Finance

Step-by-Step Guide to Getting a Commercial Real Estate Bridge Loan

A practical bridge-loan process for commercial real estate, from sources and uses through DSCR, LTV, exit strategy, due diligence and closing.

✓ Practical checklist✓ Primary sources where available✓ No signup✓ Clear limitations
Decision framework

What this guide helps you evaluate

Commercial property buyers or owners financing an acquisition, renovation, lease-up or short-term transition.

This page is designed to help you compare the moving parts, organize due diligence and ask better questions before you commit money, sign a contract or change an operating process.

What to compare first

  • Loan-to-value and loan-to-cost
  • Debt service coverage and in-place versus stabilized NOI
  • Interest reserve, origination fees and exit fees
  • Recourse, guarantees and completion obligations
  • Credible exit through sale, permanent refinance or stabilization

Step-by-step process

  1. 01

    Prepare sources and uses, purchase contract, rent roll and trailing operating statements.

  2. 02

    Build a property-level budget showing renovation, carry and contingency.

  3. 03

    Document the exit strategy with realistic timing and refinance assumptions.

  4. 04

    Request lender quotes using the same loan amount, term and extension assumptions.

  5. 05

    Complete appraisal, environmental, title, insurance and legal due diligence before closing.

Common mistakes and risk checks

  • Underestimating interest carry or construction delays.
  • Using stabilized NOI without a lease-up sensitivity case.
  • Assuming a future permanent refinance will be available on today's terms.