CREFC Set to Host Largest Gathering of Commercial Real Estate Finance Leaders Next Month in Miami

MIAMI, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) will gather the commercial real estate finance industry's foremost leaders at its flagship CREFC Miami conference, January 11-14, 2026. Widely recognized as the largest and most influential event in commercial real estate finance, CREFC Miami brings together more than 4,000 industry leaders for four days of market insights, high-value connection-building, and forward-looking discussion.

As the recognized voice of the commercial real estate finance industry, CREFC represents lenders, investors, servicers, issuers, and the full range of professionals powering the commercial real estate capital markets. CREFC plays a vital role in shaping industry standards, delivering trusted research and data, and advocating the policy and regulatory issues that matter most to market participants.

Renowned for its member-driven, content-focused programming, CREFC Miami is the one event that brings the entire CRE finance ecosystem together in one place. Whether attendees are focused on capital markets, CRE loan origination, credit, loan servicing, policy, or investment strategy, the conference offers an unmatched environment in which relationships are strengthened, ideas are exchanged, and the direction of the market comes into focus.

"Those in commercial real estate finance are entering 2026 with both caution and optimism, and CREFC Miami is where those perspectives come together," said Lisa Pendergast, President and CEO of CREFC. "Our conference delivers candid, member-driven dialogue that reflects real market conditions. This is where industry leaders gain clarity on emerging trends, share what they're seeing on the ground, and prepare for the year ahead."

Chris Voss, former Lead International Hostage Negotiator for the FBI and bestselling author of Never Split the Difference, will kick off the conference with the keynote session ─ "Tactical Empathy: Negotiation Secrets from an FBI Negotiator." As CEO of The Black Swan Group, Voss brings battle-tested strategies that empower executives to transform high-stakes standoffs into collaborative victories, a critical skillset as the commercial real estate sector navigates complex restructurings, uncertain capital markets, and approaching debt maturities.

Scott Galloway, renowned entrepreneur and NYU Stern School of Business marketing professor, will share his annual predictions in a keynote session examining consumer, tech, and business trends that will have the biggest impact in 2026. Using data-informed insights, he will share his vision for the trends and opportunities that will define the year ahead and reflect on his previous year's predictions.

Pendergast added, "CREFC Miami 2026 delivers precisely what our industry needs: keynote visionaries like Chris Voss and Scott Galloway unveiling high-stakes negotiation frameworks and market trends, paired with deep-dive sessions on today's most pressing industry issues: private credit's evolution, global capital flows, and transformative approaches to distressed office assets. Other sessions will unpack portfolio rebalancing tactics, alternative housing finance models, and data center capital demands."

Key sessions at CREFC Miami include:

• Private Credit Playbook: Evolving Players in the Debt Stack
• Global Capital Flows: Navigating International Investments in U.S. Real Estate
• Industry Leaders Roundtable
• Portfolio Rebalancing Strategies: Loan Sales, Modifications, and Enforcement
• From Vacancy to Value: Repositioning, Financing and Opportunities in Distressed Office
• Beyond Traditional Multifamily: Exploring Alternative and Affordable Housing
• Powering Digital Infrastructure: Growing Demand for Data Center Capital
• A comprehensive lineup of Forums representing the various market constituents addressing key issues and trends
• Updates on CREFC's research, policy/regulatory issues, and initiatives supporting transparency and best practices in CRE finance

Event Details:

• When: January 11-14, 2026
• Where: Loews Miami Beach Hotel | 1601 Collins Avenue | Miami Beach, FL 33139
• Conference Program
• Registration

About CREFC

The CRE Finance Council (CREFC) is the trade association for the nearly $6 trillion commercial real estate finance industry with a membership that includes approximately 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 acts 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