Eastern Union Expands Lender Network Amidst Shifting CRE Market

NEW YORK, NY – January 09, 2026 – As the commercial real estate market navigated a complex environment of fluctuating interest rates and evolving capital sources in 2025, national brokerage Eastern Union announced a significant expansion of its financing network, closing loans with 150 distinct lenders across the United States. The achievement underscores a strategic push for diversification, with nearly one-third of these relationships—48 lenders in total—being new to the firm's portfolio.

This growth represents a 20 percent increase from the 121 lenders the company worked with in 2024, a notable expansion in a year where market-wide commercial real estate investment activity was projected to increase by only 10 to 15 percent. By forging partnerships across a wide spectrum of capital providers—including savings banks, life insurance companies, family offices, and institutional Wall Street lenders—the firm has broadened its capacity to structure deals in an increasingly fragmented and competitive market.

"In 2025, Eastern Union bolstered our national reputation as a go-to mortgage broker for structured deals and for large and complex transactions," said Abe Bergman, President and Co-founder of Eastern Union. "Our brokerage team is highly skilled in managing every element of the complete capital stack. We're capable of handling complicated real estate deals in a way that consistently benefits the borrower."

Navigating a New Lending Landscape

The strategy of lender diversification proved particularly timely. The 2025 commercial real estate lending market was characterized by both caution and opportunity. While the Mortgage Bankers Association forecasted a significant year-over-year increase in mortgage originations, lenders remained selective. Traditional banks, while more active than in the previous year, faced competition from a growing field of alternative lenders and private debt funds, which captured over a third of non-agency loan closings by the third quarter.

In this environment, a broker's ability to access a diverse pool of capital became a critical advantage for borrowers. Eastern Union’s expansion into a 150-lender network reflects a direct response to this market shift, providing clients with a wider array of financing options beyond traditional banking channels. This access is crucial for securing favorable terms on everything from conventional commercial mortgages to highly structured debt, especially as average loan-to-value ratios tightened and underwriting became more rigorous across the industry.

This broad market access supported a geographically and functionally diverse portfolio for the firm, which closed transactions in 34 states across 20 different property types. The firm's success highlights a key trend: in a market defined by uncertainty, deep and varied relationships are paramount to assembling the complex capital stacks required for today's real estate projects.

The Advantage of Niche Sector Expertise

Beyond its expansive lender network, Eastern Union leveraged deep expertise in specialized sectors to drive growth. The firm's focus on healthcare, construction, and manufactured housing allowed it to service complex asset classes that require nuanced underwriting and industry-specific knowledge.

In the healthcare sector, the firm navigated what its healthcare group director, Nachum Soroka, called the "post-post-COVID hangover." He noted, "The industry cleaned up the bad decisions it had made while under the influence of no interest rates and free money, poured itself a strong cup of reality-dosed coffee, and began making decisions based on the new environment. The silver tsunami is real and the demand for senior housing is still strong as ever." This assessment aligns with broader market trends, which saw medical outpatient buildings and senior housing benefit from strong demographic tailwinds and investor interest, with national occupancy rates for medical facilities pushing above 92 percent.

Construction financing presented its own set of challenges in 2025, with elevated costs and selective lenders demanding more creativity. "We understand how cash flow must be properly managed through the full life cycle of a construction project," said Moshe Maybloom, a managing director at the firm. "Construction financing isn't complete at the closing. The process can extend from twelve to 36 months after closing." This long-term management approach is critical in a climate where lenders demand strong sponsorship and meticulously planned projects.

Similarly, the manufactured housing sector has seen a surge in interest. "Lenders and investors have shown steadily growing interest in America's manufactured housing sector," said senior managing director Marc Tropp, who leads the company’s practice in this area. "The number of transactions we've closed in this sector over the most recent five-year period was nearly three times greater than during the prior five-year period."

Delivering Results from Coast to Coast

The combination of a broad lender network and specialized expertise translated into a series of significant closings that showcase the firm's capabilities. Among its representative transactions for 2025 was a notable $38.5-million loan to refinance Warren Manor Apartments, a 479-unit multifamily property in Warren, Michigan. The deal, secured through Bellco Credit Union, was arranged by Eastern Union's Alex Jaffa and Sinai Eizikovitz. It successfully provided a large cash-out for the borrower and replaced a high-interest-rate bridge loan, demonstrating the firm's ability to secure favorable permanent financing even in a challenging rate environment for a property that had recently undergone $5 million in capital improvements.

Other key transactions highlighted the firm’s diverse capabilities across asset classes and regions. These include delivering $33.84 million for the acquisition of a 144,263-square-foot medical office building in Brooklyn, New York, reinforcing its strength in the healthcare space. The firm also closed an $18.5-million construction loan for a 77-unit, mixed-use property in Manchester, New Hampshire, and arranged $16.5 million in financing for a 208,000-square-foot self-storage complex in Fresno, California. These deals collectively paint a picture of a national brokerage executing a wide range of complex financing solutions tailored to specific asset types and local market conditions.