Renewed efforts to privatize government-sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could make it over the finish line under new leadership in Washington, according to Willy Walker, chairman and CEO of Walker & Dunlop, who discussed the possibility during a guest appearance on CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street’ segment.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been in conservatorship since the Great Financial Crisis of 2008-2009. President Trump’s efforts to privatize the entities during his first term were unsuccessful. However, momentum may be building again. Walker noted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had spoken publicly about the possibility of privatization, and Bill Pulte, the new director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), was highly focused on the safety and soundness of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the U.S. mortgage market during his confirmation hearings. If the GSEs continue to aggregate capital to give them a capital base that allows them to go private, potentially, they could get spun out of conservatorship under the leadership of Pulte, said Walker.

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Kristen Smithberg

Kristen Smithberg is a Colorado-based freelance writer who covers commercial real estate, insurance, benefits and retirement topics for BenefitsPRO and other industry publications.