of panel banks decline to provide LIBOR submissions to the IBA, it is possible that LIBOR will become unrepresentative of the underlying market and subject to increased volatility prior to such date. Should that occur, the risks associated with the transition to alternative reference rates will be accelerated and magnified.

Provisions for loan losses are difficult to estimate.

Our provision for loan losses is evaluated on a quarterly basis. The determination of our provision for loan losses requires us to make certain estimates and judgments, which may be difficult to determine. Our estimates and judgments are based on a number of factors, including projected cash flow from the collateral securing our loans, debt structure (including the availability of reserves and recourse guarantees), likelihood of repayment in full at the maturity of a loan, potential for refinancing and expected market discount rates for varying property types, all of which remain uncertain and are subjective. Our estimates and judgments may not be correct and, therefore, our results of operations and financial condition could be severely impacted.

A recently adopted accounting standard has required us to increase our allowance for loan losses which has had a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations and may in the future have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, or ASU 2016-13. ASU 2016-13 significantly changed how entities measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. ASU 2016-13 replaced the incurred loss model with a CECL model for instruments measured at amortized cost, and also requires entities to record allowances for available-for-sale debt securities

rather than reduce the carrying amount, as they previously did under the other-than-temporary impairment model. ASU 2016-13 also simplified the accounting model for purchased credit-impaired debt securities and loans. ASU 2016-13 was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019.

The CECL reserve required under ASU 2016-13 is a valuation account that is deducted from the related loans’ and debt securities’ amortized cost basis on our consolidated balance sheets, and which reduces our total stockholders’ equity. The initial CECL reserve of $18.5 million recorded on January 1, 2020 was reflected as a direct charge to cumulative earnings; however, changes to the CECL reserve are recognized through net income on our consolidated statements of operations. For a discussion of the increase in our CECL reserve during the year ended December 31, 2020, which largely reflected the macroeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on commercial real estate markets generally, as well as certain loans with unique risk characteristics assessed individually for credit loss in our portfolio, see “Risks Related to the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.” In addition, see Note 2 - Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements for further discussion of our CECL reserve and allowance for credit losses.

While ASU 2016-13 does not require any particular method for determining the CECL allowance, it does specify that the allowance should be based on relevant information about past events, including historical loss experience, current portfolio and market conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts for the duration of each respective loan. Because our methodology for determining CECL allowances may differ from the methodologies employed by other companies, our CECL allowances may not be comparable with the CECL allowances reported by other companies. In addition, other than a few narrow exceptions, ASU 2016-13 requires that all financial instruments subject to the CECL model have some amount of reserve to reflect the generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, principle underlying the CECL model that all loans, debt securities and similar assets have some inherent risk of loss, regardless of credit quality, subordinate capital or other mitigating factors. Accordingly, the adoption of the CECL model materially affects how we determine our allowance for loan losses and requires us to increase our allowance and recognize provisions for loan losses earlier in the lending cycle. Moreover, as demonstrated by the changes in our CECL reserve during the year ended December 31, 2020, the CECL model has created more volatility in the level of our allowance for credit losses. If we are required to materially increase our level of allowance for credit losses for any reason, such increase could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition to other analytical tools, we utilize financial models to evaluate commercial mortgage loans and estimates of expected credit losses that may result, the accuracy and effectiveness of which cannot be guaranteed.

In addition to other analytical tools, we utilize financial models to evaluate the credit quality of commercial mortgage loans, the accuracy and effectiveness of which cannot be guaranteed. It is possible that financial models used for our CECL reserve estimate may fail to include relevant factors or they may fail to accurately estimate the impact of factors they identify. In all cases, financial models can only estimate future results based upon the assumptions made at the time that the projections are developed. There can be no assurance that our projected results will be attained and actual results may vary significantly from the projections. General economic and industry-specific conditions, which are not predictable, can have an adverse impact on the reliability of projections.

Risks Related to Our Financing and Hedging

We have a substantial amount of debt and may incur additional debt, which subjects us to increased risk of loss which could adversely affect our results of operation and financial condition and may reduce cash available for distributions to our stockholders.

We have a substantial amount of debt and, subject to market conditions and availability, we may incur a significant amount of additional debt through bank credit facilities (including term loans and revolving facilities), repurchase agreements, warehouse facilities and structured financing arrangements, public and private debt issuances (including through securitizations) and derivative instruments, in addition to transaction or asset-specific funding arrangements. We may also issue additional debt or equity securities to fund our growth. The percentage of leverage we employ varies depending on our available capital, our ability to obtain and access financing arrangements with lenders, the type of asset we are funding, whether the financing is recourse or nonrecourse, debt restrictions contained in those financing arrangements and the lenders’ and rating agencies’ estimate of the stability of our investment portfolio’s cash flow. We may significantly increase the amount of leverage we utilize at any time without approval of our board of directors. In addition, we may leverage individual assets at substantially higher levels. Our substantial amount of debt could subject us to many risks that, if realized, would materially and adversely affect us, including the risk that:

•our cash flow from operations may be insufficient to make required payments of principal of and interest on our debt, or we may fail to comply with covenants or breach a representation contained in our debt agreements, which in each case may result in (a) acceleration of such debt (and any other debt containing a cross-default or cross-acceleration provision), which we then may be unable to repay from internal funds or to refinance on favorable terms, or at all, (b) our inability to borrow undrawn amounts under our financing arrangements, even if we are current in payments on borrowings under those arrangements, which would result in a decrease in our liquidity, and/or (c) the loss of some or all of our collateral assets to foreclosure or sale;

•our debt may increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions with no assurance that investment yields will increase in an amount sufficient to offset the higher financing costs;

•we may be required to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to payments on our debt, thereby reducing funds available for operations, future business opportunities, stockholder distributions or other purposes; and

•we may not be able to refinance any debt that matures prior to the maturity (or realization) of an underlying investment it was used to finance on favorable terms or at all.

There can be no assurance that a leveraging strategy will be successful and may subject us to increased risk of loss and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Our existing financing facilities impose, and additional financing facilities may impose, restrictive covenants, which may restrict our flexibility to determine our operating policies and investment strategy and to conduct our business.

We borrow funds under repurchase agreements and other financing arrangements with various counterparties. The documents that govern these financing arrangements and the related guarantees contain, and additional lending facilities may contain, customary affirmative and negative covenants, including financial covenants applicable to us that may restrict our flexibility to determine our operating policies and investment strategy. As a result, we may not be able to leverage our assets as fully as we would otherwise choose, which could reduce our return on assets. If we fail to meet or satisfy any of these covenants, we would be in default under these agreements, and our lenders could elect to declare outstanding amounts due and payable, terminate their commitments, require the posting of additional collateral and enforce their interests against existing collateral. We are, and in the future may also be, subject to cross-default and acceleration rights in our other debt arrangements. Further, this could also make it difficult for us to satisfy the distribution requirements necessary to maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Use of nonrecourse securitizations to finance our loans and investments may expose us to risks that could result in losses.

We have securitized and may in the future, to the extent consistent with the REIT requirements, seek to securitize certain of our portfolio investments. This involves creating a special-purpose vehicle, contributing a pool of our assets to the entity, and selling interests in the entity or other securities issued by the entity on a nonrecourse basis to purchasers (whom we would expect to be willing to accept a lower interest rate to invest in investment-grade securities backed by loan pools). We have in the past retained, and would expect in the future to retain, all or a portion of the equity and potentially other tranches in the securitized pool of loans or investments. In addition, we have in the past, and may in the future, retain a pari passu participations in some or all of the securitized loans. Investments in CMBS, CLOs and other similarly structured finance investments, as well as those we structure, sponsor or arrange, pose additional risks, including the risks of the securitization process and the risk that the special servicer may take actions that could adversely affect our interests.

Prior to any such financing, we may use facilities to finance the acquisition of securities until a sufficient quantity of investments had been accumulated, at which time we would refinance these facilities through a securitization, such as a CMBS, or issuance of CLOs, or the private placement of loan participations or other financing. If we were to employ this strategy, we would be subject to the risk that we would not be able to acquire, during the period that our short-term facilities are available, a sufficient amount of eligible investments to maximize the efficiency of a CMBS, CLO or private placement issuance. Moreover, conditions in the capital markets, including volatility and disruption in the capital and credit markets, may not permit a nonrecourse securitization at any particular time or may make the issuance of any such securitization less attractive to us even when we do have sufficient eligible assets. We may also suffer losses if the value of the loans we acquire declines prior to securitization. Declines in the value of a commercial real estate loan can be due to, among other things, changes in interest rates and changes in the credit quality of the loan. In addition, we may suffer a loss due to the incurrence of transaction costs related to executing these transactions. To the extent that we incur a loss executing or participating in securitizations for the reasons described above, or for other reasons, it could materially and adversely impact our business and financial condition.

In addition, the securitization of our portfolio might magnify our exposure to losses because any equity interest we retain in the issuing entity would be subordinate to the notes issued to investors and we would, therefore, absorb all of the losses sustained with respect to a securitized pool of assets before the owners of the notes experience any losses.

The inability to securitize our portfolio may hurt our performance and our ability to grow our business. At the same time, the securitization of our loans or investments might expose us to losses, as the residual loans or investments in which we do not sell interests will tend to be riskier and more likely to generate losses. Moreover, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, or Dodd-Frank Act, contains a risk retention requirement for all asset-backed securities, which requires both public and private securitizers to retain not less than 5% of the credit risk of the assets collateralizing any asset-backed security issuance. Significant restrictions exist, and additional restrictions may be added in the future, regarding who may hold risk retention interests, the structure of the entities that hold risk retention interests and when and how such risk retention interests may be transferred. Therefore, such risk retention interests will generally be illiquid. As a result of the risk retention requirements, we have, and may in the future, be required to purchase and retain certain interests in a securitization into which we sell loans and/or, when we act as issuer, may be required to sell certain interests in a securitization at prices below levels that such interests have historically yielded and/or may be required to enter into certain arrangements related to

risk retention that we have not historically been required to enter into. Accordingly, the risk retention rules may increase our potential liabilities and/or reduce our potential profits in connection with the securitization of loans. It is likely, therefore, that these risk retention rules will increase the administrative and operational costs of asset securitizations.

Our rights under any repurchase agreements are subject to the effects of bankruptcy laws in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of us or our lenders under the repurchase agreements.

In the event of our insolvency or bankruptcy, certain repurchase agreements may qualify for special treatment under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, the effect of which, among other things, would be to allow the lender under the applicable repurchase agreement to avoid the automatic stay provisions of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and to foreclose on the collateral agreement without delay. In the event of the insolvency or bankruptcy of a lender during the term of a repurchase agreement, the lender may be permitted, under applicable insolvency laws, to repudiate the contract, and our claim against the lender for damages may be treated simply as an unsecured creditor. In addition, if the lender is a broker or dealer subject to the Securities Investor Protection Act of 1970, or an insured depository institution subject to the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, our ability to exercise our rights to recover our assets under a repurchase agreement, or to be compensated for any damages resulting from the lender’s insolvency, may be further limited by those statutes. These claims would be subject to significant delay and, if and when received, may be substantially less than the damages we actually incur.

We may be subject to losses arising from current and future guarantees of debt and contingent obligations of our subsidiaries.

We currently guarantee certain obligations of our subsidiaries under the various financing facilities that provide for significant aggregate borrowings and we may in the future guarantee the performance of additional subsidiaries’ obligations, including, but not limited to, additional repurchase agreements, derivative agreements and unsecured indebtedness.

If a counterparty to a repurchase agreement defaults on its obligation to resell the underlying asset back to us at the end of the purchase agreement term, or if the value of the underlying asset has declined as of the end of that term, or if we default on our obligations under the repurchase agreement, we may incur losses.

Under our repurchase agreements, and under any repurchase agreements we enter into in the future, we sell the assets to lenders (i.e., repurchase agreement counterparties) and receive cash from the lenders. The lenders are obligated to resell the same assets back to us at the end of the term of the repurchase agreement. Because the cash that we receive from the lender when we initially sell the assets to the lender is less than the value of those assets (the difference being the “haircut”), if the lender defaults on its obligation to resell the same assets back to us, we would incur a loss on the repurchase agreement equal to the amount of the haircut (assuming there was no change in the value of the assets). We would also incur losses on a repurchase agreement if the value of the underlying assets has declined as of the end of the repurchase agreement term, because we would have to repurchase the assets for their initial value but would receive assets worth less than that amount. Further, if we default on our obligations under a repurchase agreement, the lender will be able to terminate the repurchase agreement and cease entering into any other repurchase agreements with us. In the future, our repurchase agreements, and any new repurchase agreements we may enter into, are likely to contain cross-default provisions, so that if a default occurs under any repurchase agreement, the lender can also declare a default with respect to all other repurchase agreements they have with us. If a default occurs under any of our repurchase agreements and a lender terminates one or more of its repurchase agreements, we may need to enter into replacement repurchase agreements with different lenders. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in entering into such replacement repurchase agreements on the same terms as the repurchase agreements that were terminated or at all. Any losses that we incur on our repurchase agreements could adversely affect our earnings and thus our cash available for distribution to stockholders.

Our use of financing may create a mismatch with the duration and interest rate of the investments that we are financing.

We intend to structure our financing such that we minimize the difference between the term of our investments and the term of the financing for such investments. In the event that our financing is for a shorter term than the financed investment, we may not be able to extend or find appropriate replacement financing and that would have an adverse impact on our liquidity and our returns. In the event that our financing is for a longer term than the financed investment, we may not be able to repay such financing or replace the financed investment with an optimal substitute or at all, which will negatively impact our desired leveraged returns.

We attempt to structure our financing such that we minimize the variability between the interest rate of our investments and the interest rate of our financing - financing floating rate investments with floating rate financing and fixed rate investments with fixed rate financing. If such a product is not available to us from our lenders on reasonable terms, we may use hedging instruments to effectively create such a match. For example, in the case of fixed rate investments, we may finance such investments with floating rate financing, but effectively convert all or a portion of the attendant financing to fixed rate using hedging strategies.

