NEW YORK, NY - Cushman & Wakefield and Walker & Dunlop jointly announced today that they have formed a strategic alliance to focus on multifamily Agency (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and HUD) financing and investment sales. The alliance is an extension of the already strong relationship between Cushman & Wakefield and Walker & Dunlop, and will provide clients of each firm with seamless access to Cushman & Wakefield's broad investment sales platform and Walker & Dunlop's highly regarded Agency finance programs. Given the scale of Cushman & Wakefield's multifamily investment sales business, which expects to reach nearly $3 billion of multifamily sales in 2011, and Walker & Dunlop's top ranked Agency lending business, it is expected that the alliance will lead to increased transaction volume and new opportunities for both companies. Cushman & Wakefield Sonnenblick Goldman, the debt and equity finance arm of Cushman & Wakefield, will be responsible for directing multifamily Agency finance transactions within Cushman & Wakefield.
Greg Vorwaller, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Capital Markets at Cushman & Wakefield, said, "We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with Walker & Dunlop and believe that this alliance will further enhance our ability to provide the highest quality service to the multifamily investment clients of both firms."
Willy Walker, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Walker & Dunlop added, "It is an honor to form an alliance with a firm of Cushman & Wakefield's reputation, scale, and capabilities. Cushman & Wakefield's investment sales business together with Walker & Dunlop's Agency financing business will be an extremely compelling service offering in the market."
Cushman & Wakefield is the premier global commercial real estate services firm. Founded in 1917, it has 234 offices in 61 countries and approximately 13,000 employees. The firm represents investors, owners and occupiers of commercial property, offering a complete range of services within five primary disciplines: Leasing, Capital Markets, Corporate Occupier and Investor Services, Consulting Services, and Valuation & Advisory Services.
Through its subsidiary Walker & Dunlop, LLC, Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE: WD) is one of the leading providers of commercial real estate financial services in the United States, with a primary focus on multifamily lending. As a Fannie Mae DUS™, Freddie Mac Program Plus® and MAP- and LEAN-approved FHA lender, the Multifamily and FHA Finance groups of Walker & Dunlop are focused on lending to property owners, investors, and developers of multifamily properties across the country. The Capital Markets group specializes in financing commercial real estate for owners and investors across the United States. Capital for this financing comes from large institutions such as life insurance companies, commercial banks, CMBS lenders, pension funds, and specialty finance companies. The Principal Investment group provides institutional advisory, asset management, and investment management services with respect to debt, structured debt and equity.
Source: Cushman & Wakefield / Walker & Dunlop