CREF Bank Council
MBA's CREF Bank Council is an open forum for all MBA members from bank institutions or credit unions and professionals doing business with banks or credit unions in the commercial and multifamily real estate finance industry. The Council brings together participants from across the balance sheet lending ecosystem to discuss market dynamics, regulatory developments, and strategies impacting balance-sheet lending and portfolio management.
Key Areas of Focus: Balance sheet lending, regulatory trends, and market performance in CRE finance.MBA Staff Representative:
John Lammle
(202) 557-2789
[email protected]
Meeting Frequency: The Council meets virtually on a quarterly basis, providing regular opportunities for members to engage in peer discussion, hear industry updates, and share perspectives on emerging banking and market issues.
What you missed – The CREF Bank Council convened for its Summer 2026 Meeting on Thursday, June 18th. The Council brought together industry leaders for a timely discussion on commercial real estate markets under the backdrop of the Basel III bank capital proposals’ comment period deadline.
Michael Cale (Berkadia) delivered a comprehensive overview of the current debt and equity landscape, highlighting capital market trends, financing conditions, and the outlook for commercial real estate investment activity. Judie Ricks (MBA) provided an economic update, offering insights into the macroeconomic factors influencing commercial real estate performance and trends affecting broader financial markets. MBA staff discussed ongoings at the Federal Reserve and walked attendees through MBA’s recently submitted Basel III comment letter.
MBA staff will continue to monitor the latest developments regarding the Basel III bank capital proposals. MBA’s comment letter can be found here.
Why it matters – The Council serves as an important forum for industry practitioners to gain insights from leading experts, share perspectives on market developments, discuss best practices, and stay informed about the economic and regulatory factors impacting commercial real estate finance.
The next meeting of the CREF Bank Council will be held on Thursday, September 24, at 1:00 PM EDT. For additional information or interest in participating, contact John Lammle at [email protected].
Get Involved
If you would like to get more involved in MBA, consider volunteering for this or one of MBA's other Commercial/Multifamily committees. Any employee of an MBA commercial/multifamily member company or a select or premier level associate member company may join one or more of these committees.Get Started: Login to see a full list of committees and councils that you are eligible to join, as well as groups you have already joined. Scroll through the list of your options and click "Join" next to your selection to be added to the roster.