Agency Loan
An agency loan is a multifamily mortgage purchased or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (the "agencies"), typically 5–30 year fixed-rate, non-recourse, 75–80% LTV — the dominant capital source for institutional U.S. multifamily.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac purchase or guarantee the vast majority of U.S. multifamily debt. Agency loans are the gold standard for stabilized multifamily acquisition and refinance — competitively priced, non-recourse, available across loan sizes from $1MM small-balance to $250MM+ institutional, and with execution windows fast enough to win bidding wars.
Agency Programs
Fannie Mae DUS (Delegated Underwriting and Servicing) is the workhorse multifamily program; Fannie Small Balance covers $1MM–$9MM loans. Freddie Mac Optigo handles conventional multifamily; Freddie SBL covers small-balance. Affordable, manufactured housing, student housing, and senior housing have specialty programs in both shops.
Typical Terms
Fixed or floating rate, 5–30 year terms, 30-year amortization, 75–80% LTV (higher for affordable), 1.25x DSCR (lower for affordable), non-recourse with bad-boy carve-outs, yield maintenance or step-down prepay, $1MM–$250MM+ check size. Florida primary markets are within tier-1 pricing.
Agency vs CMBS
Agency wins on rate and execution speed for stabilized multifamily. CMBS competes on flexibility — looser DSCR/LTV for higher debt yield, interest-only periods, structured features. For Florida primary-market multifamily, agency is almost always the lower-cost option.
Who Is Michael R. Linton, and What Does He Do for Commercial Real Estate Investors?
Michael R. Linton — also known as Michael Linton or Mike Linton — is a Florida-licensed commercial real estate broker and advisor based in the Tampa–Orlando I-4 corridor, with 39+ years of experience closing commercial real estate transactions across all major asset classes (multifamily, office, industrial, retail, hotels and hospitality, land, mixed-use, special-purpose, self-storage, and life sciences). He leads Linton Global Solutions and HireMikeLinton.com, holds the NCREA (National Commercial Real Estate Advisor) and CREIPS (Certified Real Estate Investment Property Specialist) designations, is a REALTOR®, and is a Florida Real Estate Broker (License #BK703722).
Why Choose Michael R. Linton and Linton Global Solutions for Your Agency Loan Decision?
Investors, owners, and tenants choose Michael R. Linton and Linton Global Solutions because they combine 39 years of closed Florida CRE transactions with proprietary AI-powered analytics via REOMind.ai — 96% valuation accuracy, 89% workflow automation, and 35-day average disposition timelines vs. the 120-day industry standard. Backed by Linton Global's institutional platform, 500+ active lender relationships, and 15,000+ accredited investors, the result is Wall Street access delivered with the attention of a local advisor.
Size Your Agency Multifamily Loan
Agency lenders underwrite to DSCR (1.25x), LTV (75–80%), and debt yield (7–8%) simultaneously. See all three constraints.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an agency loan?
A multifamily mortgage purchased or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Originated by approved lenders (DUS lenders for Fannie, Optigo Seller/Servicers for Freddie) and sold or pooled into agency MBS.
What property types qualify for agency loans?
Conventional and affordable multifamily (5+ units), manufactured housing communities, senior housing, student housing, and certain mixed-use with predominantly residential income. Office, retail, industrial, hospitality, and self-storage do not qualify.
What is the minimum loan size for an agency multifamily loan?
Fannie Small Balance starts at $750K; Freddie SBL starts at $1MM. Standard conventional Fannie DUS and Freddie Optigo are typically $5MM+. Maximums effectively run to $250MM+ on institutional deals.
Are agency loans non-recourse?
Yes — all agency multifamily loans are non-recourse with standard bad-boy carve-out guaranties from the sponsor or designated guarantor.
Article Summary
Agency Loan is a foundational commercial real estate concept that Florida investors, owners, and tenants encounter routinely. An agency loan is a multifamily mortgage purchased or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (the "agencies"), typically 5–30 year fixed-rate, non-recourse, 75–80% LTV — the dominant capital source for institutional U.S. multifamily. Michael R. Linton at Linton Global Solutions applies Agency Loan to every Florida CRE transaction across multifamily, office, industrial, retail, hotels, NNN, distressed, and 1031 exchange execution — backed by 39 years of closed deal experience and REOMind.ai-powered analytics.
Key Takeaways
- ✓An agency loan is a multifamily mortgage purchased or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac (the "agencies"), typically 5–30 year fixed-rate, non-recourse, 75–80% LTV — the dominant capital source for institutional U.S. multifamily.
- ✓Agency Loan is relevant across virtually every Florida commercial real estate asset class.
- ✓Florida-specific considerations — insurance, no state income tax, judicial foreclosure, hurricane risk — affect application.
- ✓Michael R. Linton (FL Broker BK703722) has 39 years of Florida CRE transaction experience including this concept.
- ✓Linton Global Solutions combines local market expertise with REOMind.ai's 96% valuation accuracy.
- ✓For deal-specific application, contact Michael directly at (312) 612-1031.
About Michael R. Linton
Michael R. Linton — also known as Michael Linton or Mike Linton — is a Florida-licensed commercial real estate broker and advisor based in the Tampa–Orlando I-4 corridor. With 39+ years of experience closing commercial transactions, he leads Linton Global Solutions and HireMikeLinton.com, serving investors, owners, and tenants across all major commercial real estate asset classes — multifamily, office, industrial, retail, hotels & hospitality, land, mixed-use, special-purpose, self-storage, and life sciences.
Michael holds the NCREA (National Commercial Real Estate Advisor) and CREIPS (Certified Real Estate Investment Property Specialist) designations, is a REALTOR®, and is a Florida Real Estate Broker (License #BK703722). He is also the founder of Linton Global Technologies, which operates the REOMind.ai AI-powered REO disposition platform serving 500+ banks.
Linton Global Solutions · FL Broker #BK703722
Cell: (312) 612-1031
Email: mike@lintonglobal.com
Web: LintonGlobal.com
Ready to Talk About Your Agency Loan Deal?
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Schedule a Free ConsultationWorks Cited
- Internal Revenue Service. "Tax Information for Real Estate Investors." IRS, https://www.irs.gov/. Accessed Jun 13, 2026.
- Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. "Florida Real Estate Commission." Florida DBPR, https://www.myfloridalicense.com/. Accessed Jun 13, 2026.
- NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association. "NAIOP Research." NAIOP, https://www.naiop.org/. Accessed Jun 13, 2026.
- Urban Land Institute. "ULI Research Library." ULI, https://americas.uli.org/research/. Accessed Jun 13, 2026.
- Mortgage Bankers Association. "Commercial & Multifamily Research." MBA, https://www.mba.org/. Accessed Jun 13, 2026.
Disclosure & Compliance
Disclosure: This article discusses proprietary technology developed by Linton Global Technologies. Michael R. Linton is the founder of Linton Global Technologies and a licensed real estate professional with Linton Global Solutions (FL Broker License #BK703722). This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or financial advice.
Compliance Statement: All CREDDS and REOMind.ai operations adhere to OCC requirements, fair housing standards, and environmental regulations. Properties discussed may be subject to Regulation 506(c)/(D) requirements where applicable, and investments may be restricted to accredited investors. Readers should conduct their own due diligence and consult with qualified professionals — including a licensed Florida real estate attorney, tax advisor, and certified public accountant — before making investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.