JPMorgan Chase Taps New CRE Lending Leader

Michelle Herrick will step into her new role this coming January.

Michelle Herrick of JPMorgan Chase
Michelle Herrick, JPMorgan’s new head of commercial real estate. Photo courtesy of JPMorgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase has named Michelle Herrick as head of its commercial real estate business, the company said on Wednesday. The appointment will take effect in January 2025.

According to Bloomberg, Herrick has been the company’s deputy head of commercial real estate since earlier this year. She joined the company in 2017 and has also served as its central region market manager for real estate. She also previously worked at Bank of America.

In her new role, Herrick will oversee the company’s commercial real estate loan portfolio. She succeeds Al Brooks, who will take on a new role as vice chair for commercial banking. Based in Chicago, Herrick will report to John Simmons, head of the company’s commercial banking arm.


READ ALSO: Will CRE Market Conditions Improve?


JPMorgan is the largest commercial real estate lender in the U.S., with a current loan volume of $173.8 billion as of the second quarter.

A timely promotion

Herrick’s new assignment takes place amid improving sentiment from investors following the Fed’s recent rate cut, with several more likely on the way. A recent survey from NAIOP shows that sentiment scores for equity, debt and first-year ownership cap rates were all over 50, indicating broadly bettering conditions.

Still, CRE loan delinquencies and special servicing rates continue to climb, and this could cause existing owners to either lose defaulted-on assets or sell them to investors which waited for lower costs of capital. Either way, there should be no shortage of new business for JPMorgan and its competitors.