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Table of Contents UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 FORM 10 - K ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31 , 2020 OR TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from to Commission File No. 001-35517 Maryland ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) ØARES ARES COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE CORPORATION 245 Park Avenue , 42nd Floor , New York , NY 10167 ( Address of principal executive offices ) ( Zip Code ) Title of each class Common Stock , $ 0.01 par value per share O ( 212 ) 750-7300 ( Registrant's telephone number , including area code ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Trading Symbol ( s ) ACRE 45-3148087 ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes o No ý Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes o No ý Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days : Yes ý No o Name of each exchange on which registered New York Stock Exchange Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( Section $ 232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes ý No o Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See the definitions of " large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , ” “ smaller reporting company " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Smaller reporting company Act : Accelerated filer ý Non - accelerated filer O Large accelerated filer Emerging growth company If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . O Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . Yes No o Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes No ý The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non - affiliates of the registrant on June 30 , 2020 , based on the closing price on that date of $ 9.12 on the New York Stock Exchange , was approximately $ 274,443,403 . As of February 16 , 2021 , there were 33,477,841 shares of the registrant's common stock outstanding . 1 Portions of the registrant's Proxy Statement for its 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this annual report on Form 10 - K are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10 - K .