Arbor Commercial Mortgage VP Anthony Tarter (here with wife, Amanda) tells us that the commercial mortgage firm financed billions in loans last year, and most of that was nested in the multifamily sector. Of that, a sizable portion was courtesy of Fannie, but a growing part of the business is Arbor’s bridge financing platform through sister company Arbor Realty Trust, a real estate investment trust. The REIT invests in a diversified portfolio of multifamily and commercial real estate-related bridge and mezzanine loans, preferred equity investments, mortgage-backed securities, and other real estate-related assets. Anthony says what separates Arbor from the other guys is the willingness to grant loans as low as $1M (this brings in a lot of market share). Another plus: Arbor is one of the few multifamily lenders in the market that is still privately held, enabling the firm to execute on deal and overcome transaction obstacles more efficiently. For more info on our sponsor, click here.