Commercial mortgage originations in the second quarter surged 27% from the first three months of the year, a trend that is expected to continue once interest rates begin coming down.

Despite the jump, lending remains low compared to prepandemic rates, according to a quarterly report by the Mortgage Bankers Association. Compared to the same period last year, originations were up 3%.

Most of the borrowing is concentrated in the hotel, industrial and healthcare sectors — for which the dollar-volume of loan originations increased 172%, 77% and 50%, respectively.

Meanwhile, the dollar amount of mortgage originations for office, multifamily and retail properties fell 29%, 14% and 7%, respectively.

 "Most capital sources remain ready, willing and able to lend on properties that can support a loan,” MBA Head of Commercial Real Estate Research Jamie Woodwell said in a statement.  “With interest rates moderating and a large slug of loans maturing, it is likely we’ll see more borrower activity in the coming quarters.”

As inflation has cooled, investors are rooting for a September rate cut, and some signs point to the Federal Reserve being ready to do just that if the trend continues.

CMBS loan originations dominated the market last quarter, increasing by 154% year-over-year. In addition, there was a 17% increase for investor-driven lenders, a trend that experts expect to increase as more diverse and private lenders expand in the marketplace.

Roughly $600B of commercial property loans, many of which are CMBS loans, are set to mature this year. However, MSCI predicts that maturities on investor-driven loans will outpace CMBS maturities in 2025.

Additionally, there was an 11% increase for life insurance company loans, but a 26% decrease in loans for depositories, along with a 20% decrease for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans, according to MBA.