CREFC Announces West Coast Finance Forum in Newport Beach

One-day forum brings together commercial real estate finance leaders from across the West Coast and beyond to examine the forces shaping the industry

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The CRE Finance Council (CREFC), the trade association representing the over $6 trillion commercial real estate finance industry, will host its West Coast Finance Forum on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at VEA Newport Beach in Newport Beach, California. The one-day conference will bring together commercial real estate finance professionals from across the West Coast and beyond for timely insights, candid industry discussion, and opportunities to connect with peers.

The forum will include a mix of market analysis, industry perspectives, and discussion with leading real estate executives. Featured sessions include:

• One-on-One Discussion with Rick J. Caruso: Rick J. Caruso, Founder and Executive Chairman of Caruso, will join Charlie Rose, Managing Director, Global Head of Real Estate Credit and CEO of the Invesco Commercial Real Estate Finance Trust at Invesco Real Estate, for a conversation about real estate, development and the forces shaping the industry. Caruso is recognized for developing some of the country's most prominent retail and mixed-use destinations, including The Grove in Los Angeles and Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito.
• A Tale of Two Cities: A Market Update: Macro to Micro & Northern vs. Southern California: A broad discussion of the economic and market forces influencing commercial real estate, including capital markets and investment opportunities, the impact of AI, economic drivers, distress and defaults, policy and regulatory changes, and the outlook for the industry.
• Reset Basis: Opportunities in Distress: A candid examination of the current state of commercial real estate distress, including whether valuations have truly reset, where opportunities are emerging, the evolving bid-ask spread and the factors influencing lender decisions.
• Navigating the Modern Real Estate Financing Lifecycle: Industry experts will examine the evolving role of repo financing and its relationship to CRE CLOs and conduit securitizations, the borrower experience and emerging financing structures.

The forum will conclude with a networking reception, giving attendees an opportunity to connect with peers.

"The West Coast is a major force in commercial real estate finance, and we're excited to bring the industry together to talk about what's next," said Teresa Zien, Managing Director at Invesco Real Estate and member of the conference's Planning Committee. "As the industry continues to evolve, there's real value in getting the right people in the room for an open exchange of ideas. We are especially pleased to feature Rick Caruso in what promises to be a fascinating conversation about real estate, development and the forces shaping the industry."

Event Details:

• When: Thursday, October 22, 2026
• Where: VEA Newport Beach, Newport Beach, California
• Program
• Registration

About CREFC
The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) is the trade association for the over $6 trillion commercial real estate finance industry with a membership that includes more than 400 companies and 19,000 individuals. Member firms include balance sheet and securitized lenders, loan and bond investors, private equity firms, servicers, rating agencies, and borrowers. For over 30 years, CREFC has promoted liquidity, transparency, and efficiency in the commercial real estate finance markets, and acted as a legislative and regulatory advocate for the industry, playing a vital role in setting market standards and best practices, and providing education for market participants. For more information, visit www.crefc.org.

SOURCE CRE Finance Council