About Us

14+ combined years of experience and over $2 billion in loans originated. Welcome to the new era of private lending.

Our Mission

Revolutionize private lending through personalized, transparent, and efficient financial solutions, while building strong and lasting relationships based on trust and empathy.

Our Vision

Be the leader in private lending, redefining the industry through innovation, advanced technology, and a people-centered approach.

Our Story

Hera Lending was built with one goal in mind: to create a better lending experience for real estate investors. After years in the private lending industry, Héctor Castro, Founder and CEO, recognized that traditional financing often moved too slowly and lacked the flexibility investors need to compete in today's market.

Héctor Castro — Founder and CEO

With over 14 years of experience in private lending, Héctor has successfully originated over $2.0 billion in loans. In 2019, he co-founded Equity Lending Solutions (ELS), where he served as Managing Partner and Head of Sales and played a critical role in scaling the business into a leading private lender.

Héctor is also the co-author of Beyond Mortgages, and developed the first certification program for private lending brokers in the industry, with the goal of elevating standards and contributing to a more transparent and sustainable market. He also successfully completed the Harvard OPM program. At Hera Lending, he brings that same entrepreneurial drive and long-term vision to building a best-in-class, transparent, and professional private lender in an industry where clear norms and standards are still evolving.

Serkan Erikci — Managing Partner - President

With over 25 years of experience in global capital markets and structured finance, Serkan Erikci has led and advised financing platforms across the U.S., U.K., APAC, and Australia. He has held senior leadership roles at Wells Fargo Securities and Bayview Asset Management, specializing in securitization, warehouse financing, residential mortgage investments, and institutional capital strategy.

Before joining Hera Lending as Managing Partner, Serkan worked with private lenders to refine product strategy, strengthen governance, and design scalable financing solutions, including warehouse facilities and term securitizations. At Hera, he brings deep institutional expertise, a disciplined risk perspective, and a long-term approach to building a differentiated private lending platform.

Backed by institutional capital and deep industry expertise, Hera Lending combines hands-on service with HeraConnecting, our proprietary technology platform that streamlines the entire loan lifecycle, from application to construction draws to payoff.

Based in Miami, Florida, we serve investors in 42 states, with a bilingual team (English and Spanish) that ensures clear communication and responsive support at every stage of the process.