James P. Cate

Managing Principal & Founder

Putting it simply, James Cate is most comfortable taking the road less traveled.

In his successful real estate career, which spans three decades, James has been involved in real estate consulting projects and transactions valued at more than $1 billion. He has been on both sides, filling both advisory and principal roles. His expertise includes acquisitions, asset management, workouts, dispositions and structured finance. In addition, he has experience in investment brokerage, leasing, and sale-leasebacks.  This includes office, industrial, residential, retail, and land.

Prior to founding Glenfield Capital in 2005, James was the managing principal for the Southeastern Region of New York-based Newmark. There he managed large-scale transactions on behalf of institutions, private equity firms, developers and off-shore investors. His clients included SwissRe, Manulife Insurance, Veritas Capital, Platinum Equity Holdings, and GMAC Insurance.

When asked what makes real estate investing so appealing to him, James cites the unique combination of bricks and mortar, creative ideas, strategic finance, and, ultimately, the need for effective salesmanship that makes the real estate world go round.

James’ professional recognition includes being the youngest vice president of Bryant & Associates (Advantis), the #1 producer in the Atlanta office of Marcus & Millichap, and the top southeastern producer for Savills Studley.

Real success requires having a vision and the courage to stray from the herd. You have to trust your instincts and stay the course.
There is no greater compliment than earning the trust of others who are willing to invest alongside you.

Today, James is a highly sought-after speaker for industry events and conferences and a frequent guest lecturer at Georgia State University’s nationally ranked Robinson School of Business.  He has been quoted extensively including in BusinessWeek, National Real Estate Investor Magazine, Georgia Trend, and the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

James earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree the Robinson School of Business at Georgia State University.

James enjoyed coaching both of his children and went on to coach soccer for 14 seasons. He developed a passion for coaching and believes that a good coach is a mentor, teacher, motivator, and psychologist.  Knowledge and understanding of the actual sport is secondary to those traits.  He believes that the same rings true for the real estate world.  Simply understanding the ‘bricks and mortar’ aspects of the industry isn’t enough.  To be truly successful, you have to possess a diverse set of skills – analytic capabilities, relationship-building skills, negotiation skills, and salesmanship