Our attempts to mitigate such risk are subject to factors outside of our control, such as the availability to us of favorable financing and hedging options, which is subject to a variety of factors, of which duration and term matching are only two. A duration mismatch may also occur when borrowers prepay their loans faster or slower than expected. The risks of a duration

mismatch are also magnified by the potential for the extension of loans in order to maximize the likelihood and magnitude of their recovery value in the event the loans experience credit or performance challenges. Employment of this asset management practice would effectively extend the duration of our investments, while our liabilities or any hedges we may enter into may have set maturity dates.

We may enter into hedging transactions that expose us to contingent liabilities in the future, which may adversely affect our financial results or cash available for distribution to stockholders.

In the future, we may engage in transactions intended to hedge against various risks to our portfolio, including the exposure to changes in interest rates. The extent of our hedging activity will vary in scope based on, among other things, the level and volatility of interest rates, the type of assets held and other changing market conditions. Although these transactions are intended to reduce our exposure to various risks, hedging may fail to adequately protect or could adversely affect us because, among other things:

•hedging can be expensive, particularly during periods of volatile or rapidly changing interest rates;

•available hedges may not correspond directly with the risks for which protection is sought;

•the duration of the hedge may not match the duration of the related liability;

•the amount of income that a REIT may earn from certain hedging transactions (other than through our TRS) is limited by U.S. federal income tax provisions governing REITs;

•the credit quality of a hedging counterparty may be downgraded to such an extent that it impairs our ability to sell or assign our side of the hedging transaction; and

•the hedging counterparty may default on its obligations.

Subject to maintaining our qualification as a REIT and satisfying the criteria for no-action relief from the CFTC’s Commodity Pool Operator, or CPO, registration rules, there are no current limitations on the hedging transactions that we may undertake. Our hedging transactions could require us to fund large cash payments in certain circumstances (e.g., the early termination of the hedging instrument caused by an event of default or other early termination event, or a demand by a counterparty that we make increased margin payments).

Our ability to fund these obligations will depend on the liquidity of our assets and our access to capital at the time. The need to fund these obligations could adversely affect our financial condition. Further, hedging transactions, which are intended to limit losses, may actually result in losses, which would adversely affect our earnings and could, in turn, reduce cash available for distribution to stockholders.

The Dodd-Frank Act regulates derivative transactions, including certain hedging instruments, we may use in our risk management activities. Rules implemented by the CFTC pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Act require, among other things, that certain derivatives be cleared through a registered clearing facility and traded on a designated exchange or swap execution facility. These regulations could increase the operational and transactional cost of derivatives contracts and affect the number and/or creditworthiness of available counterparties. Furthermore, the enforceability of agreements underlying hedging transactions may depend on compliance with applicable statutory and commodity and other regulatory requirements and, depending on the identity of the counterparty, applicable international requirements. The business failure of a hedging counterparty will most likely result in its default. Default by a hedging counterparty may result in the loss of unrealized profits and force us to cover our commitments, if any, at the then current market price. Although, generally, we will seek to reserve the right to terminate our hedging positions, it may not always be possible to dispose of or close out a hedging position without the consent of the hedging counterparty and we may not be able to enter into an offsetting contract in order to cover our risk. We cannot assure you that a liquid secondary market will exist for hedging instruments purchased or sold, and we may be required to maintain a position until exercise or expiration, which could result in losses.

Our loans and investments may be subject to fluctuations in interest rates that may not be adequately protected, or protected at all, by our hedging strategies.

Our assets include loans with either floating interest rates or fixed interest rates. Floating rate loans earn interest at rates that adjust from time to time (typically monthly) based upon an index (typically one-month LIBOR). These floating rate loans are insulated from changes in value specifically due to changes in interest rates; however, the coupons they earn fluctuate based upon interest rates (again, typically one-month LIBOR) and, in a declining and/or low interest rate environment, these loans will earn lower rates of interest and this will impact our operating performance. For more information about our risks related to changes to, or the elimination of, LIBOR, see “Risk Factors-Risks Related to Our Lending and Investment Activities-Changes to, or the elimination of, LIBOR may adversely affect interest expense related to our loans and investments.” Fixed interest rate loans, however, do not have adjusting interest rates and the relative value of the fixed cash flows from these loans will decrease as prevailing interest rates rise or increase as prevailing interest rates fall, causing potentially significant changes in value. We may employ various hedging strategies to limit the effects of changes in interest rates (and in some cases credit spreads), including engaging in interest rate swaps, caps, floors and other interest rate derivative products. We believe that no strategy can completely insulate us from the risks associated with interest rate changes and there is a risk that such strategies may provide no protection at all and potentially compound the impact of changes in interest rates. Hedging transactions involve

certain additional risks such as counterparty risk, leverage risk, the legal enforceability of hedging contracts, the early repayment of hedged transactions and the risk that unanticipated and significant changes in interest rates may cause a significant loss of basis in the contract and a change in current period expense. We cannot make assurances that we will be able to enter into hedging transactions or that such hedging transactions will adequately protect us against the foregoing risks.

Accounting for derivatives under GAAP may be complicated. Any failure by us to meet the requirements for applying hedge accounting in accordance with GAAP could adversely affect our earnings. In particular, derivatives are required to be highly effective in offsetting changes in the value or cash flows of the hedged items (and appropriately designated and/or documented as such). If it is determined that a derivative is not highly effective at hedging the designated exposure, hedge accounting is discontinued and the changes in fair value of the instrument are included in our reported net income.

The utilization of any of our repurchase facilities is subject to the pre-approval of the lender.

We utilize repurchase agreements to finance the purchase of certain investments. In order for us to borrow funds under a repurchase agreement, our lender must have the right to review the potential assets for which we are seeking financing and approve such assets in its sole discretion. Accordingly, we may be unable to obtain the consent of a lender to finance an investment and alternate sources of financing for such asset may not exist.

Risks Related to Our Company and Structure

Our board of directors has approved very broad investment guidelines for us and will not review or approve each investment decision made by us.

Our board of directors will periodically review and update our investment guidelines and will also review our investment portfolio, but does not review or approve specific investments. Subject to maintaining our REIT qualification and our exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act, we have great latitude within the broad parameters of the investment guidelines set by our board of directors in determining our investments and investment strategies, which could result in investment returns that are substantially below expectations or that result in material losses.

Maintaining our exclusions from registration as an investment company under the Investment Company Act imposes limits on our operations. Your investment return may be reduced if we are required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

We currently conduct, and intend to continue to conduct, our operations so that we are not required to register as an investment company under the Investment Company Act. We believe that we are not an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(A) of the Investment Company Act because we do not engage primarily, or hold ourselves out as being engaged primarily, in the business of investing, reinvesting or trading in securities. Rather, through our wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries, we are primarily engaged in non-investment company businesses related to real estate. In addition, we intend to conduct our operations so that we do not come within the definition of an investment company under Section 3(a)(1)(C) of the Investment Company Act for purposes of the 40% test. Excluded from the term “investment securities” (as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act) are securities issued by majority-owned subsidiaries that are themselves not investment companies and are not relying on the exclusion from the definition of investment company set forth in Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act.

To maintain our status as a non-investment company, the securities issued to us by any wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries that we may form in the future that are excluded from the definition of investment company under Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act, together with any other investment securities we may own, may not have a value in excess of 40% of the value of our total assets on an unconsolidated basis. We monitor our holdings to ensure ongoing compliance with this test, but there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain an exclusion or exemption from registration. The 40% test limits the types of businesses in which we may engage through our subsidiaries. In addition, the assets we and our subsidiaries may originate or acquire are limited by the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the rules and regulations promulgated under the Investment Company Act, which may adversely affect our business.

We hold our assets primarily through direct or indirect wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries, certain of which are excluded from the definition of investment company pursuant to Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act. To qualify for the exclusion pursuant to Section 3(c)(5)(C), based on positions set forth by the SEC staff, each such subsidiary generally is required to hold at least (i) 55% of its assets in “qualifying” real estate assets and (ii) at least 80% of its assets in “qualifying” real estate assets and real estate-related assets. For our subsidiaries that maintain the exclusion under Section 3(c)(5)(C) or another exclusion or exception under the Investment Company Act (other than Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) thereof), our interests in these subsidiaries do not and will not constitute “investment securities.”

As a consequence of our seeking to avoid the need to register under the Investment Company Act on an ongoing basis, we and/or our subsidiaries may be restricted from making certain investments or may structure investments in a manner that would be less advantageous to us than would be the case in the absence of such requirements. In particular, a change in the value of any of our assets could negatively affect our ability to maintain our exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act and cause the need for a restructuring of our investment portfolio. For example, these restrictions may limit our and our subsidiaries’ ability to invest directly in mortgage-backed securities that represent less than the entire ownership in a pool of senior mortgage loans, debt and equity tranches of securitizations and certain asset-backed securities, non-controlling equity interests in real estate companies or in assets not related to real estate; however, we and our subsidiaries may invest in such securities to a certain extent. In addition, seeking to maintain our exclusion from the Investment Company Act may cause us and/or our subsidiaries to acquire or hold additional assets that we might not otherwise have acquired or held or dispose of investments that we and/or our subsidiaries might not have otherwise disposed of, which could result in higher costs or lower proceeds to us than we would have paid or received if we were not seeking to comply with such requirements. Thus, avoiding registration under the Investment Company Act may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.

We determine whether an entity is a majority-owned subsidiary of our company. The Investment Company Act defines a majority-owned subsidiary of a person as a company 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities of which are owned by such person, or by another company which is a majority-owned subsidiary of such person. The Investment Company Act defines voting securities as any security presently entitling the owner or holder thereof to vote for the election of directors of a company. We treat entities in which we own at least a majority of the outstanding voting securities as majority-owned subsidiaries for purposes of the 40% test. We have not requested that the SEC or its staff approve our treatment of any entity as a majority-owned subsidiary, and neither has done so. If the SEC or its staff were to disagree with our treatment of one or more subsidiary entities as majority-owned subsidiaries, we may need to adjust our strategy and our assets in order to continue to pass the 40% test. Any adjustment in our strategy or assets could have a material adverse effect on us.

We classify our assets for purposes of certain of our subsidiaries’ Section 3(c)(5)(C) exclusion from the Investment Company Act based upon no-action positions taken by the SEC staff and interpretive guidance provided by the SEC and its staff. Based on such guidance, to qualify for the exclusion pursuant to Section 3(c)(5)(C), each such subsidiary generally is required to hold at least (i) 55% of its assets in “qualifying” real estate assets and (ii) 80% of its assets in “qualifying” real estate assets and real estate-related assets. “Qualifying” real estate assets for this purpose include mortgage loans, certain B-notes and certain mezzanine loans that satisfy various conditions as set forth in SEC staff no-action letters and other guidance, and other assets that the SEC staff in various no-action letters and other guidance has determined are the functional equivalent of senior mortgage loans for the purposes of the Investment Company Act. We treat CMBS, B-notes and mezzanine loans that do not satisfy the conditions set forth in the relevant SEC staff no-action letters and other guidance, and debt and equity securities of companies primarily engaged in real estate businesses as real estate-related assets. We note that the SEC staff’s prior no-action positions are based on specific factual situations that may be substantially different from the factual situations we and our subsidiaries may face, and a number of these no-action positions were issued more than twenty years ago. There may be no guidance from the SEC staff that applies directly to our factual situations and, as a result, we may have to apply SEC staff guidance that relates to other factual situations by analogy. No assurance can be given that the SEC or its staff will concur with our classification of our assets. In addition, the SEC or its staff may, in the future, issue further guidance that may require us to re-classify our assets for purposes of the Investment Company Act, including for purposes of our subsidiaries’ compliance with the exclusion provided in Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act. There is no guarantee that we will be able to adjust our assets in the manner required to maintain our exclusion from the Investment Company Act and any adjustment in our strategy or assets could have a material adverse effect on us.

To the extent that the SEC or its staff provide more specific guidance regarding any of the matters bearing upon the definition of investment company and the exemptions and exclusions to that definition, we may be required to adjust our strategy accordingly. On August 31, 2011, the SEC issued a concept release and request for comments regarding the Section 3(c)(5)(C) exclusion (Release No. IC-29778) in which it contemplated the possibility of issuing new rules or providing new interpretations of the exclusion that might, among other things, define the phrase “liens on and other interests in real estate” or consider sources of income in determining a company’s “primary business.” Any additional guidance from the SEC or its staff could provide additional flexibility to us, or it could further inhibit our ability to pursue the strategies we have chosen.

There can be no assurance that we and our subsidiaries will be able to successfully avoid registration as an investment company. If it were established that we were an unregistered investment company, there would be a risk that we would be subject to monetary penalties and injunctive relief in an action brought by the SEC, that we would be unable to enforce contracts with third parties, that third parties could seek to obtain rescission of transactions undertaken during the period it was established that we were an unregistered investment company and that we would be subject to limitations on corporate leverage that would have an adverse impact on our investment returns.

Rapid changes in the values of our assets may make it more difficult for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT or our exclusion from the Investment Company Act.

If the market value or income potential of our assets declines, we may need to increase our real estate assets and income or liquidate our non-qualifying assets in order to maintain our REIT qualification or our exclusion from the Investment Company Act. If the decline in real estate asset values or income occurs quickly, this may be especially difficult to accomplish. This difficulty may be exacerbated by the illiquid nature of any assets we may own. We may have to make decisions that we otherwise would not make absent the REIT qualification and Investment Company Act considerations.

State licensing requirements cause us to incur expenses and our failure to be properly licensed may have a material adverse effect on us and our operations.

