CREF Industry Snapshot

MBA is the voice of commercial real estate finance. Commercial real estate is vital to our economy and communities.  Office, retail, multifamily, industrial, hospitality and other property types are essential to the operation of all types of businesses, provide multifamily rental housing to more than 17 million households, and help form the infrastructure of communities across the United States.  

Just as commercial real estate consists of diverse types of income-producing properties, the $3 trillion in commercial mortgages outstanding represents diversified sources of capital.  Banks, life insurance companies, commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) conduits, real estate investment trusts, pension funds, and lenders who work with the government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) - all provide liquidity to this crucial market.  Mortgage bankers serve as intermediaries across these capital providers to deliver financing that enables the acquisition, refinance, construction and improvements to real estate. 

The varied business models and funding sources contribute to a competitive lending market.  The diversification among capital sources enables risk to be dispersed across numerous market participants and financing structures. 

MBA's CREF membership includes approximately 380 regular member companies, representing mortgage bankers, capital sources and industry sectors in the commercial/multifamily market.  Consulting firms, research firms, data providers, law firms, and other companies active in commercial real estate finance also make up the associate members of MBA. 

Geographic regions with higher concentrations of MBA Commercial/Multifamily member offices: