MBA CREF/Multifamily Housing Convention & Expo 2026

The must-attend event for commercial and multifamily real estate finance professionals.

MBA CREF 2026

The Mortgage Bankers Association held its Commercial/Multifamily Finance Convention & Expo on February 8–11, 2026 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego.

What it is

CREF is the year's main gathering for commercial and multifamily real estate finance — lenders, servicers, agency representatives and borrowers, in one place at the point when the year's lending plans are being set.

The February timing is deliberate: it sits at the start of the origination year, which is why the deal-making tends to be forward-looking rather than retrospective.

Who runs it

The Mortgage Bankers Association, the trade body for the US real estate finance industry.

The main annual meeting of the US commercial and multifamily real estate finance industry, held over four days in San Diego.

• Commercial and multifamily lending market outlook
• Agency lending — Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA programmes
• Servicing and asset management
• Capital markets and CMBS
• A trade exhibition of technology and service providers

Positioned at the start of the origination year, so the emphasis is on the year ahead.

The audience is the commercial real estate capital stack, largely at decision level.

Lenders and originators. Banks, life companies, debt funds and agency lenders — the largest single group.

Borrowers and owners. Multifamily and commercial owners raising or refinancing debt, meeting several lenders in a compressed window.

Servicers. Master and special servicers, for whom the servicing track is the main draw.

Agency staff. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA representatives, which is a large part of why the show is worth attending in person.

Intermediaries. Mortgage brokers and advisors covering the market.

Exhibitors sell to lenders and servicers rather than to property owners.

Lending and servicing technology. Origination platforms, servicing systems and loan administration software.

Valuation and due diligence. Appraisal, environmental and engineering firms — a well-represented group, since every loan needs them.

Data and analytics. Market data, underwriting and portfolio analytics vendors.

Legal and advisory. Firms specialising in commercial real estate finance.