Nonbank companies are generally required to hold licenses in a number of U.S. states to conduct lending activities. State licensing statutes vary from state to state and may prescribe or impose various recordkeeping requirements; restrictions on loan origination and servicing practices, including limits on finance charges and the type, amount and manner of charging fees; disclosure requirements; requirements that licensees submit to periodic examination; surety bond and minimum specified net worth requirements; periodic financial reporting requirements; notification requirements for changes in principal officers, stock ownership or corporate control; and restrictions on advertising. Obtaining and maintaining licenses cause us to incur expenses and failure to be properly licensed under state law or otherwise may have a material adverse effect on us and our operations.

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations, changes in the interpretation thereof or newly enacted laws or regulations (including laws and regulations having the effect of exempting REITs from the Investment Company Act) and any failure by us to comply with these laws or regulations, could require changes to certain of our business practices, negatively impact our operations, cash flow or financial condition, impose additional costs on us, subject us to increased competition or otherwise adversely affect our business.

We are subject to regulation by laws and regulations at the local, state and federal levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may change from time to time and new laws and regulations may be enacted. Accordingly, any change in these laws or regulations, changes in their interpretation or newly enacted laws or regulations and any failure by us to comply with these laws or regulations could require changes to certain of our business practices, negatively impact our operations, cash flow or financial condition, impose additional costs on us or otherwise adversely affect our business. Furthermore, if regulatory capital requirements imposed on our financing providers change, they may be required to limit, or increase the cost of, financing they provide to us. In general, this could potentially increase our financing costs and reduce our liquidity or require us to sell assets at an inopportune time or price.

We may not realize some or all of the targeted benefits of the Internalization.

Complexities arising from the Internalization could increase our overhead costs and detract from management’s ability to focus on operating our business. There can be no assurance we will be able to realize the expected cost savings of the Internalization.

Operational risks, including the risk of cyber-attacks, may disrupt our business, result in losses or limit our growth.

We rely heavily on our financial, accounting, treasury, communications and other data processing systems. Such systems may fail to operate properly or become disabled as a result of tampering or a breach of the network security systems or otherwise. In addition, such systems are from time to time subject to cyber-attacks, which may continue to increase in sophistication and frequency in the future. Attacks on us and our service providers’ systems could involve attempts that are intended to obtain unauthorized access to our proprietary information or personal identifying information of our stockholders, destroy data or disable, degrade or sabotage our systems, including through the introduction of computer viruses and other malicious code.

Cybersecurity incidents and cyber-attacks have been occurring globally at a more frequent and severe level and will likely continue to increase in frequency in the future. Our information and technology systems, as well as those of other related parties, such as service providers, may be vulnerable to damage or interruption from cyber security breaches, computer viruses or other malicious code, network failures, computer and telecommunication failures, infiltration by unauthorized persons and other security breaches, usage errors by their respective professionals or service providers, power, communications or other service outages and catastrophic events such as fires, tornadoes, floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. Cyber-attacks and other security threats could originate from a wide variety of sources, including cyber criminals, nation state hackers, hacktivists and other outside parties. There has been an increase in the frequency and sophistication of the cyber and security threats we face, with attacks ranging from those common to businesses generally to those that are more advanced and persistent, which may

target us because we hold a significant amount of confidential and sensitive information. As a result, we may face a heightened risk of a security breach or disruption with respect to this information. If successful, these types of attacks on our network or other systems could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations, due to, among other things, the loss of investor or proprietary data, interruptions or delays in the operation of our business and damage to our reputation. There can be no assurance that measures we take to ensure the integrity of our systems will provide protection, especially because cyber-attack techniques used change frequently or are not recognized until successful.

If unauthorized parties gain access to such information and technology systems, they may be able to steal, publish, delete or modify private and sensitive information, including nonpublic personal information related to stockholders (and their beneficial owners) and material nonpublic information. Although we have implemented, and our service providers may implement, various measures to manage risks relating to these types of events, such systems could prove to be inadequate and, if compromised, could become inoperable for extended periods of time, cease to function properly or fail to adequately secure private information. We do not control the cyber security plans and systems put in place by third party service providers, and such third party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to us, each of which could be negatively impacted as a result. Breaches such as those involving covertly introduced malware, impersonation of authorized users and industrial or other espionage may not be identified even with sophisticated prevention and detection systems, potentially resulting in further harm and preventing them from being addressed appropriately. The failure of these systems or of disaster recovery plans for any reason could cause significant interruptions in our operations and result in a failure to maintain the security, confidentiality or privacy of sensitive data, including personal information relating to stockholders, material nonpublic information and the intellectual property and trade secrets and other sensitive information in our possession. We could be required to make a significant investment to remedy the effects of any such failures, harm to our reputation, legal claims that we may be subjected to, regulatory action or enforcement arising out of applicable privacy and other laws, adverse publicity and other events that may affect our business and financial performance.

In addition, our business is highly dependent on information systems and technology. The costs related to cyber or other security threats or disruptions may not be fully insured or indemnified by other means. Many jurisdictions in which we operate have laws and regulations relating to data privacy, cybersecurity and protection of personal information. Some jurisdictions have also enacted laws requiring companies to notify individuals of data security breaches involving certain types of personal data. Breaches in security could potentially jeopardize our employees’, investors’ or counterparties’ confidential and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our computer systems and networks, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our employees’, investors’, counterparties’ or third parties’ operations, which could result in significant losses, increased costs, disruption of our business, liability to our investors and other counterparties, regulatory intervention or reputational damage. Furthermore, if we fail to comply with the relevant laws and regulations, it could result in regulatory investigations and penalties, which could lead to negative publicity and may cause our investors to lose confidence in the effectiveness of our security measures.

A disaster or a disruption in the infrastructure that supports our business, including a disruption involving electronic communications or other services used by us or third parties with whom we conduct business could have a material adverse impact on our ability to continue to operate our business without interruption. Our disaster recovery programs may not be sufficient to mitigate the harm that may result from such a disaster or disruption. In addition, insurance and other safeguards might only partially reimburse us for our losses, if at all.

Risks Related to Our REIT Status and Certain Other Tax Items

If we do not maintain our qualification as a REIT, we will be subject to tax as a regular corporation and could face a substantial tax liability.

We intend to continue to operate so as to qualify as a REIT under the Code. However, qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Code provisions for which only a limited number of judicial or administrative interpretations exist. Our continued qualification as a REIT depends on our continuing ability to meet various requirements concerning, among other things, the sources of our gross income, the composition and value of our assets, our distribution levels and the diversity of ownership of our shares. Notwithstanding the availability of cure provisions in the Code, we could fail various compliance requirements which could jeopardize our REIT status. Furthermore, new tax legislation, administrative guidance or court decisions, in each instance potentially with retroactive effect, could make it more difficult or impossible for us to continue to qualify as a REIT. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any tax year, then, unless we were entitled to relief under applicable statutory provisions:

•we would be taxed as a regular domestic corporation, which, under current laws, among other things, means being unable to deduct distributions to stockholders in computing taxable income and being subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income at regular corporate income tax rates;

•any resulting tax liability could be substantial and could have a material adverse effect on our book value;

•we would be required to pay taxes as described above, and thus, our cash available for distribution to stockholders would be reduced for each of the years during which we did not qualify as a REIT and for which we had taxable income; and

•we generally would not be eligible to requalify as a REIT for the subsequent four full taxable years.

Even as a REIT, we, in certain circumstances, may incur tax liabilities that would reduce our cash available for distribution to you.

Even if we qualify and maintain our status as a REIT, we may become subject to U.S. federal income taxes and related state and local taxes. For example, gain from the sale of properties that are “dealer” properties sold by a REIT (a “prohibited transaction” under the Code) will be subject to a 100% tax. Also, we may not make sufficient distributions to avoid excise taxes applicable to REITs. Similarly, if we were to fail an income or asset test (and did not lose our REIT status because such failure was due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect), we would be subject to tax on the income that does not meet the income test requirements or is generated by assets that do not meet the asset test requirements which could be material. We also may decide to retain net capital gain we earn from the sale or other disposition of our investments and pay income tax directly on such income. In that event, our stockholders would be treated as if they earned that income and paid the tax on it directly. However, stockholders that are tax-exempt, such as charities or qualified pension plans, would have no benefit from their deemed payment of such tax liability unless they file U.S. federal income tax returns and seek a refund of such tax on such return. We also may be subject to state and local taxes on our income or property, including franchise, payroll, mortgage recording and transfer taxes, either directly or at the level of the other companies through which we indirectly own our assets. In addition, our TRS is subject to full U.S. federal, state, local and foreign corporate-level income taxes. Any taxes we pay directly or indirectly will reduce our cash available for distribution to you.

Complying with REIT requirements may cause us to forgo otherwise attractive investment opportunities and limit our expansion opportunities.

In order to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we must continually satisfy tests concerning, among other things, our sources of income, the nature of our investments in real estate and related assets, the amounts we distribute to our stockholders and the ownership of our stock. We may also be required to make distributions to stockholders at disadvantageous times, such as when we do not have funds readily available for distribution or when we would like to use funds for attractive investment and expansion opportunities. Thus, compliance with REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits.

Complying with REIT requirements may force us to liquidate or restructure otherwise attractive investments.

In order to qualify as a REIT, we must also ensure that at the end of each calendar quarter, at least 75% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified REIT real estate assets. The remainder of our investments in securities cannot include more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or 10% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer unless we and such issuer jointly elect for such issuer to be treated as a TRS under the Code. The total value of all of our investments in TRSs cannot exceed 20% of the value of our total assets. In addition, no more than 5% of the value of our assets can consist of the securities of any one issuer other than a TRS or a disregarded entity, and no more than 25% of our assets can consist of debt of “publicly offered” REITs (i.e., REITs that are required to file annual and periodic reports with the SEC under the Exchange Act) that is not secured by real property or interests in real property. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we must dispose of a portion of our assets or otherwise come into compliance within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in order to avoid losing our REIT status and suffering adverse tax consequences. As a result, we may be required to liquidate or restructure otherwise attractive investments. These actions could have the effect of reducing our income and amounts available for distribution to you.

Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge effectively and may cause us to incur tax liabilities.

The REIT provisions of the Code substantially limit our ability to hedge our assets and liabilities. Any income from a hedging transaction will not constitute gross income for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income test if we properly identify the transaction as specified in applicable Treasury regulations and we enter into such transaction (i) in the normal course of our business primarily to manage risk of interest rate or price changes or currency fluctuations with respect to borrowings made or to be made, or ordinary obligations incurred or to be incurred, to acquire or carry real estate assets or (ii) primarily to manage risk of currency fluctuations with respect to any item of income or gain that would be qualifying income under the 75% or 95% income tests. In addition, income from certain new hedging transactions that counteract prior qualifying hedging transactions described in (i) and (ii) above may not constitute gross income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests if we properly identify the new hedging transaction as specified in applicable Treasury regulations. To the extent that we enter into other types of hedging transactions, the income from those transactions is likely to be treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of both of these gross income tests. As a result of these rules, we intend to limit our use of advantageous hedging techniques or implement those hedges through a TRS. This could increase the cost of our hedging activities because our TRS would be subject to tax on gains or expose us to greater risks associated with changes in interest rates than we would otherwise want to bear. In addition, losses in our TRS, generally, will not provide any tax benefit, except for being carried forward against future taxable income in the TRS.

Complying with REIT requirements may force us to borrow to make distributions to you.

From time to time, our taxable income may be greater than our cash flow available for distribution to stockholders. If we do not have other funds available in these situations, we may be unable to distribute substantially all of our taxable income as required by the REIT provisions of the Code. Thus, we could be required to borrow funds, sell a portion of our assets at disadvantageous prices or find another alternative. These options could increase our costs or reduce the value of our equity.

Ownership limitations may restrict change of control or business combination opportunities.

For us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, not more than 50% of the value of our outstanding capital stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (including certain entities treated as individuals for this purpose) during the last half of a taxable year. For the purpose of preserving our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, among other purposes, our charter provides that beneficial or constructive ownership by any individual (including certain entities treated as individuals for this purpose) of more than a certain percentage, currently 9.8%, in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our common stock or 9.8% in value of our outstanding capital stock is prohibited, which we refer to as the “ownership limits.” The constructive ownership rules under the Code and our charter are complex and may cause shares of our outstanding common stock owned by a group of related individuals or entities to be deemed to be constructively owned by one individual. As a result, the acquisition of less than 9.8% of our outstanding common stock or our outstanding capital stock by an individual or entity could cause an individual to own constructively in excess of 9.8% of our outstanding common stock or our outstanding capital stock, respectively, and thus violate the ownership limit. Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may exempt (prospectively or retroactively) a person from this limitation if it obtains such representations, covenants and undertakings as it deems appropriate to conclude that granting the exemption will not cause us to lose our status as a REIT. However, there can be no assurance that our board of directors, as permitted in our charter, will increase, or will not decrease, these ownership limits in the future. Our charter provides that any attempt to own or transfer shares of our common stock or capital stock in excess of the ownership limits without the consent of our board of directors either will result in the shares being transferred by operation of the charter to a charitable trust, and the person who attempted to acquire such excess shares will not have any rights in such excess shares, or in the transfer being void.

The ownership limits may have the effect of precluding a change in control of us by a third party, even if such change in control would be in the best interests of our stockholders or would result in receipt of a premium to the price of our common stock (and even if such change in control would not reasonably jeopardize our REIT status). Any exemptions to the ownership limits that are granted by our board of directors may limit our board of directors’ ability to increase the ownership limit or grant further exemptions at a later date.

We may choose to make distributions in our own stock, in which case you may be required to pay income taxes without receiving any cash dividends.

