Press Releases

Arbor’s Servicer Ratings Affirmed and Positive Outlook Rating Assigned by Fitch

Fitch Ratings Recognizes Arbor’s Commitment to Excellence and Innovation Arbor Realty Trust (NYSE:ABR) NEW YORK, NEW YORK – November 29, 2023: Fitch Ratings has reaffirmed Arbor Multifamily Lending, LLC’s (Arbor) commercial primary and special servicer ratings, further solidifying Arbor’s position as a trusted partner in the multifamily lending industry. Concurrently, they have assigned a Positive Outlook to each rating, reflecting an unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. Commercial primary servicer rating at ‘CPS2’; Outlook Positive; Commercial special servicer rating at ‘CSS3+’; Outlook Positive. “The assignment of the Positive Outlook reflects Fitch’s 12–24 month view on the trajectory of Arbor’s primary servicer rating, noting that as the new borrower website is fully realized and deployed and turnover within the primary servicing function continues to stabilize, positive rating movement is possible.” – Fitch Ratings Read more from Fitch about the key rating drivers behind this announcement. Direct inquiries to [email protected]. About Arbor Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR) is a nationwide real estate investment trust and direct lender, providing loan origination and servicing for multifamily, single-family rental (SFR) portfolios, and other diverse commercial Read the full article…

Articles

Video: Special Report Fall 2023 Key Takeaways

In this video, Dr. Sam Chandan, Founding Director of the C.H. Chen Institute for Global Real Estate Finance at the NYU Stern School of Business and non-executive chairman of Chandan Economics, details the key takeaways of Arbor’s Special Report Fall 2023, which he co-authored with Ivan Kaufman, Chairman and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust.

Articles

FHFA Loan Caps for 2024: What Multifamily Borrowers Need to Know

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced a $10 billion rollback of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s volume cap for loan purchases for 2023 to $140 billion ($70 billion for each agency). This move aligns with industry expectations, given the anticipation of continued headwinds for the multifamily in 2024. Next year’s cap for the Government-Sponsored Entities (GSEs) is a reduction of approximately 7% from the $150 billion limit set for 2023 and a return to the level it was in 2021.

Current Reports

Affordable Housing Trends Report Fall 2023

With the cost of living climbing, the need for affordable housing has become more urgent. Although demand continues to outpace available supply, multifamily investment in affordable housing is fortified by Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), Project-Based Section 8, and the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programs. Arbor’s Affordable Housing Trends Report Fall 2023, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, examines the supply-driven programs and policies designed to improve supply at a point in time when federal gridlock has stalled many funding increases.

Current Reports

Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q4 2023

Arbor’s Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q4 2023, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, is a snapshot of a strong and resilient subsector continuing to navigate ongoing market dislocation. The report shows that distress has remained limited, even with valuations and measures of risk pricing in flux. As conditions start to stabilize, there are signs that deal activity is picking up.

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Ivan Kaufman Reveals Why Arbor Is a Top-Performing REIT on NYSE Floor Talk

Arbor Realty Trust’s CEO discusses what sets Arbor apart and how it has thrived amid the pandemic

Most commercial mortgage REITs focus on one product line, but Arbor’s diverse platform has allowed it to stand out from the competition, noted Ivan Kaufman, the founder, chairman and CEO of Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: ABR), in an interview with NYSE Floor Talk’s Judy Shaw.

“In every single climate, we’re very active with different products depending where interest rates are, depending where market demand is, and depending on where the consumer preferences are. So we’re not just relying on one product and we have multiple income streams,” he said.

One business Arbor is particularly active in is single-family build-to-rent. Kaufman used his decades of experience in the single-family residential industry to successfully lead Arbor into the single-family rental (SFR) business and develop its own proprietary Single-Family Rental Portfolio platform in late 2019. Arbor was also one of the first lenders to enter the space and the business has grown significantly over the past few years.

Build-to-rent is a segment of the SFR market that has taken off due to the pandemic and millennials moving to the suburbs as they mature and start families.

“If people can’t afford to buy or home or it doesn’t fit their economic profile, they rent a home. Renting a home has become a very high in demand experience,” he noted.

Developers are capitalizing on this mounting demand for rental homes. They are buying land and building communities with homes specifically for rent, while offering amenities often found in apartment complexes. Kaufman noted that because of the efficiencies that have evolved over the last few years, builders are finding they can develop these communities at a similar cost to a multifamily property.

As build-to-rent gains attention, institutional investors are beginning to enter the space. Builders are seeing the benefits of selling a portion of their single-family communities to larger investors who will turn around and rent out those units, Kaufman explained.

Build-to-rent is “a great asset class to be in and I’m glad Arbor Realty Trust is front and center in that market,” he said. “It’s dominating our platform.”

For more insights, watch the full interview above.