Articles

Why Multifamily Finance Demands an Active Mindset

In commercial real estate, an active mindset is invaluable. At Arbor Realty Trust, it helps us anticipate market changes, identify multifamily opportunities, and act decisively when the time is right. But in multifamily finance, being active is about more than moving quickly. It is understanding where the markets are heading, maintaining close relationships, anticipating challenges, and being positioned to respond promptly when opportunities emerge.

Articles

How CRE CLOs Work in 2026 and Where Arbor Fits in the Market

Commercial Real Estate Collateralized Loan Obligation (CRE CLO) issuance reached $39.05 billion in 2026, on pace to be the highest annual volume in five years, according to the Commercial Mortgage Alert. CRE CLOs have become an established funding source for floating-rate bridge loan books, and Arbor Realty Trust continues to be a leader in this type of securitization.

Current Reports

Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report Fall 2026

Arbor Realty Trust’s latest Top Markets for Multifamily Investment Report, a data-driven analysis of the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, finds that multifamily performance has become less geographically uniform as strong local market fundamentals point investors to opportunities found within pockets of the country.

Research Sources

Arbor Realty Trust’s research articles and reports, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, refer to and cite credible third-party sources, including: American Real Estate Society CoStar Fannie Mae Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank of New York Federal Reserve Board FINSIGHT Freddie Mac Moody’s CRE Morningstar DBRS MSCI Real Capital Analytics Nareit National Apartment Association National Association of Home Builders National Low Income Housing Coalition National Multifamily Home Council Novogradac Trepp U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Census Bureau U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Zillow

Current Reports

Affordable Housing Trends Report 2026

Arbor Realty Trust’s Affordable Housing Trends Report, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, explores a year marked by one of the most significant policy shifts in decades, with consequential developments in both the marketplace and the political arena. Our annual report finds that although affordability continues to present challenges, this year’s new initiatives are set to rebuild tomorrow’s pipeline.

Articles

HUD Expands FHA Financing Eligibility to Qualifying BTR Projects

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced a significant policy change that expands Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage insurance eligibility to qualifying build-to-rent (BTR) communities. Effective immediately, professionally managed rental developments consisting of detached single-family homes, duplexes, and triplexes are eligible for FHA-insured financing under the same general framework as traditional multifamily properties.

Articles

Financing a Build-to-Rent Community Through Construction, Lease-Up, and Stabilization

Single-family rentals (SFR) now house 41% of the U.S. renter population, according to Rentometer Mid-Year Report 2025: National Trends in Single-Family Rental Markets. Arbor provides investors with short-term and long-term SFR financing to meet this growing demand. Whether a sponsor is developing a build-to-rent (BTR) community, holding an SFR portfolio long-term, or acquiring assets to rehab, Arbor finances build-to-rent (BTR) communities across construction, lease-up, and stabilization under one lender relationship, backed by the strength of an $802 million BTR collateralized loan obligation Arbor closed in May 2025.

Articles

Single-Family Rental Investment Snapshot – October 2026

Single-family rental (SFR) fundamentals remained strong throughout the first half of 2026, supported by high occupancy, positive rent growth, and an elevated construction pipeline.

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Home | Originations Team | Brian Scharf

Brian Scharf

Managing Director, Sales

Brian Scharf is responsible for originating multifamily and commercial loans through Arbor’s product lines, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, SFR Construction and Permanent Portfolio Loans, CMBS, Private Label, Bridge, Mezzanine and Preferred Equity. Based in Arbor’s headquarters location in Uniondale, Long Island, he brings over 20 years of experience in the commercial real estate finance industry, spanning positions in origination, underwriting and asset management.

Mr. Scharf joined Arbor in 2009 and was promoted to Managing Director in 2021. He consistently produces the highest levels of client satisfaction across borrowers and intermediaries and has built a well-diversified, nationwide clientele, closing more than 500 loans with a total national value exceeding $8B.

Prior to Arbor, Mr. Scharf served as a Senior Associate of Real Estate Finance at Hypo Real Estate International, where he originated and underwrote construction and permanent loans. He began his career at Credit Suisse, where he ascended from analyst to AVP of Asset Management for their Real Estate Opportunity Fund, personally securing and structuring more than $3B of financing across all levels of the capital stack.

Mr. Scharf graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Science in Finance. He lives in Jericho, NY with his wife and two children.

[email protected] | 516.506.4253
Uniondale, NY