Lender type
Private lender loans, matched to your deal
A private lender loan is commercial real estate debt from a non-bank source: a debt fund, a mortgage REIT, a family office or an individual lender putting its own capital to work. These lenders underwrite the asset, the business plan and the exit more than the borrower’s tax returns, move faster than regulated lenders, and price for that speed and flexibility. They fund the transitional deals banks decline: value-add, lease-up, construction, deadline-driven acquisitions and situations with a story.
- 20,000+loan programs screened
- 5–8matches on a typical deal
- Zero upfrontto submit and compare offers
- 1 hourmedian first offer
Who is a private lender loan actually for?
Borrowers whose deal will not pass a bank’s tests today but has a clear path to doing so, or who need certainty and speed more than the lowest rate: a purchase with a hard closing date, a property mid-renovation, a maturing loan the bank will not extend, or a sponsor whose global picture is complicated. Private capital is the bridge to a stabilized asset and a permanent loan, and it is priced as a bridge.
What do private lenders disagree about?
Nearly everything, because none of them answers to the same rulebook. They differ on leverage against cost and value, on whether they lend fixed or floating, on recourse, on which asset types and markets they like this quarter, on how they fund renovation draws, on interest reserves, and on how much sponsor experience they need. The range between the best and worst offer on the same file is wider here than in any other lender group, which is the argument for showing it to several.
How is a debt fund different from a hard money lender?
Mostly in scale and process. Debt funds and mortgage REITs manage institutional capital, lend larger amounts, and run a fuller underwriting with an investment committee. Hard money lenders are typically smaller, faster and more asset-focused. Both are private capital, and the same deal may fit either depending on its size and how much story it carries.
How does getting matched actually work?
You describe the deal once — about five minutes — and it is screened against 20,000+ loan programs. Most deals return 5–8 matches, and the median first offer arrives in under an hour. There is Zero 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.
- The business plan and whether the exit is credible on the lender’s own timeline
- The asset’s value today and once the plan is executed
- Sponsor experience with this kind of deal, and liquidity to carry it
- Leverage against cost, and how the renovation or lease-up will be funded
- Recourse and the guarantee structure
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would I pay more for private capital?
For speed, certainty and flexibility a regulated lender cannot offer on a transitional deal. When the plan works, the private loan is refinanced into cheaper permanent debt and the higher cost was the price of getting there.
Do private lenders require recourse?
Some do and some do not, and many settle in between with carve-out guarantees. It is a negotiation, and different lenders start from different places on the same file.
Do private lenders check my tax returns?
Less than a bank would. They focus on the asset, the plan and the exit, and on whether the sponsor has the experience and liquidity to execute. Personal financial information is still reviewed, but it is not the center of the decision.
When is a private lender the wrong choice?
When the property is stabilized and the borrower qualifies for bank, agency or life company debt, the cheaper permanent loan is almost always the better answer. Private capital is for the transition, not the hold.
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 Zero 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.
Where does YieldStack operate?
Nationwide. YieldStack arranges commercial real estate financing nationwide. Every deal is business-purpose commercial financing, and the broker fee is paid only at closing.
One deal.Several lenders.
YieldStack is a commercial mortgage brokerage, not a lender.