Our History Reflects a Steady Philosophy:
Act Decisively When Others Hesitate
Island Capital has continued to evolve through market cycles, anticipating change, capitalizing on distress and building a platform that endures.
Our Foundations
1990
1990 - 2003
Capitalizing on market dislocation following the 1986 Tax Reform Act. Island Capital’s story begins with its predecessor, Insignia Financial Group, founded by Andrew Farkas in 1990.
Insignia Financial Group
Insignia grew to become one of the largest owners and operators of multifamily in the U.S., with more than 275,000 units and over 200 million square feet of commercial space. Through strategic acquisitions like Edward S. Gordon and Douglas Elliman, and its eventual merger forming CBRE, Insignia set the foundation for decades of innovation in real estate investment and operations.
1990
Andrew Farkas founds Insignia Financial Group
1992
Goes public on the NYSE; Sponsors first rated non-cross collateralized non-cross defaulted multifamily mortgage securitization
1996
Acquires Edward S. Gordon Company, expanding into commercial real estate
1998
Insignia sells its apartment business to Apartment Investment & Management Co. (AIMCO)
1999
Acquires Douglas Elliman, expanding into brokerage
2003
Merges commercial services business with Coldwell Banker to form CRBE, concluding Insignia’s transformative run
Formation & Expansion
2003
2003 - 2009
Strategic Advisory and Investment Across Real Estate and Corporate Sectors
In 2003, Andrew Farkas founded Island Capital Group to extend the principles of value creation established at Insignia. The firm quickly distinguished itself through complex advisory and principal transactions, including work on iconic assets like 230 Park Avenue, 450 Lexington Avenue, The Mandarin Oriental in New York and the W Hotel - Union Square.
Its expertise also expanded globally, advising sovereign entities and launching ventures such as Island Global Yachting, reflecting a growing reach across asset classes and geographies.
2003
Andrew Farkas founds Island Capital
2005
Advises UAE on its first-ever AAA rated asset-backed securitization
2005
Launches Island Global Yachting; grows platform to 23 marinas in 13 countries
2005 - 2009
Principal and advisor on premier New York City assets, including 230 Park Avenue, 450 Lexington Avenue, 280 Park Avenue, W Hotel Union Square, and the Mandarin Oriental, NYC.
Integration & Growth
2010
2010 - 2025
Building One of the industry’s Most Comprehensive Investment Platforms
In 2010, Island Capital recapitalized Centerline Holding Company to create C-III Capital Partners, marking its entry into real estate credit and special servicing.
Over the following decade, the firm launched multiple Recovery Funds, managed billions in complex real estate assets, and acquired and/or built vertically integrated operating companies including NAI Global, Resource America, Real Capital Markets, PZR, U.S. Residential Group, Exantas Capital Corp, C-III Commercial Mortgage, C-III Asset Management and Zodiac Title. This period solidified Island Capital’s reputation for uncovering value amid market disruption and executing across the full capital stack.
2010
Recapitalizes Centerline Holding Co.; forms C-III Capital Partners
2010
Launches Recovery Fund I
2011
Launches High Yield Real Estate Debt Fund I
2011 - 2014
Builds vertically integrated platform including C-III Commercial Mortgage, C-III Asset Management, NAI Global, Real Capital Markets, PZR, U.S. Residential Group, Exantas, Resource America and Zodiac Title
2013
Launches Recovery Fund II
2013
Launches High Yield Real Estate Debt Fund III
2015
Launches High Yield Real Estate Debt Fund IV
2017
Launches Recovery Fund III
2020
Launches NYC Recovery Fund I
2022
Launches Recovery Fund IV
The Next Chapter: C-IV Capital Partners
2026
An Integrated Approach for the Next Market Cycle
Island Capital is combining decades of experience in both real estate equity and debt under one comprehensive platform known as C-IV Capital Partners. C-IV is a combination of the strategies of Insignia and C-III and will deploy capital opportunistically across the entire spectrum of real estate and real estate related operating businesses.