In connection with our qualification as a REIT, we are required to annually distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (which does not equal net income, as calculated in accordance with GAAP), determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gain. In order to satisfy this requirement, we may make distributions that are payable in cash and/or shares of our common stock (which could account for up to 90% of the aggregate amount of such distributions) at the election of each stockholder. As a publicly offered REIT, as long as at least 20% of the total dividend is available in cash and certain other requirements as satisfied, the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, will treat the stock distribution as a dividend (to the extent applicable rules treat such distribution as being made out of our earnings and profits). Taxable stockholders receiving such distributions will be required to include the full amount of such distributions as ordinary dividend income to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, U.S. stockholders may be required to pay income taxes with respect to such distributions in excess of the cash portion of the distribution received. Accordingly, U.S. stockholders receiving a distribution of our shares may be required to sell shares received in such distribution or may be required to sell other stock or assets owned by them, at a time that may be disadvantageous, in order to satisfy any tax imposed on such distribution. If a U.S. stockholder sells the stock that it receives as part of the distribution in order to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount it must include in income with respect to the distribution, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, with respect to certain non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold U.S. tax with respect to such distribution, including in respect of all or a portion of such distribution that is payable in stock, by withholding or disposing of part of the shares included in such distribution and using the proceeds of such disposition to satisfy the withholding tax imposed. In addition, if a significant number of our stockholders determine to sell shares of our common stock in order to pay taxes owed on dividend income, such sale may put downward pressure on the market price of our common stock.

Dividends payable by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates on dividend income from regular corporations, which could adversely affect the value of our shares.

Currently, the maximum tax rate applicable to qualified dividend income payable to certain non-corporate U.S. stockholders is 20%. Dividends payable by REITs, however, generally are not eligible for the reduced rate. Although this does not adversely affect the taxation of REITs or dividends payable by REITs, the more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate qualified dividends could cause certain non-corporate investors to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the shares of REITs, including shares of our common stock.

Under current law, for taxable years before January 1, 2026, REIT dividends (other than capital gain dividends and qualified dividends) received by non-corporate taxpayers may be eligible for a 20% deduction, which if allowed in full equates to a maximum effective U.S. federal income tax rate on ordinary REIT dividends of 29.6%. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect of this rule on their effective tax rate with respect to REIT dividends.

We are largely dependent on external sources of capital to finance our growth.

As with other REITs, but unlike corporations generally, our growth must largely be funded by external sources of capital because we generally have to distribute 90% of our taxable income to our stockholders in order to qualify as a REIT. Our access to external capital depends upon a number of factors, including general market conditions, the market’s perception of our growth potential, our current and potential future earnings, cash distributions and the market price of our common stock. We will be subject to regular corporate income taxes on any undistributed REIT taxable income each year, including net capital gains. Additionally, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on any amount by which distributions paid by us in any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from previous years.

We may be subject to adverse legislative or regulatory tax changes that could increase our tax liability, reduce our operating flexibility or reduce the market price of our shares.

In recent years, numerous legislative, judicial and administrative changes have been made in the provisions of U.S. federal income tax laws applicable to investments similar to an investment in shares of our common stock. Additional changes to the tax laws are likely to continue to occur, and we cannot make assurances that any such changes will not adversely affect the taxation of a stockholder. Any such changes could have an adverse effect on an investment in our shares or on the market value or the resale potential of our assets. Stockholders are urged to consult with their tax advisors with respect to the impact of recent legislation on investments in our shares and the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our shares. Although REITs generally receive certain tax advantages compared to entities taxed as regular corporations, it is possible that future legislation would result in a REIT having fewer tax advantages, and it could become more advantageous for a company that invests in real estate to elect to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a corporation. As a result, our charter provides our board of directors with the power, under certain circumstances, to revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election and cause us to be taxed as a regular corporation, without the vote of our stockholders. Our board of directors has duties to us and could only cause such changes in our tax treatment if it determines that such changes are in the best interest of our company. The impact of tax reform on your investment in us is uncertain. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding changes in tax laws.

We may recognize “phantom income” in respect of our investments.

Our taxable income may substantially exceed our net income as determined based on GAAP, or differences in timing between the recognition of taxable income and the actual receipt of cash, or between the recognition of a taxable deduction and the actual payment of cash, may occur. For example, we may acquire assets, including debt securities requiring us to accrue original issue discount, or OID, or recognize market discount income, that generate taxable income in excess of economic income or in advance of the corresponding cash flow from the assets, which is referred to as “phantom income.” In addition, if a borrower with respect to a particular debt instrument encounters financial difficulty rendering it unable to pay stated interest as due, we may nonetheless be required to continue to recognize the unpaid interest as taxable income, with the effect that we will recognize income but will not have a corresponding amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders. Finally, we may be required under the terms of indebtedness that we incur to use cash received from interest payments to make principal payments on that indebtedness, with the effect of recognizing income but not having a corresponding amount of cash available for distribution to our stockholders.

As a result of the foregoing, we may generate less cash flow than taxable income in a particular year and find it difficult or impossible to meet the REIT distribution requirements in certain circumstances. In such circumstances, we may be required to (a) sell assets in adverse market conditions, (b) borrow on unfavorable terms, (c) distribute amounts that would otherwise be used for future acquisitions or used to repay debt, or (d) make a taxable distribution of our shares of common stock as part of a distribution in which stockholders may elect to receive shares of our common stock or (subject to a limit measured as a percentage of the total distribution) cash, in order to comply with the REIT distribution requirements.

Moreover, we may acquire distressed loans or other debt investments that require subsequent modification by agreement with the borrower. If the amendments to the outstanding debt are “significant modifications” under applicable Treasury regulations, the modified debt may be considered to have been reissued to us in a debt-for-debt taxable exchange with the borrower. In certain circumstances, this deemed reissuance may prevent the modified debt from qualifying as a good REIT asset if the underlying security has declined in value and could cause us to recognize income to the extent the principal amount of the modified debt exceeds our adjusted tax basis in the unmodified debt.

The “taxable mortgage pool” rules may increase the taxes that we, or our stockholders may incur, and, therefore, may limit the manner in which we will effect future securitizations.

We may enter into securitizations and other transactions to finance our mortgage assets that could result in the creation of taxable mortgage pools for U.S. federal income tax purposes. An entity (or a portion of an entity) will be a taxable mortgage pool if (i) substantially all of its assets consist of debt instruments, more than 50% of which are real estate mortgages, (ii) the entity is the obligor under debt obligations with two or more maturities and (iii) under the terms of the entity’s debt obligations (or an underlying arrangement), payments on such debt obligations “bear a relationship” to the debt instruments held by the entity. Where an entity, or portion of an entity, is classified as a taxable mortgage pool, it generally is treated as a taxable corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Special rules apply, however, in the case of a taxable mortgage pool that is 100% owned by a REIT or a disregarded subsidiary of a REIT. In that case, the taxable mortgage pool is not treated as a corporation that is subject to corporate income tax, and the taxable mortgage pool classification does not affect the tax status of the REIT. In our case, any taxable mortgage pool we may own is not expected to be treated as a corporation, although there can be no assurance that a taxable mortgage pool will not be treated as a taxable corporation.

A portion of our income from any taxable mortgage pool may be treated as excess inclusion income for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We do not intend to distribute any excess inclusion income that we may recognize to our stockholders. Instead, we intend to retain, and pay corporate income tax on, any such excess inclusion income. However, there can be no assurance that a stockholder will not receive excess inclusion income.

If we distribute (or are deemed to distribute) excess inclusion income to our stockholders, certain categories of stockholders such as foreign stockholders eligible for treaty or other benefits, U.S. stockholders with net operating losses and certain tax-exempt stockholders that are subject to unrelated business income tax, could be subject to increased taxes on a portion of their dividend income from us that is attributable to such excess inclusion income. Specifically, a stockholder’s share of excess inclusion income (i) would be the minimum taxable income of U.S. stockholders (that is, would not be allowed to be offset by any net operating losses or any other deduction otherwise available), (ii) would be unrelated business taxable income in the hands of most generally tax-exempt stockholders and (iii) would result in the application of U.S. federal income tax withholding at the maximum rate of 30%, without reduction for any otherwise applicable income tax treaty, to the extent allocable to foreign stockholders. In addition, to the extent that our stock is owned by tax-exempt “disqualified organizations,” such as certain government-related entities and charitable remainder trusts that are not subject to tax on unrelated business income, we may incur a corporate level tax on a portion of our income from a taxable mortgage pool. In that case, we may reduce the amount of our distributions to any disqualified organization whose stock ownership gave rise to the tax.

Moreover, the taxable mortgage pool rules described above may also preclude us from selling equity interests in these securitizations to outside investors, or selling any debt securities issued in connection with these securitizations that might be considered to be equity interests for tax purposes. These limitations may therefore prevent us from using certain techniques to maximize our returns from certain securitization transactions.

The failure of a mezzanine loan to qualify as a real estate asset could adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT.

We may originate or acquire mezzanine loans, for which the IRS has provided a safe harbor but not rules of substantive law. Pursuant to the safe harbor, if a mezzanine loan meets certain requirements, it will be treated by the IRS as a real estate asset for purposes of the REIT asset tests, and interest derived from the mezzanine loan will be treated as qualifying mortgage interest for purposes of the REIT 75% income test. Our mezzanine loans may not meet all of the requirements of this safe harbor. In the event we own a mezzanine loan that does not meet the safe harbor, the IRS could challenge such loan’s treatment as a real estate asset for purposes of the REIT asset and income tests and, if such a challenge were sustained, we could fail to qualify as a REIT, unless we are able to qualify for a statutory REIT “savings” provision, which may require us to pay a significant penalty tax to maintain our REIT qualification.

We may fail to qualify as a REIT if the IRS successfully challenges the treatment of our mezzanine loans as debt or our preferred equity investments as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

There is limited case law and administrative guidance addressing whether instruments such as mezzanine loans and preferred equity investments will be treated as equity or debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We expect that our mezzanine loans generally will be treated as debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and our preferred equity investments generally will be treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, but we typically do not anticipate obtaining private letter rulings from the IRS or opinions of counsel on the characterization of those investments for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a mezzanine loan is treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would be treated as owning the assets held by the partnership or limited liability company that issued the mezzanine loan and we would be treated as receiving our proportionate share of the income of that entity. If that partnership or limited liability company owned non-qualifying assets or earned non-qualifying income, we may not be able to satisfy all of the REIT income or asset tests. Alternatively, if the IRS successfully asserts a preferred equity investment is debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes, then that investment may be treated as a non-qualifying asset for purposes of the 75% asset test and as producing non-qualifying income for the 75% gross income test. In addition, such an investment may be subject to the 10% value test and the 5% asset test, and it is possible that a preferred equity investment that is treated as debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes could cause us to fail one or more of the foregoing tests. Accordingly, we could fail to qualify as a REIT if the IRS does not respect our classification of our mezzanine loans or preferred equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes unless we are able to qualify for a statutory REIT “savings” provision, which may require us to pay a significant penalty tax to maintain our REIT qualification.

The tax on prohibited transactions limits our ability to engage in transactions, including certain methods of securitizing or syndicating commercial mortgage loans that would be treated as sales for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

A REIT’s net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% tax with no offset for losses. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of property, other than foreclosure property, but including commercial mortgage loans, held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. We might be subject to this tax if we dispose of, securitize or syndicate loans in a manner that was treated as a sale of the loans, or if we frequently buy and sell securities in a manner that is treated as dealer activity with respect to such securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Therefore, in order to avoid the prohibited transactions tax, we may choose to engage in certain sales of loans through a TRS and not at the REIT level (which would give rise to corporate-level tax), and may limit the structures we utilize for our securitization transactions, even though direct sales by us or those structures might otherwise be beneficial to us.

The failure of assets subject to repurchase agreements to qualify as real estate assets could adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT.

We have entered into financing arrangements that are structured as sale and repurchase agreements pursuant to which we nominally sell certain of our assets to a counterparty and simultaneously enter into an agreement to repurchase these assets at a later date in exchange for a purchase price. Economically, these agreements are borrowings which are secured by the assets sold pursuant thereto. We believe that we will be treated for REIT asset and income test purposes as the owner of the assets that are the subject of any such sale and repurchase agreement, notwithstanding that such agreements may transfer record ownership of the assets to the counterparty during the term of the agreement. It is possible, however, that the IRS could assert that we did not own the assets during the term of the related sale and repurchase agreement, in which case we could fail to qualify as a REIT.

Liquidation of assets may jeopardize our REIT qualification.

To qualify as a REIT, we must comply with requirements regarding our assets and our sources of income. If we are compelled to liquidate our investments to repay obligations to our lenders, we may be unable to comply with these requirements, ultimately jeopardizing our qualification as a REIT, or we may be subject to a 100% tax on any resultant gain if we sell assets that are treated as dealer property or inventory.

Our ownership of, and relationship with, our TRSs will be restricted and a failure to comply with the restrictions would jeopardize our REIT status and may result in the application of a 100% excise tax.

A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more TRSs. A TRS may earn income that would not be qualifying REIT income if earned directly by the parent REIT. Both the TRS and the REIT must jointly elect to treat the subsidiary as a TRS. A corporation of which a TRS directly or indirectly owns more than 35% of the voting power or value of the stock will automatically be treated as a TRS. Overall, no more than 20% of the gross value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more TRSs. The value of our interests in, and thus the amount of assets held in, a TRS may also be restricted by our need to qualify for an exclusion from regulation as an investment company under the Investment Company Act.

Any domestic TRS we own, or may form in the future, will pay U.S. federal, state and local income tax at regular corporate rates on any income that it earns. In addition, the Code limits the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a TRS. The rules also impose a 100% excise tax on certain transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis.

We expect that the aggregate value of all TRS stock and securities owned by us should be less than 20% of the value of our total assets. Although we monitor our investments in and transactions with TRSs, there can be no assurance that we will be able to comply with the limitation on the value of our TRSs discussed above or to avoid application of the 100% excise tax discussed above.

Our qualification as a REIT may be dependent on the accuracy of legal opinions or advice rendered or given or statements by the issuers of assets that we acquire, and the inaccuracy of any such opinions, advice or statements may adversely affect our REIT qualification and result in significant corporate-level tax.

