Exhibit 5.1

 

May 3, 2024

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. 

333 Earle Ovington Boulevard, Suite 900 

Uniondale, New York 11553

Re:      Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have served as Maryland counsel to Arbor Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with certain matters of Maryland law arising out of the sale and issuance of up to 30,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), of the Company, covered by the above-referenced Registration Statement, and all amendments related thereto (the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company on the date hereof with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). The Shares are to be issued from time to time in at-the-market offerings pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (the “ED Agreement”), by and among the Company, Arbor Realty Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership, and Citizens JMP Securities, LLC (“JMP”).

In connection with our representation of the Company, and as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Documents”):

1.            The Registration Statement, in the form transmitted to the Commission under the 1933 Act;

2.            The Company’s Prospectus, dated as of the date hereof, as supplemented by the Company’s Prospectus Supplement, dated as of the date hereof, each in the form in which it was filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) promulgated under the 1933 Act;

3.            The charter of the Company (the “Charter”), certified by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”);

4.            The Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

5.            A certificate of the SDAT as to the good standing of the Company, dated as of a recent date;

 

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. 

May 3, 2024 

Page 2

6.            Resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Resolutions”), authorizing the registration, sale and issuance of the Shares, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

7.            The ED Agreement;

8.            A certificate executed by an officer of the Company, dated as of the date hereof; and

9.            Such other documents and matters as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to express the opinion set forth below, subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein.

In expressing the opinion set forth below, we have assumed the following:

1.            Each individual executing any of the Documents, whether on behalf of such individual or another person, is legally competent to do so.

2.            Each individual executing any of the Documents on behalf of a party (other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so.

3.            Each of the parties (other than the Company) executing any of the Documents has duly and validly executed and delivered each of the Documents to which such party is a signatory, and such party’s obligations set forth therein are legal, valid and binding and are enforceable in accordance with all stated terms.

4.            All Documents submitted to us as originals are authentic. The form and content of all Documents submitted to us as unexecuted drafts do not differ in any respect relevant to this opinion from the form and content of such Documents as executed and delivered. All Documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents. All signatures on all Documents are genuine. All public records reviewed or relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and complete. All representations, warranties, statements and information contained in the Documents are true and complete. There has been no oral or written modification of or amendment to any of the Documents, and there has been no waiver of any provision of any of the Documents, by action or omission of the parties or otherwise.

 

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. 

May 3, 2024 

Page 3

5.            The Shares will not be issued or transferred in violation of the restrictions on transfer and ownership of shares of stock of the Company set forth in Article VII of the Charter.

6.            Upon the issuance of any Shares, the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding will not exceed the total number of shares of Common Stock that the Company is then authorized to issue under the Charter.

7.            The number of Shares, and the offering price of each Share, to be issued by the Company from time to time pursuant to the ED Agreement will be determined by the Authorized Officers in accordance with the Resolutions and the ED Agreement (with such determinations referred to hereinafter as the “Officer Instructions”) prior to the issuance thereof.

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that:

1.            The Company is a corporation duly incorporated and existing under the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT.

2.            The issuance of the Shares has been duly authorized and, when and if issued and delivered against payment therefor in accordance with the Officer Instructions, the Resolutions, the ED Agreement and the Registration Statement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

The foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Maryland and we do not express any opinion herein concerning federal law or the laws of any other state. We express no opinion as to compliance with any federal or state securities laws, including the securities laws of the State of Maryland, or as to federal or state laws regarding fraudulent transfers or the laws, codes or regulations of any municipality or other local jurisdiction. To the extent that any matter as to which our opinion is expressed herein would be governed by the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter. The opinion expressed herein is subject to the effect of any judicial decision which may permit the introduction of parol evidence to modify the terms or the interpretation of agreements.

The opinion expressed herein is limited to the matters specifically set forth herein and no other opinion shall be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated. We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof.

 

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. 

May 3, 2024 

Page 4

This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K relating to the Offering (the “Current Report”). We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Current Report and to the use of the name of our firm therein. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Venable LLP