Articles

Why Top Multifamily Lenders Practice Disciplined Underwriting

Every multifamily lender says it underwrites conservatively, but few follow a truly disciplined approach. Arbor Realty Trust’s own record is a case in point, with 19 consecutive years in the Top 10 Fannie Mae Multifamily DUS Lenders, a top-three ranking in Freddie Mac’s Conventional Small program, and an upgraded Commercial Special Servicer rating from Fitch Ratings in January 2026.

Investment

Special Report Fall 2026

Arbor Realty Trust’s Special Report Fall 2026, developed in partnership with Chandan Economics, leverages data-driven research to detail the state of the rental housing market. Amid headwinds, multifamily remained resilient in a selective investment environment favoring disciplined underwriting and market selection. Attractive entry points for well-positioned investors continue to populate the road ahead.

Analysis

U.S. Multifamily Market Snapshot — September 2026

The U.S. multifamily market remains on stable footing in a mixed macroeconomic climate. Rent growth continued to trend upward through the second quarter, while apartment fundamentals remained resilient amid slowing employment growth and elevated vacancies.

Current Reports

Single-Family Rental Investment Trends Report Q3 2026

Arbor’s latest Single-Family Rental Investment Trends Report highlights how this commercial real estate sector performed resiliently in the face of adversity last quarter. Even as policy uncertainty created new headwinds, firm operating fundamentals drove SFR forward.

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.

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Thomas Montemage

Senior Vice President, Risk Management

Thomas Montemage is responsible for the direct oversight of the Agency Risk Management department. This team performs the Special Servicing for Arbor’s Agency loans and primarily interacts with Fannie Mae’s Special Asset Management and Real Estate Owned groups as well as Freddie Mac securitizations. He also oversees the primary servicing of Arbor’s Private Label securitizations, Fixed-Rate Single-Family Rentals, and Private Investment loans.

Before returning to Arbor in 2017, Mr. Montemage was a Vice President at M&T Bank Corporation, where he managed commercial credit risk teams that had direct oversight of the bank’s commercial loan portfolio. Prior to that role, he worked in Arbor’s Agency Portfolio Management and Loan Surveillance departments.

Mr. Montemage received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Buffalo, State University of New York, and a Master of Business Administration at St. Bonaventure University. He earned a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation in 2016.

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