Kim Misso is the founder and managing principal of Infinitum (formerly OP Compliance), the leading service provider to the CRE servicing industry. Kim has more than 20 years of experience in operational controls and compliance. She has participated in the design, implementation, and operation of best-in-class risk management and compliance functions for dozens of clients of various sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. In this post, Kim shares her experience founding Infinitum, her view on the CRE servicing industry, and what gets her excited about the future.

What led you to found Infinitum (then OP Compliance)?

MISSO: My journey to founding Infinitum began during my tenure in consulting. I started at Arthur Andersen and later moved to Deloitte. I loved the high-speed, problem-solving culture of consulting. After nearly five years at Deloitte, I decided to shift to commercial real estate servicing. I joined a small firm with big aspirations, but they lacked the necessary resources to scale effectively, especially in areas such as compliance and operations. This mismatch between their ambitions and reality highlighted a critical gap in the market.

This realization sparked the idea for Infinitum (originally OP Compliance). I saw an opportunity to combine my expertise in servicing with my experience in consulting to form a company fully focused on helping servicers meet the servicing standard and scale their businesses effectively and efficiently.

While starting a company was definitely scary, entrepreneurship is in my blood - my parents were entrepreneurs. While it hasn't been without its challenges, it’s been an immensely rewarding career, especially when I look at the impact we’ve had on so many clients and their operations.

What are the biggest challenges servicers are facing today?

MISSO: The challenges CRE servicers face today revolve around the inherent complexity of their operations and resource demands. Commercial real estate servicing is a complicated business. Every property and transaction is unique, requiring tailored handling and deep expertise. This complexity makes standardization difficult and increases the dependency on skilled personnel.

Servicing relies on a high degree of manual processes. From underwriting to asset management, the need for human intervention is prevalent, making the processes time-consuming and prone to errors. This reliance on manual touchpoints also contributes to scalability issues - when volume goes up, so does the workload and complexity.

While there is a clear desire to shift towards automation and manage operations by exception (where routine processes are automated, and only anomalies require human intervention); achieving this is particularly challenging. Smaller servicers with limited resources find it especially difficult (or too expensive) to adopt new technologies that could automate tasks and reduce the manual burden. This is a huge focus area for us. We’re constantly looking for ways to help servicers onboard new tech, optimize the tech and processes they have in place, or add the resources and expertise they need to thrive.

How does Infinitum deliver value to clients?

MISSO: Simply put, we’re servicing experts, we have a comprehensive solution set, and we care deeply.

Unlike the larger consulting shops, we are fully focused on CRE servicing. This translates to deep expertise in the space, in fact, our most junior person has 15 years of experience in real estate, capital markets, and compliance! This specialization allows us to quickly identify pain points in our clients’ businesses and address them before they become bigger issues.

Over the years, we’ve built a robust solution set that we can leverage on behalf of our clients, including operational consulting and optimization; compliance and regulatory risk management; as well as emergency staffing, training, and education. We deploy this solution set flexibly, aligning services and needs to help our clients meet their servicing standards and establish strong, efficient, and scalable processes.

We also care a lot about our clients and their businesses. Our team is a deeply committed and passionate group that is fully focused on delivering exceptional results. It’s what drives us each and every day.

What would you hope a client of Infinitum would say about the firm?

MISSO: I would hope a client of Infinitum would say that we are a valuable partner and an expert resource, always ready to pick up the phone and assist them. They should feel that their business is stronger because of our collaboration and that our commitment to building long-lasting relationships is evident in everything we do.

What advice would you give someone coming into the servicing industry?

MISSO: For those entering the commercial real estate servicing industry today, my advice is to work to understand the broader context of your work. Knowing how your role impacts borrowers, investors, and other stakeholders is crucial. Focus on how decisions in your job affect others, and try to learn about all different parts of the business, not just your immediate responsibilities. This comprehensive understanding will help you see how your tasks connect with other areas and how they influence the overall success of the business.

Moreover, this approach can help you discover which aspects of the industry you are most passionate about, guiding you to a career path that resonates with you. So, dive deep into understanding the industry. You'll be better at your job and also more fulfilled in your career.

What excites you about the future?

MISSO: I'm excited about a future where automation takes a more meaningful role in this industry. I truly believe it will deliver exponential value for clients’ businesses. The ability to manage by exception is a game changer for servicers and creates an environment where their teams can focus on value-add opportunities vs. routine tasks.

I’m also excited about all that’s ahead for our firm. We recently introduced our new brand identity[1] ; we have a phenomenal team of experts; and we’re proud of the client roster we’ve built.

About Infinitum

Infinitum is the pre-eminent solutions provider to the CRE loan servicing industry. The firm provides comprehensive advisory, operational risk management, and talent solutions that enable commercial real estate loan servicers to meet servicing standards and establish strong, efficient, and scalable processes. 

To learn more about how Infinitum can help your servicing business, explore our offering at www.infinitumcre.com/our-services