Navigating CRE Lending Amid Economic Uncertainty with Eastern Bank's Matthew Osborne

The CRE Weekly Digest by LightBox

How are regional banks navigating today’s choppy economic and federal policy waters? The LightBox team gets an inside look when they talk to Matthew Osborne, EVP and Chief Credit Officer at Eastern Bank – a regional bank in the Boston MSA. Matt explains why Boston’s chronic housing shortage is helping multifamily remain a magnet for capital, even as affordability pressures rise, and how a VC-fueled life sciences boom led to today’s glut of vacant lab space. His detailed breakdown of venture funding cycles, tenant demand, and submarket saturation is a must-listen for anyone tracking the life sciences and lab asset space. He also weighs in on why the market feels different this time, how lenders are stress-testing capital stacks, and what Boston’s biggest distressed office sale signals about future valuations. Plus, a black swan watch, a musical cameo, and why Here Comes the Sun might just be the theme song for 2025 lending.

01:10 Key Concerns in CRE Lending

03:22 Industry Sentiment and Market Cycles

08:48 Boston's Multifamily Market and Housing Shortage

14:58 Office to Residential Conversions in Boston

23:13 Life Sciences and Lab Space in Boston

33:46 Industrial Sector Insights

Have questions for the pod team? Send them to [email protected].

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