Trimont’s Mitchell Hunter Sees Rising Demand for Special Servicing

2025 has seen Trimont solidify its leadership position as the nation’s largest servicer of securitized commercial real estate debt through its acquisition of Wells Fargo’s third-party non-agency commercial mortgage servicing (CMS) business. This year has also seen increased activity in the company’s distress-related business lines, and company president Mitchell Hunter, who has led Trimont’s non-performing/special servicing team in the past, expects this year-over-year growth trend to continue. Connect CRE sounded out Mitchell on the integration of the Wells Fargo CMS platform and the macroeconomic outlook for finance.

Q: Trimont recently completed its acquisition of Wells Fargo’s third-party non-agency CMS business. How does the acquisition enhance Trimont’s existing platform?

A: Trimont’s recent acquisition complements our existing platform in several key ways:

• Expanded scale and resources: By welcoming approximately 350 new colleagues in the U.S. and 350 in India, we have strengthened our global team and expanded our operational footprint. This allows us to deliver around-the-clock coverage for our clients and support a broader range of asset classes and financial instruments.

• Enhanced operational efficiencies: The increased size brings new operational and financial efficiencies, allowing us to leverage economies of scale and further streamline our processes. This enhanced capacity positions us to better serve our clients’ evolving needs in a dynamic market environment.

• Technology and innovation advancement: The acquisition includes eight proprietary software systems that integrate seamlessly with our ongoing technology investments at Trimont. These platforms accelerate our innovation agenda, enabling us to deliver more advanced, data-driven solutions to our clients and maintain a leadership position in servicing both public and private credit offerings. This integration has allowed us the opportunity to refine and expand the capabilities of our internal AI large language model (Tribot).

• Greater client value: With our expanded resources, broader global reach, and enhanced technology suite, Trimont is uniquely positioned to deliver best-in-class service for our clients, regardless of transaction complexity or structure.

Q: Within the overall Trimont platform, where do the distress-related business lines (e.g., special servicing) rank as far as year-over-year growth in volume is concerned?

A: Our distress-related business lines have shown steady year-over-year growth in volume over recent years. This positive trajectory is expected to persist through the remainder of 2025 and into 2026, largely driven by a substantial wave of loan maturities set to come due in the next 18 months. As borrowers face refinancing challenges and potential defaults, the demand for special servicing and related expertise is anticipated to rise accordingly. Additionally, escalating costs and ongoing…