When purchasing securities, we may rely on opinions or advice of counsel for the issuer of such securities, or statements made in related offering documents, for purposes of determining whether such securities represent debt or equity securities for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the value of such securities and also to what extent those securities constitute qualified real estate assets for purposes of the REIT asset tests and produce income that qualifies under the 75% gross income test. The inaccuracy of any such opinions, advice or statements may adversely affect our ability to qualify as a REIT and result in significant corporate-level tax.

Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock

The market price of our common stock has recently fluctuated significantly and may continue to do so.

The capital and credit markets have, on occasion, experienced periods of extreme volatility and disruption. During the year ended December 31, 2020 and following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the closing price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange fluctuated from a high of $18.70 per share to a low of $1.74 per share. The market price and liquidity of the market for shares of our common stock has been and may in the future be significantly affected by numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance.

Some of the factors that could negatively affect the market price of our common stock include:

•our actual or projected operating results, financial condition, cash flows and liquidity or changes in business strategy or prospects, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic;

•equity issuances by us, share resales by our stockholders or the perception that such issuances or resales may occur;

•loss of a major funding source or inability to obtain new favorable funding sources in the future;

•our financing strategy and leverage;

•actual or anticipated accounting problems;

•publication of research reports about us or the real estate industry;

•changes in market valuations or operating performance of similar companies;

•adverse market reaction to any increased indebtedness we incur or securities we may issue in the future;

•additions to or departures of our key personnel;

•speculation in the press or investment community;

•increases in market interest rates, which may lead stockholders to demand a higher distribution yield for our common stock, and would result in increased interest expenses on our debt;

•failure to maintain our REIT qualification or exclusion from the Investment Company Act;

•price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;

•general market and economic conditions and trends, including inflationary concerns and the current state of the credit and capital markets, and the impact of natural disasters, war, global health crises, such as the outbreak of COVID-19, and other events on market and economic conditions;

•significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of publicly traded REITs or other companies in our sector which are not necessarily related to the operating performance of these companies;

•changes in law, regulatory policies or tax guidelines, or interpretations thereof, particularly with respect to REITs;

•changes in the value of our portfolio;

•any shortfall in revenue or net income or any increase in losses from levels expected by stockholders or securities analysts;

•short-selling pressure with respect to shares of our common stock or REITs generally;

•the strength of the commercial real estate market and the U.S. economy generally; and

•the other factors described in this Item 1A - “Risk Factors.”

As noted above, market factors unrelated to our performance could also negatively impact the market price of our common stock. One of the factors that investors may consider in deciding whether to buy or sell our common stock is our distribution rate, if any, as a percentage of our stock price relative to market interest rates. If market interest rates increase, prospective investors may demand a higher distribution rate or seek alternative investments paying higher dividends or interest. As a result, interest rate fluctuations and conditions in the capital markets can affect the market value of our common stock. For instance, if interest rates rise, it is likely that the market price of our common stock will decrease as market rates on interest-bearing securities increase.

Future issuances of equity or debt securities, which may include securities that would rank senior to our common stock, may adversely affect the market price of the shares of our common stock.

The issuance of additional shares of our common stock, including in connection with the conversion of our outstanding 5.625% convertible senior notes due 2022 and/or our outstanding 6.375% convertible senior notes due 2023, through the equity distribution agreement we entered into pursuant to which we may sell, from time to time, up to an aggregate of 8,000,000 shares of our common stock or in connection with other future issuances of our common stock or shares of preferred stock or securities convertible or exchangeable into equity securities, may dilute the ownership interest of our existing holders of our common stock. If we decide to issue debt or equity securities which would rank senior to our common stock, it is likely that they will be governed by an indenture or other instrument containing covenants restricting our operating flexibility. Additionally, any convertible or exchangeable securities that we issue may have rights, preferences and privileges more favorable than those of our common stock and may result in dilution to owners of our common stock. We and, indirectly, our stockholders will bear the cost of issuing and servicing such securities. Because our decision to issue additional equity or debt securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future issuances. Also, we cannot predict the effect, if any, of future sales of our common stock, or the availability of shares for future sales, on the market price of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of common stock, or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect the prevailing market price for the shares of our common stock. Therefore, holders of our common stock will bear the risk of our future issuances reducing the market price of our common stock and diluting the value of their stock holdings in us.

Provisions of our charter and bylaws and Maryland law may deter takeover attempts, which may limit the opportunity of our stockholders to sell their shares at a favorable price.

Some of the provisions of Maryland law and our charter and bylaws discussed below could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so might be beneficial to our stockholders by providing them with the opportunity to sell their shares at a premium to the then current market price.

Issuance of stock without stockholder approval. Our charter authorizes our board of directors, without stockholder approval, to authorize the issuance of up to 450,000,000 shares of common stock and up to 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock. Our charter also authorizes our board of directors, without stockholder approval, to classify or reclassify any unissued shares of common stock and preferred stock into other classes or series of stock and to amend our charter to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that are authorized by the charter to be issued. Preferred stock may be issued in one or more classes or series, the terms of which may be determined by our board of directors without further action by stockholders. Prior to the issuance of any such class or series, our board of directors will set the terms of any such class or series, including the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption. The issuance of any preferred stock could materially adversely affect the rights of holders of common stock and, therefore, could reduce the value of the common stock. In addition, specific rights granted to future holders of our preferred stock could be used to restrict our ability to merge with, or sell assets to, a third party. The power of our board of directors to cause us to issue preferred stock could, in certain circumstances, make it more difficult, delay, discourage, prevent or make it costlier to acquire or effect a change in control, thereby preserving the current stockholders’ control.

Advance notice bylaw. Our bylaws contain advance notice procedures for the introduction by a stockholder of new business and the nomination of directors by a stockholder. These provisions could, in certain circumstances, discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect stockholder-nominated directors and to propose and, consequently, approve stockholder proposals opposed by management.

Maryland takeover statutes. We are subject to the Maryland Business Combination Act which, in certain circumstances, could delay or prevent an unsolicited takeover of us. The statute substantially restricts the power of third parties who acquire, or seek to acquire, control of us without the approval of our board of directors to complete mergers and other business combinations even if such transaction would be beneficial to stockholders. “Business combinations” between such a third-party acquirer or its affiliate and us are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the acquirer becomes an “interested stockholder.” An “interested stockholder” is defined as any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of our outstanding voting stock or an affiliate or associate of ours who, at any time within the two-year period immediately prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of our then outstanding stock. If our board of directors approved in advance the transaction that would otherwise give rise to the acquirer attaining such status, the acquirer would not become an interested stockholder and, as a result, it could enter into a business combination with us. Our board of directors may, however, provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by it. Even after the lapse of the five-year prohibition period, any business combination with an interested stockholder must be recommended by our board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:

•80% of the votes entitled to be cast by stockholders; and

•two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by stockholders other than the interested stockholder and affiliates and associates thereof.

The super-majority vote requirements do not apply if, among other considerations, the transaction complies with a minimum price and form of consideration requirements prescribed by the statute. The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by the board of directors prior to the time that an interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. As permitted by the MGCL, our board of directors, by resolution, exempted business combinations between us and any person not then already an interested stockholder, provided that the business combination is first approved by our board of directors (including a majority of directors who are not affiliates or associates of such persons). Consequently, the five-year prohibition and the super-majority vote requirements do not apply to business combinations between us and any other person as described above, and as a result, any such person may be able to enter into business combinations with us that may not be in the best interest of our stockholders, without compliance with the super-majority vote requirements and the other provisions of the statute.

The Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act of the MGCL provides that a holder of control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition has no voting rights with respect to the control shares except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares owned by the acquiror, by officers or by employees who are directors of the corporation are excluded from shares entitled to vote on the matter. Control shares are voting shares of stock that, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquiror or in respect of which the acquiror is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquiror to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power:

•one-tenth or more but less than one-third;

•one-third or more but less than a majority; or

•a majority or more of all voting power.

Control shares do not include shares the acquiror is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval or shares acquired directly from the corporation. A control share acquisition means the acquisition of issued and outstanding control shares, subject to certain exceptions.

A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition may compel the board of directors of the company to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of the demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. The right to compel the calling of a special meeting is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including an undertaking to pay the expenses of the meeting. If no request for a meeting is made, the company may itself present the question at any stockholders meeting.

If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiror does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then the company may, subject to certain limitations and conditions, redeem for fair value any or all of the control shares, except those for which voting rights have previously been approved. Fair value is determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of the shares are considered and not approved or, if no meeting is held, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquiror. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholder’s meeting and the acquiror becomes entitled to exercise or direct the exercise of a majority of the voting power, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquiror in the control share acquisition.

The control share acquisition statute does not apply to (a) shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the company is a party to the transaction or (b) acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the company.

Our bylaws contain a provision exempting any acquisition of our stock by any person from the foregoing provisions on control shares, which may be amended by our board of directors. In the event that our bylaws are amended to modify or eliminate this provision, acquisitions of our common stock may constitute a control share acquisition.

Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL, which is commonly referred to as the Maryland Unsolicited Takeovers Act, or MUTA, permits the board of directors of a Maryland corporation with at least three independent directors and a class of stock registered under the Exchange Act, without stockholder approval and notwithstanding any contrary provision in its charter or bylaws, to implement certain takeover defenses, including adopting a classified board, increasing the vote required to remove a director or providing that each vacancy on the board of directors may be filled only by a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum. These provisions could have the effect of limiting or precluding a third party from making an unsolicited acquisition proposal for our company or of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of shares of our common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then current market price. Our charter contains a provision whereby we have elected to be subject to the provisions of MUTA relating to the filling of vacancies on our board of directors.

In addition, our charter includes certain limitations on the ownership and transfer of our capital stock. See “—Risks Related to Our REIT Status and Certain Other Tax Items—Our charter provides that any individual (including certain entities treated as individuals for this purpose) is prohibited from owning more than 9.8% of our common stock or of our capital stock, and attempts to acquire our common stock or any of our capital stock in excess of this 9.8% limit would not be effective without a prior exemption from those prohibitions by our board of directors.”

Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to take action against our directors and officers are limited, which could limit your recourse in the event of actions not in your best interests.

Our charter limits the liability of our present and former directors and officers to us and our stockholders for money damages to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. Under Maryland law, our present and former directors and officers will not have any liability to us and our stockholders for money damages other than liability resulting from:

•actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services; or

•active and deliberate dishonesty by the director or officer that was established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action adjudicated.

Our charter provides that we have the power to indemnify our present and former directors and officers for actions taken by them in those capacities to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. Our bylaws require us to indemnify each present and former director or officer, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of his or her service to us. In addition, we may be obligated to pay or reimburse the defense costs incurred by our present and former directors and officers without requiring a preliminary determination of their ultimate entitlement to indemnification.

Our charter contains provisions that make removal of our directors difficult, which could make it difficult for our stockholders to effect changes to our management.

Our charter provides that, subject to the rights of any series of preferred stock, a director may be removed upon the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors. Vacancies may be filled only by a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if less than a quorum. These requirements make it more difficult to change our management by removing and replacing directors and may prevent a change in control of our company that is in the best interests of our stockholders.

Our amended and restated bylaws designate certain Maryland courts as the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions and proceedings that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.

Our bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, Maryland, or, if that Court does not have jurisdiction, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, Baltimore Division, shall be the sole and exclusive forum for the following: any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the company; any action asserting a claim of breach of any duty owed by any of our present or former directors, officers or other employees or our stockholders to the company or to our stockholders or any standard of conduct applicable to our directors; any action asserting a claim against the company or any of our present or former directors, officers or other employees arising pursuant to any provision of the MGCL or our charter or bylaws; or any action asserting a claim against the company or any of our present or former directors, officers or other employees that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that the stockholder believes is favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our bylaws inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

Our corporate headquarters is located in sub-leased office space at 3 Bryant Park, Suite 2400A, New York, New York 10036. We also lease office facilities in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. We do not own any real property. We consider these facilities to be suitable and adequate for the management and operations of our business.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

From time to time we may be involved in various legal claims and/or administrative proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. The previously disclosed arbitration with the Former Manager concluded on October 7, 2020, with the arbitral panel issuing an award setting the amount payable by us to the Former Manager at $44.5 million. See “Internalization” in Part II, Item 7 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion of the Internalization and the one-time cash payment of $44.5 million made to the Former Manager upon the effectiveness of the Internalization. As of the date of this filing, we are not party to any litigation or other legal proceedings or, to the best of our knowledge, any threatened litigation or legal proceedings, which, in our opinion, individually or in the aggregate would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

None.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “GPMT.” On March 1, 2021, the closing price of our common stock, as reported on the NYSE, was $11.39 per share.

Holders

As of March 1, 2021, there were 233 registered holders of our common stock. This does not include the number of stockholders that hold shares in “street name” through banks or broker-dealers.

Dividends

We generally intend to distribute substantially all of our taxable income each year (which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with GAAP) to our stockholders to comply with the REIT provisions of the Code. In addition, our dividend policy remains subject to revision at the discretion of our board of directors. All distributions will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon, among other things, our actual results of operations and liquidity. These results, and our ability to pay distributions, will be affected by various factors, including our taxable income, our financial condition, our maintenance of REIT status, restrictions related to our financing facilities, applicable law and other factors as our board of directors deems relevant.

Performance Graph

The following graph compares the stockholder’s cumulative total return on our common stock, assuming $100 invested at June 28, 2017, with all quarterly reinvestment of dividends before consideration of income taxes and without the payment of any commissions, as if such amounts had been invested in: (i) our common stock; (ii) the stocks included in the Standard and Poor’s 500 Stock Index, or S&P 500; and (iii) the stocks included in the Bloomberg REIT Mortgage Index. There can be no assurance that the performance of our shares will continue in line with the same or similar trends depicted in the graph below.

