Why it matters
The MBA originations index is the most-cited macro origination series in CRE finance. It is the right answer to "how much is being lent right now?" and the right way to decompose it by capital source. Updates land roughly six weeks after quarter-end.
How CRE teams consume it
Quarterly — scrape the press-release page on a known date pattern. Pair with MBA CREF Loan Performance Survey (delinquencies) and Commercial/Multifamily Mortgage Debt Outstanding (stock vs. flow).
Caveats & limitations
Captures originations reported by MBA member firms; small private-lender originations are under-represented.
Use cases
- Origination market sizing
- Capital-source mix tracking
- Lender pipeline benchmarking
- Investor memos