Ares Commercial Real Estate Corp. engages in originating and investing in commercial real estate loans and related investments. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and currently employs 2,550 full-time employees. The company went IPO on 2012-04-26. The firm is primarily engaged in originating and investing in commercial real estate (CRE) loans and related investments. The firm operates through its segment, which is primarily focused on directly originating and managing a diversified portfolio of CRE debt-related investments for the Company’s own account. The Company’s target investments include senior mortgage loans, subordinated debt, preferred equity, mezzanine loans and other CRE investments, including commercial mortgage-backed securities. These investments are generally held for investment and are secured, directly or indirectly, by office, multifamily, retail, industrial, lodging, self-storage, student housing, residential, and other commercial real estate properties, or by ownership interests therein. The Company’s portfolio is externally managed by Ares Commercial Real Estate Management LLC (the Manager).