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Chart 82: How do you view fundamentals for multifamily lending in 2017?
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
10% Softening fundamentals should lead to slower financing activity next year
0% Softening fundamentals should lead to worsening credit metrics
23% Softening fundamentals should lead to slower financing activing and worsening credit metrics
60% Some concern, but only in certain regions and at certain rental price points
7% No concern

Source: BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research

- Future demand in multifamily promising: Looking forward, the panelists see healthy demand for multifamily housing given a preference among millennials to live in urban areas versus the suburbs. Moreover, the panelists noted that increasing debt burden tied to student loans is likely to make home ownership out of reach for several first time home buyers. Furthermore, it was noted that the US needs 1.5mn new housing units each year and the present level of construction activity was not keeping pace with this when looking at it on a national level.

- Foreign capital part of the equation: Some of the panelists are seeing a significant flow of foreign capital into the multifamily market with Mr. Brickman surmising that data around inflow of foreign capital into the commercial real estate market was likely understated given that significant amount of inflows have come indirectly through investment vehicles like private equity.

- Risk retention rules modest impact: Our multifamily panelists viewed the risk retention rule for CMBS as having a modest impact given the large role played by the GSEs in lending to the multifamily space. It was also noted that while the rule may dampen private securitization activity, less competition from the CMBS markets would be a positive for balance sheet lenders.

- Impact from rising rates may not be all news: While the panel acknowledged that the rise in interest rates will likely push cap rates higher, an increase driven by a more favorable growth outlook may not be as bad. This is because a stronger economy should theoretically lead to a better backdrop for jobs and wage growth, thereby providing landlords some leeway to raise rents.

The Future of Big Data in Financials
We hosted a panel to discuss how big data is impacting the financial services industry. The panel discussed key big data buzzwords including machine learning, data scientist, structured data and unstructured data. They panel also reviewed how different firms are adapting big data solutions to solve specific company issues. Our panelists included Jessica Donohue, the Chief Innovation Officer for State Street and the head of advisory and information solutions for State Street Global Exchange, Greg Michaelson, head of data science practice at Data Robot, and Sandeep Saini, head

56 2016 Future of Financials Conference | 17 November 2016

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

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