Prepared Remarks of MBA 2026 Chair Christine Chandler at the 2026 MBA Commercial/Multifamily Finance Convention and Expo

SAN DIEGO (February 9, 2026) – Christine Chandler, 2026 MBA Chair and Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, M&T Realty Capital Corporation, delivered the following remarks today at MBA's 2026 Commercial/Multifamily Finance Convention and Expo.

Thank you! It’s so good to be here with all of you. I’ve been coming to this conference for so long, I actually forget when I started.

But this is the first time I’m here as MBA chair. I want to start by saying that serving you is one of the greatest privileges of my career.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity!

I’ve been in this business nearly 35 years. And if I’ve learned anything about our industry over the decades, it’s this.

We always need to be moving forward. We owe it to our customers, our communities, and our entire country. When our companies succeed, we empower others to succeed.

My focus as MBA chair is to help you move forward, for the benefit of everyone. Now, you just heard from Bob about a lot of things MBA accomplished for you last year. It was a year of action and achievement.

But I want to emphasize what makes it all possible. Your support makes the difference - we need your continued support to keep making progress.

Today, I’ll talk about three big ways for you to get involved. They just so happen to be my priorities as chair.

The first is simple: Now is the time for advocacy. Let me say what Bob Broeksmit is too humble to say: MBA is one of the most effective organizations in our nation’s capital.

Think about that for a minute. D.C. is overrun with associations and lobbying shops - thousands, easily. But your organization is among the best.

It’s not just the big tax wins we delivered last year. We secured victories on dozens of other CREF priorities. Rescinding CRA rules. Delaying and loosening burdensome reporting requirements for small business loans.

A 20% increase in GSE multifamily lending caps. And a major reduction in the FHA multifamily mortgage insurance premium. Those are just a few of the examples I could name.

These rules affect all of us, whether we’re focused on lending by banks, insurance companies, CMBS, private credit, GSEs or FHA.  And as someone who was involved in a lot of these wins, I have to say: It is exhilarating to come through for CREF, over and over. But here’s the thing about our policy work. It’s not self-supporting or destined to succeed. Our advocacy relies on MBA’s incredible staff. Most of all, it depends on you. 

I’ve seen the difference in impact when you, me, and other MBA members are involved.

Joining our advocacy is an easy sell. All those victories we achieved last year? If more CREF members get involved, you can help us do twice as much in 2026. We NEED the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act to be extended, or new deals won’t get done - so we need you. 

We NEED to beat back state and local rent control and other laws that freeze investment in our communities - so we need you.  We NEED government lending programs, whether at the GSEs, FHA, or USDA, to be effective and efficient - so we need you.

And now for the best news: getting involved is super easy. In fact, I have three quick suggestions that I hope you’ll all consider. First: Take action by joining the Mortgage Action Alliance. 

As we approach America’s 250th birthday, there’s no better moment to reconnect with your political roots and lean into the civic responsibility that comes with being part of this industry. We need more of our members, especially those in commercial and multifamily, to help elevate the issues that matter across every segment of our membership.

MAA, MBA’s FREE grassroots advocacy network, gives you a powerful platform to make your voice heard and shape the policies that define the future of real estate finance. Our MBA Advocacy Team is right here in the back of the room, ready to scan your badge so you can join - or renew - your MAA membership in seconds.

And while we have your attention, please also urge your Representatives to support early reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. TRIA is essential to the stability of commercial real estate markets, and early reauthorization helps ensure long-term certainty for lenders, investors, and the communities we serve.

Second: Invest in the future by supporting MORPAC. MORPAC is recognized as one of the nation’s leading political action committees, and its strength comes from voluntary support. Contributions - whether $25 or up to $5,000 - help amplify our industry’s voice, and every dollar counts, especially in an election year. Early participation makes an even greater difference. The sooner MORPAC receives support, the more effectively it can work to advance legislation that strengthens our industry and protects the investments we make in our communities. Many who choose to participate find it a meaningful way to stay engaged in the issues shaping our future. I know from experience, you won’t regret getting involved.

Third: Experience our advocacy.

Every April, MBA hosts the National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C., and we want you to join us. Over the course of two days, you’ll meet with your representatives and senators and tell them your story. You’ll also have access to our CREF-specific track, where you’ll hear from the regulators and government officials who matter to Commercial and Multifamily real estate.

I speak from experience when I say that this conference works wonders. A lot of politicians have never heard the truth about our industry. But when they hear it from you, it changes their thinking - and even their vote.

Frankly, the National Advocacy Conference is one of the best uses of your time. I hope to see you there, in April.

The bottom line is that we need your help. But don’t do it for me or MBA. Do it for you and your company. Our advocacy is all about helping you, and your support directly contributes to your own success. To all of you who are already involved - thank you.

And to all of you who are on the fence or just haven’t thought about it - jump on in! You can help make this organization even more effective. And that dovetails with my next big priority as chair. I’m laser-focused on boosting access to affordable housing and investment in our communities.

If we’re going to make progress, we need to change a lot of policies for the better. We also need to stop the ideas that make affordability worse - you know, like burdensome environmental and reporting requirements, to say nothing of rent control. Once again, your involvement is crucial.

Affordability will never happen on its own. It needs leaders like you and me to move the cause forward. And I know that together, we can make it happen. There’s one more place where we need to make progress - and that’s my final priority of the year. We have to raise up the next generation of industry leaders. The truth is, America’s in the middle of a massive demographic shift. The baby boomers are retiring. A lot of Gen X-ers, like myself, aren’t that far behind.

If we’re going to keep our companies and communities moving forward, we need a deep bench of talented people who are ready to rise and take on the big roles. This has been a passion of mine from the moment I got involved in MBA. And over the years, we’ve launched a lot of initiatives to forge the next generation.

We have two future leader programs - one for residential, and one for commercial/multi-family. We also have a network that young professionals can join, called mPact.

And through CREF Careers, we offer promising young people an easy onramp to a long-term job and a life of contribution in commercial real estate.

Training new leaders is an urgent necessity. But it can’t just be something that we solve with programs. Ultimately, recruiting and raising up others is a personal commitment. And each and every one of us should look for opportunities to give others a shot. My opportunity came just a few months ago, right after I became MBA chair. At the time, I wore a lot of hats at M&T Bank, one being Chief Credit Officer. I realized that if I was serious about empowering others, I needed to practice it myself. So I handed over the reins to a younger colleague - Joanie Wilson. Passing the baton was the right thing to do.

And all of us can find ways to give the next generation room to spread their wings and fly.