COMPARISON OF CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURN

Among Granite Point Mortgage Trust Inc.,

S&P 500 and Bloomberg REIT Mortgage Index


Index	6/28/17		6/30/17		12/31/17		6/30/18		12/31/18		6/30/19		12/31/19		6/30/20		12/31/20
Granite Point Mortgage Trust Inc.	$	100.00	$	99.84	$	97.25	$	105.12	$	108.05	$	117.60	$	120.47	$	47.06	$	70.39
S&P 500	$	100.00	$	99.30	$	110.64	$	113.56	$	105.78	$	125.39	$	139.07	$	134.78	$	139.07
Bloomberg REIT Mortgage Index	$	100.00	$	99.21	$	102.58	$	103.07	$	99.59	$	108.57	$	123.12	$	73.73	$	95.79

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

We did not repurchase any of our common stock during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.

Item 6. [Removed and Reserved]

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition to historical data, this discussion contains forward-looking statements about our business, operations and financial performance based on current expectations that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results may differ materially from those in this discussion as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, those discussed in Part I - Item 1A Risk Factors, in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

This section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K generally discusses 2020 and 2019 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2020 and 2019. Discussions of 2018 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2019 and 2018 that are not included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, which discussion is incorporated by reference.

COVID-19 Pandemic

As of December 31, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic remains ongoing, and, as a result, numerous countries, including the United States, have declared national emergencies and have reacted by instituting quarantines, restrictions on travel and temporarily closing non-essential businesses, including offices and hotels. Many states and local jurisdictions in the U.S. instituted varying degrees of “shelter-in-place” guidelines or orders and other measures designed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Such actions have resulted in significant macroeconomic disruptions and have adversely impacted many industries. In response, the U.S. government has implemented economic stimulus and interest rate cuts, among other actions. However, the ongoing pandemic may continue to adversely impact macroeconomic and market conditions, resulting in a period of global economic slowdown. The rapidly evolving and fluid nature of this situation precludes any prediction as to the ultimate adverse impact of COVID-19 on economic and market conditions, and, as a result, present material uncertainty and risk with respect to us and the performance of our investments.

The full extent of the impact and effects of COVID-19 will depend on future developments, including, among other factors, the duration, severity and spread of the outbreak, along with the related travel advisories, quarantines and restrictions, the recovery time of the disrupted supply chains and industries, the impact of labor market interruptions, the impact of government interventions and uncertainty with respect to the duration of the global economic slowdown. For additional discussion with respect to the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our liquidity and capital resources, see Liquidity and Capital Resources below.

Our Company

Granite Point Mortgage Trust Inc. focuses primarily on directly originating, investing in and managing senior floating-rate commercial mortgage loans and other debt and debt-like commercial real estate investments. We operate as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, as defined under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code. We also operate our business in a manner that will permit us to maintain our exclusion from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, or the Investment Company Act. We operate our business as one segment.

Internalization

Through December 31, 2020, we were externally managed by Pine River Capital Management L.P., or the Former Manager. On October 10, 2020, we entered into definitive agreements with the Former Manager, pursuant to which we internalized our management function, effective December 31, 2020, or the Internalization. Upon the effectiveness of the Internalization, among other things: (i) we made a one-time cash payment of $44.5 million to the Former Manager; (ii) we became an internally-managed REIT and hired 31 employees previously employed by the Former Manager, including our executives; (iii) the management agreement with the Former Manager, the Management Agreement, was terminated; and (iv) we will no longer pay management or incentive fees going forward, however, we will incur expenses associated with being an internally-managed REIT, including expenses related to compensation of our personnel, that were previously borne by the Former Manager.

2020 Activity

Operating Results:

•GAAP net loss of ($40.5) million, or ($0.73) per basic share, primarily driven by restructuring charges associated with the Internalization and an increase to the current expected credit loss, or CECL, reserve in the form of provision for credit losses recorded during 2020, mainly due to the adverse economic conditions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

•Distributable Earnings of $64.7 million, or $1.17 per basic share, which excludes the Internalization-related restructuring charges and the increase to the CECL reserve, as further described below.

•Book value per share of $16.92 as of December 31, 2020, inclusive of ($1.31) per share of total CECL reserve.

•Declared common dividends of $22.3 million, or $0.65 per share of common stock, inclusive of a $13.8 million, or $0.25 per share special dividend.

Portfolio Activity:

•Funded $364.2 million of total principal balance, inclusive of $239.0 million on prior loan commitments.

•Received loan repayments and principal amortization of $517.3 million.

•Portfolio of 103 loan investments as of December 31, 2020 with a weighted-average stabilized LTV at origination of 63.3% and a weighted-average all-in yield at origination of L+4.19%.

•Collected over 99% of contractual interest payments during the year, inclusive of loan modifications. Deferred and added to the principal $8.7 million of interest income during the year.

Financing Activity:

•Secured a $300 million strategic financing commitment in the form of five-year secured term loan facilities with an initial draw of $225 million, $75 million in additional delayed draw commitments and warrants to purchase up to approximately 6.1 million shares of common stock.

•Reinvested $134.4 million of loan prepayment proceeds in GPMT 2019-FL2.

Key Financial Measures and Indicators

As a commercial real estate finance company, we believe the key financial measures and indicators for our business are earnings per share on a generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, basis, dividends declared, Distributable Earnings and book value per share. For the three months ended December 31, 2020, we recorded earnings per share of $0.42, declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share of common stock and a special cash dividend of $0.25 per share of common stock, and reported Distributable Earnings of $0.33 per share. Our book value as of December 31, 2020 was $16.92 per share, inclusive of ($1.31) of total CECL reserve. For the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded a net loss of ($0.73) per share, declared total dividends of $0.65 per share and reported Distributable Earnings of $1.17 per share.

As further described below, Distributable Earnings is a measure that is not prepared in accordance with GAAP. We use Distributable Earnings to evaluate our performance, excluding the effects of certain transactions and GAAP adjustments that we believe are not necessarily indicative of our current loan portfolio and operations. In addition, Distributable Earnings is a performance metric we consider, along with other measures, when declaring our common stock dividends.

Earnings Per Share and Dividends Declared Per Common Share

The following table sets forth the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share and dividends declared per share:


	Year Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2020		2019
Net (loss) income	$	(40,539)	$	70,114
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding	55,156,482		53,087,395
Basic and diluted loss per common share	$	(0.73)	$	1.32
Special dividend declared per common share	$	0.25	$	—
Dividend declared per common share	$	0.40	$	1.68

Distributable Earnings

Beginning with this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and for all subsequent reporting periods ending on or after December 31, 2020, we have elected to present Distributable Earnings, a measure that is not prepared in accordance with GAAP, as a supplemental method of evaluating our operating performance. Distributable Earnings replaces our prior presentation of Core Earnings with no changes to the definition. In order to maintain our status as a REIT, we are required to distribute at least 90% of our taxable income as dividends. Distributable Earnings is intended to serve as a general proxy for our taxable income, though it is not a perfect substitute for it, and, as such, is considered a key indicator of our ability to generate sufficient income to pay our common dividends and in determining the amount of such dividends, which is the primary focus of income-oriented investors who comprise a meaningful segment of our stockholder base. We believe providing Distributable Earnings on a supplemental basis to our net (loss) income and cash flow from operating activities, as determined in accordance with GAAP, is helpful to stockholders in assessing the overall performance of our business.

We use Distributable Earnings to evaluate our performance excluding the effects of certain transactions and GAAP adjustments we believe are not necessarily indicative of our current loan portfolio and operations. For reporting purposes, we define Distributable Earnings as net (loss) income attributable to our stockholders, computed in accordance with GAAP, excluding: (i) non-cash equity compensation expense; (ii) depreciation and amortization; (iii) any unrealized gains (losses) or other similar non-cash items that are included in net income for the applicable reporting period (regardless of whether such items are included in other comprehensive income or loss or in net income for such period); and (iv) certain non-cash items and one-time expenses. Distributable Earnings may also be adjusted from time to time for reporting purposes to exclude one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain other material non-cash income or expense items approved by a majority of our independent directors. The exclusion of depreciation and amortization from the calculation of Distributable Earnings only applies to debt investments related to real estate to the extent we foreclose upon the property or properties underlying such debt investments.

While Distributable Earnings excludes the impact of the unrealized non-cash current provision for credit losses, we expect to only recognize such potential credit losses in Distributable Earnings if and when such amounts are deemed non-recoverable. This is generally at the time a loan is repaid, or in the case of foreclosure, when the underlying asset is sold, but non-recoverability may also be concluded if, in our determination, it is nearly certain that all amounts due will not be collected. The realized loss amount reflected in Distributable Earnings will equal the difference between the cash received, or expected to be received, and the carrying value of the asset, and is reflective of our economic experience as it relates to the ultimate realization of the loan. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded a $53.7 million of provision for credit losses, which has been excluded from Distributable Earnings consistent with other unrealized gains (losses) and other non-cash items pursuant to our existing policy for reporting Distributable Earnings as referenced above.

Distributable Earnings also excludes the impact of the restructuring charges recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020. These charges were related to our Internalization, discussed above, which we view as a one-time event. In assessing the reporting of Distributable Earnings, we determined that, consistent with our policy, the restructuring charges should be included within certain one-time expenses as referenced above. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we recorded $46.3 million of restructuring charges, which have been excluded from the Distributable Earnings.

Distributable Earnings does not represent net (loss) income or cash flow from operating activities and should not be considered as an alternative to GAAP net (loss) income, or an indication of our GAAP cash flows from operations, a measure of our liquidity, or an indication of funds available for our cash needs. In addition, our methodology for calculating Distributable Earnings may differ from the methodologies employed by other companies to calculate the same or similar supplemental performance measures, and, accordingly, our reported Distributable Earnings may not be comparable to the Distributable Earnings reported by other companies.

The following table provides a reconciliation of GAAP net (loss) income attributable to common stockholders to Distributable Earnings (in thousands, except share and per share data):


	Year Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2020		2019
Reconciliation of GAAP net income to Distributable Earnings:	(unaudited)
GAAP Net Income	$	(40,539)	$	70,114
Adjustments for non-distributable earnings:
Provision for credit losses	53,710		—
Restructuring charges	46,252		—
Non-cash equity compensation	5,276		4,436
Distributable Earnings	$	64,699	$	74,550
Diluted Distributable Earnings per share of common stock	$	1.17	$	1.32
Weighted average diluted shares - Distributable Earnings	55,156,482		53,087,395

The presentation for the comparative period has been reorganized to conform with the 2020 presentation of Distributable Earnings. This reorganization has no impact on Distributable Earnings.

Book Value Per Common Share

The following table provides the calculation of our book value per share:


	Year Ended
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2020		2019
Stockholder's Equity	933,846		1,019,136
Shares:
Common Stock	54,635,547		54,391,834
Restricted Stock	569,535		461,371
Total Outstanding	55,205,082		54,853,205
Book Value Per Share	$	16.92	$	18.58

Book value per share as of December 31, 2020 includes the impact of an estimated allowance for credit losses of $72.2 million, or $1.31 per common share. See Note 2 – Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a detailed discussion of allowance for credit losses.

Factors Affecting our Operating Results

The results of our operations are affected by a number of factors and primarily depend on, among other things, the level of our net interest income, the availability and cost of financing for us, the market value of our assets, credit performance of our assets and the supply of, and demand for, commercial real estate loans, other commercial real estate debt instruments and other financial assets available for investment in the market and available as a source of refinancing of our assets. Our net interest income, which reflects the amortization of origination fees and direct costs, is recognized based on the contractual rate and the outstanding principal balance of the loans we originate. The objective of the interest method is to arrive at periodic interest income that yields a level rate of return over the loan term. Interest rates vary according to the type of loan or security, conditions in the financial markets, credit worthiness of our borrowers, competition and other factors, none of which can be predicted with any certainty. Our operating results may also be impacted by credit losses in excess of initial anticipations or unanticipated credit events experienced by our borrowers. We continue to monitor the effects on each of these factors in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and how they will affect the results of our operations.

Loan Originations

Our business model is mainly focused on directly originating, investing in and managing senior floating-rate commercial mortgage loans and other debt and debt-like commercial real estate investments. As a result of this strategy, our operating performance is subject to overall market demand for commercial real estate loan products and other debt and debt-like commercial real estate investments. We manage originations and acquisitions of our target investments by diversifying our investment portfolio across geographical regions and local markets, property types, borrower types, loan structures and types. We do not limit our investments to any number of geographical areas or property types for our originations so that we develop a well-diversified investment portfolio. Additionally, our team has extensive experience originating and acquiring commercial real estate loans and other debt and debt-like commercial real estate investments, through a network of long-standing relationships with borrowers, sponsors and industry brokers. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant disruptions in financial markets, uncertainty about the overall macroeconomic outlook and a dislocation in the commercial real estate sector, including reduced borrower demand, higher lending rates, increased capitalization rates on properties and significantly lower transaction volume. The dislocation in capital markets and decline in real estate sale transaction and refinancing activities have negatively impacted, and will likely continue to negatively impact, the volume of loan repayments and prepayments, which are a significant source of our liquidity and could make it more difficult for us to originate new loan investments.

Financing Availability

We are subject to availability and cost of financing to successfully execute on our business strategy and generate attractive risk-adjusted returns to our stockholders. Much of our financing is in the form of repurchase agreements or other types of credit facilities provided to us by our lender counterparties. We mitigate this counterparty risk by seeking to diversify our lending partners, focusing on establishing borrowing relationships with strong counterparties and continuously monitoring them through a thoughtful approach to counterparty risk oversight. Additionally, as part of our broader risk management strategy, and to the extent available in the market, we finance our business through other means which may include, but not be limited to, securitizations, note sales and issuance of unsecured debt and equity instruments. We continue to actively explore additional types of funding facilities in order to further diversify our financing sources. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant disruptions in financial markets and uncertainty about the overall macroeconomic outlook. Declines in economic conditions could negatively impact real estate and real estate capital markets, which could make it more difficult for us to obtain or maintain financing.

