Lender type
Life company loans, matched to your deal
A life company loan is commercial mortgage debt made by a life insurance company from its own general account, to match the long-dated liabilities it carries. That funding source shapes the loan: long fixed-rate terms, conservative leverage, non-recourse with standard carve-outs, and a strong preference for well-located, well-leased property with an experienced owner. Insurers differ from each other on asset appetite, loan size and how much structure they will accept, which is why the same file is worth putting in front of several at once.
- 5,000+loan programs screened
- 5–8matches on a typical deal
- $0 upfrontto submit and compare offers
- 0.50–1.00%broker fee, paid only at closing
Who is a life company loan actually for?
Owners of high-quality stabilized property who value a long fixed rate and a relationship lender more than maximum leverage: an institutional-grade industrial portfolio, a grocery-anchored retail center, a well-leased office or medical office building, a stabilized multifamily community in a strong market. Transitional assets, heavy value-add plans and higher-leverage requests usually belong with banks, debt funds or a securitized execution.
What do life companies disagree about?
Asset appetite and size. Insurers take different views on which property types and markets they want this year, on the minimum and maximum loan they will write, on how much interest-only they will allow, on prepayment structure, and on whether they will lend through a correspondent network or only directly. Some are active in smaller loans through correspondents; others write only large loans on trophy assets. Knowing which is which is most of the work.
What should be ready before a life company file goes out?
Trailing operating statements and a rent roll with lease terms and tenant credit, the property's location and condition story, the sponsor's ownership history and experience, and the term and prepayment structure the borrower wants. Files that arrive with the lease rollover mapped against the proposed loan term get taken seriously faster, because that map is what an insurer's credit committee studies first.
How does getting matched actually work?
You describe the deal once — about five minutes — and it is screened against 5,000+ loan programs. Most deals return 5–8 matches, and the median first offer arrives in under an hour. There is $0 upfront; the fee is 0.50–1.00%, paid only at closing.
YieldStack is a commercial mortgage brokerage, not a lender. The rate, the leverage and the credit decision belong to the lenders competing for your deal; our job is making sure the right ones see it at the same time, so the terms you compare are real competition rather than one desk’s appetite.
What do lenders actually look at?
Every program weighs these in its own way — which is the argument for several quoting at once.
- Location, tenancy and physical quality of the asset
- Lease term and tenant credit against the proposed loan term
- Leverage well inside the insurer's conservative standard
- The sponsor's history as a long-term owner
- Whether the loan size and asset type fit the insurer's current allocation
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do life companies lend on commercial real estate?
To match the long-term obligations on their policies with long-term, predictable income. That is why the loans are long, fixed and conservative.
Are life company loans non-recourse?
Typically, with standard carve-outs. Combined with the long fixed rate, that is the core of the appeal for owners who plan to hold.
How does leverage compare with other lenders?
Lower, as a rule. Insurers accept less leverage in exchange for the certainty of the asset, and borrowers who need more usually look to a securitized or bank execution.
What is a correspondent?
A mortgage banking firm that originates and often services loans for one or more insurers under a standing relationship. Many life companies see smaller loans only through correspondents.
Can I prepay a life company loan?
Usually with yield maintenance, sometimes with a declining schedule, and often with an open period near maturity. The structure is negotiated at origination and varies by insurer.
Do life companies finance construction or value-add?
Some do, selectively and for established sponsors, but the core business is stabilized property. A transitional deal is more often financed elsewhere with a life company takeout in mind.
Is YieldStack a lender?
No. YieldStack is a commercial mortgage brokerage, not a lender. Every term sheet comes from a lender in the network and is subject to that lender's underwriting.
Does it cost anything to see terms?
No. It costs $0 upfront to submit a deal and review offers; YieldStack's broker fee is 0.50–1.00% of the loan amount and is paid only at closing.
Is financing guaranteed?
No. Every credit decision is made by the lender; YieldStack arranges the introductions and negotiates on the borrower's side, and no loan, rate, or closing is guaranteed.
Next step
One deal.Several lenders.
YieldStack is a commercial mortgage brokerage, not a lender.