A near-record $503.8 billion in loans were closed by commercial and multifamily mortgage bankers in 2015, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The totals come from the 2015 Commercial Real Estate/Multifamily Finance Annual Origination Volume Summation.

“Commercial real estate borrowing and lending in 2015 came within a whisker of the record high level of 2007,” said Jamie Woodwell, MBA’s Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Research. “The volume was driven by improving property fundamentals, strong property values and very low interest rates. Despite some credit market disruptions to start off this year and regulatory and other hurdles still ahead, many of those positive factors remain in place.”

Commercial bank portfolios were responsible for $138.6 billion of total originations, making them the leading capital source for 2015. Commercial mortgage-backed securities were responsible for the second highest volume, with $99.4 billion in originations, followed by life insurance companies and pension funds.

Multifamily properties saw the highest levels of origination in 2015, with $207.1 billion. Other properties that saw high origination volume were office buildings, retail properties, hotel and motel properties, industrial buildings and health care properties. Check out the list of property types that APEX Mortgage will lend on.

The reported dollar volume of commercial and multifamily mortgages closed in 2015 increased by 26 percent over the 2014 volume total.

Because of its strengths, the commercial mortgage industry offers brokers many opportunities to close these loans and earn additional income. If you’re a residential broker looking to expand your business, offering small-balance financing for commercial properties is a great way to add to your closings.

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