We finance pools of our commercial real estate loans through collateralized loan obligations, or CLOs, retaining the subordinate securities in our investment portfolio. Our CLOs are accounted for as financings with the non-retained securitized debt obligations recognized on our consolidated balance sheets.

Credit Risk

We are subject to varying degrees of credit risk in connection with our target investments. We try to mitigate this risk by seeking to originate or acquire assets of higher quality at appropriate rates of return given anticipated and unanticipated losses, by employing a comprehensive review and selection process and by proactively monitoring originated or acquired investments. Nevertheless, unanticipated credit losses, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, could occur that could adversely impact our operating results.

We employ a long-term, fundamental value-oriented investment strategy and we aim to, on a loan-by-loan basis, construct an investment portfolio that is well-diversified across property types, geographies and sponsors. However, any potential negative impacts on our business as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic may be heightened by the fact that we are not required to observe specific diversification criteria, which means that our investments may be relatively concentrated in certain property types, geographical areas or loan categories that may be more adversely affected by the pandemic than others. For example, certain of our loans are secured by office, industrial, multifamily, hotel and retail properties. Federal and state mandates implemented to control the spread of the virus, including restrictions on freedom of movement and business operations such as travel bans, border closings, business closures, quarantines and shelter-in-place orders, have negatively impacted, and are expected to continue to negatively impact the hotel and retail industries, which could adversely affect our assets secured by such properties. Also, changes in how certain types of commercial properties are operated to facilitate social distancing and other measures intended to control the impact of the pandemic have impacted, and are likely to continue to impact, our investments secured by these properties.

Operating Expenses - Investment Management and Corporate Overhead

We incur significant general and administrative costs, including certain costs related to being a public company and, prior to the Internalization, costs incurred under the Management Agreement.

Under the Management Agreement, we paid all costs and expenses the Former Manager incurred on our behalf in order to operate our business prior to the Internalization, as well as compensation costs for certain personnel that provided services to us under the Management Agreement prior to the Internalization. Prior to the Internalization, we paid the Former Manager a quarterly base management fee equal to 0.375% (a 1.50% annual rate) of our equity and an incentive fee, which was payable, if earned, as defined in the Management Agreement.

We continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our operating partners, financing sources, borrowers and their tenants, and the economy as a whole. The magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impact on our operations, liquidity and availability of financing, are uncertain and continue to evolve. To the extent that our borrowers and their tenants, property sponsors and financing sources continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and capital resources. Given the current highly uncertain environment, we may incur additional operating expenses for a period of time, which may be material, related to actively managing our investment portfolio, our funding sources and exploring additional financing and capital sources to help us to continue to manage through this period of economic uncertainty and market dislocation.

Market Conditions

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the commercial real estate debt markets offered compelling investment opportunities, especially when approached fundamentally, with a focus on strong credit and cash flow characteristics and high-quality borrowers and sponsors. These investment opportunities were supported by active real estate transaction volumes, continuous need for refinancing of legacy loans and borrower and sponsor demand for debt capital to renovate, reposition or redevelop their properties. Additionally, the stricter regulatory environment after the financial crisis from 2007 to 2009 for traditional providers of financing in this market, such as banks and insurance companies, limited the capacity of available funding for certain types of commercial real estate loans that comprise a large part of our target investments. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to generate a high degree of uncertainty with respect to the overall economic environment along with the negative impact it has had on many segments of the commercial real estate market, including a significant decline in real estate transaction volume combined with dislocations in the financing markets. We believe that, over time, as the markets return to more normalized levels of activity and the ultimate economic recovery takes place, U.S. commercial real estate will continue to be viewed as an attractive asset class and will provide us with the opportunities consistent with our investment strategy to invest our capital and generate attractive, risk-adjusted returns for our stockholders over the long-term. Certain segments of the commercial real estate market, such as lodging and retail, have been affected more significantly than others, resulting in multiple retail sector bankruptcies, for example, as more consumer demand has shifted to internet related purchases. This retail property stress has benefited the industrial sector, which has seen increased demand for “last-mile” distribution sites in certain markets. The lodging sector has also experienced significant dislocation and the general market expectation is that it will take a while for it to recover considering the social distancing and further shut-down recommendations by local and state officials in select locations. The multifamily sector has performed relatively well through this crisis, though the future path may be

dependent to a degree on interest rate levels and additional federal government stimulus. Office properties have performed well, though there has been a noticeable slowdown in leasing activity, but the longer-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic remains uncertain considering remote working and other potential operational changes by the tenants.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United States and globally, most of our borrowers, sponsors, their tenants, the properties serving as collateral on our loan investments and the economy as a whole have been, and will continue to be, adversely affected. The magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our borrowers and their tenants, cash flows and future results of operations could be significant and will largely depend on future developments, which remain highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Although there are effective vaccines for COVID-19 that have been approved for use, distribution of the vaccines did not begin until late 2020, and a majority of the public will likely not have access to a vaccination until sometime in 2021. Accordingly, given the ongoing nature of the outbreak, at this time we cannot reasonably estimate the magnitude of the ultimate impact that COVID-19 will have on our business, financial performance and operating results. The prolonged duration and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic could materially disrupt our business operations and impact our financial condition and performance, liquidity and ability to pay dividends, including the dividend on our common stock, which was temporarily suspended in the first quarter of 2020 and reinstated in the third quarter of 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant disruptions in financial markets, business shutdowns and uncertainty about how the United States and global economy will perform over the near term. Possible future declines in rental rates and expectations of future rental concessions, including free rent to renew tenants early, retain tenants who are up for renewal or attract new tenants or rent abatements for tenants severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic may result in decreases in cash flows to our borrowers and potentially in defaults in paying debt service on outstanding indebtedness to us, which could adversely impact our results of operations and financial performance. Declines in economic conditions could negatively impact real estate and real estate capital markets and result in lower occupancy, lower rental rates and declining values in our portfolio, which could adversely impact the value of our investments, making it more difficult for us to pay dividends or meet our financing obligations in the future.

Allowance for Credit Losses

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, or ASU 2016-13. ASU 2016-13 significantly changed how entities measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. ASU 2016-13 replaced the incurred loss model with a Current Expected Credit Loss, or CECL, model for instruments measured at amortized cost, and requires entities to record allowances for available-for-sale, or AFS, debt securities rather than reduce the amortized cost, as they did under the other-than-temporary impairment model. It also simplified the accounting model for purchased credit-impaired debt securities and loans. In addition, the new model applies to off-balance sheet credit exposures, such as unfunded loan commitments. ASU 2016-13 was adopted through a cumulative-effect adjustment to cumulative earnings as of January 1, 2020.

The allowance for credit losses required under ASU 2016-13 is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of related loans and debt securities on our consolidated balance sheets, and which reduces our total stockholders’ equity. The initial allowance for credit losses recorded on January 1, 2020 was reflected as a direct charge to cumulative earnings; however, going forward, changes to the allowance for credit losses are recognized through net income on our consolidated statements of operations. While ASU 2016-13 does not require any particular method for determining the allowance for credit losses, it does specify the allowance should be based on relevant information about past events, including historical loss experience, current portfolio, market conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts for the duration of each respective loan. In addition, other than a few narrow exceptions, ASU 2016-13 requires that all financial instruments subject to the CECL model have some amount of allowance for credit losses to reflect the GAAP principal underlying the CECL model that all loans, debt securities and similar assets have some inherent risk of loss, regardless of credit quality, subordinate capital or other mitigating factors.

Our loans typically include commitments to fund incremental proceeds to our borrowers over the life of the loan. Those future funding commitments are also subject to an allowance for credit losses. The allowance for credit losses related to future loan fundings is recorded as a component of other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets and not as an offset to the related loan balance. This allowance for credit losses is estimated using the same process outlined below for our outstanding loan balances and changes in this component of the allowance for credit losses will similarly flow through our consolidated statement of operations.

Our implementation process included a selection of a credit loss analytical model, completion and documentation of policies and procedures, changes to internal reporting processes and related internal controls and additional disclosures. A control framework for governance, data, forecast and model controls was developed to support the CECL process. The allowance for credit losses is estimated on a quarterly basis and represents management’s estimates of current expected credit losses in our investment portfolio. Pools of loans with similar risk characteristics are collectively evaluated while loans that no longer share risk characteristics with loan pools are evaluated individually. Estimating an allowance for credit losses is inherently subjective, as it requires management to exercise significant judgment in establishing appropriate factors used to determine the allowance and a variety of subjective assumptions, including (i) determination of relevant historical loan loss data sets, (ii) projecting the expected timing and amount of future loan fundings and repayments, (iii) assessing the current credit quality of loans and operating performance of loan collateral, (iv) selecting the forecast for macroeconomic conditions and (v) determining the reasonable and supportable forecast period. The allowance for loan losses also includes qualitative adjustments to bring the allowance to the level management believes is appropriate based on factors that have not otherwise been fully accounted for, including adjustments for foresight risk, input imprecisions and model imperfections. Foresight risk reflects the inherent imprecision in forecasting economic variables, including determining the depth and duration of economic cycles and their impact on relevant economic variables. Input imperfection factors address the risk that certain model inputs may not reflect all available information such as changes in the level and quality of experience held by certain borrowers or limitations in data available for certain loan portfolios. Model imprecision considers known model limitations not yet fully reflected in the quantitative estimate. The determination of the appropriate qualitative adjustment is based on management's analysis of current and expected economic conditions and their impact on the portfolio, as well as a qualitative assessment of the lending environment, including underwriting standards. Management recognizes the sensitivity of various assumptions made in the quantitative modeling of expected losses and may adjust reserves depending upon the level of uncertainty that currently exists in one or more assumptions.

Considering the lack of historical Company data related to any realized loan losses since our inception, we elected to estimate our allowance for credit losses by using a probability-weighted analytical model that considers the likelihood of default and loss-given-default for each individual loan. The analytical model incorporates a third-party licensed database with historical loan losses from 1998 to 2020 for over 100,000 commercial real estate loans. Our allowance for credit losses reflects its estimates of the current and future economic conditions that impact the performance of the commercial real estate properties serving as collateral for our loan investments. These estimates include unemployment rates, interest rates, price indices for commercial property and other macroeconomic factors impacting the likelihood and magnitude of potential credit losses for our loans during their anticipated term. We license certain macroeconomic financial forecasts from a third-party to inform our view of the potential future impact that broader macroeconomic conditions may have on the performance of our loan portfolio. The forecasts are embedded in the licensed analytical model that we use to estimate our allowance for credit losses. We may use one or more of these forecasts in the process of estimating our allowance for credit losses. Selection of these economic forecasts requires significant judgment about future events that, while based on the information available to us as of the balance sheet date, are ultimately unknowable with certainty, and the actual economic conditions impacting our portfolio could vary significantly from the estimates we made for the periods presented. At the time of adoption of ASU No. 2016-13, in determining our initial allowance for credit losses estimate, we employed a macroeconomic forecast that largely reflected our views at the time and projected stable economic conditions over the reasonable projection period. Significant inputs to our estimate of the allowance for credit losses include loan specific factors such as debt service coverage ratio, or DSCR, loan-to-value ratio, or LTV, remaining loan term, property type and others. In certain instances, for loans with unique risk characteristics, we may instead elect to employ different methods to estimate loan losses that also conform to ASU 2016-13 and related guidance.

Upon adoption of ASU No. 2016-13 on January 1, 2020, based on our loan portfolio, pre-COVID-19 economic environment and management’s expectations for future economic and market conditions at the time, we recorded, as a cumulative-effective adjustment to the cumulative earnings in our consolidated statement of equity, an initial allowance for credit losses of approximately $18.5 million, or approximately $0.34 per common share. In addition, we recorded an incremental allowance for credit losses for the year ended December 31, 2020 of approximately $53.7 million, or $0.97 per common share, resulting in a cumulative year-to-date CECL impact of $72.2 million or $1.31 per common share, largely reflecting the changed expectations for macroeconomic and commercial real estate market conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Changes in the Fair Value of Our Investments

We intend to hold our target investments for the long-term and, as such, they are carried at an amortized cost on our consolidated balance sheets.

Although we intend to hold our target investments for the long-term, we may occasionally classify some of our debt securities as AFS. Investments classified as AFS are carried at their fair value, with changes in fair value recorded through accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income, a component of stockholders’ equity, rather than through earnings. We do not intend to hold any of our investments for trading purposes.

Changes in Market Interest Rates

Although our strategy is to primarily originate, invest in and manage senior floating-rate commercial mortgage loans, from time-to-time we may acquire fixed-rate investments, which exposes our operating results to the risks posed by fluctuations in interest rates. To the extent that this applies to us, we may choose to actively manage this risk through the use of hedging strategies.

Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires us to make certain judgments and assumptions, based on information available at the time, of our preparation of the financial statements, in determining accounting estimates used in preparation of the statements. Our significant accounting policies are described in Note 2 - Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies to the consolidated financial statements, included under Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our most critical accounting policies involve decisions and assessments that could affect our reported assets and liabilities, as well as its reported revenues and expenses. We believe that all of the decisions and assessments used to prepare our financial statements are based upon reasonable assumptions given the information available at that time. The accounting policies and estimates that we believe are most critical to a stockholder’s understanding of our financial results and condition are discussed below.

Revenue Recognition

Interest income from loans receivable is recognized over the life of each investment using the effective interest method and is recorded on an accrual basis. Recognition of fees, premiums and discounts associated with these investments is deferred until the loan is advanced and is then recorded over the term of the loan as an adjustment to yield. Income accrual is generally suspended for loans at the earlier of the date at which payments become more than 90 days past due or when recovery of income and principal becomes doubtful. Income is then recorded on the basis of cash received until accrual is resumed when the loan becomes contractually current and performance is demonstrated to be resumed. In addition, for loans originated, the related origination expenses are similarly deferred; however, expenses related to loans acquired are included in general and administrative expenses as incurred.

