Your commercial real estate loan is approaching maturity. Property values have declined, interest rates are higher, and refinancing is no longer an option.

What happens next, and how do you protect your investment before the lender gains the upper hand?

For property owners facing loan maturity, the biggest risk isn’t always the debt itself. It’s waiting too long to address the problem. Understanding your options before the lender gains leverage can make the difference between restructuring a loan and losing control of an investment.

In this episode, Aviva Sonenreich and Shlomo Chopp, Managing Partner at Case, discuss what happens when commercial real estate loans come due and borrowers cannot refinance, how distressed CMBS loan workouts are negotiated, and where investors can find opportunities during periods of market uncertainty.

Shlomo explains why loans originated during periods of lower interest rates are creating challenges for borrowers today. He shares the warning signs owners should recognize, why approaching lenders early matters, and how a realistic financial plan can strengthen a borrower’s position during restructuring negotiations.

Aviva brings the discussion to Denver’s commercial real estate market, where distressed office properties and declining valuations are forcing owners and investors to reconsider what their assets are worth.

The conversation also explores the investment opportunities emerging from commercial real estate distress, including discounted acquisitions, mortgage note purchases, and recapitalizations. Shlomo shares his outlook on office, multifamily, retail, hospitality, and industrial real estate, including why he believes some asset classes offer better opportunities than others.

Beyond financing and investment strategy, they discuss why honesty, professional reputation, and long-term relationships remain essential when navigating difficult commercial real estate transactions.

Key Topics Discussed

• Commercial real estate loan maturity: What happens when a loan comes due and the borrower cannot secure refinancing.
• CMBS market distress: Why higher interest rates, declining cash flow, and changing property valuations are creating problems for borrowers and lenders.
• Early warning signs: How property owners can recognize financial trouble before their restructuring options become limited.
• Loan workouts and lender negotiations: Why borrowers need a credible financial plan that offers lenders a better alternative to foreclosure or other remedies.
• Protecting negotiating leverage: Why waiting too long to address a troubled commercial mortgage can make restructuring more difficult.
• Denver’s distressed office market: What declining property values reveal about changing demand, asset competitiveness, and investment risk.
• Commercial real estate fundamentals: Why tenant demand, property operations, and realistic income projections matter more than assumptions about appreciation.
• Distressed investment opportunities: How investors can evaluate discounted properties, mortgage note acquisitions, and recapitalization strategies.
• Where Shlomo sees investment potential: His outlook on office, multifamily, retail, hospitality, and industrial real estate.
• Reputation in commercial real estate: Why transparency and long-term relationships can be more valuable than forcing a deal to close.

About the Guest

Shlomo Chopp is the Managing Partner at Case, a commercial real estate investment and advisory firm specializing in distressed debt, loan restructuring, and complex real estate transactions. With an extensive background in commercial real estate investing and advisory, Shlomo has worked across the capital stack, including bonds, commercial mortgages, and direct property investments. His experience also includes overseeing significant investment and advisory transactions and working with a diversified family office portfolio. He brings a strategic perspective to identifying off-market opportunities, navigating distressed assets, and unlocking value through creative financing and restructuring solutions.

About the Host

Aviva Sonenreich is the Managing Broker and Owner of the Warehouse Hotline, a Denver commercial real estate brokerage specializing exclusively in industrial properties. She leads the firm’s brokerage operations, negotiates industrial sales and leasing transactions, advises clients on acquisition and disposition strategies, and oversees the company’s marketing and business development efforts. Through Commercial Real Estate Secrets, she interviews leading investors, brokers, developers, and industry experts to provide actionable insights on commercial real estate investing, brokerage, leasing, development, and market trends.

Need to Sell, Lease, or Reposition an Industrial Property in Colorado?

When financing conditions change, understanding your property’s market value, leasing potential, and available options becomes increasingly important.

At The Warehouse Hotline, we help industrial property owners and investors navigate sales, acquisitions, leasing, landlord representation, tenant representation, and property management throughout Denver and Colorado.

Whether you’re evaluating a property sale, considering an industrial acquisition, or looking to improve your property’s leasing position, our team provides specialized market knowledge and transaction experience to help you make informed decisions.

With a family history in Colorado industrial real estate dating back to 1984, we understand that every property requires its own strategy.

Explore our industrial real estate services to see how we can help you evaluate your next move.