| ● | other risks and uncertainties associated with our business described in our 2021 Form 10-K and our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
While forward-looking statements reflect our good-faith projections, assumptions, and expectations, they are not guarantees of future results. Furthermore, we disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, data or methods, future events or other changes, except as required by applicable law. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or contemplated in any forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors.”
Business
Overview
We are a leading commercial real estate (i) services, (ii) finance, and (iii) technology company in the United States. Through strategic investments in people, brand, and technology, we have built a diversified suite of commercial real estate services to meet the needs of our customers. Our services include (i) multifamily lending, property sales, appraisal, valuation, and research, (ii) commercial real estate debt brokerage and advisory, (iii) investment management, and (iv) affordable housing lending, development, and investment. We leverage our technological resources and investments to (i) provide an enhanced experience for our customers, (ii) identify refinancing and other financial opportunities for new and existing customers, and (iii) drive efficiencies in our internal processes. We believe our people, brand, and technology provide us with a competitive advantage, as evidenced by 61% of refinancing volumes in the quarter being new loans to us and 19% of total transaction volumes coming from new customers.
We are one of the largest lenders to multifamily properties and commercial real estate in the country. We originate, sell, and service a range of multifamily and other commercial real estate financing products, including loans through the programs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the “GSEs”), and the Federal Housing Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (together with Ginnie Mae, “HUD”) (collectively, the “Agencies”). We retain servicing rights and asset management responsibilities on substantially all loans that we originate for the Agencies’ programs. We broker, and occasionally service, loans for many life insurance companies, commercial banks, and other institutional investors, in which cases we do not fund the loan but rather act as a loan broker.
We provide multifamily property sales brokerage and appraisal and valuation services and engage in commercial real estate investment management activities, including a focus on the affordable housing sector through low-income housing tax credit (“LIHTC”) syndication. We engage in the development and preservation of affordable housing projects through joint ventures with real estate developers and the management of funds focused on affordable housing. We provide housing market research and real estate-related investment banking and advisory services, which provides our clients and us with market insight into many areas of the housing market. Our clients are owners and developers of multifamily properties and other commercial real estate assets across the country, some of whom are the largest owners and developers in the industry. We also underwrite, service, and asset-manage shorter term loans on commercial real estate. Most of these shorter-term interim loans are closed through a joint venture or through separate accounts managed by our investment management subsidiary, Walker & Dunlop Investment Partners, Inc. (“WDIP”). Some of these interim loans are closed and retained by us through our Interim Program JV or Interim Loan Program (as defined below in Principal Lending and Investing). We are a leader in commercial real estate technology, developing and acquiring technology resources that (i) provide innovative solutions and a better experience for our customers and (ii) allow us to reach a broader customer base.
On February 28, 2022, we acquired GeoPhy B.V. (“GeoPhy”), a leading commercial real estate technology company based in the Netherlands. We plan to use GeoPhy’s data analytics and technology development capabilities to accelerate the growth of our small balance lending platform and our technology-enabled appraisal and valuation platform, Apprise.
Walker & Dunlop, Inc. is a holding company. We conduct the majority of our operations through Walker & Dunlop, LLC, our operating company.
Segments
In the first quarter of 2022, as a result of the Company’s growth and recent acquisitions, our chief operating decision maker began making decisions and assessing performance based on the following three operating segments: (i) Capital Markets (“CM”), (ii) Servicing & Asset Management (“SAM”), and (iii) Corporate. The operating segments are determined based on the product or service provided and reflect the