MBA Forecasts Decline in 2017 Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Originations

The Mortgage Bankers now projects commercial and multifamily mortgage originations to decline slightly in 2017, ending the year at $478 billion, a decrease of 3 percent from the 2016 volumes.

MBA said mortgage banker originations of just multifamily mortgages are forecast at $206 billion in 2017, with total multifamily lending at $245 billion.

“Commercial and multifamily market activity has downshifted at the start of 2017,” said MBA Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Research Jamie Woodwell. “Markets continue to move forward, but the rapid increases in property values, transaction volumes and other fundamentals that characterized the post-recession period have given way to more regular changes tied to the economy as well as changes in supply and demand. For many parts of the market, the downshift is a positive development.”

Commercial/multifamily mortgage debt outstanding is expected to continue to grow in 2017, ending the year 2 percent higher than at the end of 2016.

MBA commercial/multifamily members can download a copy of MBA’s Commercial/Multifamily Real Estate Finance Forecast at www.mba.org/crefresearch.