Commercial mortgage banker Walker & Dunlop (W&D) of Bethesda, M.D., and a sister company that specializes in Freddie Mac multifamily loans, has agreed to merge with Column Guaranteed, a unit controlled by investment banker Credit Suisse (CS).
A spokeswoman for Walker & Dunlop described the deal as a "non-cash merger" whereby CS will gain a minority stake in the surviving entity, which will carry the W&D name. W&D's sister firm, Green Park Financial, is a Fannie Mae DUS multifamily lender.
Column is a Freddie Mac and HUD approved lender. Once combined, the three will control $12 billion in commercial mortgage servicing rights.
Column's president is Kieran Quinn, the 2008 chairman of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Quinn will become vice chairman of W&D.
