Sean Sjodin spent $5.1 million on a suburban-style office complex in Denver, but in a rather atypical fashion.

“This is new age … You have to be very creative to get any office financing in this market,” he said.

Sjodin runs local real estate firm Ascent Real Estate Partners. Last year, he zeroed in on an acquisition target: the 110,000-square-foot office complex at 6000 E. Evans Ave., made up of three 1970s office buildings.

But the former banker knew no bank was going to loan him money at an attractive rate to buy the property. It was half-vacant, occupancy was trending down and “ugly,” by Sjodin’s own admission.

“It was very challenging and I would say looking down the barrel of a gun,” he said. “You had a declining trend that was consistent since COVID, and you didn’t know if you c

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