# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0001562528
**File Stem:** 0001104659-23-035281
**Filing Date:** 2023-3
**Character Count:** 6159
**Document Hash:** 439c24d42e6c84588ecf514e3fddc37d
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001104659-23-035281.hdr.sgml**: 20230322

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001104659-23-035281

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 8-K

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 13

**CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT**: 20230320

**ITEM INFORMATION**: Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers: Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20230322

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20230322

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc.
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001562528
- **STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:** REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS [6798]
- **IRS NUMBER:** 000000000
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** MD
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1231

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 8-K
- **SEC ACT:** 1934 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 001-40923
- **FILM NUMBER:** 23751189

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, SUITE 32A
- **CITY:** NEW YORK
- **STATE:** NY
- **ZIP:** 10105
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** (212) 588-6770

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** 1345 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS, SUITE 32A
- **CITY:** NEW YORK
- **STATE:** NY
- **ZIP:** 10105

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** Benefit Street Partners Realty Trust, Inc.
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20170203

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** Realty Finance Trust, Inc.
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20150217

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** ARC Realty Finance Trust, Inc.
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 20121119

?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?

**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): March 20, 2023**

**Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc.**

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Maryland** | **001-40923** | **46-1406086** |
| (State or other jurisdiction | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer |
| of incorporation) |  | Identification No.) |

---

**1345 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 32A**

**New York, New York 10105**

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: **(212) 588-6770**

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 (<u>see</u> 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:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Title of each class | &nbsp;&nbsp;Trading Symbol(s) | &nbsp;&nbsp;Name of each exchange on which <br> registered |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share | &nbsp;&nbsp;FBRT | &nbsp;&nbsp;New York Stock Exchange |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;7.50% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share | &nbsp;&nbsp;FBRT PRE | &nbsp;&nbsp;New York Stock Exchange |

---

Indicated 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. ◻

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Item 5.02** | **Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.** |

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On March 20, 2023, the board of directors (the "**Board**") of Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (the "**Company**") appointed Michael Comparato to succeed Richard J. Byrne as the Company's President, effective immediately. Mr. Byrne will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Michael Comparato is a managing director with Benefit Street Partners L.L.C. (the "**Advisor**"), the Company's external manager, and has served as head of real estate for the Advisor since 2017. Since the Advisor took over the role of external manager of the Company, Mr. Comparato has played a leading role for the Advisor in fulfilling its duties under the advisory agreement, including overseeing loan originations and other investments.

Prior to joining the Advisor in 2015, Mr. Comparato was head of U.S. Equity Investments at Ladder Capital Corp., where he led Ladder's largest team that actively originated CMBS loans, structured/balance sheet loans, mezzanine loans and acquired strategic assets for the firm. Prior to joining Ladder, Mr. Comparato was president of BankAtlantic Commercial Mortgage Capital, the CMBS affiliate of BankAtlantic, where he was responsible for managing all day-to-day operations.

There are no family relationships between Mr. Comparato and any director or executive officer of the Company and there have been no transactions between Mr. Comparato or any of his immediate family members and the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

**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.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc.** | **Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc.** |
| By: | /s/ Jerome S. Baglien |
| Name: | Jerome S. Baglien |
| Title: | *Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer* |

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March 22, 2023