Hans Sharma: REIT Complaint Against Sharma Associates Advisor

Conshohocken financial advisor Hans Sharma (CRD# 1920833) recently received an investor complaint alleging he recommended unsuitable real estate investments. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority records show that he is registered as a broker with Innovation Partners and an investment advisor with Sharma Associates.

Mr. Sharma’s BrokerCheck report discloses one investor complaint. Filed in February 2023, it alleges that as a representative of Kovack Securities, he recommended unsuitable real estate investment trust (REIT) products. The pending complaint alleges unspecified damages.

A real estate investment trust, for reference, is an investment company that pools funds from a group of investors and uses them to buy and operate real estate. In theory, REITs promise investors access to real estate investments and the income streams they generate. Publicly traded REITs—those traded on major stock exchanges—can be highly liquid investments that offer stable cash flow, though they are not immune to the overall tides of the real estate markets. Non-traded REITs, on the other hand, are typically illiquid investments with little transparency, posing risks to short-term investors and even to long-term investors. Brokers who recommend unsuitable REITs may be held liable in the event of losses.

According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Hans Sharma holds 33 years of securities industry experience. Based in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, he has been registered as a broker with Innovation Partners since 2020 and an investment advisor with Sharma Associates in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania since 2001. His past registrations include Mercap Securities (Atlanta, Georgia; 2017-2020), Kovack Securities (Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; 2014-2017), Resource Horizons Group (Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; 2006-2014), FSC Securities Corporation (Conshohocken, Pennsylvania; 2005-2006), Pan-American Financial Advisers (New Orleans, Louisiana; 2001-2005), American Capital Corporation (Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; 1995-2001), TFS Securities (Lincroft, New Jersey; 1994-1995), and PFS Investments (Duluth, Georgia; 1989-1993). His credentials include the passage of five securities industry qualifying exams: the General Securities Principal Examination, or Series 24; the Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative Examination, or Series 6; the General Securities Representative Examination, or Series 7; the Securities Industry Essentials Examination, or SIE; and the Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination, or Series 63. He is licensed in California, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. (Information current as of April 9, 2023.)

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