First Commerce Realty Investors - Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by American Bank Note Company.

First Commerce Realty Investors (FCRI) was a Louisiana Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that operated as a lending entity in commercial real estate transactions. Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, FCRI specialized in making loans secured by real property. Notably, FCRI meticulously adhered to Louisiana law in its lending agreements, even when the secured properties were located in other states. This was evident in a case where FCRI required loan documents to be executed in New Orleans and stipulated that Louisiana law would govern the transaction. This strategy was designed to enforce the state’s deficiency judgment laws.

FCRI appeared to be associated with the larger First Commerce Corporation, a prominent multibank holding company in Louisiana. The corporation’s roots can be traced back to the 1831 founding of the New Orleans Canal and Banking Company. Over time, First Commerce Corporation grew to become the largest bank holding company in the state, amassing $9.3 billion in assets by 1997. However, the same year, it was acquired by Banc One Corp. in a $2.7 billion stock deal. While the specific current status of the “Realty Investors� entity is not explicitly detailed in recent records, it was part of a larger, historically significant financial institution that played a pivotal role in shaping Louisiana’s commercial landscape for over a century.