GENERAL SESSION: MBA’s Economic and CREF Market Outlook

Associate Vice President, Commercial/Multifamily Research, Mortgage Bankers Association

Reginald (Reggie) Booker is Associate Vice President of Commercial/Multifamily Research at the Mortgage Bankers Association. In this role, Reggie handles MBA's research on the commercial and multifamily real estate markets. His work covers the macro-economy, commercial and multifamily property markets, commercial and multifamily real estate finance, servicing, mortgage banking benchmarking and more. Reggie also oversees MBA's commercial peer business roundtables including CFOs, CTOs, Marketing, and HR heads, and leads special MBA projects, including its CREF Careers and helps with MBAs Diversity and Inclusion program. His work on the commercial real estate finance markets are regularly cited in the media, on Capitol Hill and in regulatory settings.

Chief Economist, Senior Vice President, Research and Business Development, Mortgage Bankers Association

Mike Fratantoni, Ph.D. is MBA’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research and Industry Technology. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing MBA’s industry surveys, benchmarking studies, economic and mortgage originations forecasts, industry technology efforts and policy development research for both single-family and commercial/multifamily markets. Additionally, Fratantoni is president and member of the Board of Directors of MISMO and serves on the CSP’s Industry Advisory Group and the membership committee of MERS. Prior to joining MBA, Fratantoni worked in the industry in risk management and senior economist roles at Washington Mutual and Fannie Mae.

Associate Vice President, Commercial Real Estate Research, Mortgage Bankers Association

Judith Ricks is Associate Vice President of Commercial Real Estate Research at the Mortgage Bankers Association. In this role, she is responsible for developing commercial and multifamily industry surveys and reports, managing the commercial real estate forecasts, and policy development and research for mortgage markets. Ricks has extensive knowledge of mortgages markets and real estate finance. She has published dozens of economic analysis and reports for academic and policy audiences. Prior to joining MBA, Ricks was Deputy Assistant Director of Consumer and Household Research and Policy in the Office of Research at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She received a Ph.D. in economics from Syracuse University and a B.A. in economics from Vanderbilt University. Ricks also previously served as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University.