BENCHMARK 2018-B3 COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE TRUST 8-K

What Happened
BENCHMARK 2018-B3 Commercial Mortgage Trust filed an 8-K (Jan 8, 2026) announcing that the directing holder removed Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC as special servicer for the Twelve Oaks Mall whole loan and appointed Torchlight Loan Services, LLC as successor special servicer, effective January 8, 2026. The loan is serviced under the GS Mortgage Securities Trust 2018-GS9 pooling and servicing agreement (GSMS 2018-GS9 PSA). An Acknowledgment of Replacement Special Servicer dated January 8, 2026 is attached as Exhibit 20.1 to the filing.

Key Details

• Asset affected: Twelve Oaks Mall whole loan held by Benchmark 2018-B3 Commercial Mortgage Trust.
• Change effective date: January 8, 2026.
• Parties replaced/appointed: Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC removed; Torchlight Loan Services, LLC appointed as successor special servicer.
• Governing document: change made under the GSMS 2018-GS9 PSA (original PSA dated March 1, 2018; PSA previously filed as Exhibit 4.4 to the Issuing Entity’s April 10, 2018 Form 8‑K).

Why It Matters
The special servicer is the party responsible under the PSA for handling enforcement, workouts, and other special servicing functions for troubled or non‑standard loans. This replacement changes which firm will manage the Twelve Oaks Mall loan’s special servicing actions going forward. Investors in the trust should note the change and watch for further disclosures about the loan’s performance, any workout or enforcement activity, and any impacts on trust cash flows or recoveries. The filing provides the formal acknowledgement of the replacement but does not state reasons for the change.