MBA CRE Servicing Solutions Conference — Key Takeaways

Members of Slatt Capital’s executive team — Elizabeth Burnett, Jason Berry, Dan Friedeberg, and a number of servicing professionals — attended the MBA’s CRE Servicing Solutions Conference this week in San Diego. Unlike origination-focused industry events, the Servicing Solutions Conference brings together the professionals who manage commercial real estate loans across their full lifecycle — insurance and tax administration, investor reporting, asset management, special servicing, compliance, and borrower relationships. Hundreds gathered to share what’s working, what’s changing, and where the industry is headed.

Slatt Capital Highlights

• Congratulations to Anne Muchiri (Portfolio Manager) on earning her Commercial Certified Mortgage Servicer (CCMS) designation.
• Elizabeth Burnett (Managing Director – Loan Servicing) moderated an engaging session on Insurance Compliance.
• Slatt Capital is a proud sponsor of the CCMS Cares Campaign, which raised more than $12K for the Open Doors Foundation.

A Differentiator: Time with Our Life Company Partners

One of the most valuable aspects of the conference was the opportunity to sit down with nearly a dozen of our life insurance company correspondent-servicing leaders to discuss portfolio performance, borrower experience, and align priorities for the year ahead. These in-person meetings are a hallmark of what makes us different. Slatt Capital offers borrowers’ direct access to a stable, relationship-based source of long-term capital — and our servicing platform is what keeps those relationships strong year after year.

Top Takeaways

1. AI is an enabler, not a replacement. AI dominated nearly every session. While most firms are still early in adoption, optimism is high that AI will streamline compliance work and reduce administrative burden, freeing professionals to focus on asset management, analysis, and borrower relationships. The shift may also challenge traditional outsourcing models. That said, the nuanced decision-making inherent to CRE — exception handling, complex covenants, real assets with real people behind them — still requires human judgment.
2. Servicing is a career, not a function. With exposure to origination, closing, asset management, and borrower interaction, servicing teams play a uniquely comprehensive role in CRE. As automation reshapes responsibilities, critical thinking, cross-training, and adaptability are emerging as the most important attributes for young talent — and designations like the CCMS remain a meaningful benchmark for professional development.
3. Wire fraud has entered a new era — verify first, then trust. Wire fraud and business email compromise (BEC) were among the most urgent themes of the conference. Multiple lenders shared firsthand experiences with fraudsters intercepting borrower email threads, altering wiring instructions, and even spoofing the callback numbers listed on those instructions — so the “verification call” goes straight to the fraudster. The clear takeaway: never verify wire instructions using a phone number provided in the email or on the wire instructions themselves. Always call back using a known, independently sourced number. Beyond wires, voice impersonation and AI-driven social engineering are eroding traditional phone-based verification.
4. Insurance compliance pressures continue to build. Insurance remains one of the most significant pressure points for servicers and borrowers alike. While market conditions have stabilized in some pockets, compliance requirements have grown, and firms are responding with additional staffing, tighter renewal timelines, and stronger oversight. Borrowers are encouraged to begin renewals at least 30 days in advance, and lenders will shorten the grace period when costly forced-placed insurance is used.
5. A few regulatory items are worth flagging. The National Flood Insurance Program is up for reauthorization later this year and will likely create uncertainty for properties in flood zones until it is completed. Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), a federal backstop that makes terrorism coverage commercially viable, expires this year and its extension remains an ongoing industry concern. Proposed Basel III endgame changes to bank capital requirements could meaningfully reshape the lending landscape as the proposed reduction to capital charges on warehouse lines may push more activity toward debt funds, mortgage REITs, and CLO issuers.

Looking Forward

CRE remains a relationship-driven business, and conferences like this play a critical role in knowledge sharing and professional growth. The team came away energized by time spent with lending partners and peers across the industry. Servicing may be the least visible part of the CRE debt lifecycle from a borrower’s perspective, but it’s where loans are managed, protected, and stewarded over the long term. Organizations that invest in their people, embrace adaptability, and stay ahead of technology and risk will be best positioned to deliver for borrowers and capital partners in the years ahead.