Portfolio Manager II, CRE
Posted Sep 10, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
How do you write an approval memo that gives a committee what it needs to decide?
What they are checking: Whether they write approval memos that give a credit committee exactly what it needs, because clear writing is a stated requirement and drives decisions.
What would you do
You'd manage covenant compliance testing on an ongoing basis. What do you do when a borrower trips a covenant?
What they are checking: Response to a covenant breach rather than just noting it
A relationship manager wants a structure you think carries too much risk. How do you handle that?
What they are checking: Whether they can hold a sound credit view when a relationship manager pushes back, protecting the bank without damaging the working relationship.
About the work
This role manages a portfolio of commercial real estate credits from Willowbrook. Which asset types have you underwritten?
What they are checking: Whether they have underwritten the range of property types this portfolio holds, since each commercial real estate asset type carries different risks.
Walk me through how you build a cash flow model for an income-producing property.
What they are checking: Whether they can build an income property cash flow model themselves, because the posting requires modeling and it drives every credit decision here.
The posting names lease abstracting. What do you pull out of a lease that changes your view of the credit?
What they are checking: A specific skill that separates real estate lenders from general commercial ones
How do you assess a sponsor as opposed to the property itself?
What they are checking: Sponsor analysis, which the posting names in the approval memo
Walk me through reviewing and processing a construction draw.
What they are checking: Whether they understand how construction draws are reviewed and released, since paying a draw too early or wrongly puts the bank's money at risk.
What do you watch in a real estate portfolio to spot deterioration before the financials show it?
What they are checking: Whether they watch for early warning signs of property trouble, because catching deterioration before the financials show it gives the bank time to act.
The posting asks for a bachelor's in business, finance, accounting or economics, at least four years of commercial real estate credit or lending experience, and prefers formal bank credit training. Where do you sit?
What they are checking: Whether their degree, credit experience and training genuinely match the stated qualifications, so both sides can judge the fit honestly from the start.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Wintrust.