Loans Held-for-Investment and Provision for Credit Losses

Loans held-for-investment are reported at cost, net of any provision for credit losses, unamortized acquisition premiums or discounts, loan fees and origination costs, as applicable.

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, or ASU 2016-13. ASU 2016-13 significantly changed how entities measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income. ASU 2016-13 replaced the incurred loss model under existing guidance with a Current Expected Credit Loss, or CECL, model for instruments measured at amortized cost, and requires entities to record allowances for AFS debt securities rather than reduce the carrying amount, as they did under the other-than-temporary impairment model. It also simplified the accounting model for purchased credit-impaired debt securities and loans. In addition, the new model applies to off-balance sheet credit exposures, such as unfunded loan commitments. ASU 2016-13 was effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019 and was adopted through a cumulative-effect adjustment to cumulative earnings as of January 1, 2020.

The CECL reserve required under ASU 2016-13 is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of related loans and debt securities on our consolidated balance sheets, and reduces our total stockholders’ equity. The initial CECL reserve recorded on January 1, 2020 was reflected as a direct charge to cumulative earnings; however, subsequent to the initial CECL reserve, changes to the CECL reserve were recognized through net income on our consolidated statements of operations. While ASU 2016-13 does not require any particular method for determining the CECL allowance, it does specify that the allowance should be based on relevant information about past events, including historical loss experience, current portfolio, market conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts for the duration of each respective loan. In addition, other than a few narrow exceptions, ASU 2016-13 requires that all financial instruments subject to the CECL model have some amount of loss reserve to reflect the GAAP principal underlying the CECL model that all loans, debt securities and similar assets have some inherent risk of loss, regardless of credit quality, subordinate capital or other mitigating factors.

Our loans typically include commitments to fund incremental proceeds to our borrowers over the life of the loan. Those future funding commitments are also subject to a CECL reserve. The CECL reserve related to future loan fundings is recorded as a component of other liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets, and not as an offset to the related loan balance. This CECL reserve is estimated using the same process outlined below for our outstanding loan balances, and changes in this component of the CECL reserve will similarly flow through our consolidated statements of operations.

Our implementation process included selection of a credit loss analytical model, completion and documentation of policies and procedures, changes to internal reporting processes and related internal controls and additional disclosures. A control framework for governance, data, forecast and model controls was developed to support the CECL process. Estimating a CECL reserve requires significant judgment and a variety of subjective assumptions, including: (i) determination of relevant historical loan loss data sets; (ii) the expected timing and amount of future loan fundings and repayments; (iii) the current credit quality of loans and operating performance of loan collateral and our expectations of performance; and (iv) expectations for macroeconomic conditions over the relevant time period.

Considering the lack of historical company data related to any realized loan losses since its inception, we elected to estimate our CECL reserve by using a probability-weighted analytical model that considers the likelihood of default and loss-given-default for each individual loan. The analytical model incorporates a third-party database with historical loan losses from 1998 to 2020 for over 100,000 commercial real estate loans. Additionally, in determining our initial CECL reserve estimate, we employed a macroeconomic forecast that projects a stable overall economic scenario over the reasonable projection period. Significant inputs to our estimate of the CECL reserve include loan specific factors, such as DSCR, LTV, remaining loan term, property type and others. In certain instances, for loans with unique risk characteristics, we may instead elect to employ different methods to estimate loan losses that also conform to ASU 2016-13 and related guidance.

Upon adoption of ASU No. 2016-13 on January 1, 2020, we recorded an initial CECL reserve of approximately $18.5 million, or approximately $0.34 per share, which is an equivalent to approximately 0.37% of our aggregate loan commitment balance of $4.4 billion at December 31, 2019. In addition, we recorded an incremental allowance for credit losses for the year ended December 31, 2020 of approximately $53.7 million, or $0.97 per common share, resulting in a cumulative year-to-date CECL impact of $72.2 million, or $1.31 per common share, largely reflecting the changed expectations for macroeconomic and commercial real estate market conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Credit performance of our portfolio is monitored regularly, with more intense analysis and oversight done on a quarterly basis, and each loan is evaluated by assessing the risk factors of each loan and assigning a risk rating based on a variety of factors. Risk ratings are defined as follows:

1 –Lower Risk

2 –Average Risk

3 –Acceptable Risk

4 –Higher Risk: A loan that has exhibited material deterioration in cash flows and/or other credit factors, which, if negative trends continue, could be indicative of probability of principal loss.

5 –Loss Likely: A loan that has a significantly increased probability of principal loss.

Income Taxes

Our financial results are generally not expected to reflect provisions for current or deferred income taxes, except for those taxable benefits or provisions recognized by our TRS or any excise tax we are subject to for failing to distribute the minimum required amount. We estimate, based on existence of sufficient evidence, the ability to realize the remainder of any deferred tax asset our TRS recognizes. Any adjustment to such estimates will be made in the period such determination is made. Additionally, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on any amount by which distributions paid by us in any calendar year are less than the sum of 85% of our ordinary income, 95% of our capital gain net income and 100% of our undistributed income from previous years. We plan to operate in a manner that will allow us to qualify to be treated as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result of our expected REIT qualification, we do not generally expect to pay U.S. federal corporate level taxes. However, many of the REIT requirements are highly technical and complex. If we were to fail to meet the REIT requirements, we would be subject to U.S. federal, state and local income taxes.

Summary of Results of Operations and Financial Condition

Our GAAP net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders was $23.1 million and ($40.5 million) (or $0.39 and ($0.73)) per diluted weighted average share, respectively) for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020, respectively, as compared to GAAP net income attributable to common stockholders of $17.6 million and $70.1 million ($0.32 and $1.32 per diluted weighted average share, respectively) for the three months and year ended December 31, 2019, respectively. The GAAP net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was primarily a result of an increase in the provision for credit losses recognized in accordance with ASU 2016-13 adopted on January 1, 2020 and the one-time restructuring charges related to the Internalization. The increase in the provision for credit losses was magnified by the significant deterioration in the forecasts of macroeconomic conditions during the first and second quarter of 2020, due to the economic and market dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The GAAP net loss for the year ended December 31, 2020 was also impacted by realized losses on sales of certain loans held-for-sale completed during the second and third quarters of 2020. The GAAP net income for the three months ended December 31, 2020 benefited from a partial release of the provision for credit losses, which was related to loan prepayments and somewhat improved macroeconomic forecasts, and a decrease in other operating expenses.

The following table presents the components of our comprehensive income (loss) for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 and year ended December 31, 2018:


(in thousands, except share data)	Three Months Ended				Year Ended
Income Statement Data:	December 31,				December 31,
	2020		2019		2020		2019		2018
Interest income:	(unaudited)
Loans held-for-investment	$	54,613	$	63,428	$	234,954	$	240,022	$	179,284
Loans held-for-sale	—		—		895		—		—
Available-for-sale securities	—		294		646		1,221		1,160
Held-to-maturity securities	—		435		659		2,239		3,194
Cash and cash equivalents	135		547		559		2,775		242
Total interest income	54,748		64,704		237,713		246,257		183,880
Interest expense:
Repurchase agreements	11,702		19,163		58,444		67,632		62,432
Securitized debt obligations	4,945		10,935		26,312		46,815		17,660
Convertible senior notes	4,522		4,512		18,092		17,971		10,783
Asset-specific financings	900		1,174		3,862		2,891		—
Revolving credit facilities	—		491		779		1,673		648
Senior secured term loan facilities	5,301		—		5,446		—		—


Total interest expense	27,370		36,275		112,935		136,982		91,523
Net interest income	27,378		28,429		124,778		109,275		92,357

Other income (loss):
Provision for credit losses	8,531		—		(53,710)		—		—
Realized losses on sales	—		—		(16,913)		—		—
Fee income	—		95		1,117		1,210		1,446

Total other income (loss)	8,531		95		(69,506)		1,210		1,446
Expenses:
Base management fees	3,946		3,841		15,786		14,854		12,509
Incentive fees	—		—		—		244		—
Servicing expenses	1,031		999		4,056		3,670		2,196
Restructuring charges	2,570		—		46,252		—		—
Other operating expenses	4,603		6,008		29,024		21,507		16,025
Total expenses	12,150		10,848		95,118		40,275		30,730
Income (loss) before income taxes	23,759		17,676		(39,846)		70,210		63,073
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes	608		—		593		(4)		(2)
Net income (loss)	23,151		17,676		(40,439)		70,214		63,075
Dividends on preferred stock	25		25		100		100		100
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders	$	23,126	$	17,651	$	(40,539)	$	70,114	$	62,975
Basic earnings (loss) per weighted average common share	$	0.42	$	0.32	$	(0.73)	$	1.32	$	1.45
Diluted earnings (loss) per weighted average common share	$	0.39	$	0.32	$	(0.73)	$	1.32	$	1.42
Dividends declared per common share	$	0.45	$	0.42	$	0.65	$	1.68	$	1.62
Weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding:
Basic	55,205,082		54,853,205		55,156,482		53,087,395		43,445,384
Diluted	70,009,741		54,853,205		55,156,482		53,087,395		52,039,997
Comprehensive income (loss):
Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders	$	23,126	$	17,651	$	(40,539)	$	70,114	$	62,975
Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities	—		—		(32)		224		(192)
Other comprehensive income	—		—		(32)		224		(192)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$	23,126	$	17,651	$	(40,571)	$	70,338	$	62,783

The following table presents the primary components of our balance sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019:


(in thousands)	December 31, 2020		December 31, 2019
Balance Sheet Data:

Loans held-for-investment, net	$	3,847,803	$	4,226,212
Total assets	$	4,219,648	$	4,460,862
Repurchase agreements	$	1,708,875	$	1,924,021
Securitized debt obligations	$	927,128	$	1,041,044
Asset-specific financings	$	123,091	$	116,465
Revolving credit facilities	$	—	$	42,008
Convertible senior notes	$	271,250	$	269,634
Senior secured term loan facilities	206,448		$	—
Total stockholders’ equity	$	933,846	$	1,019,136

Results of Operations

Interest Income

Interest income decreased from $246.3 million to $237.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020, respectively, due to a significant decline in short-term interest rates, as well as repayments of loans held-for-investment of $517.3 million, partially offset by the in-the-money LIBOR floors on the majority of our loans, the origination of four commercial real estate loans with a principal balance of $125.2 million and additional fundings of $239.0 million provided on existing loan commitments during 2020. Interest income decreased from $64.7 million to $54.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020, respectively, due to the aforementioned decline in short term-interest rates and a decline in portfolio balance.

Interest Expense

Interest expense decreased from $36.3 million and $137.0 million for the three months and year ended December 31, 2019, respectively, to $27.4 million and $112.9 million for the same periods in 2020, respectively, primarily due to a significant decline in short-term interest rates.

Net Interest Income

The following tables present the components of interest income and average annualized net asset yield earned by asset type, the components of interest expense and average annualized cost of funds on borrowings incurred by collateral type and net interest income and average annualized net interest rate spread for the three months and year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:


	Three Months Ended December 31, 2020						Year Ended December 31, 2020
(dollars in thousands)	Average Balance		Interest Income/Expense (1)		Net Yield/Cost of Funds		Average Balance		Interest Income/Expense (1)		Net Yield/Cost of Funds
Interest-earning assets (2)
Loans held-for-investment/held-for-sale
Senior loans (3)	$	3,920,917	$	53,996	5.5	%	$	4,156,473	$	233,212	5.6	%
Subordinated loans	25,589		617		9.6	%	26,932		2,637		9.8	%
Available-for-sale securities	—		—				8,034		646		8.0	%
Held-to-maturity securities	—		—				7,853		659		8.4	%
Other			135						559
Total interest income/net asset yield	$	3,946,506	$	54,748	5.5	%	$	4,199,292	$	237,713	5.7	%
Interest-bearing liabilities
Borrowings collateralized by:
Loans held-for-investment/held-for sale
Senior loans (3)	$	2,795,920	$	17,478	2.5	%	$	3,010,143	$	88,667	2.9	%
Subordinated loans	8,568		69		3.2	%	8,793		322		3.7	%
Available-for-sale securities	—		—				5,083		198		3.9	%
Held-to-maturity securities	—		—				4,773		210		4.4	%
Other unsecured:
Senior secured term loan facilities	206,181		5,301		10.3	%	53,222		5,446		10.2	%
Convertible senior notes	271,117		4,522		6.7	%	270,506		18,092		6.7	%
Total interest expense/cost of funds	$	3,281,786	27,370		3.3	%	$	3,352,520	112,935		3.4	%
Net interest income/spread			$	27,378	2.2	%			$	124,778	2.3	%


	Three Months Ended December 31, 2019						Year Ended December 31, 2019
(dollars in thousands)	Average Balance		Interest Income/Expense (1)		Net Yield/Cost of Funds		Average Balance		Interest Income/Expense (1)		Net Yield/Cost of Funds
Interest-earning assets (2)
Loans held-for-investment
Senior loans (3)	$	4,091,889	$	62,723	6.1	%	$	3,571,334	$	236,949	6.6	%
Subordinated loans	28,090		705		10.0	%	30,258		3,073		10.2	%
Available-for-sale securities	12,798		294		9.2	%	12,798		1,221		9.5	%
Held-to-maturity securities	18,307		435		9.5	%	22,642		2,239		9.9	%
Other			547						2,775
Total interest income/net asset yield	$	4,151,084	$	64,704	6.2	%	$	3,637,032	$	246,257	6.8	%
Interest-bearing liabilities
Borrowings collateralized by:
Loans held-for-investment
Senior loans (3)	$	2,999,850	$