Multifamily lending continues to reach all-new highs, and some lenders rose above the rest, dominating the market in 2018. Here are the top 10 lenders that financed through Freddie Mac in 2018 and their lending volume.

Microsoft has pledged $500 million to fund the construction of affordable housing in the Seattle area. The effort is a move to address criticism that tech companies have pushed out lower income residents, as an influx of well-paid tech employees have descended on the area, driving up home prices and making Seattle one of the most expensive cities to live in the nation.

HousingWire Editor-In-Chief Jacob Gaffney recently interviewed United Wholesale Mortgage CEO Mat Ishbia for an upcoming HousingWire Magazine cover story detailing 2019's mortgage lending outlook. “It’s really a battle for the originator. Originators are coming to the broker channel, and I don’t think it’s much of a battle anymore, I think they’re leaving in droves from retail lenders,” Ishbia tells Gaffney.

Fiserv, once a tech monolith in the mortgage industry, appears to be finding even greater success elsewhere. Ten years ago, the company partnered with Case-Shiller to provide important housing data. Today, its business model now includes multi-billion dollar deals.

Business for those working in real estate and mortgage lending is changing, and those who want to learn how to thrive in this new climate need a place to learn and connect. That was the impetus behind the creation of the Industry Syndicate, a media network and community for professionals in the space who want to engage their peers and uncover fresh ideas on how to grow their businesses.

More than 300 employees working for mortgage servicer Seterus in Durham, North Carolina, will be out of a job come March. The news comes just days after Mr. Cooper announced it had purchased Seterus from IBM in a deal expected to close in the first quarter of the year, and coincides with layoffs in Mr. Cooper's origination channel.

Whether it’s because they’re attracted to communal, dormitory-style living or because that’s all they can afford these days, Millennials and other younger generations are increasingly turning to co-living as a housing option. The idea has taken off in recent years, with several different companies beginning to expand on the idea of shared living. And now, one of Europe’s largest co-living developers is planning to make a big push in the U.S.

A group of New York City real estate brokers made $21 million through a series of illegal Airbnb short-term rentals in flagrant violation of the city’s short-term rental laws, the city claims in a new lawsuit. According to the city, Metropolitan Property Group, its owners, and others were repeatedly warned to stop violating the city’s short-term rental laws, but chose to continue to do so, earning more than $21 million in illegal revenue from Airbnb.