Wells Fargo to sell its non-agency third-party Commercial Mortgage Servicing business to Trimont

(Rewrites throughout to add details of deal and industry context)

Aug 20 (Reuters) - Wells Fargo on Tuesday agreed to sell its non-agency third-party Commercial Mortgage Servicing business to Trimont, a move that will make the firm the largest servicer of commercial real estate securitized debt in the United States.

Founded in 1988, Trimont, which primarily serves non-bank and alternative lenders, will manage combined $640 billion loans in the U.S. after deal is closed.

The "strategically important transaction" will position Trimont to be a key partner to real estate capital providers, said Jim Dunbar, Chair of Trimont and Partner at Värde Partners.

Wells Fargo, which has doubled down focus on its core businesses, was last trading down marginally. The stock is up around 15% so far this year.

"This transaction is consistent with Wells Fargo's strategy of focusing on businesses that are core to our consumer and corporate clients," said Kara McShane, executive vice president and head of Wells Fargo Commercial Real Estate, in a statement.

"We remain committed to our market-leading Commercial Real Estate business," McShane added.

Funding for the deal will be provided by Värde Partners, an alternative investment firm, which acquired and has owned Trimont through certain funds since 2015.

The move comes at a time when the banking industry in the United States faces increasing pressure due to elevated interest rates and challenges in the CRE market. They have also suffered a sharp fall in valuations post-pandemic due to a jump in office vacancy rates.

The deal, for which no value was disclosed, is expected to close in early 2025, pending certain conditions, and will result in Trimont managing over $715 billion in U.S. and international commercial real estate loans.

Wells Fargo Securities served as the exclusive financial advisor to the bank. J.P. Morgan Securities served as a financial advisor with Goldman Sachs, providing additional advisory services to Trimont and Värde Partners. (Reporting by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat and Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)