Welcome to our dedicated page for Walker & Dunlop news (Ticker: WD), a resource for investors and traders seeking the latest updates and insights on Walker & Dunlop stock.
Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE: WD) is a commercial real estate finance and advisory services firm that regularly announces significant transactions and platform developments. This news page aggregates company-issued updates so readers can follow how Walker & Dunlop originates, arranges, and services financing across multifamily and other commercial real estate assets in the United States.
Recent news releases highlight Walker & Dunlop’s Capital Markets Institutional Advisory practice arranging large loans for hotel refinancings, mixed-use office and retail properties, office-to-residential conversions, and major multifamily and mixed-income developments in markets such as New York City, Miami, Cambridge, and Newark. These updates illustrate the firm’s role in connecting developers, owners, and operators with institutional and non-agency capital providers.
Company announcements also cover the growth of specialized platforms. Apprise by Walker & Dunlop, a valuation and data analytics platform focused on U.S. commercial real estate, reports new practice groups such as a national HUD/FHA multifamily valuation and market study team. In affordable housing, Walker & Dunlop has publicized the launch of Walker & Dunlop Affordable Bridge Capital, a joint venture with Pretium designed to originate flexible, short-term first-mortgage bridge loans for affordable multifamily properties preparing for long-term government-affordable programs.
Governance and corporate finance developments appear in both SEC filings and press releases, including amendments to repurchase facilities and changes to the board of directors. Investors, real estate professionals, and other stakeholders can use this page to review Walker & Dunlop’s latest financings, platform expansions, and strategic initiatives as disclosed in its official communications.
Walker & Dunlop has appointed Nicole Urquhart-Bradley as COO and Managing Director of its multifamily appraisal business, Apprise. With over 30 years of experience, she previously held senior roles at Bowery Valuation and Cushman & Wakefield. Urquhart-Bradley will collaborate with Apprise's Valuation Lead to enhance the firm's appraisal activities, focusing on innovation and market insights. Apprise leverages data analytics to provide quick and compliant multifamily appraisals, aiming for nationwide coverage by year-end 2020 and has completed appraisals totaling over $70 billion.
Walker & Dunlop has promoted Sheri Thompson to Executive Vice President, effective July 20, 2020. Based in Bethesda, Maryland, she will oversee multifamily lending through HUD. Under her leadership, the company aims to strengthen its HUD platform, having been ranked the #3 HUD lender based on MAP volume for the past two years. Thompson's contributions include enhancing Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and revitalizing the 'Women in Production' group. Her extensive experience includes key roles at Green Park Financial and PGIM Real Estate Finance.
Walker & Dunlop announced the expansion of its multifamily appraisal business, Apprise, by hiring Doug Koch as Senior Director and Affordable Practice Lead, and Kelly Beigle as Senior Director. Koch, with over 35 years of experience, will lead affordable housing valuation nationally, while Beigle will focus on the Eastern U.S. region. This strategic move aims to enhance Apprise's capabilities in affordable housing valuation, supported by advanced technology and data analytics. The firm has completed appraisals totaling over $70 billion, covering more than 470,000 units annually.
Walker & Dunlop has successfully structured $51,723,000 in Freddie Mac financing for three manufactured housing communities in the Chicago area, totaling over 1,000 sites. The refinancing involves ten-year, floating-rate loans below 3%, with interest-only periods included. The financing utilizes income from newly delivered homes. The company ranks as a leading multifamily lender, noted as the largest Fannie Mae DUS lender and the third-largest Freddie Mac Optigo lender in 2019. Walker & Dunlop is committed to affordable housing solutions amidst current market uncertainties.
Walker & Dunlop has secured $25,389,900 in financing for two healthcare facilities: Landmark of Laurel Creek in Kentucky ($10,744,000) and The Vistas Fox Valley in Illinois ($14,645,900). This financing utilizes HUD's LEAN 232/233(f) refinance program for long-term, reduced-rate funding for specialty healthcare properties. The Vistas Fox Valley is noted for its advanced post-hospital care, while Laurel Creek holds a four-star rating from CMS. Walker & Dunlop has established itself as a leading HUD lender, closing over $94 million in related transactions in 2019.
Walker & Dunlop has successfully completed the sale and financing of The Moretti at Vulcan Park, a luxury 135-unit apartment community in Homewood, Birmingham, Alabama. The project secured a ten-year Freddie Mac loan with five years of interest-only payments, demonstrating robust financial structuring despite COVID-19 challenges. The acquisition was made by ApexOne Investment Partners from Raia Capital Management, facilitated by Walker & Dunlop's experienced financing team. The property, built in 2014, is positioned as a high-quality investment opportunity in a premier neighborhood, enhancing Walker & Dunlop's multifamily portfolio.
Walker & Dunlop, a leader in commercial real estate finance, announced the acquisition of Beler Advisory Group, enhancing its New York City Capital Markets team. Mo Beler, the principal of Beler Advisory, joins as Senior Managing Director, focusing on equity capital transactions and debt financing. Beler Advisory, established in 2019, brings over $6 billion in transaction experience. This strategic acquisition is expected to strengthen client relationships and boost deal flow, complementing Walker & Dunlop's growth, which saw a 23.4% increase in loan origination volumes from 2018 to 2019.
Walker & Dunlop, in partnership with Project Destined, REPLI, and REIRail, launched a paid summer internship program aimed at high school and college students from diverse backgrounds. This six-week program enables students to engage with leading commercial real estate firms, focusing on real-world experiences in digital marketing. The initiative, which counters the internship cancellations due to Covid-19, emphasizes the company's commitment to diversity and cultivating future leaders in the commercial real estate sector.