Our Philosophy.
Fitzwilliam takes a holistic approach to real estate investing, emphasizing a deep understanding of all key elements in the real estate process. Fitzwilliam believes the role of the Sponsor in real estate investing is to responsibly organize the various stakeholders and professionals to execute on the investment plan from pre-acquisition all the way through disposition of an asset.
Fitzwilliam’s ultimate goal is to maximize risk adjusted returns for investors. Each investment opportunity has a unique set of factors that must be identified and quantified from the asset level to the specific market to the available financial structures. We consider ourselves experts in defining the above and work with some of the best professionals in the business when it requires going outside our organization to obtain the necessary skill sets.
““The best investment on Earth is earth.””
““Don’t wait to buy real estate. Buy real estate and wait.””
Meet the Team.
co-founder / PRINCIPAL
Michael Friedman
Michael L. Friedman is a co-founder and serves as a Principal of Fitzwilliam Companies. In addition to leading the company’s operations, Michael is responsible for capital raising, both debt and equity, as well as focusing on property and asset management.
Most recently, Michael spent four years as the New England market head for Gerber Finance Inc., a NYC-based asset based lender serving the lower middle market. In that role, Michael was responsible for originating and underwriting revolving lines of credit and other working capital credit facilities for New England manufacturers, distributors and service companies.
Prior to joining Gerber, Michael was President and CEO of PM Industries, a collection of family controlled businesses which manufactured and distributed commercial interiors with a focus on the food service, retail and hospitality markets. At its peak, the PMI companies had $150M in revenues and 350 employees. He also participated in the acquisition, management and sale of over 1,000,000 SF of commercial and industrial real estate and managed a portfolio of mortgage and corporate loans.
Michael is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania (B.A., Economics, 1999). A lifelong resident of Rhode Island, he is active in the community and serves on several boards. He resides in East Greenwich, RI with his wife and three children.
Education
WHARTON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
B.A., Economics, 1999
Affiliations
• Treasurer and Executive Committee Board Member - Grow Smart Rhode Island
• Treasurer and Immediate Past President - Rotary Club of Metro Providence
• Board of Directors - Turnaround Management Association - New England Chapter
• Member of the Corporation - Johnston and
Wales University
co-founder / PRINCIPAL
Mark Friedman
Mark E. Friedman is a co-founder of Fitzwilliam Companies and serves as a Principal working on the acquisition of new assets with a focus on retail, office, and industrial properties as well as development sites. His contributions to the firm include the sourcing of new opportunities, negotiation, financial analysis, due diligence and asset management.
Mark has 15 years of direct real estate investing experience, most recently as an acquisition associate with New York City based Lotus Equity Group, a real estate owner and developer, where he worked on the acquisition of a 4 million square foot ground up mixed-use project in Newark, NJ in addition to several hospitality and industrial developments. Prior to this position, Mark held roles with Storage Deluxe, a NYC based self storage developer, and with Swig Equities, where he worked on the acquisition and asset management of a 2 million square foot office and condominium conversion portfolio. Other positions held include CMBS underwriter at KTR Newmark as well as property and asset management roles with his family-owned real estate firm.
Mark holds a graduate degree from New York University (M.S., Real Estate Finance, 2005) and is an alumnus of the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (B.S., Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, 2002). Originally hailing from Rhode Island, he now resides in New York City with his wife and two children.
Education
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
M.S., Real Estate Finance, 2005
WISCONSIN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
B.S., Real Estate and Urban Land Economics, 2002
Affiliations
• ICSC - Certified Retail Real Estate Professional (“CRRP”)
