Nicoletti “Nico” DePaul is Chief Operating Officer and Senior Managing Director of SURMOUNT, a leading full-service commercial real estate advisory and investment platform specializing in net lease assets. Since its founding, SURMOUNT has completed more than $53 billion in transactions across over 18,000 properties nationwide.

Nico is a leading advisor on complex sale-leaseback, portfolio, and M&A-related real estate transactions and has structured and advised on some of the largest and most complex transactions in the net lease market. He works closely with many of the nation’s largest private equity sponsors, REITs, operators, and multi-unit franchisees on strategic real estate and capital solutions.

Since joining the firm in 2012, Nico has also been instrumental in the growth, operationalization, and institutionalization of SURMOUNT, helping transform the business from a leading net lease brokerage firm into a diversified real estate platform serving institutional owners, investors, operators, developers, and financial sponsors across the country. He has been a driving force behind the launch and expansion of several of SURMOUNT’s core business lines, including Advisory, Development, and Capital Markets, and has played a central role in developing the infrastructure, talent, and strategy supporting the firm’s continued growth.

Nico is a recognized thought leader in the commercial real estate and net lease industries and is frequently called upon for his perspective on market trends, transaction activity, capital markets, and the evolving role of real estate within corporate and private equity strategies. He is regularly quoted in industry publications and participates as a speaker and panelist at leading industry conferences and events.