KBRA Releases IMN 2026 Non-QM Forum Recap

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KBRA releases a recap of IMN’s Non-QM Forum, held on June 15-16 at the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach in Dana Point, California, which brought together market professionals across the residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) space. The forum featured a range of discussions about how one of the most active sectors of private label RMBS is evolving against a more complex macroeconomic and regulatory backdrop. With non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) issuance at post-global financial crisis (GFC) highs and investor demand continuing to broaden and strengthen, the discussions centered on two questions: whether there remains room for further non-QM growth, and how the market can scale while maintaining underwriting discipline, execution quality, or investor confidence.

Panelists generally described a non-QM market that has become larger and more institutionalized, but also one facing headwinds from elevated rates, constrained affordability, uneven consumer performance, and closer scrutiny of compliance and diligence practices, particularly at the state level. The conversation also distinguished today’s non-QM market from pre-GFC lending practices, with panelists pointing to post-crisis regulatory guardrails such as ability-to-repay requirements, stronger oversight, and more developed compliance infrastructure. At the same time, panelists emphasized that market participants have continued to apply their own credit discipline, with investor diligence, rating agency standards, and originator controls helping shape underwriting practices beyond formal regulatory requirements.

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About KBRA

KBRA, one of the major credit rating agencies, is registered in the U.S., EU, and the UK. KBRA is recognized as a Qualified Rating Agency in Taiwan, and is also a Designated Rating Organization for structured finance ratings in Canada. As a full-service credit rating agency, investors can use KBRA ratings for regulatory capital purposes in multiple jurisdictions.

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