Chris Weber
Stepping Stones to Success
Sometimes, the unconventional path leads to exactly where you’re meant to be. This has been Christopher Weber’s approach in his 18-year career at Freddie Mac, taking on new roles and responsibilities to continue growing and challenging himself.
Chris grew up in nearby McLean, Virginia, with his parents and sister. Every year, they’d go back to Yokohama, Japan, to visit his mother’s family. Although he couldn’t speak fluent Japanese, Chris embraced the challenge of the unknown and immersed himself in the culture — an approach that would later define his career.
At James Madison University, he studied finance, including courses in commercial real estate. During his junior year, Chris interned at Freddie Mac in the Multifamily Accounting group and upon graduating, worked at the consulting firm Bearing Point for a short stint. Leveraging the connections he had made at Freddie Mac, in 2007, Chris was offered a role in the Multifamily Operations team as a senior business applications analyst. Although this was outside of what he studied, Chris took the role — kickstarting what would become a dynamic 18-year career within the division.
Eager to expand his multifamily experience, after a few years Chris transitioned to an underwriter on the structured underwriting team. He rose through the ranks and learned about the complicated financing of our structured products. This experience paved the way for his next role as a senior producer on the LIHTC Equity Investments team. During this time, Chris stepped into a more customer-facing role to focus on relationship management and sourcing investments to support Freddie Mac’s mission.
After six successful years with the LIHTC team, he joined the Targeted Affordable Housing (TAH) Retail Production & Sales team in January to take on a more strategic role that focuses on optimizing the platform through new TAH offerings, cross-divisional collaborations and customer outreach.
Let’s dive further into how Chris has contributed to Making Home Possible over the years.
How does your work at Freddie Mac contribute to increasing affordable housing supply?
A: The TAH production team directly contributes to this effort by funding and financing the rehabilitation and new construction of affordable housing projects across the country. Our team manages 22 Optigo® TAH lenders on a national platform to provide liquidity to the multifamily market.
Our bread and butter are Forward Tax-Exempt Loans (TELs), which utilize LIHTC equity, and Cash Loans for Affordable Housing Preservation, which have affordable restrictions that help maintain existing affordable multifamily housing stock. Both products have the same underlying foundation but provide solutions for different borrower needs.
How does Freddie Mac provide the best execution in the market?
A: I believe it comes down to our people. Our team picks up the phone and collaborates directly with our lenders to work through issues and find solutions that fit each deal. With boots on the ground across the country, we pride ourselves on our local knowledge and strong relationships with the network.
Another way we provide a competitive advantage is our Index Lock, where borrowers can lock the Treasury index to mitigate the risk of interest rate volatility. And now, we’re offering TELs with HUD risk share, which allows developers or sponsors who receive LIHTCs to benefit from acquisition credits within a deal.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
A: Although I’ve challenged myself in many ways throughout my career, I would still tell my younger self to be comfortable taking risks that push me outside of my comfort zone. Specifically, I’d encourage speaking up in meetings and taking on projects even when I felt uncertain. Those uncomfortable moments are often the greatest growth opportunities.
Chris and his wife in Kyoto, Japan at the Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Chris and his wife in London this past year.
Chris and his wife visiting the old medina in Fes, Morocco.
Any fun facts you’d like to share?
A: I love to travel and explore countries and cultures without an itinerary — it’s the best way to stumble upon hidden gems. So far, I’ve traveled to 21 countries and have no plans on stopping. I’m also into collecting sneakers, and one of my most prized pairs is the Air Jordan XI purchased back in 1996.
Chris holding his prized Air Jordan XIs.
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