Variable Interest Entities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Variable Interest Entities

Variable Interest Entities

Collateralized Loan Obligations — KREF is the primary beneficiary of its consolidated CLOs (Note 6). Management considers the CLO Issuers, wholly-owned subsidiaries of KREF, to be the primary beneficiary as the CLO Issuers have the ability to control the most significant activities of the CLO, the obligation to absorb losses, and the right to receive benefits of the CLO through the subordinate interests the CLO Issuers own.

Real Estate Owned Joint Venture — Concurrently with taking title of KREF’s sole REO asset, KREF contributed the REO to a joint venture with a third party local developer operator (“JV Partner”), whereby KREF has a 90% interest in the joint venture and the JV Partner has a 10% interest. Management determined the joint venture to be a VIE as the joint venture has insufficient equity-at-risk and concluded that KREF is the primary beneficiary of the joint venture as KREF holds decision-making power over the activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the joint venture and has the obligation to absorb losses of, or the right to receive benefits from, the joint venture that could be potentially significant to the joint venture. As of December 31, 2021, the joint venture held REO assets with a net carrying value of $68.9 million, of which $0.1 million represented non-controlling interests. The JV Partner’s non-controlling interests of $0.1 million as of December represents the JV Partner’s share of acquisition costs of the REO. KREF has priority of distributions up to the acquisition date net fair value of the REO before the JV Partner can participate in the economics of the joint venture.

Equity method investments

As of December 31, 2021, KREF held a 3.5% interest in RECOP I, an unconsolidated VIE of which KREF is not the primary beneficiary, at its fair value of $35.5 million. The aggregator vehicle in which KREF invests is controlled and advised by affiliates of the Manager. RECOP I primarily acquired junior tranches of CMBS newly issued by third parties. KREF will not pay any fees to RECOP I, but KREF bears its pro rata share of RECOP I's expenses. KREF reported its share of the net asset value of RECOP I in its Consolidated Balance Sheets, presented as “Equity method investments” and its share of net income, presented as “Income from equity method investments” in the Consolidated Statements of Income.

KREF, through a Taxable REIT Subsidiary ("TRS"), held non-voting limited liability company interests issued by the Manager ("Non-Voting Manager Units"), a VIE, for the benefit of the holder of the SNVPS (Note 11). KREF reported its share of net income, presented as “Income from equity method investments” in the Consolidated Statements of Income. On October 1, 2021, KREF TRS redeemed its interest in the Manager for a cash call amount of $5.1 million when the KKR Member exercised its Call Option to redeem the Non-Voting Manager Units, including the Non-Voting Manager Units held by KREF TRS.