As a former professional basketball player for Maccabi Raanana in Israel’s National League, Sage Usher brings the discipline and quick decision-making honed on the court to his work. Over the past two years, he has established Ushjo Lending as a rising force in private lending, operating across multiple U.S. states. While Sage is building his reputation in Miami, his roots in the industry trace back to Toronto, where his father, Marty Usher, has successfully run a respected private lending business for decades.
Growing up, Sage watched Marty transform raw intuition into a profitable business. “My dad is that guy who always knew how to make deals work,” Sage said. “He taught me the importance of relationships and taking calculated risks, but I wanted to combine that with something new—technology, speed, and a broader reach.”
Building a Modern Lending Model
Sage began his career working alongside his father, Marty, in Toronto, where he learned relationship management and developed a knack for identifying unique opportunities. With ambitions beyond his hometown, he launched Ushjo Lending after honing his skills in New York’s competitive real estate market.
Before founding Ushjo, Sage spent four years as a debt broker in New York City, gaining a deep understanding of deal structuring and building strong broker relationships that have been key to his rapid growth. In 2024, he moved to Miami, strategically positioning himself in one of the U.S.'s most dynamic markets while maintaining a strong focus on New York, where most of his deals and relationships remain.
“Miami is the gateway to some of the most dynamic markets in the U.S.,” Sage explained. “But I’m not bound by geography. My borrowers and broker relationships are everywhere, and so are the opportunities.” While most of his deals are in New York, he’s also closed loans in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, and Connecticut.
By focusing on New York and Miami while staying open to opportunities elsewhere, Sage has established himself as a versatile and adaptable lender, leveraging his brokerage experience and market expertise to position Ushjo Lending as a rising force in private lending.
Private Lending Reimagined
While Marty Usher still runs his Toronto business with a personal, relationship-first approach, Sage is part of a new wave of private lenders transforming the industry. His operation, though lean, is highly effective.
Sage handles every aspect of his business—from deal negotiation to underwriting and raising capital. This hands-on approach gives him agility in a market increasingly dominated by institutional players. “I don’t need a big team to make smart, fast decisions,” he said. “Being small allows me to stay personal, but being tech-savvy lets me compete with anyone.”
Leveraging Technology Across State Lines
Sage’s lending platform is what sets him apart. By integrating an operating system like Baseline into his daily operations, he evaluates deals across multiple states with a speed and precision that traditional private lenders struggle to match. Baseline takes care of his back office functions, allowing him to analyze market trends, borrower risk profiles, and deal structures in real time, enabling him to close loans in days rather than weeks.
While his father’s generation relied on relationships and intuition, Sage’s approach blends that old-school trust with cutting-edge technology. “Borrowers still value personal connections, but they also want efficiency,” Sage explained. “I’m proving you can deliver both.”
This tech-driven strategy has allowed Sage to lend successfully across states, from Florida to New York and beyond. His reach has made him a trusted resource for real estate developers who need flexible funding solutions, particularly for projects that fall outside the rigid requirements of institutional lenders.
Competing in a Changing Landscape
The private lending industry is in the midst of an evolution. Once dominated by small players operating on instinct, the sector has seen an influx of institutional lenders leveraging their vast resources to capture market share. For Sage, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity.
“Institutions are good at scale, but they’re terrible at flexibility,” Sage said. “That’s where private lenders like me come in. I can assess and close deals faster because I’m not bogged down by bureaucracy.”
Sage focuses on lending where banks fail to understand borrower needs. Whether it’s funding a mid-sized development with complex zoning issues or providing bridge financing with an ambitious closing timeline, Sage’s agility and willingness to take calculated risks have earned him a loyal network of borrowers.
Rooted in Legacy, Focused on Innovation
Sage Usher has ambitious plans to grow Ushjo Lending into a leading force in private lending, combining cutting-edge technology with the personal touch that sets private lenders apart. His vision includes building a small, skilled team and refining his use of technology to create a fully automated underwriting process. “Scaling doesn’t mean losing the personal touch,” Sage explained. “It means using tools to do more with less while setting a higher standard for private lending.”
While expanding into emerging markets and leveraging technology to streamline operations, Sage remains grounded in the values instilled by his father, Marty Usher, who continues to run a respected private lending business in Toronto. Sage frequently draws on Marty’s lessons about relationships and risk-taking but is focused on evolving those principles for a new era.
“I’m building on the foundation my dad created while redefining what it means to be a private lender,” Sage said. In an industry where technology and tradition often collide, he’s proving they can thrive together. “This is just the beginning,” he added, confident that Ushjo Lending will remain at the forefront of the private lending revolution.
