UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 20, 2025
Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| Maryland | 001-40923 | 46-1406086 |
| (State or other jurisdiction | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer |
| of incorporation) | Identification No.) |
1 Madison Ave., Suite 1600
New York, New York 10010
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 588-6770
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2 below):
| ¨ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ¨ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ¨ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered |
| Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share | FBRT | New York Stock Exchange |
| 7.50% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share | FBRT PRE | New York Stock Exchange |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ¨
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Item 8.01. Other Events
On June 20, 2025, Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing the issuance of unsecured senior notes by its operating partnership, FBRT OP LLC. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
EXHIBIT INDEX
| Exhibit No. |
Description | |
| 99.1 | Press Release of the Company, dated as of June 20, 2025. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| FRANKLIN BSP REALTY TRUST, INC. | ||
| By: | /s/ Jerome S. Baglien | |
| Name: | Jerome S. Baglien | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer | |
Date: June 20, 2025
Exhibit 99.1

Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. Announces Issuance of Unsecured Senior Notes
New York City, NY – June 20, 2025 – Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FBRT) (“FBRT” or the “Company”) today announced that through its operating partnership, FBRT OP LLC, it has successfully issued, in a private offering, $107 million aggregate principal amount of unsecured senior notes, consisting of $82 million of 8.25% unsecured senior notes due 2030 (the “Fixed Rate Notes”) and $25 million of floating rate unsecured senior notes due 2028, with an initial coupon of approximately 8.33% (the “Floating Rate Notes,” and together with the Fixed Rate Notes, the “Notes”). The Fixed Rate Notes will mature on April 25, 2030 and the Floating Rate Notes will mature on April 25, 2028.
The Company expects to use the net proceeds from the issuance of the Notes for general corporate purposes, which may include funding a portion of the purchase price for the recently announced acquisition of NewPoint Holdings JV LLC. There is no guarantee such acquisition will close, and the issuance of the Notes was not contingent on the closing of such acquisition.
The Notes were offered only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers and accredited investors in reliance on Rule 144A and Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and non-U.S. persons outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes will not initially be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act or any state securities laws.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.
About Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc.
Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FBRT) is a real estate investment trust that originates, acquires and manages a diversified portfolio of commercial real estate debt secured by properties located in the United States. As of March 31, 2025, FBRT had approximately $5.7 billion of assets. FBRT is externally managed by Benefit Street Partners L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. For further information, please visit www.fbrtreit.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements included in this press release are forward-looking statements. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company and members of our management team, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based, and generally are identified by the use of words such as "may," "will," "seeks," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "should" or similar expressions. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Further, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time, unless required by law.
The Company's forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include macroeconomic factors in the United States including inflation, changing interest rates and economic contraction, the extent of any recoveries on delinquent loans, the financial stability of our borrowers and the other, risks and important factors contained and identified in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and its subsequent filings with the SEC, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date hereof.
Investor Relations Contact:
Lindsey Crabbe
l.crabbe@benefitstreetpartners.com
Media Contact:
Adrienne Herrera
adrienne.herrera@franklintempleton.com