This Florida Banker Has Strong Views on President Trump Impact

FirstBank Florida’s senior vice president and Commercial Banking Head, Mahesh Pattabhiraman

MIAMI—With Donald Trump heading to the White House in January, there is no shortage of experts predicting how banking, real estate, and the overall economic climate could shift as a result. Some bankers are predicting a seismic global mind shift will be immediate while actual change will take time, and the toss-up battleground State of Florida may feel the greatest impact.

According to a recent Federal Reserve survey of loan officers, US and foreign banks alike have made commercial real estate lending standards more stringent during a period when higher demand for commercial and land development loans have been reported. After years of near-zero interest rates, the tightening standards may be due a concern of a potential bubble in the sector and wanting to avoid moving into a commercial real estate crisis similar to the last.