CBRE has appointed Robert Koontz as head of multifamily debt capital markets, effective July 6. Koontz arrives from Freddie Mac, where he spent 17 years leading the GSE's multifamily capital markets division.
The hire strengthens CBRE's position in the multifamily lending space at a time when apartment investment remains highly competitive. Koontz's experience navigating Freddie Mac's portfolio and relationships with lenders, sponsors, and servicers gives CBRE direct access to institutional knowledge of how the largest multifamily lender operates.
At Freddie Mac, Koontz oversaw debt structuring, loan sales, and capital market transactions for apartment properties across the country. His tenure spanned the post-2008 recovery, the multifamily boom of the 2010s, and the disruption of the pandemic era. That experience positions him to advise borrowers on financing strategies as multifamily assets face headwinds from rising cap rates, tightening underwriting, and refinance risk.
For borrowers, Koontz's move signals CBRE's commitment to offering deeper capital markets expertise on the debt side. Sponsors seeking multifamily financing now have a broker backed by someone who understands how Freddie Mac evaluates deals, prices risk, and structures loans. That could translate to faster deal execution and better placement opportunities.
For Freddie Mac, the departure marks another departure of senior talent to private advisory firms. CBRE competes directly with Freddie Mac for transaction advisory work, and Koontz's connections to the GSE's lending ecosystem could help CBRE source deal flow.
The multifamily debt market has cooled considerably since 2022. Rising rates pushed cap rates higher, and lenders tightened underwriting standards. Life insurance companies and banks now dom