- Commercial property lenders side by side
- Ten lenders for commercial property finance
- Who each lender is built for
- Commercial property loan types in plain English
- Where the loan sits in a property deal
- Seven questions for a commercial lender
- My plain advice on commercial property finance
- Frequently asked questions
Commercial real estate loans finance property used for business or investment, such as apartment buildings, offices, healthcare property and rentals. Lenders specialise: some focus on multifamily and government-backed agency loans, others on construction and bridge finance or investor loans, and some are banks or broker platforms. Ten US lenders follow, in no particular order.
Commercial real estate finance is one of those searches where every result uses the same three words and means something different. An apartment block, a care home, a flip and an office building can all sit under the same heading.
The ten names below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and this is a US list. Every description comes from each lender's own website, as of Nov 2026. Loan terms, property types and eligibility come from each lender, deal by deal, so I've left them out.
Commercial property lenders side by side
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Arbor Realty Trust | Direct multifamily lender | Debt capital for multifamily and commercial property |
| Berkadia | Mortgage banking and sales firm | Mortgage banking, investment sales and servicing together |
| CommLoan | CRE lending platform | Connecting brokers and borrowers with commercial lenders |
| Greystone | Agency and HUD lender | FHA/HUD, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans |
| J.P. Morgan | Commercial real estate bank | Property loans and banking for companies and institutions |
| Kiavi | Investor loan lender | Loans for flipping, renting or building investment property |
| LendingOne | Real estate investor lender | Rental, flip, build to rent and portfolio finance |
| Lima One Capital | Investor-focused private lender | Custom loans for different investment strategies |
| Ready Capital | Non-bank CRE and SBA lender | Construction and bridge finance plus small business lending |
| Walker & Dunlop | CRE finance and advisory firm | Financing plus sales, valuation, servicing and research |
Ten lenders for commercial property finance
Arbor Realty Trust
Best for: Multifamily owners wanting a national direct lender for apartment and commercial property, with multifamily and single-family rental research on its site.
Berkadia
Best for: Commercial property owners who'd like mortgage banking, investment sales and loan servicing handled by the same firm.
CommLoan
Best for: Mortgage brokers and borrowers who'd rather search commercial lenders and loan programmes on one platform than call round one by one.
Greystone
Best for: Owners of multifamily, healthcare or commercial property looking at agency loans, with bridge through to permanent financing listed on its page.
J.P. Morgan
Best for: Companies and institutions that want commercial real estate lending alongside wider banking and financial services from one bank.
Kiavi
Best for: Property investors building and scaling a portfolio, as its page names bridge, rental and new construction loans for flipping, renting or building.
LendingOne
Best for: Investors financing anything from a small project to a large portfolio, with DSCR rental and single-family rental portfolio loans on its list.
Lima One Capital
Best for: Real estate investors with more than one strategy in play who want a lender whose page offers custom solutions for each of them.
Ready Capital
Best for: Developers needing construction, construction-to-bridge or bridge finance from a non-bank lender that also lends to small businesses.
Walker & Dunlop
Best for: Owners who want financing alongside sales, valuation, loan servicing, investment management and research from one commercial real estate firm.
Who each lender is built for
The lender pages are clear about who they're built for, once you read past the headline.
Multifamily and agency lending. Arbor Realty Trust's page calls it a national direct lender providing debt capital for the multifamily and commercial real estate industries. Greystone's page says it lends through FHA/HUD, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for multifamily, healthcare and commercial properties. Walker & Dunlop's page describes CRE financing, sales, valuation, loan servicing and research.
Mortgage banking and a bank. Berkadia's page lists mortgage banking, investment sales and loan servicing. J.P. Morgan's page is a commercial real estate banking page for companies and institutions, so it's pitched at larger borrowers.
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Construction, bridge and investor loans. Ready Capital's page names construction, construction-to-bridge and large opportunistic bridge financing, and says it's a non-bank SBA Preferred Lender. Kiavi, LendingOne and Lima One Capital sell loans to property investors, from flips and rentals to new builds and portfolios.
A platform rather than a lender. CommLoan's page says it's a lending platform connecting mortgage brokers, borrowers and lenders, so you'd use it to find a lender rather than borrow from it.
So pick by property type and borrower before you pick by brand. A lender built around apartment buildings and agency programmes won't be the right conversation for a single rental, and an investor lender won't be the right one for a care home.
Commercial property loan types in plain English
- Agency multifamily loans. Loans for apartment buildings made through programmes backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or FHA/HUD, and arranged by approved lenders.
- Bridge loans. Short-term finance that covers a gap, such as buying or repositioning a property before longer-term financing is in place.
- Construction loans. Money to build, usually released in stages as the work goes up, and sometimes rolled into a bridge loan once the build is done.
- Permanent financing. Longer-term loans on a finished property that's already producing income.
- DSCR and investor rental loans. Loans on rental property where the lender looks at whether the rent covers the repayments.
- SBA loans. Loans partly backed by the US Small Business Administration, sometimes used by a business buying the premises it trades from.
Where the loan sits in a property deal
The loan usually comes after you've found the property and run the numbers. My list of real estate investing software covers the analysis side. If you'd rather own a share of a deal than a whole building, my roundup of real estate crowdfunding platforms is a different route in, and short-term flip money is covered in my list of hard money lenders.
Seven questions for a commercial lender
- Which property types do you lend on?
- Do you lend to individuals, companies or both?
- Are you the lender, an adviser or a platform that finds lenders?
- Is this a bridge, construction or permanent loan, and can one roll into the next?
- Who services the loan after it closes?
- Do you lend in the state where the property is?
- Is the loan recourse or non-recourse, and what does that mean for me personally?
Do you make a commercial real estate lending product? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on commercial property finance
Start with the property and the borrower, not the lender's name. An apartment building, a care home, a construction project and a single rental are different loans, and the lenders here each lead with a different one. Shortlist the names whose own pages lead with your property type, check whether they lend to someone in your position, and read the terms in full before you sign anything.
This isn't financial advice, and nothing here means any lender will lend to you. A commercial mortgage broker or a qualified adviser is the right person to talk your deal through with.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as commercial real estate?
Property used for business or investment, such as apartment buildings, offices, shops, warehouses, healthcare property and rentals. Each lender sets which property types it'll lend on.
What's an agency loan?
It's a multifamily loan made through a programme backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or FHA/HUD. Approved lenders arrange them, and the rules come from each programme and lender.
What's the difference between a bridge loan and a permanent loan?
A bridge loan is short-term money that covers a gap, such as buying or repositioning a property. A permanent loan is longer-term finance on a finished property that's producing income.
Can a small business get a commercial real estate loan?
Some lenders lend to small businesses buying their own premises, including through SBA programmes. Eligibility comes from each lender, so check its own page.
Is a commercial real estate loan the same as a hard money loan?
Not quite. Hard money usually means short-term private lending for investors, often on flips. Commercial real estate loans also cover agency, bank and permanent financing on larger properties.
How do I compare commercial real estate lenders?
Match the lender to your property type and borrower first, then compare loan types, servicing and the states each lender covers. Read every lender's own terms and eligibility before you go further.
