Articles

Build-to-Rent Activity Remained Elevated Amid Policy Uncertainty

Build-to-rent (BTR) development remained resilient in a complicated operating environment last quarter as production continued to normalize, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau data. Despite political uncertainty, higher capital costs, and other headwinds, BTR maintained a historically high share of new single-family construction.

Articles

Where Multifamily Permitting is Intensifying and Accelerating

While national multifamily permitting stabilizes, the authorization of new apartment buildings with five or more units has become more heavily concentrated in smaller, rapidly growing metropolitan areas. From Durham, NC, to Fayetteville, AR, and Raleigh, NC, new U.S. Census Bureau data reveal where multifamily permitting was most concentrated and where it was accelerating fastest in the first half of 2026.

Articles

Small Multifamily Lending Volume Moves Steadily Higher

Small multifamily lending activity rose during the first half of 2026. According to the latest Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report from Arbor Realty Trust and Chandan Economics, originations on loans with original balances between $1 million and $9 million reached an annualized pace of $71.6 billion through the second quarter. At this pace, originations are running 2.8% above the $69.6 billion total for 2025, placing small multifamily on pace for a third consecutive annual increase.

Current Reports

Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report Q3 2026

Arbor Realty Trust’s latest Small Multifamily Investment Trends Report, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, evaluates what’s driving this sector’s ongoing stability as macroeconomic conditions remain mixed. Loan originations rose last quarter, and valuations are rebounding, signaling that normalization is taking hold.

Articles

SFR Rent Growth Accelerated and Expanded in First Half of 2026

Single-family rental (SFR) conditions strengthened during the first half of 2026, with rents rising across all 50 of the nation’s largest metros between December 2025 and June 2026. Growth was broad-based but uneven, with many Northeast and Midwest markets outperforming major Sun Belt metros.

Articles

Multifamily Completions Shift to Larger, Lower-Rise Properties

This year’s data show that while multifamily completions moderated from 2024’s elevated pace, the sector’s shift toward larger properties continued. At the same time, larger has not necessarily meant taller, as lower-rise buildings continue to account for most new multifamily completions.

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Home | Our Team | Jeff Lee

Jeff Lee

Executive Vice President, Head of Agency Lending

Jeff Lee joined Arbor in 2026 and leads Arbor’s agency lending platforms, including Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA, and oversees the firm’s originations, credit, underwriting, capital markets, and operational functions supporting Arbor’s agency business. As a member of Arbor’s executive committee, Jeff plays a key role in strengthening loan production, expanding new business opportunities, and enhancing Arbor’s servicing platform.

Mr. Lee brings more than 30 years of multifamily real estate finance experience to his role at Arbor. Previously, he served as President of NewPoint Real Estate, a financing platform focused on loan origination, financing, and servicing across multifamily, affordable and workforce housing, seniors housing, healthcare, and build-to-rent. Prior to NewPoint, Mr. Lee joined Capital One’s executive team, overseeing multifamily lending following the company’s acquisition of Beech Street Capital, which Mr. Lee co-founded in 2009, and where he oversaw Beech Street’s multifamily lending platform. Earlier in his career, Jeff spent nearly a decade in various roles at Fannie Mae.

He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business/Managerial Economics from the University of Maryland.

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