WASHINGTON, D.C. — Commercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding rose $51.9 billion, or 1.5 percent, in the second quarter over the prior quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). At the end of the first half of 2019, total commercial and multifamily debt outstanding was $3.5 trillion. Multifamily mortgage debt alone increased $24.4 billion (1.7 percent) to $1.5 trillion from the first quarter.
Commercial banks continued to hold the largest share (39 percent) of commercial and multifamily mortgages at $1.4 trillion. Agency and government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) portfolios and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) were the second largest holders of commercial and multifamily mortgages (20 percent) at $703 billion. Life insurance companies held $539 billion (15 percent), and CMBS, collateralized debt obligation (CDO) and other asset-backed security (ABS) issues held $471 billion (13 percent).
“Strong borrowing and lending, coupled with relatively low levels of loan maturities, are helping to boost the amount of commercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding,” says Jamie Woodwell, MBA’s vice president of commercial real estate research. “All four major capital sources increased their holdings during the quarter. With strong demand expected to continue, debt levels are likely to climb even more and end the year at a new high.”
Washington, D.C.-based MBA is the national association representing the real estate finance industry.